Q&A with Mets pitcher Matt Koch

Mets pitcher Matt Koch has had a roller coaster of a year in the New York Mets system. After suffering a career-threatening injury last August, Koch has rebounded to become one of the best pitchers in the Florida State League. He sat down with St. Lucie Mets broadcaster Adam MacDonald for a Q&A to discuss his close call, All Star season and life away from baseball.

Q: Most people in St. Lucie probably aren't aware of what happened to you last August while pitching for Class A Savannah. Take us through what was a very scary event.

A: I got a start in Greenville and it was the first batter of the second inning and I took a line drive comebacker off the head. I was in the hospital for a few days and didn't pitch the rest of the year. But I was able to sit back and watch Savannah win the South Atlantic League championship.

Q: Did it ever cross your mind that after being hit in the head you might not be able to play baseball again?

A: It never did until last offseason when I got a check up and they said there was still some bruising on the brain. My brother asked me if I was still going to be able to play. I told him it never crossed my mind that I wasn't going to be able to play. I was always hopeful.

Q: What was it like when you finally got back into action and faced live hitting?

A: It was nerve-wracking at first. The last time I had faced a guy I got knocked out. But I was really excited to get back on the mound and compete with the guys. It was fun.

Q: Did your goals for the 2014 season change because of the injury you sustained?

A: Not really. I was having a good season last year and I just wanted to build off of that. The start before I got hit I had a really good outing. I wanted to build off of that and move forward.

Q: So far in St. Lucie you've had a great season. You bounced back and earned a spot on the Florida State League All Star team. What did that mean to you considering how last year ended?

A: It was an honor to go, especially with all the other great players on the team like T.J. Rivera, Dilson Herrera, Brandon Nimmo, Steven Matz and Randy Fontanez. It was a lot of fun to go with those guys and meet all the other great players in the league.

Q: You mentioned watching Savannah win a championship last year. You and a lot of other guys from that team are here now. You missed out on first place in the Florida State League South Division first half title by one game. How do you like this team's chances of competing down the stretch in the second half?

A: We have a high moral. We've been playing well. The new guys from Savannah who came up at the half have contributed right away. They've helped a lot and we still have a lot of great players from the first half. We only missed out on first by one game. I think we have the ability to win the second half and make the playoffs.

Q: You're a very relaxed, friendly, easy going type of guy. How does that help you as a pitcher?

A: It's easy because this game can be frustrating. There's a lot of ups and downs. Having a level head is important to get through the rough times in this game. It's important to stay calm, relax and move forward.

Q: In St. Lucie we don't have a lot of off time during the season, but when you do have a day off what do you like to do?

A: Usually I hang out with the guys. We have a lot of great guys on this team. We'll go catch a movie or go to the bowling ally and roll some balls left handed. I just like to hang out with the guys.

Q:  Is there anything about Matt Koch that Mets fans don't know that they might find interesting?

A: I'm from Iowa so in the offseason I go back and help my uncle on his farm. I help him with the harvest, driving around the tractor and doing other stuff like that. That's something they might find interesting.

Q: Is that something you'd be doing if you weren't a pro baseball player?

A: I never even thought about working on the farm until I started doing it. It's long days, a lot of hard work and I'm only there for a couple months of it while they do it year round. It's a tough job but I think I would like it.