“Some folks gave their bodies to science. I gave mine to baseball.” Such was Ron Hunt’s love for the game. He picked up the passion from his grandfather and played countless games of catch and baseball offshoots. It was in his back alley that the first chapter of Hunt’s story began. What followed was sheer grit and fierce play. He was 85 at the time of his passing and had been battling multiple illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease and cancer. And as fans mourn the loss of this baseball legend, his legacy glows brighter than ever today.

Born on February 23, 1941, to Bernice Hunt and Floyd Hunt in St. Louis, Ron soon moved to his maternal grandparents’ house. His father was a Navy veteran and a butcher, and once his parents’ marriage fell apart, he spent a lot of time with his Grandpa Walter Gronemeyer, who was a beer and baseball lover. And as we know, the rest is history.

“We are saddened to share the news of the passing of Ron Hunt,” the Mets wrote on X. “Hunt, a Met from 1963 through 1966, was the first player to start an All-Star game in franchise history. We send our condolences to his friends and family.”

Ron Kenneth Hunt was not a man of many words, so he did what he did best. He listened to his grandfather and high school coach. Lee Engert had nothing but praise for Hunt’s dedication, as the young boy had made it a habit to wait outside his coach’s door every morning.

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Years passed, and he kept honing his baseball skills. Then came the time to move to college, and Northwestern and Southern Illinois University heavily recruited him to play quarterback, but Hunt knew what his true calling was. He stuck to baseball.

He began his big league career in 1963, when the newly formed Mets acquired him from the Milwaukee Braves. As a 22-year-old rookie, Hunt became the Mets’ starting second baseman and spent the first four seasons of his career in Queens. It is the same position he played when he started as an All-Star in 1964.

While that is historic, there’s a story of great courage that lies behind it. Initially with the Mets, Hunt was not satisfied with his bench-sitting role, so he took matters into his own hands and remarked, “Coach, Ron Hunt, number 33, second base.”

And when the coach asked him what he could do for the young slugger, his response made his desire to start explicit:

“I’m not a bullpen catcher, I’m a second baseman. Maybe I need a chance, see if I can play here.”

Just like that, he started the next day and reached base in three of his four plate appearances.

In his first season with the Mets, Hunt finished second to Pete Rose in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Never a huge slugger, the Mets’ 2B hit 10 of his 39 career home runs that year, alongside 42 RBI. Hunt scripted franchise history when he became the first Met to hit a home run at Shea Stadium in April 1964. He repeated the act a few months later during the 1964 All-Star Game.

After the Mets, Hunt joined the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 1967 season, then followed it up with the San Francisco Giants and the Montreal Expos before he retired in 1974. After his retirement, Hunt’s slash line read .273/.368/.347 for a .715 OPS with 39 homers and 370 RBIs.

‘Scrap Iron,’ who was in hospice care for the last few days of his life, is survived by his wife Jackie, daughter Tracy, and son Ron Jr. Fans have sent their condolences to the family.

MLB fans mourn Ron Hunt’s passing

“Ron Hunt was my favorite Met of all time. He would do anything to get on base. My first uniform had a 33 on it for my idol. I even wore 33 when I played softball. Ron, please RIP. I only have great memories of you!” wrote a devoted fan on X.

Ron Hunt’s tendency to get hit by pitches sent him to base often. He recorded an impressive .368 OBP in his career. He wore jersey number 33 for the majority of his time in the MLB.

“First Mets player to homerun at old Shea Stadium,” another fan noted his achievement.

Hunt homered twice at Shea Stadium, the first one being against the Cubs in April 1964. He did it again in the same year during the All-Star Game.

However, the move from the Mets truly broke his heart, given that his family loved being in New York. Expressing his disappointment, he responded to the fan letters, saying:

“To my friends in New York: I want to thank you for all the happiness you’ve given my family and me. Everything I have or hope to have, I owe to the most wonderful people in the world–the New York fans.”

Beyond these numbers, what made Hunt unique was his playing style and his remarkable ability to get hit by pitches. As Hunt opted to stand almost over the middle of the plate, it left him more vulnerable to HBP, but the infielder was not bothered. In his 12 years as a baseball player, Hunt got hit 243 times in total.

In fact, his 15 baseball-related surgeries have left quite an impact, with a noticeable hitch in his step. His baseball-related concussions may also be connected to Parkinson’s disease. But did that deter the tough Missourian? Definitely not.

“All complaining does is make your enemies happy,” he said.

One fan commented, “Hit by all those pitches and lived to be 85…resilient guy!”

Hunt is a record holder when it comes to being frequently hit by pitches. In 1971, he was struck 51 times during a single season, a number unmatched in modern-day baseball. These HBPs spiked his OBP to .402 that year.

“Rest in peace, Mr Ron “HBP” Hunt. 243 times in a 12-year career. Also played for Montreal Expos,” wrote one user.

Hunt spent his last three-plus seasons with the Montreal Expos before the St. Louis native went to the Cardinals to retire, even though he felt he had plenty left in the tank. However, his loyalty to the sport shone through and through as he traveled the country to continue giving baseball lessons.

“I hope people remember me as a player who played the game right. I hope they remember me as someone who was a decent human being, who respected the game of baseball and gave it his best effort every day for as long as he could,” he had said back in 2018.

Indeed, Ron Hunt, the baseball community will remember you…