You’re Lucas Simms and you are 12 years old and the winner of the SNY’s Kidcaster Contest, and there you were Wednesday night, in the Citi Field booth with the Emmy-winning team of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, broadcasting the bottom of the third inning of Mets-Nationals.
“I was more excited than nervous, because I couldn’t believe like this was actually happening,” Lucas told The Rumble from his Hamilton, N.J. home.
Lucas — whose essay on why he enjoys watching or going to Mets games, won the contest presented by New York’s 529 College Savings Program — was in the booth during another memorable Bartolo Colon at-bat.
“I was actually kinda happy to call his at-bat because if he actually did get a hit, it’d be pretty cool,” Lucas said. “And it was like bobbled by the shortstop and for a second I thought he was gonna be safe, but he wasn’t running like 100 percent, so he was still out. But it was cool because I got to explain some of his pitching stats while he was up, not just his hitting.”
What did Lucas learn about Cohen?
“I learned that he really knows a lot about the game, and he really studies it well,” Lucas said. “I learned how he prepares for like every single game, and it was kind of cool to see that.”
And Darling and Hernandez?
“They were both very smart people who understood the game very well,” Lucas said, “They helped through the inning so that I didn’t mess up like terribly.”
He watched himself on DVR when he returned home.
“I just think I didn’t mess up, which was really what I was focusing on, not making myself sound like an idiot in front of a lot of people watching the game,” Lucas said.
Lucas, a first baseman in Nottingham Little League, aspires to a broadcasting career if he can’t be a baseball player.
“It was a lot of fun,” Lucas said. “I could not have asked for a better experience with the three guys in the booth because they really made it awesome for me.”
“Lucas was clearly very well-prepared, he had a great personality and it was a joy having him in the booth,” Cohen said.”He handled it with great maturity and a great smile.”
When his dream experience ended, Lucas discovered three, “Good job Lucas, you did great,” texts from three of his best friends.
“That meant a lot to me that my friends were watching,” Lucas said, “One of my best friends ever called me and said, ‘Lucas, you did awesome,’ and that really meant a lot to me.”
Mets’ latest charity venture not just a fantasy
David Wright is joining nine other MLB players in leading fantasy football leagues that will raise money for charity. Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright launched the inaugural event last year in St. Louis, and based on its success, invited players in other MLB cities to host leagues of their own.
Wright invited Dillon Gee, Matt Harvey, Daniel Murphy and Jonathon Niese to join him in “The Wright Stuff.” Each player will run a team in one of the leagues in the conference. Fans will have the chance to participate alongside the players in a live draft Aug. 27 at Citi Field as well as play fantasy football against them throughout the NFL season.
There will be one MLB player in each of the five leagues, resulting in spaces for 55 fan-led teams. Fans must donate at least $3,000 to participate. The charities are Ronald McDonald House Long Island; Ronald McDonald
House New York; Mets Foundation and Big League Impact.
Wright’s teammates are all fantasy football aficionados. Asked who is the best of the bunch in their annual league, Wright responded quickly, “Me.”
“I don’t win every year,” he told The Rumble, “I can’t control injuries. Just like my brothers tell me when I don’t do well in baseball that they’re gonna trade me or release me in fantasy baseball, so I understand.”
Wright and Murphy will be sole owners of their respective teams. Harvey?
“Harvey usually utilizes the services of our strength coach,” Wright revealed.
Gee? “Dillon is a pure owner, strictly financial, he’s not a GM,” Wright said. “His GM is our bullpen catcher [Dave Racaniello].”
Niese also will go it alone. Perhaps he shouldn’t.
“He’s probably, as far as fantasy goes, the worst out of the bunch,” Wright said.
Wright is a fantasy football veteran.
“Joe McEwing got me involved in fantasy football,” Wright said. “He asked me to be his partner my rookie year. Now it’s one of my offseason hobbies for sure.”
Each Met will have his own Citi suite on draft day, which will include: food and beverage during the draft, autographed memorabilia signed by all participating players, photos with Mr. & Mrs. Met, VIP access to batting practice, a behind-the-scenes tour of Citi Field and tickets to that night’s Braves game.
“Trash talk is encouraged,” Wright said. “That’s what makes it fun.”
Wainwright’s charity Big League Impact is organizing and running the leagues. The non-profit will direct 25 percent of the net proceeds towards a project led by Water Missions International that will provide basic needs such as food, water and shelter to a community in need. Last year, Big League Impact provided funds to Water Missions that allowed for the installation of a clean water system in Honduras that served 2000 people.
Wright’s message to the 11 Mets fans in his league? “Good luck.”
To register, go to bigleagueimpact.org.
‘Autograph’ racket returns after 4 decades
Remember the wooden Jack Kramer Autograph and Pro Staff rackets — John McEnroe’s weapon in the 1970s? It was the best-selling racket in history. Wilson is going old-school with who better than Roger Federer? It has produced the first “Autograph’’ racket in nearly 40 years. The last “Autograph’’ was for Chris Evert in 1976, but it never took off like the Jack Kramer Autograph, produced in 1949.
The Swiss Maestro now has his own “Autograph’’ collection and will use it at the U.S. Open starting in eight days. It’s called the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph. According to a Wilson spokesman, Autograph rackets “are reserved for tennis legends, and no one is more deserving than Federer.’’
The red color scheme is Federer’s choice as the color has been his trademark in recent years. … In other tennis news, SNY’s Michelle Yu, an avid fan and player, has been invited to play at the first Celebrity Chef Tennis Challenge tournament Wednesday, which is in conjunction to the Taste of Tennis, where some of New York’s most renowned chefs step out of the kitchen for a one-of-a-kind round robin style doubles tournament.
‘Tussler’ author to speak at Hall
A lifelong baseball fan and English teacher for 25 years, it’s no surprise Massapequa native Frank Nappi is a critically acclaimed author for his baseball novel “The Legend of Mickey Tussler,” which deals with a boy with Aspergers who ends up on the Brewers’ minor league team after he was discovered accidentally on a scouting trip.
The book and subsequent novel “Sophomore Campaign” take the reader through Mickey’s experience in the minor leagues and the hardships he faces even from his teammates due to his illness.
On Aug. 28, Nappi will get the ultimate honor, getting to speak at the National Baseball Hall of Fame about his novels. The third and final novel in the Mickey Tussler series is scheduled to come out in April 2016.
“The inclusion of my ‘Mickey Tussler’ series in the archives of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the opportunity to speak in Cooperstown at the Hall of Fame about what the books mean to baseball and baseball fans, is incredibly gratifying — truly an unexpected honor,” Nappi said. For more information, visit franknappi.com.