Trevor Bauer seems to be courting every team in free agency, and he and his agent, Rachel Luba, have been noted for their unique yet entertaining social media presence.
Many pundits have wondered if Bauer’s personality makes him a fit – or, on the other side – definitely not a fit – in New York, but if you ask Darryl Strawberry, personality goes a long way in NYC, as long as you can back it up.
“It’s okay to rub people the wrong way as long as you go out and perform,” Strawberry told Moose & Maggie on Thursday. “That’s the thing about playing in New York – you’re going to rub some people the wrong way and they’re not going to like you, but when you get out on the field it’s go time.”
That’s something that, say, Jack McDowell once learned the hard way.
“For a guy who has personality…if you really want to play in New York, you have to be prepared, because you’re going to get booed if you suck,” Strawberry said. “The fans want you to play well because they know you’re talented, and that’s what I love about that.”
Even if it happened to him in his career.
“I remember times when I was struggling or slumping and the media would write about me,” Strawberry said. “I’d strike out and they’d boo me, so the next couple times I hit one off the scoreboard and they’d want a curtain call, I wouldn’t come out.”
All in good fun for Straw, and that’s what he urges Bauer (or anyone else) to remember if and when they come to NYC.
“It’s a game you play inside yourself, but you can’t take it personally,” Straw said. “If you do, fans and the media will eat you up. It’s part of what you have to learn to deal with.”
Check out Strawberry’s entire segment from Moose & Maggie below!
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