EXCLUSIVE: 5 NFL Lessons Patrick Mahomes Gained From Baseball and MLB Dad, Per NY Mets Ex-GM

Patrick Mahomes playing baseball? It may seem farfetched. But, in another reality, it could have been a possibility. He grew up with a father, like Pat Mahomes Sr. And he was an icon in the baseball world. It’s understandable why people would assume that Patrick would follow in his footsteps. Even Patrick himself believed that he had what it takes to excel in baseball.

At one point, he managed to balance both sports alternating between days on the diamond and on the football field. Eventually, life steered him towards football permanently. Yet, he never forgot the lessons he learned during his time playing baseball under his father’s guidance. In fact, without his father’s influence and the experiences gained from playing baseball, Patrick wouldn’t be where he is today. But what are the things that senior Mahomes taught Patrick?

1. Dealing with failure

Stephen Phillips shared never-before tales from his NY Mets days. As we know, he was the former GM of the NY Mets. And for a few years, Pat Mahomes played for his team. It was natural that he would have gotten a close view of the young Mahomes. He revealed that Mahomes learned his skill of dealing with failures from baseball.

He said, “In a baseball game, you can fail 7 out of 10 times, and still be good.” That taught him how to deal with failures. And he needed that pretty early on in the game. When the Chiefs lost to the Detroit Lions in their season opener.

2. How to hold on to success

Dealing with failures may be important. But it’s equally important to know how to hold on to success. If you lose 7 games out of 10, you still win 3. Philips said that is important to know “how to hold on to 3 successes”. Being a perfectionist can actually be bad. “The game can be hard on you emotionally.”

The Chiefs may have lost their season opener, but they ended the regular season 11-6. It may have hurt to lose 6 games. But one can’t dwell on that. Mahomes learned that he should also look at his 11 wins!

3. Being regular with practice

His father was relentless! Pat Mahomes would rarely miss a day of practice. And little Mahomes was not far behind. He would follow his dad to the clubhouse a lot. Not just to watch his dad play. He would be all decked up in his baseball pants, jersey, and a hat. Watching his Dad go through the grueling practice made him a disciplinarian when it came to practice.

4. Mahomes’ signature throwing techniques

If there’s one thing Mahomes is known for, it’s his side-arm throws. Wondering where he got that from? No points for guessing. The answer is baseball. He was a close follower of Derek Jeter. Recently, Mahomes got to meet his childhood hero, and he said, “I always say when you’re playing shortstop, sometimes you have to throw from different arm angles, different platforms and still be accurate.”

Also, thanks to his pitching experience, he developed his signature throwing moves.

5. Being a student of the game

The young Mahomes was a student of the game through and through. And no, we’re not talking about football. That came in later. He would often attend practice sessions with his father. And he would closely observe the game. He then carried on this trait to his NFL career.

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Philips closed with the statement that he was humble and learned from baseball. Those learnings helped him become a great football quarterback. But would he have been as great a baseball player as he is a football player? Share your thoughts.

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