“Everyone was scared he’d get hurt”: When Patrick Mahomes’ father took his 5yo to learn from MLB legend Alex Rodriguez

Patrick Mahomes shares the same name with his father, a figure instrumental in his development as a top-tier athlete. But that’s it. They played for different cities and different leagues at the pro level.

The father-son duo played the same sport (baseball) briefly before Patrick Mahomes Jr. decided to switch to football for good. That decision didn’t come until 2015 when Mahomes Jr. was in his sophomore year.

Mahomes Jr. was interested in baseball since his father played in MLB. When Patrick Mahomes Sr. was interviewed in Jan. 2019 by Fort Worth Star Telegram, he revealed how everyone reacted when Mahomes Jr. arrived on the field as a 5-year-old.

“I was actually one of the first guys with the Mets to bring a kid on the field; everyone was scared he’d get hurt,” he said.

Pat Mahomes Sr. was with the Mets till 2000 before he left for the Rangers for the 2001 season. So, little Patrick got an opportunity to learn from the best in the business, Alex Rodriguez.

“It was a way for me to spend time with him and just to see how guys prepare. In the case of (then Rangers infielder) Alex Rodriguez, seeing how a guy at the top of his game worked and prepared for each game. I think it helped,” he added.

Pat Mahomes last played in the majors in 2003 when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Patrick Mahomes chooses football over baseball

The Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the 2014 draft. However, Pat Mahomes Jr. decided to pursue his college education at Texas Tech. He did play baseball at Texas but not for too long.

“Probably since he was about 5, I thought he was going to have a chance to do some special things,” he said. “I just thought it would be baseball.”

However, it was later revealed that Patrick Mahomes switched to football by luck, as a snowstorm forced him to skip baseball games in favor of attending some spring football activities. The rest is history.