Former New York Mets Chef Graduates Rutgers at 57 to Start Second Career in Nursing
May 12, 2026
From March 1992 until October 2021, Corderi worked as the chef for the players, coaches, medical staff, trainers and the front office of the Mets. During those three decades, she met the likes of David Wright, Mike Piazza, Jose Reyes, Bartolo Colon, Jacob DeGrom, and Pete Alonso.
The job may seem glamorous – Corderi attended Piazza’s wedding and still texts on occasion with a few of the players – but it was also grueling, with long hours preparing daily meals and keeping track of the dietary needs of 75 people.
“The team is usually 25 people or so; then you’d have all the guys that are on the injured list, they’d be there too,” Corderi said. “Then you’d have the training staff, the coaching staff, the front office staff, the clubhouse staff. You’d have to feed all of them, three times a day.”
She’d also travel with the team to away games where she’d cater the meals. Her job began well before opening day, as she also accompanied the team to Florida during spring training. She wasn’t just cooking; she was also managing a $1.4 million budget, ensuring safety and sanitary regulations were met, and keeping inventory.
Reposted from Rutgers Health