Bobby Valentine, in disguise again, revels in his most famous moment with Mets

NEW YORK (AP) — Bobby Valentine was just trying to keep things loose — and perhaps save his job — when he donned a makeshift disguise and returned to the New York Mets’ dugout after being ejected from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 9, 1999.

It turned into a defining moment, maybe even the most memorable of his 40-plus years in baseball.

On the eve of his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame, Valentine reveled in that clandestine act Friday night when the former manager again wore sunglasses and a fake mustache while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to a similarly disguised Mr. Met.

The 76-year-old Valentine, who will be honored Saturday alongside ex-Mets teammate Lee Mazzilli, emerged from the New York dugout and received a warm hand from a Citi Field crowd that included fans already adorned in the ballpark giveaway — sunglasses and a fake mustache.

Valentine moved a few steps in front of the mound and tossed a pitch to the team mascot, whose hat read: Not Mr. Met.

Moments later, local children from John Lewis Childs grammar school on Long Island sang the national anthem — with several of them wearing fake mustaches. Another group of kids in disguise then pushed a button to activate the Home Run Apple beyond the center-field fence.

“Great memories for me,” Valentine said through vice president of alumni public relations and team historian Jay Horwitz. “At the time I did the mustache, we were struggling and I wa...