Mets: Five potential guests for “Rain Delay Theater” in 2020

The New York Mets will inevitably face a rain delay at some point in 2020. When the sky opens up, we will hopefully get to see these guests on an episode of Rain Delay Theater.

SNY is known for producing fun, engaging, New York Mets-related content, with video series such as “The Amazin’ Life” and “Game On” showcasing Mets players off the field. One of the most in-depth additions to their video catalog has been the introduction of “Rain Delay Theater,” a video and podcast series where Steve Gelbs and Wayne Randazzo interview current Mets players and figures from the team’s history.

This series need not be relegated solely to rain delay viewing, however. Over the past two seasons, Gelbs and Randazzo have had insightful, inspiring conversations with Pete Alonso, Howie Rose, and Endy Chavez, among many others. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the series on YouTube, and I hope it continues in 2020.

As Opening Day 2020 quickly approaches, I have thought a lot about which Mets figures and legends I’d love to see interviewed on RDT. Here are five of my ideal candidates to be guests on “Rain Delay Theater” this season.

Jacob deGrom

After winning his first Cy Young Award in 2018, Jacob deGrom should have been an obvious choice to be interviewed last season. Now, after winning his second consecutive Cy Young in 2019, he is an absolute no-brainer to be featured on the podcast this year. Throughout his Mets career, deGrom has generally let his play on the field do the talking for him and mostly keeps his interviews team-centric.

However, I think I speak for many Mets fans when I say that we would love to hear more from him. RDT would be the perfect avenue for deGrom to bless us fans with his detailed insights on pitching, the process of switching from a shortstop to a pitcher, or even how he balances being a father of two with his baseball career.

Jay Horwitz

One of my favorite segments of RDT has been when, at the end of nearly every episode, Gelbs and Randazzo ask the guest to share their favorite Jay Horwitz story. From these entertaining stories, I’ve gathered that Horwitz is one of the most colorful figures that has ever worked for the Mets. Soon, he will be officially telling his story in print for the first time, in his upcoming book Mr. Met.

Given that so many Mets players from the team’s history have stories about Horwitz, I would be really curious to hear directly from his perspective on the Mets’ history. Since PR is such a big issue in baseball these days, what with the Astros’ cheating scandal and all, I would also want to know his take on that as a PR professional. For the last 34 years, Mets players, managers, and coaches have come and gone, but Horwitz has been one of the few constants for the Mets organization. He, perhaps more than anyone, absolutely warrants an RDT interview.

Marcus Stroman

Though Marcus Stroman has only been a Met for half a season, his infectious energy and positive attitude have quickly connected with Mets fans, making it seem like he has been in Flushing his whole career. Whether Stroman is on the field or in the dugout, he is always fired up. His Twitter presence is a continuous feed of inspirational, motivational messages. And as many Mets fans know, Stroman is a native Long Islander, endearing him to New York fans even more.

Since Stroman frequently speaks his mind on social media, I have no doubt that he would be a chatty, candid guest on RDT. He comes across as truly grateful for his baseball career and consistently looking for ways to improve. I would love to hear from Stroman about transitioning from the American to the National League halfway through 2019, as well as his thoughts on the current Mets roster and team chemistry.

Davey Johnson

Mets fans this season may be optimistic about the team’s playoff chances, but that doesn’t mean we won’t want to look back and relive the glory days of 1986 yet again. Davey Johnson has had a long managerial career since his days in Queens. To the Flushing Faithful, he will always represent the championship team of 1986.

Since that triumphant season, much has been written about the many colorful personalities on that roster and the relationship between Johnson and various Mets players. Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, in particular, have spoken at length about their sometimes tense interactions with Johnson.

Though I would love to hear from Johnson about managing that ‘86 team, I am also curious about his experience playing in the 1969 World Series. As some Mets fans may know, Johnson is notable for making the last out of the ‘69 World Series for the Baltimore Orioles, who were favored to win the championship that year, though of course the Mets ended up winning the crown. Having been involved in the World Series both for and against the Mets, in two different eras, I am sure that Johnson would have many interesting stories to share on RDT.

David Wright

I truly can’t think of a single Mets fan who doesn’t love the Captain. Since his retirement from playing at the end of the 2018 season, David Wright has remained with the Mets in a front office role, and has popped in to the occasional interview with SNY. However, his public presence has been much smaller than it was in his playing days. I, for one, am clamoring for some more Wright content on SNY. RDT would be the perfect avenue for him to grace our screens with a post-retirement extended interview.

Though Wright was fortunate to be part of some great Mets teams during his career, he also endured many less-than-stellar Mets rosters and quite a bit of heartbreak in 2007 and 2008. He is not one to shy away from discussing the bad times as well as the good, and would certainly have a lot to say about going through both collapses.

Wright is also the only Mets player who was on both the 2006 and 2015 playoff teams, and I would love to hear about how his perspective on those two seasons differs. His home run in game three of the 2015 World Series remains one of his finest moments in a Mets uniform, and I would give anything to hear about it from his point of view. Wright’s playing days may be finished, but hopefully, his reminiscing about his Mets career has just begun.

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Who would you like to see during Rain Delay Theater in 2020?