This play-by-play Mets broadcaster gets a proper hometown hurrah

Valley Stream’s Keith Raad was honored by his hometown Sept. 5  for his achievements as a play-by-play broadcaster for the New York Mets during a family-friendly event at the Valley Stream Village Green.

The event included a live DJ, giveaways, baseball-themed inflatables for the kids, and a special appearance by “Mr. Met” himself. Hundreds of baseball fans from surrounding communities attended as well as Valley Stream residents eager to give Raad a warm welcome back home.

Born and raised in Valley Stream, Raad recounted how his early years participating in various athletic programs in the community planted the seeds for his future career.

“You don’t realize what shapes you until you leave it,” Raad said. “There are two things that come to mind when I think about this town. One is the walk to Wheeler’s Deli on Saturday mornings with my dad as a kid to pick up bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches for the family, as well as the local paper so that I could soak up all of the baseball info that I could. And the other is walking by Fireman’s Field, a block away from my house, where there were five baseball fields in one park, and the sounds of the crowd and the crack of the bat seeped into my subconscious.”

Valley Stream Deputy Mayor John Puforelli owned the Wheeler Deli for 27 years and was also President of the Valley Stream Baseball League when Raad was a kid.

“Keith and my son played, and the whole neighborhood basically worked at that store, so we created baseball leagues out of it,” Puforelli said. “Keith was a good kid, and I knew that he would do well in life. He made Valley Stream proud.”

Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare welcomed Raad, his wife Kaitlyn and daughter Charlotte, back to Valley Stream and thanked Raad’s parents, Patty and Don, and his sister, Jane, “for sharing Keith with the entire Village.”

Fare emphasized how Raad’s years in Valley Stream as a student athlete, volunteer, and musician, as well as an employee of the Village of Valley Stream before leaving to attend the University of Dayton, displayed his extraordinary work ethic right from the start.

“He went on to be the voice of the Brooklyn Cyclones in historic Coney Island for five years, but he honed his athletic skills and good sportsmanship right here in Valley Stream,” Fare said.

After receiving citations from the mayor’s office, the Town of Hempstead, the New York State Senate, and the Hall of Congress, Raad was also presented with the Key to the Village of Valley Stream for his many achievements.

Fare said that events like this are important for the young people of the town. “Coming out of Valley Stream, they need to have role models like Keith, so that they can understand what they can achieve if they really work at it,” he said.

Robert Primeggia, Raad’s physical education teacher at Wheeler Elementary School, remembers his charisma and sense of humor, as well as his hard work, loyalty, and dedication. Primeggia, or “Mr. Prim” as he’s affectionately known by his students, refuses to take much credit for Raad’s current career path, but Raad says otherwise.

“I truly wouldn’t be here without Mr. Prim,” Raad said. “His professional play-by-play and public service announcements during the games at Wheeler had a huge influence on me. But it wasn’t only that, his drive, sacrifices, and selfless acts of kindness, those are the things I learned here that brought me where I am today.”

Between greeting his many fans and taking pictures with the coach and young players of the Valley Stream Hawks, Raad related what being the announcer of the New York Mets alongside New York Mets Hall of Famer Howie Rose means to him.

“I always wanted to make it in New York, it was my lifelong dream as a kid, and my first year as a New York Mets announcer coming home to Citi Field for the home opener gave me a sense of validation that after all of my hard work I finally made it,” Raad said. “Having a New York audience accepting me was just amazing, and especially with a New York audience, you can’t be fake and phony. You have to be real and authentic, and I’m very grateful that the people of Valley Stream taught me that.”

And Raad’s advice for the kids who are looking up to him?

“Growing up here, I found out what my talent was,” Raad said. “I love baseball, I love the English language, I love talking for a living. Discover what you love and are good at, work hard, and do something with it.”

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