MAY 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 11
IN THE NEWS
ED KRANEPOOL:
EX-MET FIGHTS FOR LIFE
By JOHN DUNDON
For New York Mets legend Ed
Kranepool, the letters “A.B.” used
to be an abbreviation for his next
at bat, of which he amassed 5,436
throughout his playing days in
Flushing.
Now, it’s an important detail – his
AB blood type – in Steady Eddie’s
quest to find an organ donor to
replace one of his defunct kidneys.
His are functioning under 20
percent, according to his doctors.
Time is of the essence.
“I thought, originally, that I was
having a heart attack when the
kidneys began to shut down,” says
Kranepool, of Old Westbury. “I
couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t walk
more than 10 feet.”
That day, at the behest of his wife
and grandchildren, Kranepool
sought medical advice. Physicians
ruled out a heart attack. The path
forward became as clear as the
route to first base: Get a clean bill
of health and be a candidate for a
kidney transplant.
But Kranepool was dealing with a
serious infection that kept him off
the transplant list.
“You need to be in tip-top shape for
(transplant specialists) to consider
you for a transplant,” Kranepool
says. “So, we met with so many
doctors. We went to the heart doctor
for stress testing, then back to the
kidney specialist. I even had to get a
signoff from my dentist.”
When all of the potential harbors for
infection were checked, Kranepool
received the OK to pursue a kidney
match. It has since become the focus
of his attention.
While under very different
circumstances, this isn’t the first
time Kranepool has overcome
adversity. Being sent down to the
minor leagues just a few months
after winning the World Series
stands out.
“With the Mets for six or seven years
at this point, we win the World Series
in ‘69, you go from one year playing in
the Major Leagues to the next where
they send you down,” Kranepool
says. “That’s a tough bullet to bite.
It takes something inside of you to
want to fight your way back.”
But, he did it.
“If you go down there and sulk, hit
.100 or .200, you’re getting released,”
Kranepool says. “You show them
that you can do it, so I went down
there and tried to hit .350. I earned
my way back.”
For good measure, “Kraner” hit
.280 his next season in the majors.
That was the best batting average by
season during his illustrious 18-year
career in the big leagues.
Although he was never fleet of
foot as a player, Kranepool, now
73, takes especially slow, ambling
strides as he walks to ensure the
loss of his recently amputated
toes don’t cause a fall. He does
this across his basement-turned
memorabilia display, brandishing
dozens of autographed photos and
baseballs acquired throughout his
playing days in MLB, pointing out
certain precious moments with his
intimidating Louisville Sluggerturned
walking cane.
Kranepool has been selling
memorabilia to fans and collectors,
giving others a chance to enjoy some
of the precious items he collected.
“We were always raising money for
something,” Kranepool says as he
expands upon a few select plaques
from his countless days of charity
work, digging in excitedly at every
piece featuring charitable events
organized in the name of Yankees’
legend Joe DiMaggio. Kranepool
grew up in the Bronx and was,
admittedly, a Yankees fan.
Now though, Kranepool has many
more precious moments to live for.
He’s got seven grandchildren who
keep him active. He loves boating
and looks forward to getting back
on the many local golf courses he’s
walked for charitable causes.
Martin Gover, President of
Momentum Sports Management
Inc. and Kranepool’s friend, says
that it’d be tough to find someone
more deserving of the help.
“Ed is a true New Yorker through
and through, someone who has
always given back,” Gover says.
“He’s the longest-tenured Met and is
beloved by fans.”
With luck, Kranepool will have
a pinch hitter of his own come
through in the clutch.
Ex-Mets first baseman Ed Kranepool hopes to score a new kidney.
Organ Donor
Need By The
Numbers
114,882: People on the
national waiting list for organs.
9,359: People waiting in New
York State.
8,110: People waiting in the
New York Metro area.
In NY, you can register to
become an organ donor when
you visit the DMV, register to
vote, apply for an idNYC card,
register for health insurance
through the health benefits
exchange, or at LongLiveNY.org.
Source: LiveOnNY