The Mets Hall of Fame will add three new members this spring.
The team announced Tuesday that Jon Matlack, Ron Darling and Edgardo Alfonzo will be inducted May 17 at Citi Field.
Al Jackson, an original Met who died in August, will also be honored with the Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award.
Matlack pitched for the Mets from 1971-77 and was a member of the 1973 National League pennant team. He was the 1972 Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star and the All-Star Game MVP in 1975. His 3.03 career ERA is fifth all-time in Mets history, while his 82 wins rank seventh and his 1,023 strikeouts are ninth.
"I was honored when I got the call from (Mets Chief Operating Officer) Jeff (Wilpon)," Matlack told Mets.com. "I was astounded when he called and I am so grateful for the honor. My time in New York was special to me and I am thrilled to be remembered with all of the great players, especially the pitchers, this organization has been blessed to have."
Darling pitched for the Mets from 1983-95. He was an All-Star in 1985 and a member of the 1986 world championship team. Darling ranks fourth all-time in Mets history with 99 wins and seventh with 1,148 strikeouts. He has been a member of SNY's Mets broadcast team since 2006.
"I'm humbled and honored to be part of the Mets Hall of Fame Class of 2020," Darling said. "Congratulations to the other honorees, especially Al Jackson who was my mentor in the minor leagues. Al changed the path of my professional baseball career and for that, I will be forever grateful. I want to thank the New York Mets organization for this honor and allowing me to be a part of the orange and blue for all these years."
Alfonzo was a fixture in the Mets' infield from 1995-2002 and played on the 2000 World Series team. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2000 as well. He ranks fifth all-time on the Mets in career batting average (.292), fifth in runs scored (614), fifth in hits (1,136), fifth in doubles (212), 10th in home runs (120) and seventh in RBIs (538).
From 2017-19, Alfonzo was the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets' Single-A short-season affiliate. He now serves as an ambassador for the big-league club.
"Getting into the Mets Hall of Fame is a dream come true for me," Alfonzo said. "The Mets have had so many great players in their history and I'm so proud to receive this honor."
Jackson pitched for the Mets from 1962-65 and then again from 1968-69. He worked for the franchise for 50 years overall, also serving as a major league coach, minor league pitching coordinator and front-office adviser.
