Words to live by
Attitude informs Amazin' approach
THESE three words above thehe Mets clubhouse doors tell thehe story and offer insight into thehe mental makeup of these 2017 Mets. Do Your Thing. This is what the Mets want to do on Opening Day against the Braves on Monday and every time they walk out those doors on
to the green grass of Citi Field or any other major league field.
If the Mets players do that, everything else will take care of itself, and this team will get where it wants to go — back to the World Series like in 2015.
The Mets are a personality-driven team, and they are looking for the player with one of the biggest personalities, and fastballs, in the game to lead the way Opening Day, starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard. Do Your Thing. Syndergaard is the epitome of that saying.
When Thor does his thing, opposing hitters don’t have a chance. When his hair and fastball are flowing, the Mets are in a good place. But this saying is not just for Syndergaard. It is for all the Mets, and it is their rallying cry. Do Your Thing. “It’s kind of the mission statement or the M.O. of this team,’’ Jay Bruce said. “Everyone comes from different backgrounds, everyone is cut from a little different cloth, but as long as you are all pulling from the same end of the rope, we don’t really care how you pull. Just do your thing, and I think that really embodies what this team is all about.’’ Do Your Thing. Just pull from the same end of that rope.
Syndergaard says the Mets have the kind of chemistry every team wants to have. Of course, when you have potentially five aces, it’s easier to have that kind of chemistry and be able to do your thing.
“I’m really excited for this 2017 season, from the atmosphere that was set walking into the clubhouse down in Port St. Lucie, which has been a lot of fun,” Syndergaard said. “We have veteran leadership, and a lot of youth coming up. I think that’s a great mix. We have guys like David [Wright], Curtis [Granderson], Neil [Walker] and Jerry [Blevins], all great guys to be around.”
Those veterans allow the younger Mets to be themselves so each and every one of them can do his thing.
On offense, if Yoenis Cespedes does his thing, the Mets will take off. He never has been more at home than he has been with these Mets. He is the straw that stirs the drink. He is a superstar and must stay healthy, hustle and set the tone for the offense.
Do Your Thing also means “be yourself,” and Bruce needs to be that player with the Mets. He needs to be the hitter who averaged 29 home runs and 93 RBIs from 2011-2016. That means there will be hot streaks and cold streaks. That’s the way Bruce is. Just Do Your thing.
“You know the season is going to be hard,’’ Bruce said. “You don’t know how, but you know it’s going to be hard, and the one constant that you have are the guys. That’s something that I put a lot of my faith into.
“The pitching staff is going to be the horse that pulls the buggy. My dad and I used to argue all the time about good pitching versus good hitting. And he always told me when I was young that good pitching would beat good hitting, and I’m a hitter so I’m like, ‘Whoa. No way.’
“Now you see that. Pitchers set the tone and we have a group of guys who have the ability to be some pretty impactful tone-setters. That will be one big cog, but not all of them and it’s all got to come together, and we are a group of guys who understand that.’’
Just Do Your Thing, starting with the first pitch Monday, and the Mets are going to be just fine.