DENVER — John Stearns, a four-time time All-Star catcher with the New York Mets, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 71.
Stearns, who played football and baseball at the University of Colorado, died Thursday night in Denver, the Mets said.
Stearns passed away less than three weeks after attending Old Timers Day at Citi Field on Aug. 27. He was noticeably thin in his Mets jersey and waved to the crowd when he was introduced on the field.
"No one played the game with more spirit or determination than John Stearns," Mets President Sandy Alderson said Friday in a statement.