ARLINGTON, Texas — Gee, could this really be happening?
As Dillon Gee puts on his uniform today, he’ll likely ask himself that question. After watching so many games at Rangers Ballpark growing up, the rookie right-hander will fulfill a boyhood fantasy of sorts when he walks to the mound for the Mets.
“It will be pretty crazy,” Gee said before the Mets routed the Rangers 14-5 yesterday. “I don’t know how to put it into words, really, what I’ll feel at the moment. But I just have to try and block it out and pitch another game.”
Gee, who grew up less than an hour from here, in Cleburne, Texas, already had one memorable moment this weekend, meeting his idol, Nolan Ryan. The Hall of Fame pitcher, who is the Rangers CEO, autographed a baseball for Gee and spent a few minutes chatting with him on Friday.
Today it will be business, as Gee attempts to rebound from his first loss this season after winning seven straight decisions. In getting buried by the Athletics on Tuesday, Gee allowed four earned runs on three hits over four innings. The six walks he allowed were as many as he had surrendered in his previous five starts combined.
“I don’t know if it was mechanical, or what,” Gee said. “I couldn’t feel the fastball. It’s not that I really got away from other pitches, because I still threw some changeups, but when I have trouble throwing my fastball for a strike, it’s tough to start throwing other things.
“You have to get that going. If you don’t have fastball command, it’s going to be a rough game.”
The Rangers have one of baseball toughest lineups, featuring Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre and Michael Young (the latter two homered yesterday), but Gee doesn’t consider it any different than what he’s faced so far.
“They are obviously a great lineup and a good hitting team,” Gee said. “But I feel like we’re in the big leagues, so every lineup is good. You just try to learn as much as you can about them in a short amount of time and just pitch.”
Gee’s emergence is the biggest reason the Mets’ season hasn’t collapsed, as the team continues to play without injured stars David Wright and Ike Davis.
Gee (7-1, 3.21 ERA) has more than compensated for the loss of Chris Young, whose season ended last month when he underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder. Maybe nothing would be sweeter for Gee than to show the hometown folk he truly has arrived. At least 40 of his family members and friends will watch the game from a suite, but Gee said there’s a good chance he will have hundreds of acquaintances in attendance.
Then there is Ryan, whom Gee would love to impress.
“Coming to see my family and stuff was great, but meeting Nolan Ryan, it wouldn’t have happened any other way unless I was here playing for the Mets,” Gee said. “That was a big part of this trip and something I’ll never forget.”