The superstar quarterback’s dad, Pat Mahomes Sr., pitched for the Mets in the playoff years of 1999 and 2000, and the future Super Bowl champ was a fixture at Shea Stadium as a tyke.
“There’s so many good memories about that little kid.
Now he’s the all-time quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs,” said former Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani from his home in Hawaii.
“I thought he was going to become a baseball player because of his dad.”
Agbayani, 52, recalled a “friendly, fearless” Little Pat clad in his own Mets jersey acting like he belonged with the big leaguers.
“He wasn’t scared. He just went out there and tried to be like us: catching fly balls, chasing down the balls, catching the ground balls and he did pretty good at his age. I was wondering, ‘Whose kid was this?’ And they said it was Pat’s. When I saw Pat I said, ‘Dude, you have somebody special.’”
New York Mets pitcher Mike Hampton and Patrick Mahomes Jr.,son of Mets pitcher Pat Mahomes, both try and catch a fly ball duringpre-game practice at Shea Stadium before Game 3 of the 2000World Series vs. the Yankees.AP
Little Pat was inquisitive and would ask how high a fly ball traveled and how far it went over the fence, Agbayani said. “He had that IQ for the game.”
The ex-Met said father and son Mahomes were alike in their fierce desire. “He plays to win. You can see that [now] in his body language and his eyes. It’s awesome watching him, this little kid who grew up and now he’s playing in the NFL.”
Todd Zeile, who played first base for the Mets in 2000, 2001 and 2004, said the now “phenomenal talent” used to play tape ball with his son Garrett, and “was fascinated with first base and wanted to take a look at the big gloves.”New York Post
Agbayani marveled at Little Pat’s arm — “he had that technique” — and the boy’s strength. “Our bats were pretty heavy [some were 33 ounces] and he would try to swing it. He just wanted to be a part of us and it was great.”
Todd Zeile, who played first base for the Mets, said the now “phenomenal talent” used to play ball with his son Garrett, and “was fascinated with first base and wanted to take a look at the big gloves.”
Mahomes, with his dad. Benny Agbayani marveled at Little Pat’s arm —“he had that technique” — and the boy’s strength. “Our bats were pretty heavy [some were 33 ounces]and he would try to swing it. He just wanted to be a part of us and it was great.”New York Post
Zeile said the ballplayers’ kids enjoyed dodgeball in the clubhouse and would get excited during batting practice, “because that was their playtime.” One highlight was the kids stretching with their dads on the field at Yankee Stadium before Game 1 of the 2000 World Series.
Mahomes with his dad in an undated Instagram photo. They both possess thesame will and desire to win, according to some former Mets teammates.Patrick Mahomes Sr.
Benny Agbayani always felt “Little Pat” was a special athlete.New York Post
Reliever John Franco recalled Little Pat “had a pretty good arm” and used to “play games in the batting cage” and shag fly balls with his son, JJ.
Franco, who was inducted in the Mets Hall of Fame in 2012, said Patrick inherited his father’s passion and athleticism.
“Big Pat was a great athlete. He was a competitor, man and he pitched some big innings for us in 1999 and 2000. He always took the ball.”
Mets reliever Turk Wendell, known for his gutsy pitching and superstitions, including brushing his teeth between innings and slamming the rosin bag into the mound before facing batters, remembers young Mahomes as a “wiry, funny little kid” who liked to run around the clubhouse with the other boys.
Agbayani said the “sky was the limit” had Mahomes, (pictured above), opted to play baseball.Getty Images
Wendell remembers Pat Sr. once told him, ” ‘Man, I don’t know what to do with my kid. He won’t go to sleep. He wants to stay up all night long.’ I joked around with him afterwards, ‘He’s probably watching game film.’”
Agbayani, who drove in the winning run of Game 3 of the 2000 World Series vs. the Yankees, said the “sky’s the limit” as to what Little Pat could have accomplished if he had become a baseball player.
That said, Agbayani won’t be rooting for Mahomes on Sunday.
“Sorry, I’m a big Niners fan for a long, long time,” the ex-Met laughed.
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