Ralph Kiner had not called many Mets games in the past few years. He did not want to travel much. He was usually at afternoon games for a few innings, maybe 12 or 15 times a season.

Still, his grasp of baseball strategy was strong. His opinions had zing. And his memory churned out reminiscences about long-retired if not deceased players.

Where else would you hear a baseball announcer talk authoritatively about Zack Wheat or Paul Waner, except if you were tuned to Vin Scully?

“He once dropped a name on us, Frenchy Bordagaray, which I couldn’t pronounce or make any reference to,” said Howie Rose, his former partner on cable TV. “But I did a little homework and learned about his career. When I hear younger fans criticize older broadcasters for their references to players from past generations, I wonder, ‘Do you have an ounce of curiosity?’ ”