On the Beat with Pete Flynn (A Lost Interview)

I have written about Pete Flynn a couple times.  We never planned on interviewing Flynn.  Honestly, we never had even heard of Flynn until after we talked to him.  Looking back over all of the interviews we have done, Flynn could possibly have seen and done the most interesting things of all.

Flynn has been a groundskeeper for the New York Mets for over 40 years.  For a long stretch, he was Head Groundskeeper, but since "retiring" he rejoined the crew.

Flynn has seen all of the great players over the years.  He saw the awful Mets of the early 60's, the Amazin' Mets of 1969 and the World Series champs of 1986.  He has seen the Polo Grounds, Shea and the new Citi Field.

His adventures aren't limited to baseball though.  He drove the Beatles from the stage to their lino for their Shea concert.  Years later, he drove Paul McCartney to the stage to surprise Billy Joel at the last concert at Shea (as seen on "The Last Play at Shea").

Flynn is soft-spoken and modest.  He's a fascinating guy, but getting him to talk was a bit tough.  If it hadn't been for a rain delay, we wouldn't have been in the dugout and we wouldn't have smooth-talked the security guard and he wouldn't have called over Flynn to talk to us.

Sometimes you just never know what you will find.  In Flynn, we found a gem!

Reconnecting with Pete Flynn

Last year, Chuck and I interviewed Pete Flynn, the New York Mets legendary groundskeeper. Flynn might be the most famous Met, aside from Tom Seaver. He is certainly the most tenured, having joined the organization in 1962.
Flynn drove the Beatles from the stage at Shea Stadium to their waiting limo. He also drove Paul McCartney to the stage to join Billy Joel. He has seen all of the stars (at least the NL stars) and rates Willie Mays as the best.

This May, Louie and I were at Citi Field and we reconnected with Flynn. He is as unassuming as ever. I think he is amused by the spotlight, but doesn't really bask in it (like I probably would).

Pete Flynn:From Ballinamore to Citi Field

Pete Flynn has been in this country since 1961. Flynn has worked for the New York Mets since 1962. Flynn is the Head Groundskeeper, a lofty enough title, but still not encompassing all Flynn does.
We had the chance to talk for a few minutes during a pre-game rain a few weeks ago. Flynn doesn't grab the headlines, but he is certainly a star in his own right.
Flynn has been around since the Polo Grounds. He has seen all of the greats of the game. He believes Willie Mays is the greatest of all time.
Flynn has been the subject of several national articles. Ever the humble man, Flynn says he only kept a couple copies. (In contrast, I have about 100 copies of my one national article from Global Traveler magazine).
While keeping the grounds beautiful is Flynn's main responsibility, it is far from his only duty. In fact, Flynn has played a part in at least 2 major music events at Shea Stadium.
In 1965, Flynn drove the Beatles from the stage to beyond the centerfield wall where their armored car was waiting. In 2008, when Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance at a Billy Joel concert, Flynn again was the driver who got McCartney to the stage on a golf cart.
Flynn is a true character of the game. He'll have no baseball card (unless one of the faithful Mets bloggers create one for him). He won't have a uniform number retired. For the most part, he won't even be recognized in the picture below. Yet, Flynn is as much a part of the New York Mets as anyone past or present.
I must send out a special thanks to fellow bloggers Metstradamus and JJ over at Mets Fever for their assistance. Both sites are great NY Mets blogs and both supplied some info I was missing from lost notes.

Pete Flynn and me in Citi Field in Flushing, NY-June 2009.