We were not aware that, occasionally, when the Mets are losing, Darryl Strawberry just comes by and starts yelling at the team. Did you know that? They just let him go in and do that? Apparently they do.
Apparently, last Thursday, before the Yankees series, Strawberry came in the Mets’ dugout in Washington and started yelling at the team. It seems to have been about withstanding criticism, like, say, the criticism he was yelling at the team that very second.
Strawberry gave an impromptu “pep talk” to some of the Mets stars last Thursday in Washington, imploring them to ignore the criticism and just play. A pair of newer Mets — identified on WFAN as Jeff Francoeur and Jason Bay — were said to be bothered by it right after it happened.
“That was just Darryl being passionate about the team,” said one Met who asked not to be identified. “If you haven’t spent a lot of time talking to him, maybe you don’t realize how he can be.”
We can imagine Francoeur’s and Bay’s bewilderment, this middle-aged man coming in to yell at you when it’s May 20 and you’re in D.C., you think, and you’re tired and trying to work on your swing and — whoa man, seriously: What’s going on? The most hilarious part about Strawberry’s Gipper moment: The Mets are 4–1 since then. So we guess it worked?