SHAKE IT UP
Salt-and-pepper routine an Amazin’ rallying signal
S ALT and pepper. Spread the offense around.
The Mets have a new manager in Mickey Callaway, key new veterans in Adrian Gonzalez and Todd Frazier, and a new hitting identity.
All this worked to perfection in the Mets’ 9-4 Opening Day shellacking of the Cardinals on Thursday before a packed house of 44,189 at Citi Field. If you looked closely, when the Mets drilled base hits, they looked back into the dugout to make a spread it around, salt-and-pepper shaking motion as a signal they were keeping the rally and buzz going.
Remember, it was Frazier who came up with the classic thumbsdown sign last year as a Yankee at Citi Field in a game against the Rays after a Mets fan gave him that thumbs-down motion.
Frazier and the Yankees ran with it. This is a new year, a new team and a new sign.
Frazier is no longer a Yankee, he’s a Met, and he told The Post thumbs-down is history. The Mets have their own thing now, and his thoughts were echoed by Yoenis Cespedes, who drove in three runs with two hits and Gonzalez, who had a huge day with a double, a single, a run scored, an RBI and two walks.
The Mets had their fun Thursday, putting 22 runners on base (12 hits, nine walks and a hit batter). So much for the complaint the Mets only score when they hit home runs. They are spreading it around.
If the Mets have success this season, it won’t be long before salt-and-pepper shakers are all the rage at Citi Field. Frazier told The Post a lot of the credit for the new idea goes to new first-base coach Ruben Amaro Jr. “We wanted to come up with something, and this is it, spread it around, it’s a great way to get the team going,’’ Frazier said. “It was a good start, guys jumped on board.’’ Gonzalez, who is looking for a new lease on his baseball life, explained, “You have to get team chemistry going, something that everybody can get excited about. We talked about it in that intrasquad game [Monday in Port St. Lucie], talking to Jose [Reyes], Cespedes and Fraze, saying, ‘Man we got to do something when we get hits, so when somebody gets a hit everybody jumps on top of the dugout.’ “All that brings energy, and it’s not just like, get to first base and it’s kind of quiet,’’ Gonzalez said. “You want to have some fun, keep it going, be excited for the other guy. It creates a good vibe. We threw it out there and the guys like it.’’
When I mentioned the salt-andpepper ritual to Cespedes — who signaled back to the dugout after a two-out, two-strike, two-run single in the second and an RBI single in the fifth — a smile crossed his face.
“We just named it salt and pepper,” he said. “We want everybody to be focused and to concentrate on the game. That’s why we do it.’’
The Mets believe it’s going to be a big year.
“We got something going,’’ Frazier said.
Spread it around. Grind out the at-bat. Grind out the game. Spread the success around. A single is one shake back to the dugout, a double is two shakes and a triple is three shakes.
This is the new thumbs-down. Frazier scored from first on Gonzalez’s double in the Mets’ fiverun fifth inning to get the inning going, and that was two shakes back to the dugout for A-Gone.
Cespedes batted second, giving him RBI opportunities in Callaway’s new lineup spot for him. Leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo reached base four times. Jay Bruce three times, and catcher Kevin Plawecki reached base four times.
The Mets’ lineup did all it could to help Noah Syndergaard (10 Ks, six innings) get win No. 1 of the season.
“We’re just adding a little seasoning to the offense,’’ Nimmo said with a smile of the salt-andpepper routine.
For these Mets to succeed, they have to shake it up as an offense.