American baseball legend and ex pitcher for Mets Jeff Innis has passed away.
He died on Sunday, January 30, 2022, aged 59, after a long battle with cancer.
His former teammate Dwight Gooden confirmed his death on Sunday in a press statement.
“Shocked to hear he passed. We were together at Fantasy Camp last October and he never let on he was sick. Just a fun guy to be around. He was a workhorse out of the pen,” he said.
Mets vice president of alumni public relations, Jay Horwitz also stated: “Jeff Innis was just a decent and humble guy who never made a big deal that he was a major league player. Jeff was proud of the fact that the Mets were the only team he played for in the big leagues.”
Innis, who was a right-handed sidearmer, was drafted by the Mets out of the University of Illinois in 1983. He spent his entire seven-year major league career with the team from 1987-93.
He played 288 games over that stretch and pitched to a 3.05 ERA.
Jeff Innis is survived by his children.
Who is Jeff Innis wife Kelly McNee?
He was married to Kelly McNee for 13 years. Kelly McNee was an All-America cross-country and indoor-track runner at Illinois.
Innis met Kelly McNee while in college. They tied the knot on November 21, 1992. Unfortunately, they divorced amicably in 2005.
McNee played an inspirational role in Innis’ career.
When Innis attempted to at early age after the Twins parted ways with him, his ex-wife convinced him to give it another shot with Minnesota’s top farm team, the Salt Lake Buzz.
Innis disclosed in an interview: “Sometimes it’s hard to have fun in the big leagues with all the money at stake and all the pressure that goes along with it. Don’t get me wrong. I want another chance up there, but I’m going to have a good attitude and have fun while I’m in Triple-A.”
The couple had children, who helped raise money on GoFundMe to treat Innis’ cancer, however, their identities are unknown to the public.
