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This Is What Feeds Me By Jason Krane A small dribbler right down the middle, Garcia dives, grabs the ball and throws to first for the third out of the inning. Garcia up at the plate, bunts and reaches first safely. A runner on first and Garcia steals second for his 39th stolen base of the season. An athlete who excels in the field, dominates at the plate and speeds from the bases; his name is Danny Garcia.
A New York Mets fifth round draft pick in 2001 out of Pepperdine University in his junior year, drafted the same year as third base sensation David Wright and relief pitcher Aaron Heilman. An organization that was soon to be solid in the left side of the field with Jose Reyes working his way up and Wright producing the numbers he currently shows. As Garcia and Reyes were placed together in the minor leagues, they were the double play pair that was the one to watch. Starting in 2001 with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York Penn League, Garcia’s statistics were proving that he would one day be the Mets everyday second baseman in the near future. Playing 15 games that year he had a batting average of .321 with 18 hits, one homerun and six RBI, and then was called up to play for Class A Columbia for 30 games. There he had an average of .301 with 31 hits, two home runs and 16 RBIs in 103 at-bats. The Mets were confident that he would be their man.
The New York Mets versus the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, September 2nd, 2003 with a pitching match up of Al Leiter and Mike Hampton. Danny Garcia started at second base that game and had himself four opportunities to earn himself a Major League hit. Hampton threw a fastball low and away and he took a crack at the ball and it went down the middle as Marcus Giles dove, but missed as he reached for his first Major League hit in his debut.
 “My dream came true,” he said recalling about the event. The second major event was his first home run. September 10th, 2003, the Mets versus the Marlins and Garcia was hitting pitcher Mark Redman hard. Already hitting a double in the game, he battled to a full count and took the fastball up and in and it was a high fly ball to left field for his first home run. As that was a day game, he was scheduled to throw out the first pitch for the Cyclones, being the first player to ever play for them and the Mets. That was a very surreal day in his life as his dreams were coming true.
Starting the 2004 season back in the minors, the Mets were looking for a new addition to their roster. The signing of Kazuo Matsui of Japan, threw his journey for a curve. As Matsui was playing short, the rookie sensation Jose Reyes was forced to move to second. While Reyes suffered an injury, Danny got another shot to play in the “Bigs.” Playing in 58 games that season, he posted an average of .232 with 32 hits, three home runs and 17 RBIs in 138 at-bats. The following season, Garcia signed with the Yankees playing at Triple-A for two seasons, but an injury ended his chances in 2005. He played hard in 2006, but it was not enough.
Though as he played in the Majors for two short seasons, it gave him an opportunity to converse with people who became his role models. Infielder Todd Zeile, outfielders Mike Cameron and Cliff Floyd, and Mets captain John Franco treated him great as veterans and made sure his rookie days were one to remember. As every rookie goes through it, his major league initiation was for Garcia to clear Canadian Customs wearing a Superman Costume. “It could have been worse,” he joked.
As his approach to come back to the majors, his mindset has changed to prove that he should get one more chance. In his first two years playing college ball, he stole 55 bases as he went 27-29 in junior year and 26-26 as a sophomore. After that he admits that he just lost his methods of stealing bases for three or four years. Coming to the Somerset Patriots gave him the chance to learn his technique again. With 39 stolen bases this season in 69 games, it seems his running methods are back. Though as his approach to running has improved his bat has solidified with six home runs, 26 RBIs and 72 hits, and his second chance may be opening up sooner than he realizes. “This is my life. I try hard. This is what has fed me for three years, and supported me for the last ten years. There is nothing I enjoy more, and be the best I can every day. This is all I want to do.”
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