Anthony Recker thought he might play close to home someday. But, he also realistically knew it would be more of a long shot than reality. Yet, Recker wasn't exactly miserable, as he played out his own dream playing in the farm system of his favorite team, the Oakland A's.

However, all of that began to change when the catcher made the first move headed east when he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs in August 2012. Recker's stay there was short and he moved close to his deal situation as he claimed off waivers by New York Mets in October 2012.

In more ways than one, Recker is glad to be close to home. He played on five teams during the 2012 season, but it apparently didn't bother him. He also played four different times for Sacramento, the A's triple-A affiliate.

"It was kind of invigorating," noted Recker of his experience last year. "You get put on waivers and then some team claims you. It has been a challenge for me. Playing in Sacramento was great too because the fans are very supportive there and they appreciated what I did."

Since then, the 2001 Catasauqua grad and Colonial League Most Valuable Player the same year has been feeling more comfortable in more familiar surroundings. His half-sister, Paige Kogelman, was a softball standout, who recently graduated from the Roughies' program.

"Yeah, it's nice to have friends and family able to visit on a regular basis," said Recker on his team's recent visit to Philadelphia. "I was an A's fan growing up and it was cool to play there. But I always thought about playing closer to home.

"This has been a nice break for me, and I hope everything can work out here for me."

After a stellar season at Catty, Recker extended his career at Alvernia College, where he was the ECAC South Player-of-the Year in 2005. From there, Recker began a seven-year stay with the A's organization after being a 18th-round pick in 2005. He was named a four-time, mid-season All-Star from 2006 through 2011 and hit 99 homers during that span. Recker made his major league debut last August as a member of the A's at Yankee Stadium.

Before the start of this season, Recker hit one home run in 27 major league games. Through Monday's action, Recker was hitting .174 with two homers in 16 games with the Mets this season.

His second homer this season helped Mets' heralded rookie pitcher Zach Wheeler win his first major league game.

Along with a potential powerful bat, Recker has also quickly gained a reputation as a steady signal caller behind the plate.

"He (Recker) has done a nice job with the pitching staff," said Mets' manager Terry Collins. "He already has a veteran presence and the staff feels comfortable with him. He has all of the tools of a big league catcher."

One major stumbling block standing in his way, however, will be highly touted Mets' catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud, who is playing with the team's Triple-A affiliate and recovering from knee surgery last June. d'Arnaud looms as the teams' future backstop - possibly in the immediate future but Recker and veteran John Buck have been handling the current load.

"They (Mets) told me that I could help them, but I really don't know what the future holds," said the 29-year-old. "I just want to be able to contribute as much as I can. I have had a great opportunity with the Mets and New York has been a great place to play."

Recker has also been further placed on solid ground with his engagement to fiancée Kelly Shepardson. He is optimistic he can maintain the ride of a lifetime.

"My fiancée and I have been happy with the Mets," said Recker. "Every year, I have proven that I can carry the load. This is just another challenge and this one is close to home."