SERBY’S SPRING TRAINING Q&A WITH ... Jay BRUCE

Q: What would you tell Mets teammates about Mickey Callaway, who was the Indians’ pitching coach when n you were in Cleveland last season? A: He’s gonna shoot you straight. He’s not going to micromanage you. But he’s going to expect you not to need to be micromannaged, if that makes sense. I believe that there’s a standard he’s gonna hold everyone ne too, including himself. He understand that at it’s a game of ups and downs, and there are things that are gonna happen that are positive and there are things that are gonna na happen that are negative, and he’s gonna be very good at controlling his emotions and continuing to kind of keep his eye on the prize, or keep the blinders on if you will. He learned from someone in Tito Francona who may be one of the best at that. He really understands how to manage people, and I think it’s more important than ever these days. I think managing people and managing egos in general are a very, very big part of managing a Major League Baseball team these days. Q: How beneficial can a guy like him be for a team that is so dependent on its starting pitching? A: I really can’t speak a whole lot on the particulars of the routines of starting pitchers or the mindsets or the process that they go through in order to prepare for a game. But what I can tell ’em is this guy’s going to be as prepared as anyone you’ve ever seen. He hired someone [pitching coach Dave Eiland] he trusts a great amount to do the job and it’s going to be someone who probably challenges Mickey a little bit. It seems like Mickey appreciates and puts a lot of weight into having thinkers on his staff and being challenged by ideas and thoughts and theories. Q: Describe this type of atmosphere. A: I think it’s no secret that the New York media market and Mets fans are super passionate. Everything is sensationalized a bit in New York, both positively and negatively. You need to be able to handle things that are thrown at you with a little bit of eloquence most of the time. Because being too off the cuff or volatile when it comes to your emotions can get you in trouble in a market like this. Someone who’s basically mastered it in his career is David Wright. This guy kind of epitomizes what it takes to be “the guy” in New York. Q: How much are you rooting for him to make it back? A: I feel for these guys because they don’t really remember like 2004 through 2014 David Wright. He was such a pleasure to watch. He was in the conversation for the best player in the game for the majority of his first 10 years. And for someone like that to just hit the wall he’s hit with injuries is something that’s disheartening, man. He works his butt off to get back and be healthy. He wears it on his sleeve. ... He was so close in the [2015] World Series there. ... He’s a guy who feels responsible, he takes responsibility in his position in this game for this organization. He was kind of on the shoe-in track to the Hall of Fame, and kind of has been derailed by injuries. To say I’m rooting for him would be an understatement. He’s a salt-of-the-earth guy, and I hope that he finds his way back to the field. Q: Describe Michael Conforto’s swing andd hihis upside. id A: His swing is rare, because he uses all fields so well. His best swing is to left-center field and he has tremendous power all over the place. It’s rare that you see a guy able to hit for such a high average and also hit for so much power and also get on base at such a high rate. He’s a guy that you’re gonna be watching in New York for a long time, man. He has the demeanor and everything that feels like a David Wright to me. He’s someone who made me want to be better. Look at what Larry Walker used to do. Almost no one is Joey Votto, but I think it’s that kind of skill set. I don’t think that Michael’s gonna put a ceiling on himself. He’s just gonna be the next version of himself and see what happens. Q: The signing of Adrian Gonzalez might help keep you off first base. A: There’s only upside there. And yeah, I think that he’s gonna help me stay in the outfield, which would be more than ideal. Adrian was an exceptional player for a long time, and when he’s on the field, he still is. Q: Give Mets fans a reason for optimism. A: You look at our lineup, I believe it’s very deep — especially with the addition of Todd Frazier. Getting Conforto back healthy will be really important. Health is the key for the Mets. If we’re healthy, we are real contenders in that NL East division. The front office has done a good job adding to the back of the bullpen, not only this offseason but last year as well with the addition of Ramos. If Familia comes back and he’s healthy and kind of reinvents himself there at the back end of that pen, I think that this is not a fun team to face, if you come into New York, you got your hands full. Q: Why are you considered a good clubhouse guy? A: (Laugh) That may be something you might want to ask everyone else to be honest with you. It’s not one of my goals to be a good clubhouse guy. My goal is to be myself. As long as you’re yourself and you’re honest with yourself and everyone else, you don’t have to ever make any apologies about what happens or what goes on or anything like that. I’m not a real boisterous leader. I feel like if something needs to be said to someone, or I feel compelled enough to talk to someone, I feel like there’s a way to do it ... understanding how each person reacts to situations individually really help veteran guys make an impact on other players. Scott Rolen let his actions do the talking. Not a lot of antics or anything like that. He was there to play baseball, and there to help his team win. I am who I am, and I don’t make any apologies for that. My goal is to help my team win baseball games. Q: Would managing ever appeal to you? A: Never say never. I’m just thinking about when I’m reporting to spring training this year. I feel like there’s a lot of good baseball left in me. Q: Describe your experience in Cleveland last season, after being traded by the Mets in August, which included a 22-game win streak. A: They made it very, very comfortable for me there, and to go through that winning streak was some of the best memories and most fun playing baseball I’ve had in my whole life. And that’s something I’ll never forget. Q: Describe the ALDS loss to the Yankees? A: We just couldn’t pull it off. They were better than us in that series. They’ve got what they need to compete and shorten games and keep leads. Q: What is your message to Mets fans? A: Stick with us. Be patient, and be passionate about it. Show up. We need ’em. We need ’em there. The environment at Citi Field is as good as anywhere I’ve ever been when you have people in the seats. I look forward to that, I look forward to them being on our side this year and then being as passionate as they always are, and kind of riding the roller coaster with us all year, and hope we get to the top of the mountain.