On the Beat with Pete Flynn (A Lost Interview)

I have written about Pete Flynn a couple times.  We never planned on interviewing Flynn.  Honestly, we never had even heard of Flynn until after we talked to him.  Looking back over all of the interviews we have done, Flynn could possibly have seen and done the most interesting things of all.

Flynn has been a groundskeeper for the New York Mets for over 40 years.  For a long stretch, he was Head Groundskeeper, but since "retiring" he rejoined the crew.

Flynn has seen all of the great players over the years.  He saw the awful Mets of the early 60's, the Amazin' Mets of 1969 and the World Series champs of 1986.  He has seen the Polo Grounds, Shea and the new Citi Field.

His adventures aren't limited to baseball though.  He drove the Beatles from the stage to their lino for their Shea concert.  Years later, he drove Paul McCartney to the stage to surprise Billy Joel at the last concert at Shea (as seen on "The Last Play at Shea").

Flynn is soft-spoken and modest.  He's a fascinating guy, but getting him to talk was a bit tough.  If it hadn't been for a rain delay, we wouldn't have been in the dugout and we wouldn't have smooth-talked the security guard and he wouldn't have called over Flynn to talk to us.

Sometimes you just never know what you will find.  In Flynn, we found a gem!

Razor Shines Give Us Props

Yesterday, I posted our interview with Razor Shines, coach with the New York Mets. Today's video is a bit shorter and definitely not as steady, but for us it was hilarious.
When Scott, Matt and I attend Astros games (sitting close to the Astros dugout), we have made it a ritual to cheer the player who warms up the pitcher between innings when the regular catcher isn't ready. We have gotten acknowledgment from former Astros player Mike Lamb, as well as current Astros Geoff Blum and Humberto Quintero. It's all in good fun.
We have occasionally strayed and wildly cheered others, too. Sometimes it is the pitching coach. Sometimes it is an effective middle relief pitcher.
Last time in Houston (after the interview with Shines), we cheered wildly for Shines as he jogged to his coaching position near first base. Shines pointed to us and laughed. The laugh isn't audible and the point is a bit hard to see, but it was there, right about at the six second mark.

On the Beat with Razor Shines

Isn't Razor Shines one of the greatest names ever? Of course Razor isn't his real first name. That would be Anthony. Razor is actually his middle name. Really. How cool is that?
We had the chance to interview Shines in Houston. Shines brought up Montreal as one of his favorite cities. Even though he played his entire four year major league career there, it was still cool to hear someone name Montreal. It made me nostalgic for those old Expos hats with the odd red, while and blue logo.
Then we asked Shines about his time as a coach in Chicago. Shines lit up and said great things about Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
By all accounts, Shines is said to be a pretty fun and happy guy. By my short interview with him, I cannot disagree. However, tomorrow's video is a better example of his fun-loving nature.

On the Beat with Jerry Manuel

Jerry Manuel played brief parts of 5 seasons in the major leagues. He hit .150 in 127 career at bats. If he had been a catcher, I probably would have really liked him.
Manuel has received a lot of criticism during his 9 years of managing (6 with the White Sox and 3 with the New York Mets). Even as I write this, it is uncertain if he will return as manager for the Mets. Chalk up this interview as another timely one. I might not have had another chance to speak with Manuel.
Unfortunately, Manuel gave us the easy answer when asked about his favorite city for travel. He named his hometown, Atlanta. Next season, I hope to avoid that answer by refining my questions a bit. With 4 years under my belt, I should be progressing enough to get better answers from my subjects.

On the Beat with Jeff Francoeur

Once again, I am featuring an 'On the Beat' video with my nephew Matt as the interviewer. Matt completed his interview trifecta by nabbing Jeff Francoeur of the New York Mets.
Francoeur made the 2005 Topps All-Star Rookie team and won a Gold Glove in 2007. Frenchy's stats dipped a bit after the 2007 season, but have remained steady since and at only 26, he still is young and improving.
Batting practice was ending and it was time for us to leave the field, but Matt logged in this last one. It is short, but effective as Francoeur gave us his thoughts on his favorite baseball city to visit.

On the Beat with Mike Hessman

Last week, I proudly featured my nephew Matt Parker's first celebrity interview. Once Matt got the first one out of the way, he wanted to grab a couple more to add to his resume. We crossed over to the Mets side of the field, where Matt encountered Mike Hessman, a corner infielder.
Hessman was the International League MVP in 2007 and was on the 2008 Olympic baseball team which won a bronze medal. This success hasn't yet translated to major league success, primarily due to his high strike out rate.
As usual for Global Traveler magazine, Matt asked Hessman about travel. Hessman's answer was a bit different than the usual cities mentioned.

Reconnecting with Pete Flynn

Last year, Chuck and I interviewed Pete Flynn, the New York Mets legendary groundskeeper. Flynn might be the most famous Met, aside from Tom Seaver. He is certainly the most tenured, having joined the organization in 1962.
Flynn drove the Beatles from the stage at Shea Stadium to their waiting limo. He also drove Paul McCartney to the stage to join Billy Joel. He has seen all of the stars (at least the NL stars) and rates Willie Mays as the best.

This May, Louie and I were at Citi Field and we reconnected with Flynn. He is as unassuming as ever. I think he is amused by the spotlight, but doesn't really bask in it (like I probably would).

Pete Flynn:From Ballinamore to Citi Field

Pete Flynn has been in this country since 1961. Flynn has worked for the New York Mets since 1962. Flynn is the Head Groundskeeper, a lofty enough title, but still not encompassing all Flynn does.
We had the chance to talk for a few minutes during a pre-game rain a few weeks ago. Flynn doesn't grab the headlines, but he is certainly a star in his own right.
Flynn has been around since the Polo Grounds. He has seen all of the greats of the game. He believes Willie Mays is the greatest of all time.
Flynn has been the subject of several national articles. Ever the humble man, Flynn says he only kept a couple copies. (In contrast, I have about 100 copies of my one national article from Global Traveler magazine).
While keeping the grounds beautiful is Flynn's main responsibility, it is far from his only duty. In fact, Flynn has played a part in at least 2 major music events at Shea Stadium.
In 1965, Flynn drove the Beatles from the stage to beyond the centerfield wall where their armored car was waiting. In 2008, when Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance at a Billy Joel concert, Flynn again was the driver who got McCartney to the stage on a golf cart.
Flynn is a true character of the game. He'll have no baseball card (unless one of the faithful Mets bloggers create one for him). He won't have a uniform number retired. For the most part, he won't even be recognized in the picture below. Yet, Flynn is as much a part of the New York Mets as anyone past or present.
I must send out a special thanks to fellow bloggers Metstradamus and JJ over at Mets Fever for their assistance. Both sites are great NY Mets blogs and both supplied some info I was missing from lost notes.

Pete Flynn and me in Citi Field in Flushing, NY-June 2009.