May 8 in Mets History: New York announces that it will be known as the Mets, short for Metropolitans (1961)

On May 8, 1961, The new National League entry in New York is officially named the “Mets.” Not Metropolitans, just Mets. At a ceremony at the Savoy Hilton, owner Joan Payson swings a bottle of champagne and, after three unsuccessful whacks, turns the job over to a waiter who uses a bottle opener. The

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Source: Historical record

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