Michael Conforto might have been in kindergarten when he contributed to show-and-tell day by bringing a gold medal won by his mother, still-revered synchronized swimmer Tracie Ruiz, at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Or he might have been in first grade when she allowed him to display the medal with his classmates. He's not sure.
Although the precise details have become fuzzy, that day made a deep impression on the New York Mets left fielder, setting him on a path toward becoming one of baseball's most gifted young sluggers.
"That's when I really realized how cool it was," Conforto said.