NEW YORK — About an hour earlier than addressing the packed home at Citi Discipline, a concentrated Keith Hernandez stared in deep research at his index playing cards in a largely empty interview room — his huge brother sitting only a step away.

At all times ready. At all times a professional. At all times with Gary by his aspect.

A rock-steady chief for the New York Mets‘ final championship crew, Hernandez obtained a uncommon honor Saturday when the membership retired his No. 17 jersey earlier than a sport towards the Miami Marlins.

“That is only a nice second for me,” Hernandez mentioned from a podium between the pitcher’s mound and second base. “I by no means dreamed I would be right here this lengthy, within the group. I’m completely humbled and proud that my quantity might be up within the rafters for eternity.”

Moments later, No. 17 in blue with orange trim was unveiled alongside the Citi Discipline roof within the left-field nook, simply to the left of the No. 36 that was retired for pitcher Jerry Koosman final 12 months.

Corridor of Famers Tom Seaver (41) and Mike Piazza (31) are the one different Mets gamers to have their numbers retired by the crew. Former managers Casey Stengel (37) and Gil Hodges (14) are additionally honored.

“I thanks,” the 68-year-old Hernandez, now a preferred Mets broadcaster, mentioned to the cheering and chanting sellout crowd of 43,336 throughout a 30-minute ceremony. “I am really overwhelmed.”

Beloved by Mets followers for his work each on the sphere and within the sales space, Hernandez spent seven of his 17 main league seasons with New York from 1983 to 1989 and batted third for the 1986 World Sequence champions.

The following 12 months, he was chosen as the primary captain in membership historical past.

Hernandez ranks second in Mets annals with a .297 batting common and 10th in RBIs. He received a team-record six of his 11 Gold Gloves at first base in New York and was elected to the Mets’ Corridor of Fame in 1997.

“He virtually rewrote the handbook on tips on how to play first base,” longtime Mets radio announcer Howie Rose mentioned. “He did not merely play first base, he carried out it — a virtuoso.”

Following the ceremony, Hernandez threw out the primary ball from first base to his brother Gary, who caught it with a weathered first baseman’s mitt Hernandez wore throughout the second half of the 1986 season.

Hours earlier than the sport, followers in No. 17 jerseys with Hernandez’s title throughout the again stood in lengthy strains ready for the gates to open.

Hernandez mentioned he’d been awake since 3:40 a.m. after getting a textual content from somebody in a unique time zone. Nervous about his speech, he could not fall again asleep and began writing it about 8:30 a.m.

“Hopefully I am going to get by way of it in 5 minutes, if I do not break down,” Hernandez mentioned.

Carrying a blue go well with, he choked again tears as he talked about his household and the glowing feedback he’d learn from former teammates about him in function tales main as much as his huge day.

Due to his private broadcast model and entertaining appearances on “Seinfeld” and elsewhere, many Mets followers really feel a singular kinship to Hernandez. He tells home-improvement tales, shares cuddly photos of his cat, Haji, and expounds on his prolonged, traffic-filled rides on the Lengthy Island Expressway to and from his Sag Harbor dwelling.

A recorded message of congratulations from Jerry Seinfeld even performed on the big video board in heart discipline in the midst of the primary inning.

Hernandez additionally credit a few of his clutch hitting in a Mets uniform to recommendation from Gary, who pumped his left arm within the air emphatically whereas receiving an enormous ovation from the gang as he was launched with a couple of dozen members of Hernandez’s household, together with three daughters and two grandchildren.

“He was all the time my good luck attraction,” Hernandez mentioned.

Hernandez has broadcast Mets video games since 1999 and received three Emmys for Greatest Sports activities Analyst. The bobbleheads handed out Saturday at Citi Discipline featured Hernandez, together with his acquainted salt-and-pepper mustache, on the broadcast desk holding a microphone.

“Keith linked with Mets followers in a means that few others ever have,” Rose mentioned.

Hernandez was offered with a present by proprietor Steve Cohen and supervisor Buck Showalter — a big mosaic portrait made out of 6,000 Keith Hernandez baseball playing cards and Strat-O-Matic sport playing cards of 1986 Mets gamers.

Piazza was available for the ceremony together with a number of of Hernandez’s former Mets teammates, together with Mookie Wilson, Tim Teufel, Ed Lynch and Ron Darling — now a TV broadcast associate as nicely.

Hernandez additionally received a World Sequence title with the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals and was inducted into their Corridor of Fame final 12 months. He was acquired by the Mets in a pivotal June 1983 commerce, charged with main the turnaround of a crew that had been a laughingstock for years and educating its rising younger expertise tips on how to win.

Groomed for such a task in St. Louis by Corridor of Famer Lou Brock, that is precisely what Hernandez did — in Queens as a substitute.

“I am simply type of a fiery participant,” Hernandez mentioned, who was sad in regards to the commerce at first.

“What did I do know? A life and career-changing occasion.”