The Major League Baseball world lost one of its all-time great players on Friday as longtime New York Mets star catcher John Stearns has passed away at the age of 71.
MLB insider and columnist Jon Heyman of the New York Post announced the news of Stearns’ death on Twitter on Monday morning.
While Stearns primarily played catcher for the Mets, he also played both third base and first base for the team from time to time.
He played 10 seasons with New York between the years of 1975 and 1984 and was a four-time All-Star, earning the honor in 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1982.
The four-time All-Star finished his time with the Mets boasting a .260 career batting average with 696 hits, 312 RBIs, and 46 home runs.
Stearns was well enough to participate in the New York Mets’ Old Timers Day just a few weeks ago where former Mets players had
the opportunity to be honored on the field in front of the hometown crowd. It gave the fans the opportunity to
salute the star one last time. It’s clear that Stearns was well respected and loved throughout the New York Mets
and MLB world as many took to Twitter to mourn his passing. Stearns will be missed throughout the MLB world.