Grimace decals placed on NYC trains ahead of Mets' first home playoff game

The New York Mets' new No. 1 fan made a loud arrival at Citi Field for Game 3 of their NLDS matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Grimace, the large purple cartoon character created by McDonald's, had his likeness plastered on some of the 7 line trains in New York City's subway system. Additionally, a mascot version of Grimace hopped in one of the subway cars that was en route to Tuesday's game, surprising hundreds of Mets fans.

"Grimace! Grimace! Grimace! Grimace!" Mets fans were heard chanting in one video when the mascot, who was wearing a Mets cap, walked onto the train.

In another video with Grimace on the train, Mets fans chanted "Let's go Mets!" as they swarmed the mascot. The 7 line train is the only subway line in New York City that travels directly to Citi Field. 

Grimace has become a folk hero among Mets fans this season. The McDonald's character threw out the first pitch for a Mets game on June 12. That game marked the start of a seven-game win streak for a Mets team that was 28-37 at the time, with the playoffs looking like a far possibility. 

That win streak turned into something more, though. New York continued to play well through the end of the first half of the season and into September, clinching a wild-card spot in its penultimate regular-season game. Including the playoffs, the Mets have gone 63-38 since Grimace threw out the first pitch.

As the Mets surprised the baseball world in 2024, their fans continued to hang onto Grimace throughout their success since June. They posted memes celebrating the unique-looking McDonald's mascot. Other times, fans have been spotted wearing a Grimace costume while attending a Mets game, such as in their Game 2 loss to the Phillies.

The "Grimace effect" reached another height in September. A purple seat was placed in Citi Field in September, with "Grimace" inscribed on it as an ode to the mascot. 

All of that led to the Mets and McDonald's strengthening their relationship even further ahead of Tuesday's game.

"We saw so much social conversation where people were photoshopping Grimace's face decal on the purple 7 subway train line," McDonald's director of social media Amanda Mulligan told The Athletic ahead of Tuesday's game. "And so it felt perfect that we could bring some of that Grimace flavor into the commute for all of the Mets fans, knowing that everyone's going to be riding the 7 train up to Citi Field. There might even be a surprise appearance from Grimace himself on the subway."

In addition to the Grimace decals placed on select 7 trains, there was one train that had a Grimace wrap, according to The Athletic. 

Now, they'll hope the "Grimace effect" will continue, with several fans attending Tuesday's game dressed up in Grimace costumes as they'll root the Mets on as they try to take a 2-1 series lead.

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