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.

Tim Horton's Thrilled That Jason Bay Is A Met

Once Larry Walker retired from baseball, Canada needed another superstar baseball player to represent the country in the major leagues. After all, someone had to be able to sing the lyrics to "O, Canada" whenever a team played in Toronto. Enter the New York Mets' newest leftfielder, Jason Bay.

Although originally signed by Canada's first major league baseball team, the Montreal Expos, Jason Bay bounced around from team to team in the minor leagues. He exchanged his XXL Property of Montreal Expos T-shirt for a Mets shirt, which in turn became a San Diego Padres shirt, which in turn became a Pittsburgh Pirates shirt. It was in Pittsburgh that Bay became a household name in a household not run by the Bay Family.

After hitting at least 20 HR in five consecutive seasons for the Pirates, Bay had his best season for the Red Sox in 2009, when he hit 36 HR and collected 119 RBI. Now that he has re-acquired his Property of New York Mets T-shirt (Thanks, eBay for helping your cousin Jason Bay out), Madison Avenue will be knock-knock-knockin' on Jason's door.

Apparently, Canada's answer to Dunkin' Donuts (Tim Horton's) is jumping into the Bay fray, eh. In addition to making some excellent coffee, Tim Horton's is known for their delicious donuts and Timbits (see photo at the top of this blog). It has become the largest restaurant chain in Canada and has now expanded into eleven states south of the Canadian border, including New York.

Left field was where legends played at Shea Stadium. From Benny Agbayani to Tsuyoshi Shinjo, there was no shortage of talent in left field for the Mets. It's no secret that it's because of Shinjo that David Wright chose to wore #5 to honor the great Mets leftfielder.

To honor those greats who patrolled the vast left field expanse at Shea Stadium, the Mets and Dunkin' Donuts erected a large iced coffee cup to stand beyond the left field wall near the foul line.

Unfortunately, thanks to the photo below by Erik Goldstein, when Shea Stadium was torn down, the tribute to the leftfielders wasn't brought along to Citi Field. (Dang you, Wilpons for failing to notice that this was an important piece of Mets history!)

Tim Horton's is now trying to right a wrong. They are trying to bring a taste of Shea Stadium back to Citi Field. At the same time, they wanted to honor their fellow Canadian.

It is with great Canadian pride that Studious Metsimus announces that through a joint venture by the Mets and Tim Horton's, a large box of Timbits will be placed in the left field corner at Citi Field.

Since Section 133 was complaining that they were one of the few sections at Citi Field that didn't have any unobstructed views of the field, the box will be placed there so that no Mets fan will miss out on that classic Citi Field obstructed view.

Construction is set to begin once the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum is completed. Now that's what I'm talkin' aboot!