In a new book ‘Yes, It’s Hot in Here,’ AJ Mass — who used to don the Mr. Met costume — said he was hoping to meet President Clinton during his visit to Shea Stadium in April 1997. But because of the size of the costume’s head, he couldn’t get through a metal detector, which prompted a Secret Service agent to give him a serious threat of being shot by a sniper if he approached the President.
“He pauses for a moment to let the words sink in, and it feels like he isn’t only looking into my eyes, but also into my very soul with his blank, unblinking stare,” Mass wrote.
He recalled the agent staring directly into the mouth of his huge faux leather head to deliver the warning that sent chills through all eight of Mr. Met’s fingers.“‘Approach the President, and we go for the kill shot,’ he repeated. ‘ARE — WE — CLEAR?’”
The chilling account has made Mass a star among mascots.
“I’m glad people are digging the story,” he told the Daily News on Thursday. “It wasn’t until I was done with the job that I had thoughts of writing it all down.”Mass was angling to get a picture with Clinton on April 15, 1997 — the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s historic first major league game.Accompanied by two female college interns, the costumed Mass set off in search of his presidential prey: “The holy grail for all mascots — a photo op and meet and greet with a sitting President,” he wrote.
His hopes were soon crushed by the Secret Service agent sporting a dark suit and a darker mood. Mass recalled the agent started eyeballing him after Mr. Met’s head failed to fit through an on-field metal detector. The author, now employed by ESPN, looks back fondly on his four seasons at Shea. The Mets won 55 games in the 1994 strike season, and then posted 69, 71 and 88 wins in the next three years.
“They were slightly better each year of my tenure,” he said.“Do I think I had a direct impact on their success? Noooooo. But there is something to be said for that.”The lifelong Mets fan grew up in Flushing and walked to games at Shea when he was a kid. Once inside the Mr. Met outfit, Mass saw himself as a bit of an every-fan.“Mr. Met is the personification of hope,” he explained. “I kind of think it was fate that I got the job. If there was someone in the suit who wasn’t a Mets fan, who didn’t care as much as I did, that wouldn’t have come across.”lmcshane@nydailynews.com
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