Mets ace wows Coleman Country

In between mowing down batters in the All-Star Game, where he struck out the side in the sixth inning on 10 pitches, and outdueling the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke, his rival for most dominant pitcher in baseball, at Citi Field, Mets phenom Jacob deGrom stopped by Merrick’s Coleman Country Day Camp to give the children a few pointers on July 23.

DeGrom, the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year, who is midway through his second season as a Met, taught campers how to grip a four-seam fastball and talked about his approaches to work, health and the pressures of fame. Many of the children seemed too awed by his presence, or curious about his height or hair — he is 6 feet 4 inches tall and has shoulder-length brown locks — to quite take it in.

Lauren DiPierri, a 9-year-old from Plainview and a self-described Mets fan, said she forgot the fastball grip moments after seeing it. Still, she said she liked hearing about how deGrom overcame challenges, from failing as a shortstop to recovering from surgery to repair his elbow, and she said she thought he was friendly.

“He took a lot of questions, which was really nice,” Lauren said.

For two hours, deGrom faced groups of about 100 campers at a time, as they rotated through bleachers on a large synthetic-turf field at Coleman beneath a blazing summer sun. The 27-year-old Florida native, looking camp-ready in a T-shirt, athletic shorts and baseball cap bearing Mets logos, introduced himself — he began pitching in his junior year at Florida’s Stetson University, was a 2010 Mets draft pick and debuted in the majors last year — before patiently answering children’s questions. The kids, also decked out in Mets garb, asked the darnedest things.

What kind of shampoo does he use?

Whatever is available in the Mets’ locker room.

Who's his favorite teammate?

He likes all his teammates, though he and fellow pitcher Steven Matz are particularly good friends.

What’s his religion?

The questions often drew grins from deGrom and the other adults on hand. Camp Director Ross Coleman kept the program moving with adroit emceeing.