Tim Harkness, who made his mark in New York Mets history with a dramatic home run and a place in Shea Stadium lore, died Monday at 87.

Bob Elliott of the Canadian Baseball Network reported the death of Harkness, a native of Lachine, Quebec, who became one of the first Canadian-born players in the major leagues when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1956.

Harkness carved out his most memorable moment in a Mets uniform on June 26, 1963. Trailing the Chicago Cubs 6-4 in the 14th inning, he launched a walk-off grand slam that gave the struggling franchise one of its few bright moments in those early years.

He finished that season with 10 home runs across 123 games, his best performance in the majors.

A year later, Harkness earned another footnote in team history by becoming the first home player to bat and record a hit during Shea Stadium’s inaugural game in 1964

Before joining the Mets in a 1962 trade, Harkness played in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. While with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1959, he was part of one of the first teams to play in Cuba following Fidel Castro’s rise to power.

During one game, a dugout argument resulted in the team’s manager accidentally striking a Cuban soldier, creating a dangerous confrontation.

“The guard has his gun pointed at me,” Harkness told Elliott years later. “All he knew was that he’d been hit and he was ready to spray the dugout. I froze.

Teammate Tommy Lasorda, who would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame, defused the situation by speaking to the guard in Spanish

After the Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds, Harkness built a successful second career as a scout for the San Diego Padres organization, earning the Canadian Baseball Network Scout of the Year Award in 1996.

He also managed the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League and led them to an Intercounty Baseball League championship

The Maple Leafs posted a tribute on X/Twitter following news of his death.

“We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of former Major League Baseball player, Toronto Maple Leafs manager, and IBL champion Tim Harkness,” the team wrote. “Rest in peace, Tim Harkness.”