Met radio producer is Iron Man of broadcasting
There is a member of the Mets organization who’s amassed a longer streak than The Iron Man himself.
More than 1,000 games longer, and counting.
His name is Chris Majkowski, and he’s been the man behind the scenes of the Mets’ radio broadcast for nearly 25 years. Entering the 2017 season, Majkowski, a producer and radio engineer, has worked 3,759 consecutive games. Cal Ripken Jr.’s MLB-record streak ended at 2,632 games.
The last time Majkowski missed a contest was Aug. 7, 1993. That day, the Mets played a double-header against the Pirates, and Majkowski was forced to attend his oldest sister’s wedding — though he still arrived at Shea Stadium in the morning to help set up the equipment. “There was no wiggle room there with Mom,” he said.
Since then, Majkowski has attended and worked every Mets game, both at home and on the road, producing for the likes of broadcasters Bob Murphy, Gary Cohen and Howie Rose. He’s humble about his achievement. “I’m just showing up for work,” he said. “It’s not rocket science.” But each day of his job now comes with added motivation: Miss a game, and The Streak dies.
“There have been some things with family functions or other things where I’d be like, ‘Boy, you know, I would really like to go there,’” Majkowski told the Daily News. “But I got 20 years invested in this thing, and now it’s getting toward (25). Now I’ve got these years, and what am I going to do?”
He’s going to keep showing up. He really doesn’t have a choice at this point. Plus, Majkowski feels a deep connection to the Mets and his colleagues in the radio booth — Rose and Josh Lewin, along with pre- and post-game host Wayne Randazzo. Cohen, now the play-by-play announcer for the Mets’ SNY television broadcasts, dubbed Majkowski “The Immortal” sometime around 2000, and the nickname has stuck.
“You like to feel like you’re part of the fabric,” said Majkowski, a Fordham grad. “It’s all part of one big Mets family, and we’re all just enjoying the games together.”
“You become part of the organization,” he added. “It’s your summer family, so to speak.”
Somehow, over a span of more than decades, Majkowski hasn’t endured many close calls. Largely that’s because family members are aware of his engagement and often expect him to miss events and other gatherings. But he’s also thankful to have avoided any serious illnesses or injuries during his impressive stretch.
When asked if there is anything for which he would consider ending the streak, Majkowski said, “Outside of a death in the family? Probably not.”
The closest Majkowski came to missing a game was around five years ago, when he took a “bad step” before a Mets-Yankees game at Citi Field.
“I really did something to my knee. To this day, I don’t even know (what it was). But it was kind of a point where I had some ice on it, and I could not bend my knee,” Majkowski said. “I figured, okay, it’s going to loosen up. And it was only getting worse. I probably should have gone and seen the trainer or something. But the show had to go on the air. So I’m sitting there. I’m just trying to flex this during the game, and it’s not getting any better.
“I’m icing this thing. And maybe ice is not the right thing. Maybe it needed heat. Who knows?”
Eventually, the knee improved enough for Majkowski to maneuver. “I’m limping down the hall and limping to the car and trying to drive with this thing.” He didn’t miss a game. “I couldn’t,” Majkowski said. “That would have been stupid.”
Majkowski has no plans for how long he wants to keep going. “I can’t think that far ahead,” he said.
His niece is getting married in September in North Carolina. The Mets have a series at the Braves that same weekend.
“It’s going to be a problem,” Majkowski said of the conflict. Does that mean The Streak is in jeopardy? “No. It’s not going to end on that,” Majkowski said. “They already know that.”