Why the New York Mets Almost Wore Pink & Black—Mystery Solved

Earlier this year I published a post which revealed that the New York Mets' original colors came very close to being pink and black.

Why pink and black?

A truly weird color scheme, it would have been unique in the history of American Professional sports. There seemed to be no reasonable explanation of why a new Major League Baseball team in 1962 would opt for that particular pallete. I've found the reason, and it makes total and complete sense:

Joan Whitney Payson—the club’ s first majority stockholder—was born into great wealth. She inherited millions of dollars upon the death of her father Payne Whitney in 1927, along with the famed Greentree Stables. The stable's silks featured salmon pink and black striped sleeves with a black cap, and were designed by Mrs. Payson's mother, Helen, after a favorite tea dress.

With this information in hand, it now seems obvious why Mrs. Payson—known throughout her life for being superstitious—would want to carry forth the family's aesthetic traditions when forming the expansion Mets.

Another look at what might have been: