SALT LAKE CITY — Donovan Mitchell nearly chose baseball over basketball.
On Wednesday, he nearly hit one out of Citi Field.
A lifelong New York Mets fan (and frequent clubhouse guest while he was growing up), Mitchell played both sports in high school. But an infield collision that busted his teammate's jaw and broke his wrist put him on a path to the NBA.
“I try not to because if you look back at things and be like ‘man, this is what could’ve been’ but I can’t believe what’s going on is happening right now so I’m just living in a whole different world right now but I had my time in baseball and it was pretty cool,” Mitchell told the Deseret News in 2018. “I was being recruited but I think I made the right choice.”
He still likes to show off his skills on the diamond, and he got a chance to hit some batting practice with the Mets, where his father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., is the Mets' director of player relations and community engagement.
The day was memorable for the Mets as well, as journeyman outfielder Rajai Davis had a remarkable day in his first game with the MLB club.
Davis was taking batting practice in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets when he got the call-up. He took a 2-hour Uber drive to Citi Field, and got lost in the stadium before finally getting in the game in the third inning.
And then he did this.
Thanks, in part to that home run, the Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 6-1.
Nate Orchard excited to be in Miami
Former Highland High and University of Utah standout Nate Orchard just wants an opportunity. It looks like he might have a chance with the Dolphins.
The 2014 Hendricks Award winner (awarded to the best defensive end in college football) is on his fifth NFL team in three years, but his confidence is high in Miami.
I've been through peaks and valleys, ups and downs," he told reporters Tuesday, including the Miami Herald. "I've learned at the end of the day, you need to be confident in your craft and be a professional. You can't let situations deter you.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity in Buffalo, KC, Cleveland, here, to be in the league is a huge opportunity."
Other links
Joe Ingles and Andrew Bogut named to Australian FIBA World Cup team
It was a banner day for BYU baseball
And finally ...
The Twitter account Perry Crowell put together a highlight comparison of the similarities of Mitchell and Dwyane Wade.