Mets fans may have a natural disdain toward the division rival Nationals. But one Mets fan now has a lifetime memory thanks to Max Scherzer.
Scherzer took some time out of his warm-up routine before Wednesday’s game at Citi Field to play catch with a young Mets fan in the stands.
Joe La Rocca, a Mets fan from Brooklyn, posted the video to his Twitter account Wednesday morning of his 11-year-old son, also named Joe, playing catch with the Nationals pitcher from the lefttfield stands. At the end of the video, the younger Joe La Rocca calls the moment “amazing” and says “I’m not giving this ball away. There’s no way.”
Scherzer had pitched in Tuesday’s series opener, allowing two runs and striking out 10 in 6 1/3 innings as the Mets won a 2-0 pitcher’s duel. He had become the fourth pitcher in MLB history to strike out 20 batters in a game in his previous start.
The elder La Rocca, 50, told Newsday that he and his son go to about 20 Mets games per season. They plan on going to Sunday’s game against the Brewers.
Said the elder La Rocca of his son’s newfound Internet fame: “I may need to get my son some glasses and a mustache.”
..... - Newsday