It began in January, when Kevin Long got the email out of the blue as he was visiting his uncle in Hawaii. The new Mets hitting coach had been told Daniel Murphy would be his toughest challenge.
Long had heard through the baseball grapevine the Mets’ second baseman was an intelligent hitter, but stuck in his ways and he would probably test Long.
So, the former Yankees hitting coach was a little nervous when Murphy’s email arrived asking for an analysis of his swing.
Long, who had already worked with some of the biggest names in the game, admitted he worried delivering the scouting report he had already put together for Murphy.