NEW YORK — On the second day of his life as an octogenarian, former big league pitcher Phil Regan walked out to the infield and threw batting practice for the New York Mets.
On a brisk afternoon before Friday night's game against the Miami Marlins, Regan took his tosses from about 30 feet, just like the other BP pitchers.
Regan had been talking about his goal for a year at the team's spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
"I said I hope that when I'm 80, that I can throw batting practice — that's going to be my goal, to throw when I'm 80," he said
Regan, 96-81 during 13 big league seasons, is in his ninth season with the Mets and is their assistant minor league pitching coordinator.