Prior to becoming a celebrated NFL quarterback and taking frequent hits from 300-pound lineman, Patrick Mahomes was merely the hyperactive son of former New York Mets pitcher Patrick Mahomes Sr.
In the outfield during Mets batting practice, he frequently displayed that carefree energy; even so, 25 years prior, the younger Mahomes caused concern for his teammates and father’s manager. Why? Fly balls and line drives hit hard.
“I remember thinking how is he not going to get killed out there,” former Mets manager Bobby Valentine told longtime exec Jay Horwitz in a story published Feb. 5. “I thought there was no way he would be able to hold his own but he proved me wrong. He was quite the athlete.”
Valentine informed Horwitz that he allowed the players’ children to participate on the pitch because the guys spent a lot of the season away from their fathers.
Mahomes was four or five years old in 1999–2000 when he made his Mets debut. Currently 28 years old, Mahomes is a two-time MVP (regular season and Super Bowl) candidate who might win his third Super Bowl ring on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. He is headed for the Hall of Fame. He has 28,424 passing yards, 219 touchdowns, and 63 interceptions in his regular-season career.
“I remember yelling over to Jay Payton to watch the kid,” said former outfielder Benny Agbayani. “He had some arm. I am proud of his career. Who would have thought he would have turned into the best player in the NFL.”