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Lifelong Mets fanatic honored by team after attending 50 consecutive home openers
It’s been an Amazin’ journey.
A lifelong Mets fan — who’s seen everything from the Queens team celebrating its 1986 World Series win to the start of some pretty bleak seasons — was honored at CitiField Friday for attending each of the ballclub’s home openers for the past 50 years.
John “JC” Cannon brought 24 family members along to commemorate the occasion — which this year was highlighted by Pete Alanso’s first-inning home run.
Being a Mets fan hadn’t always been easy, but standing by his team through thick and thin was never a question for the 66-year-old, who is originally from Bay Ridge.
“I had no idea this was going to go for 50 years but it has and it’ll keep going as long as I’m healthy,” Cannon told The Post.
“The Mets have become my family.”
Cannon was enjoying the aftermath of Alonso’s homer and discussing the exciting play with his grandson, Leo, when he caught sight of himself on the ball park’s big video screen, which earned an eruption of applause from fellow fanatics throughout the stadium.
Cannon didn’t know the Mets had anything up their sleeves after they had already offered him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play catch with the team at their pre-game batting practice — a chance Cannon, unfortunately, had to turn down.
The new grandfather had already committed to spending time walking to Citi Field with seven of his family and friends from Grand Central Station in Manhattan, something he had once before been forced to do in order to make the 1980 home opener at Shea Stadium after MTA workers went on strike.
“There were no trains or buses to the stadium for my fifth opening day, so I said let’s recreate it for my 50th,” Cannon told The Post.
“Over the years, as I told people the miles got longer and longer and longer, but Google Maps said it’s just 8 miles.”
Cannon’s first home opener was back in 1975 when the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies, a nail-biting contest that the Amazins won 2-1 thanks to a walk-off RBI hit in the bottom of the ninth from future Yankee legend Joe Torre.
The excitement was overwhelming and Cannon had just one thought: “I got to do this every year.”
And so the tradition continued. Cannon attended every home opener even after marrying his wife, Sherryl, moving to Fairfield, Connecticut and building his family.
The only year he wasn’t sitting in a Mets stadium seat for the first day of the season was in 2020 when Covid ruined any chances of fans witnessing the first game of the season — but neither Cannon nor the Mets are counting that one.
Opening day is typically the best day of the season for Cannon because the Mets usually win, he pointed out.
“The most memorable opening day was probably in 1985 — Gary Carter’s first game as a Met. It was a wonderfully exciting game, but freezing cold. It snowed. It was definitely the coldest opening day,” Cannon recalled.
The 2025 opening day might unseat that year as the best, however, because Cannon was able to bring his 18-year-old grandson Leo to his very first Mets game.
Plus, Cannon has full faith in his team to bring home an exciting season after last year’s blockbuster performance that brought them within spitting distance of a World Series bid.
“Last season was the most exciting year in Mets history. It has to be. That’ll keep me going for a while,” Cannon said.
The grandfather admitted the attention of the Jumbotron — and the rowdy applause that accompanied it — was “overwhelming” and is excited for the cheering to once again be redirected to the Amazins.
