Mahomes Sr. on son: 'Baseball is in his blood'

Former Major Leaguer Pat Mahomes never thought he would see his son, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, become involved in baseball in any capacity. After all, Patrick helped guide the Chiefs to a 31-20 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV in February.

But that changed Monday afternoon when the Royals announced that Patrick would become a part-owner of the club. When reached by phone, Pat was not surprised to hear his son’s news.

“Baseball is in his blood, and it’s something he has always been passionate about. He is trying to set some solid roots in Kansas City,” the elder Mahomes told MLB.com. “It’s something that went hand in hand, and I’m glad he did it.”

As Mahomes was traveling the baseball world during his career, his son often tagged along, making friends with the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Rickey Henderson. Mahomes thought his son was going to follow in his footsteps and play professional baseball. The Tigers selected Patrick in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, but he didn’t sign with the organization because of his love for football.

“He has been at the ballpark ever since he was 3 years old. He knows the game. He loves the game,” Pat said. “The dad in me wanted him to take a chance and see what he could have done if he played baseball. But once he started playing football, he kind of went all in. I figured baseball was done. It’s exciting to hear that he is back in baseball in some capacity. You may never know what might happen down the road.”

Mahomes, 49, played 11 years in the big leagues as a right-handed pitcher from 1992-2003 with six clubs, including the Mets, Twins and Rangers. Mahomes appeared in 308 games and posted a 42-39 record with a 5.47 ERA. His best season was in 1999 with the Mets, when he went 8-0 with a 3.68 ERA in 39 relief appearances. As New York reached the National League Championship Series, Mahomes appeared in four postseason games, allowing two runs over eight innings.

Heath to the big leagues
Royals outfielder Nick Heath, who was recalled from the taxi squad Tuesday, joined the big league club on Wednesday and arrived when Kansas City was taking batting practice. To say he was excited about the promotion would be an understatement.

“I freaked out on the phone for a little bit. I didn’t know what to say. I called my mom. I packed a bag. Got up in the morning to get my stuff packed,” Heath said.

Heath was selected in the 16th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Northwestern State (La.) and can play all three outfield positions. He is expected to come off the bench and be a pinch-runner in the late innings. Heath has a .348 on-base percentage and has swiped 160 bags in four seasons in the Minors.