If Queen and David Bowie taught us anything, it’s that being Under Pressure is tough. The Mets, in Queens, New York, are experiencing that first hand.
When the going is good, New York City is a great place to play. We all remember how sweet 2015 was when the Mets went to the World Series. But on the other side of the coin, when the going gets tough, playing in New York City can put a target on your back.
Mets manager Mickey Callaway spoke to the pressure he and his team is feeling right now, playing poorly under the bright lights of the Big Apple.
“Let’s be honest, this is a tough place to play,” Callaway admitted. “New York is tough on players. It’s tough on everybody. If they were in Cleveland or somewhere else, maybe they wouldn’t feel that pressure, but you are playing in New York. We do play in New York. We have passionate fans that want to see a good ball club out there, so we have to do some things to get over that and make sure that we’re focused every second of the day that we’re out there.”
While fans and the media create pressure for the players, Callaway says they’re not the only ones.
“The way things have been going, guys have a lot of pressure on themselves,” Callaway added. “And when that pressure kind of takes over, things kind of fester. I think maybe that’s affecting us overall.”
On one hand, Mickey is right. Playing in New York City has always been tough on athletes of any sport. On the other hand, this does not explain the team’s overall poor play. I mean the entire team can’t handle the bright lights? The entire team can’t handle the 24/7 coverage?
The Mets are making too many blatant mistakes to blame it all on New York City. Of course it might play a part, but when you start making excuses and pointing your fingers at something other than the mirror, the problems don’t change. They snowball.
Since May 1st, the Mets are 10-21. They have not scored in their last 17 innings, and have scored just one run in their last 23. Something has got to change — but one thing’s for sure, New York City will not.
