This Morning, I was able to cover an important charity event hosted by the New York Mets and sponsored by EmblemHealth.
The program is called School is Amazing and at Middle School 111 on Lafayette Avenue in the Bronx, Mets outfielders Scott Hairston and Jason Pridie came by to help provide instruction for the students in a softball class.
The Mets invited the Daily Stache down to cover the event and gave me this e-mail explaining a little bit more about the School Is Amazing Program.
School Is Amazing celebrates academics, athletics, the arts, friendship and the opportunity to learn and develop intellectually and socially. EmblemHealth’s participation in the program promotes the connection between academic accomplishment and a healthy lifestyle including good nutrition and exercise.
The School Is Amazing program was launched in 2006 by the Mets, and is sponsored by EmblemHealth. The program continues to reinforce the benefits of education and attendance, and allows students the opportunity to express what they most enjoy about school.
Hairston and Pridie came into the gym with their uniforms and you could see the Kids eyes light up at the sight of two New York Mets coming into their class to teach them a little bit about the game they love.
They walked in and took some questions from the class and the group was split into boys and girls and they helped with some fielding practice with grounders and fly outs. Then the kids took some batting practice with Pridie and Hairston throwing underhanded to maybe some future major leaguers.
After they took some pictures with the kids and the class was coming to an end, Hairston and Pridie met with myself, Matthew Artus from Amazin Avenue and a local weekly reporter from the Bronx. I asked Pridie about becoming a cult hero in NY and I asked Hairston the difference for a veteran coming from San Diego to New York.
Click the Jump for my Q and A with them.
My question for Jason Pridie was about how it feels to be having so much early success in New York and how he feels about becoming somewhat of a cult hero amongst the fans.
Pridie: “Its a good feeling anytime that you can come up and do something well and all that stuff is fun to hear but the most important thing is to be out here for the team and try to help this team win cause at this level here in the Big Leagues its all about winning here. For me to do whatever I can to help the team win is a good feeling and anytime you get the fans behind you its a pretty good thing. Hopefully we will keep having fun and hope the fans keep liking me.”
My questions for Scott Hairston was about the difficulties of having to come off the bench late in big spots cold and try to get a big hit and the difference between playing in New York as opposed to San Diego.
Hairston: “Its really hard and I cant really put it into words how hard it is but that’s the job that I signed on for and I have played in this roll for a few years now. But in order to succeed in this role, you have to accept it, you have to embrace it and you have to prepare for it.”
“Its very different. I think the fans are more in tuned to what is going on and they can get on you a little bit which, hey, thats part of New York, but I think the passion for the game and of itself is really amazing. You have to witness it first hand, you cant just come to a game and look at it from outside, in. You have to experience it as a player. I think its very good and being a veteran player to play for different organizations, there is nothing like New York. We appreciate our fans support and hopefully as the season moves on we will have more support.”
At the end of the day, Hairston and Pridie showed that Major League ballplayers are not only just like you and me, but have the kind of heart to help out in the community that we should all look up too.
Today I was proud to be a Mets Fan, a blogger and most of all became a bigger fan of Jason Pridie and Scott Hairston. They helped to make School Amazing and that is what was the most important and the kids whose lives are now changed forever will agree to that for the rest of their lives.
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