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          Mets commemorate midseason spark plug Grimace with purple seat

          The Mets paid homage to McDonald's mascot Grimace -- whose June first pitch sparked a seven-game win streak that helped turn the tide in the team's season -- with a purple seat at Citi Field. New York Mets/X
          • J.J. Post, ESPNSep 17, 2024, 01:05 AM

          When the playoffs are on the line, you have to pull out all the stops.

          The New York Mets, currently tied for the final National League wild-card spot, are looking for any bit of fortune they can find to push their squad over the finish line. So with 13 games remaining in the regular season, an old friend is returning to Citi Field.

          Back in June, the struggling Mets hosted an unlikely mascot to throw out the first pitch against the Miami Marlins -- McDonald's own Grimace. With New York entering the game with a 29-37 record and just eight wins in its past 20 outings, the contest figured to be a meaningless Wednesday game between the NL East's fourth- and fifth-place teams.

          Grimace had other plans.

          After Grimace's first pitch, New York ripped off seven consecutive wins. The Mets finished June 12-4 in the post-Grimace era and parlayed the newfound momentum into a 17-10 July. Suddenly, New York wasn't just back to .500, it was right in the thick of the National League postseason race.

          Now with the season entering the homestretch, Grimace is back at Citi Field to try to inspire one last charge.

          The Mets announced before their game against the Washington Nationals that Grimace would be at the ballpark on Monday night. Furthermore, Citi Field will now have a commemorative purple seat in the mascot's honor -- Row 6, Seat 12 in Section 302, referencing the date of Grimace's first pitch, June 12 (or 6/12).

          The team also paid homage to Grimace with a between-innings promotional game in which a fan was tasked with naming three Mets with "Mc" names. Her successful response then prompted an appearance from the mascot on the stadium videoboard, complete with Stone Cold Steve Austin's iconic "I Won't Do What You Tell Me" theme song.

          The Mets start a seven-game homestand on Monday, their final-regular season games of the campaign at Citi Field.

          ESPN's Jorge Castillo contributed to this story.