AJ Mass

The Mets kick off their regular season this afternoon in Washington, D.C. AJ Mass once donned the Mr. Met costume. Here, he reflects on the weird, woolly world of sports mascots.

In 1994 AJ Mass became the first person to put on the Mr. Met suit since the mascot was retired in the 1960s, and he played Mr. Met through the 1997 season. His book Yes, It’s Hot in Here: Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots he describes life inside the suit and explores the entertaining history of the sports mascot from its roots in Renaissance society.

“You’re in the costume and you’re kind of getting all this Justin Bieber-esque attention, like everyone wants to take their picture with you. And everybody’s coming at you. And it’s k...