A Preakness Stakes long shot is named after an obscure Met

Don’t be surprised if a lot of “Mets money” shows up on a long shot in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. That’s because the No.9 horse in the 2025 Preakness is named “Gosger” after Jim Gosger, a journeyman outfielder who played 74 games for the Amazins, including 10 for the “Miracle Mets” in 1969.The gray, Kentucky-bred colt is owned by Harvey Clarke Racing Stables and was named after the former MLBer thanks to a random Facebook connection with Donna Clarke, whose family owns the horse, according to Paulick Report.Gosger was tagged with 20-1 odds on the morning line, tied for the biggest price on the board with No.

5 Pay Billy.“It’s amazing,” the human Gosger told Paulick Report.“I’m so darn excited about something like this.

I had a good career playing ball.I was very fortunate.

But this ranks right up at the top.”Gosger, 82, played for six teams during his 10-year career, and although his stats may not be memorable, his story certainly is unique.He was the last batter to face Satchel Paige, and he was once declared dead by the Mets.Paige was brought out of retirement in a publicity stunt by Kansas City A’s owner Charlie Finley.At age 59, Paige hurled three scoreless innings, culminating with a groundball out by Gosger.“I grounded out, and as I was running by him to grab my glove, he grabbed my arm and it scared the [heck] out of me,” Gosger recounted to the outlet.

“He looked at me and said, ‘Good luck, young man.’ And that’s something I will never forget.”Four years later, Gosger joined the Mets midway through the 1969 season.He played 10 games, mostly as a defensive replacement for Gil Hodges’ team, but was left off the postseason roster. He never got a World Series ring, but he was honored by the club decades later as part of the “Miracle Mets” 50-year anniversary celebration. There was only one problem.

The Mets included him in the “In Memoriam” video during the celebrations.“They declared me dead, h...