Military & First Responders Programs

Military: The Mets work closely with all branches of the military as well as non-profit organizations to honor and support both active duty and veterans of our armed forces.

• Military Transition Summit
• Military Softball Classic
• MetsVetDog

Additional activities include:

• Memorial Day Activations
• Veteran of the Game - At every home game at Citi Field, the Mets salute the "Veteran of the Game" presented by Fiserv. A player presents the honoree with an American flag that flew over Citi Field and Citi Vision plays a segment showcasing the soldier's achievements while serving in the military.
• Navy Ship Visit - To pay homage to our armed forces, Mets players and front office personnel visit active-duty service members aboard various ships docked in New York City. In honor of fleet week and Veteran¡¯s Day, Mets players and front office employees toured the USS Bataan and USS Arlington to learn about life on the warship, take pictures with service members and hand out special Mets Challenge Coins.

First Responders: The Mets are grateful to our first responders and are committed to honoring them through events like visits to local firehouses, activities with nearby precincts or in-game spotlights.

• Battle of the Badges - The Mets and David Wright proudly host the annual ¡®Battle of the Badges¡¯ charity baseball game, presented by Ford. Members of the New York Police Department and Fire Department of New York¡¯s baseball teams battled for city supremacy at Citi Field. Each team consisted of former high school, college, and minor league baseball players now members of the NYPD and FDNY. In addition to honoring a member of the FDNY and NYPD for doing ¡°the Wright Thing¡±, David visits each dugout, signs autographs, and takes photos with players and fans during the game. In 2024, the FDNY defeated the NYPD, 5-1. The win gave New York¡¯s Bravest a 14-12 advantage in the series.
• NYPD & FDNY Families - The Mets are dedicated to honoring our city¡¯s first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice. In 2021, the team paid tribute to the brave men and women we lost on September 11, 2001, during a pre-game ceremony. On Opening Day in 2022, the Mets honored and recognized fallen NYPD officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora by inviting both families to Citi Field for a special jersey presentation and to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Mets also honored NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen, and FDNY firefighters Steven Pollard, Timothy Klein and others who were tragically killed in the line of duty.