Members of the 1986 New York Mets aren’t bashful about their affection for each other, and anyone who has a problem with that is advised to stay clear of World Series hero Ray Knight.
The man who famously scored the winning run in Game 6 of that year’s Fall Classic joined his former teammates at Citi Field in Queens on Saturday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the club’s last World Series title.
Asked about his emotions seeing his beloved former teammates, the 73-year-old Georgia native did not hold back.
‘I love those guys,’ Knight told SNY while watching the current Mets lose to the visiting Miami Marlins. ‘They love me. We love each other. And it goes from top to bottom, from your best player to your worst player, although there weren’t any “worst” players on that team.
‘We hug,’ he continued. ‘And, you know, I had four or five guys that gave me a kiss on the cheek. I kissed a couple of guys on the cheek. People can think what they want to think. I don’t give a f***. But I do know one thing: I do like going to war with those men.’
SNY was caught off guard by Knight’s F-bomb, which went unbleeped during the live broadcast.
Ray Knight loves his former Mets teammates, and isn’t ashamed to hiss them on the cheek
Members of the 1986 New York Mets pose for a photo before Saturday’s game in Queens. Knight is seen in the front row holding the World Series trophy on on his lap
Knight was mysteriously pushed onto the field in a wheelchair by fellow third baseman Howard ‘HoJo’ Johnson, but was able to stand under his own power and take his seat
But don’t expect any uproar over the retired infielder’s language.
Mets fans old enough to remember the wild exploits of the 1986 club aren’t going to blush over a four-letter word they’ve probably come to rely on with the team currently in last place.
Although one Yankees fan on X wrote that Knight was a ‘typical classless Met,’ the majority of the responses celebrated the funny moment.
‘Ray Knight,’ one Mets fan wrote, ‘still awesome.’
Another Mets supporter added it was ‘peak masculinity from Ray Knight.’
Several fans pointed out the VIP suite’s open bar looming behind Knight during the interview, but the retiree didn’t give any indication that he was inebriated.
Ray Knight is greeted at home by Howard Johnson while scoring the winning run in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The memorable moment was made possible by Bill Buckner’s error
A gassed Ray Knight tries to catch his breath after winning MVP honors following Game 7
As many other fans noted, Knight was just being himself.
‘Ray Knight is the best!’ one wrote. ‘I’ll always love him.’
Knight was pushed onto the field in a wheelchair by fellow third baseman Howard ‘HoJo’ Johnson, but was able to stand under his own power and take his seat alongside his former teammates. It’s unclear if he is facing any health issue.
The ex-husband of golf legend Nancy Lopez, Knight is best remembered for scoring the winning run in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series following Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner’s infamous error. Knight would follow in the Mets’ Game 7 win by homering in the seventh inning to secure the team’s second title and earn MVP honors for himself.
Knight would go on to play for the Baltimore Orioles in 1987 and the Detroit Tigers in 1988 before retiring.
Later, in 1996, Knight was hired as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, replacing Davey Johnson, who’d previously managed the 1986 Mets.
Johnson passed away in September at 82.
