Travis Jankowski wasn’t attempting to garner any sympathy every week and a half in the past when he made a remark, whereas speaking about embracing his function off the bench, that “nobody’s going to be shopping for my jersey.”
However his Mets teammates took notice, and by late Friday evening after a loss to the Mariners at Citi Area, there have been white Jankowski shirseys draped over each chair within the clubhouse. On Saturday afternoon, most gamers had been sporting them as they bought prepared for one more recreation.
“I didn’t imply it to be a pity get together, like nobody’s sporting my jersey,” Jankowski, the Mets’ speedy outfielder, stated Saturday earlier than beginning in left area. “It was extra like, I perceive my function and I’m glad to be on this function. However it speaks volumes to the clubhouse. I’ve by no means been part of a bunch of fellows like this within the clubhouse the place they genuinely care about every particular person and know that every function is necessary to the group. It’s superior.”
Supervisor Buck Showalter informed Jankowski on Friday afternoon that he had a shock ready for him within the pregame advance assembly. It got here when third baseman Eduardo Escobar opened a field and pulled the T-shirts out, with Jankowski’s identify and No. 16 on the again.
“I believe my face was as pink as a tomato,” Jankowski stated with amusing.
For Showalter, it was “greater than only a T-shirt.”
“I believe it’s simply the respect they've for him,” Showalter stated. “He’s only a humble man. … Imagine me, he’s bought that inside fireplace. He’d like to have one thing break and be an on a regular basis participant once more and might be and may need to be. However I believe folks rally round [him]. It creates good karma within the clubhouse.”
Getting into Saturday, the 30-year-old Jankowski had appeared in 22 video games (13 off the bench) whereas hitting .321 with three steals after profitable a job out of spring coaching. The Stony Brook product’s preliminary jersey feedback got here on a day when he bought a spot begin throughout a doubleheader and served as a spark plug within the Mets’ win.
Since then, Jankowski stated he has additionally gotten loads of messages from followers through social media to say they had been shopping for his jersey.
“It’s been unbelievable,” he stated. “I really feel dangerous, I assume I underestimated the Mets’ fanbase.”
On Joey Cora’s 57th birthday, Showalter sang the praises of his third base coach, speaking about his preparation and the way gamers wish to do properly for him. He additionally described a dialog with Purple Sox supervisor Alex Cora through the offseason when the Mets had been within the means of interviewing his brother.
“I requested him, ‘If he’s so good, why don’t you could have him?’ ” Showalter stated. “He stated, ‘We’d kill one another.’ ”
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