Mets reliever John Curtiss relied on F1 racing fandom throughout Tommy John restoration: ‘I acquired actually into it’

PORT ST. LUCIE — John Curtiss wanted one thing to do.

The suitable-hander was recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure and together with his proper arm out of fee, he was unable to play his guitar.

With little to fill his time, his bodily therapist in Arizona turned him on to a sport that’s quickly gaining recognition in the US: Formulation 1. Curtiss watched the ultimate 9 races of the 2021 season and was hooked.

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“The final 9 races of 2021 had been form of a loopy championship season,” Curtiss advised the Day by day Information this week at Clover Area. “That form of drew me in. After which over the offseason and throughout the lockout, I spent a variety of time researching the historical past and the automobiles and the way it labored. I acquired actually into it.”

The Mets signed Curtiss final April realizing they’d be unable to make use of him in 2022 they usually moved his rehab to Port St. Lucie. With nothing do to besides rehab, the F1 fandom continued to develop.

“Final season, I had on a regular basis on the planet to look at all of the qualifying races,” Curtiss mentioned. “It’s actually cool and straightforward to observe together with.”

Someplace alongside the road, it turned about greater than leisure. Curtiss noticed the successful mentalities of the drivers and executives, particularly Toto Wolff, a former driver from Austria who’s now a component proprietor of Mercedes’ F1 workforce, and the workforce’s star driver, Lewis Hamilton. He felt he might apply these classes to baseball.

Spending time round different athletes whereas rehabbing in his native Oklahoma helped him perceive this as effectively. Now, he has to take that mentality and use it to try to crack the Mets’ Opening Day roster.

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The Mets have not less than one spot, presumably two, up for grabs within the bullpen. Curtiss, a 29-year-old Dallas native drafted within the sixth spherical by the Minnesota Twins out of the College of Texas, is competing with a bunch of younger pitchers who all have choices. Curtiss has one choice 12 months left as effectively, which inserts with the Mets’ general aim of getting a versatile group that may be shuttled forwards and backwards from Triple-A Syracuse as wanted.

Proper-handers Jeff Brigham, Sam Coonrod, Elieser Hernandez, Stephen Ridings and Zach Greene are in the identical group. Nevertheless, since Greene was a Rule 5 Draft decide, the Mets are unable to make use of his choices. He’ll must be positioned on outright waivers and will he clear, provided again to the Yankees.

Left-hander Joey Lucchesi may very well be used as a protracted reliever, although with Tylor Megill and David Peterson needing innings, it appears extra doubtless he might start the season as a starter in Triple-A. Proper-hander Stephen Nogosek put up good numbers for the Mets final season, however his spot isn’t assured and he’s out of choices.

Curtis has extra Main League expertise than lots of these arms, having pitched in 76 huge league video games and made 5 begins for 5 organizations since 2017, and he additionally has a brand new pitch. Very similar to together with his F1 fandom, it was all of that downtime that led to him including a changeup to his arsenal.

After almost two years away from baseball, he was fairly bored.

“You’re not allowed to throw a breaking ball, however you’ll be able to throw a changeup earlier than you’ll be able to throw a breaking ball in your rehab,” Curtiss mentioned. “It’s boring simply throwing baseballs from 120 toes. So I acquired to a degree the place they mentioned, ‘OK, you’re allowed to throw a changeup.’ I mentioned, ‘OK, effectively, I don’t have one.’ After which the rehab pitching coach, Dakota Herman, and I labored on it actually exhausting. At a sure level, it went from simply messing round to being a viable pitch.”

Curtiss had his surgical procedure on a Friday in September of 2021. To make the rehab course of rather less daunting, he began utilizing Fridays as a measuring stick day of kinds. Every Friday introduced one other benchmark in his rehab. Plus, Friday means he’s solely a day away from a weekend of F1.

Curtiss is now wholesome, forward of schedule and able to present the Mets what he can do.

“This my seventh workforce, I’ve been round to know you don’t play GM, you don’t play coach, you simply play participant,” Curtiss mentioned. “So it’s my job to go on the market and pitch effectively, and let every thing fall the place it needs.”

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The Mets will maintain an intrasquad recreation Friday at Clover Area, starting at 1:10 p.m. It’s open to the general public, with tickets costing $10. The proceeds shall be donated to the Boys and Women Membership of St. Lucie County. Concessions shall be open to followers however they need to be suggested that the sport is not going to be a whole nine-inning contest.