John Stearns, a combative four-time time All-Star catcher with the Mets, died on Thursday in Denver. He was 71.
The Mets announced the death, which they said came after a long bout with cancer.
Stearns, who was with the Mets from 1975 to 1984, died less than three weeks after attending Old-Timers’ Day at Citi Field in Queens. The event was held to acknowledge the Mets’ 60th anniversary.
“No one played the game with more spirit or determination than John Stearns,” the Mets’ president, Sandy Alderson, said in a statement. “He literally willed himself to attend Old-Timers’ Day last month so he could visit friends and old teammates.