Yes, the Mets’ Newest Addition Is Really Named Dicky Lovelady and the Internet Can’t Get Enough

Meet the newest Met whose name is making baseball fans giggle.

After the Mets announced they’d signed Richard Lovelady on June 23, the pitcher revealed that he prefers to be called by nickname, Dicky, much to the amusement of fans on social media.

“For those asking, yes, new Mets reliever Richard Lovelady has requested to go by his nickname Dicky. So it will be Dicky Lovelady from here on out,” Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo posted on X on Monday.

Lovelady, 29, who shares a first name with his father Richard, told DiComo, “On a baseball card, I go by Richard Lovelady. On the scoreboard, Richard Lovelady.”

But if fans “run into him on the street or at the ballpark,” the pitcher “prefers his nickname,” said DiComo, adding that some of Lovelady’s family members call him by his middle name, Tyler.

One fan said, “The more I think about it, Dicky Lovelady sounds like it’s straight out of a Seinfeld episode.” Another said, “Dicky Lovelady is an Austin Powers character. No one can convince me otherwise.”

“Look the mets may never win again but we now have a pitcher named DICKY LOVELADY so things are looking up,” another optimistic Mets fan posted.

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Mets TV host Mike Janela posed an interesting question to fans after the signing, writing, “Understanding it’s a very dark and serious time in MetsLand these days, but I do have to pause and ask: where does Dicky Lovelady rank among the greatest names in Mets history?”

Many agreed that Dicky Lovelady is up there on the list of all-time great Mets names, rivaling other nominations like Seymour Weiner and Rusty Kuntz.

Lovelady seems to be enjoying the buzz as Mets fans welcome him to New York, telling DiComo he’s “excited” to join the team. “I’ve heard so much about obviously the pitching department and all the coaches getting the absolute most out of everybody,” the player said. “So I’m excited. I really am.”

Lovelady has also played for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.