Heilman, Perhaps the Most ‘Cerebral’ of Mets, Earns a Victory
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The 2008 season hasn’t been the most enjoyable of Aaron Heilman’s six seasons as a Met. Although his 53 appearances rank him third in the NL, he’s been both the subject of trade rumors and besieged by the fickle fans at Shea who, until recently, have booed him vociferously. Yet Heilman secured his first victory of the season yesterday, vaulting the Mets into first place over the Phillies. Entering a tied ballgame with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, three fastballs to the hot Jayson Werth ended with a harmless fly to center. After the game, Heilman, rumored to be the most “cerebral” of the Mets, spoke to The New York Sun about a variety of topics.
He rolled his eyes when the word cerebral was mentioned. I countered that he has a philosophy degree from Notre Dame. Pressed on this, he agreed that existentialism was indeed “redundant.” A smile appeared across his face, quite different from the impassive bulldog visage one sees on the mound. Asked what book he was reading, he paused for more than a moment, before offering “Dark Mission: The Secret History of NASA,” a controversial book that claims NASA’s policies are far more aligned with ancient religions and the occult than rational science. Upon hearing this, Heilman’s locker-mate and fellow reliever, Scott Schoeneweis, gave me the once-over.
I plugged forward. Heilman offered that “There Will Be Blood” was his favorite film of 2007 and “was robbed of the Oscar.” He agreed that Daniel Day-Lewis had channeled his “Bill the Butcher” character from “Gangs of New York” into “Blood.” As throngs of reporters mobbed Billy Wagner, leaving the winning pitcher at my mercy, Heilman gamely, but with a sincere smile, endured more. What’s at the top of his iPod shuffle? Pearl Jam. Hard-edged rock.
He does play cards with his teammates on trips, but said it was fast becoming a relic of a classic baseball tradition. I found his weak spot when I mentioned Notre Dame football. He demurred on Charlie Weis, but admitted he donates money to the athletic department. When he learned I was a Michigan graduate, he turned away to cut the interview off — but swiveled his head back toward me and laughed. He married his college sweetheart from South Bend, Ind., and loved living in Manhattan before exiting for the suburbs when his kids were born.
The feeling here is Heilman must reemerge as the Mets’ eighth-inning setup man. He can deliver the big strikeout. Hopefully, the coaches will allow him this opportunity, thus allowing the Sun to probe deeper into the mind of an intelligent, forthcoming athlete.
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