Johnny Pappas: the Kid who came to the Mets

In February of 1962, Johnny Pappas, a 21-year old kid from Astoria, Queens strolled into the Mets’ spring training camp and said he was there to be a pitcher for the team. He stood 5′ 10″, weighed 150 pounds, threw left-handed and looked like a combination of Gary Gentry and Joey Ramone.

Johnny Murphy, assistant to Club President, George Weiss was there and listened to the kid. So did the New York Sportswriters who were in St. Petersburg following the club’s first organized workouts. Murphy wasn’t sure if the kid was serious or crazy. The reporters weren’t sure if they had just found their first headline: did a real-life Joe Boyd or Roy Hobbs just show up with his gear stuffed in a single canvas bag.

Pappas threw his black hair back over his brow while he waited for a response. Murphy finally gave one.

“Who ever told you that you could be big leaguer?”, Murphy asked.

“I told myself”, Pappas replied. “I’m not exactly a Herb Score, but I’m pretty fast”.

“When was the last time you threw a ball?”, asked Murphy.

“Last Sunday in New York”, said Pappas.

“It snowed in New York last Sunday”, said Murphy.

“Yes, sir. But not under the Triborough Bridge”, said Pappas.

So, Murphy gave Pappas a shot at a local high school ball field. Reporters went along too. Murphy watched him pitch for 18 minutes. No uniform; just a kid in jeans and keds.

But Pappas didn’t have the velocity of a major-league pitcher. He didn’t have the control either. At 21, he was not going to develop into a prospect. Murphy deftly told Pappas to go home and go back to school. He was not going to be a pitcher for the Mets.

Pappas didn’t go away devastated though. Its reported that he said that he would be back. He played the outfield too.