Yesterday, Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner visited PS 142 on the Lower East Side as part of celebrating the School is Amazing program, which , in conjuction with EmblemHealth, aims to encourage academics, athletics, and the arts at schools in the five boroughs.
142 has a whiffle ball program designed to help kids hone their skills on the field, but also uses the sport to help them adjust to a variety of needs, such as physical limitations, behavioral issues, even a few immigrant children for whom playing helps them acclimate to a new culture. Interesting note, this program was started by a teacher at the school, Susie Cavin, who funded it out of her own pocket. She passed away recently and now, the program is now headed by Carlos Melendez, who is also an alum of the school and played whiffle ball under Ms. Cavin when he was a student. The whiffle ball teams, aside from the t-shirts the kids wear, is now funded by the staff and the kids play on their lunch period during the day. This is not an after school program.
Murph and Tuner met with the kids in the school’s gym, taking questions for about fifteen minutes. Most of them centered on who their favorite player was growing up (Tuner’s was Gary DiSarcina on the Angles), who it is now, and what other sports they like (Murphy was a swimmer in high school and digs soccer, especially the World Cup). Murphy gave Tuner a lot of credit for helping him out at second base, especially advice on how to better turn a double play (Murphy suffered a season ending injury last year trying to make a pivot while turning two). They stressed that education opened doors for them (both attended college, Murphy on an academic scholarship), and also that hard work and practice helped them make it to the top. Tuner also noted that was important “to believe you can do it” in order to persevere.
Daniel Murphy talks to the kids of P.S. 142
Justin Turner fields a question
After the Q&A, they led the group in warm-up stretching, followed by the kids taking turns showing off their hitting, fielding and throwing skills. The guys then taught a few of them how to properly execute a bunt and signed a boatload of autographs – from balls to bats to shirts.
Keep your hands back
“Baseball is something that is real simple, and it stays that way even when you grow up” Turner said after the event. “You get older, and life gets complicated, but the game is always there, and it’s doing something you love”.
Daniel Murphy watches a youngster's hitting form
And gives some pointers on defense
Players and teams do community outreach all the time, and we all hear about it but it rarely registers. Yesterday was a good eye-opener not only in the snese that the Mets are active in promoting worthwhile causes, or the players showed such enthusiasm for doing so, as well as having a good relationship with each other and the kids (not to mention what must have been an early morning for them after an extra inning game the night before), but to see that people you don’t read about in the news, people like Ms. Cavin and Mr. Melendez, are out there making the city a better place for people like the kids at PS 142. And on a rainy Tuesday morning, they finally got their place in the sun.
Have a stretch with Mr. Met
8 comments
TRS86
5/18/2011-10:37am at 10:37 am (UTC -4)
NICE JOB Peter!!!!
I love stuff like this. Helps us understand that these guys are indeed humans and mostly do enjoy helping when they can.
stickguy
5/18/2011-11:05am at 11:05 am (UTC -4)
It is nice to see things like this. Much better than early in the year and all the financial stuff (hey, notice how you never really see anything about that anymore?)
A couple of humorous things stuck out to me: “The guys then taught a few of them how to properly execute a bunt” (for obvious Jerry Collins reasons, and the snarky side of me thinks they should be back working with the team on how to execute them!)
and also of all people on the team it is Murphy teaching them how to play D! Sylow must be turning over in his grave seeing that.
kingman 26
5/18/2011-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
Isn’t Sylow alive?
I mean physically, not mentally.
stickguy
5/18/2011-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
I was speaking metaphorically. which is a fancy way of saying being a smacka$$.
TRS86
5/18/2011-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
LOL, nice catch. Yeah he’s still curmudging right along.
stickguy
5/18/2011-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
I pay no attention there anymore. Did he ever supply a mea culpe about him not having a chance in hell of surviving defensively? Seems to me to be the type that would completely ignore that part of his prediction, and just harp on his offensive production not being worthy of keeping the job!
stickguy
5/18/2011-11:47am at 11:47 am (UTC -4)
speaking of these 2 guys (murphy and turner), at this point once Ike (and hopefully Wright) get back, they are looking like a very natural platoon (what could easily have come out of ST, instead of the Emaus experiment!).
they both have noticable platoon splits, and neither guy seems like the LT answer at 2B, so it makes sense to me. I wouldn’t mind either if a “real” 2B stepped up soon (looking at you Havens), and the irish duo (I assume they both are!) could make a fine pair for the bench.
metsfan4decades
5/18/2011-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
Nice article. I enjoy reading about the things off field that players are involved in. I have to say, it’s the one area I think the Wilpons and NY Mets do very well. Whether it’s a visit to Walter Reed (and enough said there) or these appearances at a school, they always seem to try and get all players involved.
I believe I read somewhere recently that aside from Military day at the ball parks which most participated in, the Mets were making it a month long celebration for those in the Armed Services.
Well done.