New York Mets‘ legend Darryl Strawberry talked about several subjects in a very good interview with SNY. He focused on pitching target Trevor Bauer and how hard it is for newcomers to perform in the bright lights of the Big Apple, whether it’s for the Mets or the Yankees.
As a star player who got to know the best (and worse) of the two worlds, Strawberry knows what he is talking about. He admits he hasn’t followed Bauer’s career from up close, but he knows he can be a difference-maker in the rotation.
After all, the Mets are coveting Bauer because he is fresh off winning the National League Cy Young award with the Cincinnati Reds after finishing the 2020 shortened season with a microscopic 1.73 ERA.
Speaking of Bauer, he is known for his flamboyant personality. However, Strawberry says that a player with his swagger and talent can fit in nicely with what the New York Mets are trying to do.
“That’s what you have to have – you have to have personality,†Strawberry said. “But you have to be able to back it up at the same time. You could have the swag about you, but you have to play when you get here.
“Hopefully, any guys who do decide to come to New York – just bring it all with you. Bring it to the ballpark. That’s what fans love.â€
A Mets legend of swagger
Strawberry, who still holds the Mets’ record for most home runs hit with 252, wants every high-profile free agent that may go to New York to know that handling everything that comes in the package may be a challenge.
“You’re not playing in Cincinnati or Houston. Can you accept the fact of being booed by fans and challenged by the media?†Strawberry said. “That’s everything they have to look at before they come.â€
The eighties Mets, Strawberry said, had that swagger.
“That’s what made us history,†he said. “That’s what made us great. We had personality and swag and every year we had a chance to be in it.â€