As a child, Patrick Mahomes, son of former Mets pitcher Pat Mahomes Sr., used to run around the Shea Stadium outfield during batting practice. Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine shared his memories of Mahomes’ youthful antics with Mets publicist Jay Horwitz.
Mahomes was the youngest among the kids, which included the sons of other Mets players such as John Franco, Todd Zeile, and Mike Hampton.
“I didn’t want anyone getting hurt out there,” Valentine joked.
“I wanted to be certain that no one would ever get injured. I understand that players were away from their families a great deal and this was one way for the kids and dads to bond.”
“I remember thinking how is he not going to get killed out there. I thought there was no way he would be able to hold his own but he proved me wrong. He was quite the athlete.”
Impressive athleticism at young age
Meanwhile, former Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani recalled Mahomes’ athleticism even in his youth.
“He was a shagger,” Agbayani told Horwitz.
“He could really go get the ball. I remember yelling over to Jay Payton to watch the kid. He had some arm.”
Two-time NFL MVP is poised to compete for his third championship in Super Bowl 2024 against the 49ers in Las Vegas.
“I don’t think I could have ever foreseen what was going to happen at the start of my career,” Mahomes said.
“You want to get to the Super Bowl. That’s your ultimate goal, and to be able to be in my fourth one, it truly is surreal and I just try to appreciate it every single time.
“You don’t even know if this will be your last, and I’ve been blessed to be in a lot with a great organization with a lot of great players around me, so I just try to maximize those opportunities.”
