Amazin’s show talent for bonding as team
PORT ST. LUCIE — Lights, smoke, music and a stage were imported into a conference room at Clover Park on Friday for the Mets’ main off-field event of spring training.
Pete Alonso served as the emcee, warming up the crowd, and the Mets’ first talent show was underway. The winner (perhaps unofficially), according to multiple attendees, was bullpen catcher Eric Langill, who performed a WWE skit.
As Langill walked through the clubhouse later, Kodai Senga applauded. The Japanese pitcher also participated in the show, singing duet karaoke with a member of the kitchen staff. Brett Baty was among a group of young players who performed a choreographed sketch.
“Honestly, it was a nice morning to get out of work,” Alonso said.
A box was placed in the room for cell phones, according to manager Buck Showalter, so there wouldn’t be any video evidence of the event.
The talent show was Showalter’s idea. He had organized a similar event during his Orioles tenure and considered instituting it for the Mets last year, but the lockout that condensed spring training made it impractical.
“Just keeping it loose,” Tomas Nido said. “The younger guys feel more comfortable and keep it loose even when you are trying to accomplish your ultimate goal. It’s a long year.”
Enough players and staff wanted to participate that cuts were necessary to trim the list of entrants. Participants in group acts carved out practice time.
Showalter originally wanted to hold the event later in camp, but the exodus of players beginning Monday for the World Baseball Classic disrupted that schedule.
“There’s about three times in the spring where there is a little lull,” Showalter said before the Mets’ 11-6 exhibition loss to the Nationals. “Anything like this that brings everybody together, you find something out that you didn’t know and always positive.
“It’s a good vibe. They took a lot of pride in it. These guys perform for a living. This is what they do, they put themselves on the line to ridicule every night. You have got to have some guts.”
Brandon Nimmo was among the Mets players who didn’t participate in the show. Does Nimmo have a talent? “Baseball,” he said.
The Mets, in past years, have held team-bonding events that ranged from bowling nights to poker games to shark fishing. Last year, Max Scherzer organized an indoor golf gathering.
“Today’s show was a real fun time to see everybody’s talent outside of baseball,” Alonso said. “It was real cool for guys to show a different side of themselves.”