An Unexpected Interview With Daniel Murphy and Zack Wheeler

Earlier today, my Better Half (and Gal For All Seasons scribe) decided to take a walk to our neighborhood Dunkin Donuts for her morning coffee.  But she got so much more than just a quick caffeine fix. 

No, she didn't get a Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, nor did she pick off anything plugged by Eli Manning (who knows a thing or five about getting picked off).  What she got was something completely unexpected.  It was so unexpected that I'll allow her to tell the story in her own words.  Take it away, TBH!


I would normally get my coffee fix, but I had to stop at DMV to renew my license - ah, the joys of getting a year older, and to make my Monday that much more masochistic.  Imagine my surprise when I see that Zack Wheeler is tweeting that he and Daniel Murphy are at the Dunkin Donuts, signing autographs and serving up coffee! 

Since this city has one of the most efficient DMVs I've ever been to, I got my replacement license, dropped it in my bag and rushed to eight blocks to the store.

I expected there to be a few dozen people there -- there was Murphy, Wheeler, Jay Horwitz, another Mets media person (taking videos and photos) and a Dunkin rep.  I was out of breath, and I say, "Hi! I know you, Daniel Murphy!" (Hey, I never said I wasn't a dork).  Then Zack Wheeler hands me a ticket voucher for April 2014, to which I say, "Oh my goodness!  I know you too!"

My wife had an interesting coffee break this morning.

We got some pictures, exchanged some pleasantries, and a few other fans came in. The Dunkin rep told me I could feel free to talk to the players, ask them questions, take more pictures.  This was WAY different than any other Mets event I've attended, where they guard the players.

So I asked Wheeler about his feelings on Bartolo Colon.  He said he was excited, that Colon had a tremendous year, should take some pressure off the rotation.  He went to take another picture, and I approached Daniel Murphy with a question on his aggressiveness on the base paths in 2013.  (For those keeping track at home, he stole 23 bases, and had the highest stolen base percentage of anyone in the National League).

I led in with Curtis Granderson (who is a stolen base guy), and asked him about his own SBs.  I was pleased to see Murphy is a GREAT interview, gives well thought out responses.  He credited Tom Goodwin, Mets first base coach, with the aggressive running on the team.  He said he almost scrapped his stolen base ethic because he was about one in his first four attempts, and he was wasting outs for hitters behind him, like D-Wright.  The stolen base philosophy is that if you get on base, the hitters behind you want to drive you home, and scoring from second on a single is what they aim to do.  

One thing I picked up on while talking to Murphy is that this guy LOVES baseball.  I mean, he just LOVES TO PLAY BASEBALL.  I can't express it enough.  If I wasn't already with 28, I am now.  

Also some other funny round ups: Murphy and Wheeler take a PR photo for Dunkin, and their rep says to hold the cup a certain way.  Murphy says, "Oh this is why I went to college: to learn how to hold a coffee cup!"

I guess you had to be there.  But it was great.  I just wanted to bring Murphy to my Irish grandmother and have her cook him corned beef and cabbage.  And I had a southern grandmother, I'm sure she'd make her famous chili for Wheeler, southern boy that he is. 


Well, there you have it - our unexpected interview with Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy and starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.  And by "our", I mean my Better Half's unexpected interview with the two players.  Unfortunately, I was at work eating a banana for breakfast instead of getting my mitts on one of those 10,000 calorie Glazed Donut sandwiches.

Listening to her story about Murphy and Wheeler made me miss baseball even more than I already had.  But it also made me look forward to seeing two really special players take the field for our beloved Mets in 2014.  I can't wait until it's time for them to play ball.