Kidsday interviews NY Mets player Ryan Church

BY VINNY BIENIEK AND ANTHONY CARUSO
Kidsday Reporters, Age 12, Mineola

July 24, 2008

Wow! What a day at Shea Stadium! We spent part of the day in the Mets dugout, we also were on the field, and we finally ended up in the bleachers to watch a great game.

We had the awesome opportunity to be a part of a very cool program called Mets Kids' Club. This program happens three times a year and consists of discounted bleachers tickets, raffles for sports memorabilia, discounts on food as well as kids getting to stand on the warning track during the national anthem.

But the best part of the day was when we interviewed Mets outfielder Ryan Church in the dugout. We learned that his pregame ritual is to drink lots of Red Bull and coffee. When he was growing up, his favorite player was Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants until he was traded to Texas, and then he didn't root for him anymore. But when he grew up, it was "Will the Thrill" again.

He is hoping the World Series is in New York, and he doesn't mean in the Bronx. We learned that he drives a 2006 Land Rover, and he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians as a pitcher. It was an awesome experience to meet a very cool and interesting man and a good baseball player.

Ryan has had a good season while he has been on the field, but after suffering two concussions and migraines, his playing time has been limited. We hope he recovers completely and helps the Mets make it to the World Series!

The next two Mets Kids' Club Days at Shea are Sunday (1:10 p.m. game vs. Cardinals) and Sept. 12 (7:10 p.m. game vs. Braves). For information, visit the Web site http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/mlb/kids/index.jsp?c_id=nym

Copyright 2008 Newsday Inc.