Prior to playing in his first football game, Patrick Mahomes' skill in a different sport was earning the praise of a legendary coach.
It's well known that Mahomes' dad, Patrick Mahomes Sr., pitched in the MLB for 11 years — which included a two-year stint with the New York Mets in 1999 and 2000.
While Mahomes Sr. was there, his son Patrick — then just 4 years old — was constantly seen running around the field, shagging fly balls during batting practice. That terrified the Mets' legendary manager, Bobby Valentine.
During a conversation Mets publicist Jay Horwitz, Valentine recalled seeing Mahomes flying around the field back then. "I didn't want anyone getting hurt out there. 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."
Valentine noted that there was a cast of other kids doing the same thing as Mahomes — but the future Chiefs quarterback was the youngest of the bunch by far.
"I remember thinking, 'How is [Mahomes] not going to get killed out there?'" Valentine recalled.
Yet, not only did Mahomes avoid being killed, he also caught Valentine's attention in a less-harrowing way.
"I thought there was no way he would be able to hold his own, but he proved me wrong," Valentine said. "He was quite the athlete."
That sentiment has aged well.
Another well-known fact about Mahomes is that he was an excellent pitcher in high school. He even was drafted in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. And he threw a few innings for Texas Tech's baseball team during his first two seasons there before deciding to focus solely on football.
Anybody who has seen Mahomes throw a football can tell that he has otherworldly arm strength — which was apparent even back when he was a toddler shagging fly balls with the Mets.
When speaking with Horwitz, former Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani said of Mahomes, "He could really go get the ball ... I remember yelling over to Jay Payton to watch the kid. He had some arm."
Although his baseball days are long behind him, Mahomes is set to showcase his arm strength during Super Bowl LVIII this Sunday — and we wouldn't be surprised if he impresses Valentine yet again.
