Original Met Ed Kranepool needs a kidney transplant

Mets legend Ed Kranepool has been placed on the organ donor list as he awaits a kidney transplant. He got an infection last August, and when he had trouble breathing a month later, he rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with kidney failure and has yet to find a donor.

Last week, Kranepool had to have a toe amputated on his left foot because he could not take aggressive antibiotics to treat an infection in his foot. To help pay for his medical bills, the beloved first baseman is planning on selling his 1969 World Series ring and other memorabilia he has amassed from his career.

Kranepool is a native New Yorker and spent the entirety of his eighteen year career with the Mets. He was signed by the team as a 17-year-old on June 27, 1962, and made his debut later that year in September. A few years later, the first baseman became an All-Star in 1965, and he hit a home run in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series. He was also a part of the 1973 Mets team that went on a run to the World Series. Kranepool finished his career hitting .261/.316/.377 as a lifelong Met.