Mets GM recalls days as ‘a big Gamecock fan’

New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson visited Columbia Thursday for the announcement that his team would supply players for the new Single-A franchise that will play in Spirit Communications Park for the 2016 season in the South Atlantic League.

Alderson, however, couldn’t help but mention his ties to the area.

The son of a U.S. Air Force pilot stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter from 1957 to 1961, he remembered those times as a young boy who began following South Carolina’s teams.

“During those days, I was a big Gamecock fan and still can remember some of the basketball players and football players on those teams, which were not remarkable, by the way,” Alderson said. “But in terms of their competition with Clemson, I was always a Gamecock.”

Alderson, 67, has compiled a remarkable resume in his life. The Dartmouth graduate joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served a tour in Vietnam. He later attended Harvard Law School and went on to become a general manager with the Oakland A’s, San Diego Padres and New York Mets. He also served a stint in the MLB commissioner's office as director of operations.

He got his first taste of the game while living in the Columbia area.

“I saw one of my first major league games, an exhibition game here between the Braves and the Reds (at Capital City Park), I think, when I was in the sixth grade, which is a real memory,” he said.

This story was originally published May 21, 2015 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Mets GM recalls days as ‘a big Gamecock fan’."