"We've had a tremendous response, people come out of the woods, people I don't know. Makes you tear up sometimes," Kranepool says.
[Ads /]
Less than six months ago, Kranepool's life changed forever, when he found himself struggling to breathe. He eventually found that his kidneys were failing, and that a transplant was necessary.
"You thing you're gonna stay healthy all the time, but here's the situation, you don't stay healthy - things change," he says.
Kranepool, who was a member of the 1969 'Miracle Mets,' has been living with diabetes for decades, and last week had a big toe amputated due to an aggressive infection. It is the first step in his quest for a new kidney - one that the Mets, and Mets fans have supported.
"There've been so many wonderful people - New York is a great town. Loved as a player - stayed my whole life," the Mets legend added.
[Ads /]
Kranepool says he doesn't know who is a perfect match.
"We hope we find one - don't need two," he says.
So for now, he waits.
"I've done a lot of things in my years with the Mets, 50 years, tried to give back - maybe it pays off," says Kranepool.
If you are interested to see if you are a match to become a kidney donor, you can contact Stony Brook University Hospital at 631-444-2209