The New York Mets fell back down to Earth a month ago and still haven’t been able to regain their land legs.
The team has been playing lethargically as of late and skipper Mickey Callaway called his team out; in both a closed-door meeting after Friday’s loss to the Cubs and again after the team was swept at home.
In an article from Steven Marcus of Newsday, Callaway spoke about the importance of good fundamentals and keeping one’s head in the game.
“I think that the game as a whole you feel like you’re part of everything that happens that day, and when you’re in a tough stretch like this, it doesn’t feel great.”
And what a tough stretch it has been. After beginning the season on an 11-1 tear, the team has gone 16-29 since. After leading the NL East by three-and-a-half games on April 13, the team is now six-and-a-half games behind the first-place Phillies.
“The players don’t feel great especially when you know we’re not winning games. And they have to deal with their individual stuff that day,” Callaway said.
“Now obviously they care about their teammates and stuff, (but) being a manager you feel the emotions of every player come out because you feel like you’re doing everything with them.”
One of the lowlights of Sunday’s loss and series sweep by the Cubs was Steven Matz‘s minor but costly gaffe that allowed Javier Baez to steal home and score the game’s first run. Matz pitched beautifully, but this one mistake proved to be harmful.
Mickey Callaway spoke about the play, also mentioning to Marcus that “Matz had been instructed to throw the ball harder to first” in those situations, as well as touching on the level of concentration his team has been exhibiting over the last few dreadful weeks.
“You practice it all the time, you stress it all the time — and then it just doesn’t happen,” he said. “I think the way things have been going that guys have a lot of pressure on themselves and when that pressure kind of takes over.”
Callaway went on to speak about the Mets’ fan base.
“We have passionate fans that want to see a good ballclub out there. So we have to do some things to get over that and make sure we’re focused every second of the day that we’re out there.”
With Baltimore coming into town for a two-game set, and with another off day this week before taking on the Yankees this weekend, hopefully, the Mets will be able to regroup and get back on the right track.
