June 28, 1962 - The New York Mets, who have no past and are dismally bogged down in the present, invested a substantial sum in the future today by signing Ed Kranepool (right), a 17-year-old first baseman from James Monroe High School in the Bronx. Kranepool received a bonus estimated to be $75,000. Kranepool, a 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound left-hander, is expected to join the Mets in Los Angeles today to begin a cram course under the expert guidance of Gil Hodges, the Mets’ slick-fielding first baseman. After that, the youngster will report to the Syracuse farm team in the International League. Mrs. Ethel Kranepool, the boy’s mother, expressed great satisfaction at her son’s signing with the Mets. His father was killed in action during World War II. “I always knew he would be a player,” Mrs. Kranepool said. “I think the Mets offered Ed the best opportunity to get to the big leagues. There was a warmth about them. I have the utmost confidence in him.”
