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It’s no secret Jose Reyes is not the player he used to be any more from watching him play in his second Mets stint.
Still, Reyes has something to offer for the Mets. He is known as a mentor to recently called-up Mets shortstop Amed Rosario. He has been mentoring him going back to last year when he told Rosario how to play his position and how to conduct himself through Facetime. In fact, he had to tell the rookie to delete a tweet about praying he will be called up soon this year.
This is why the Mets have kept Reyes despite playing awful this season. This is why they brought him back last year despite his off-the-field issues. They had a plan for him, and he has been receptive to being a mentor.
Mentorship is something players don’t like to do. They look at it as a chore. They are busy taking care of themselves such as holding on to their job or auditioning for other teams next year. They look at young prospects as a threat to their job. Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera serves as an example. The Mets felt he would be a bad influence to Rosario, so they were hoping to trade him before they called up their shortstop phenom. It did not happen.
Fortunately for the Mets and Rosario, Reyes has looked at mentorship as a responsibility. He knows several veterans mentored him when he was called up in 2003, so he wants to return the favor by giving back to the game. He has embraced mentoring Rosario. He wants to see the Mets shortstop not only be as good as him, but even better. He also wants his student to be a good person and not do the mistakes he did as a player such as being involved in a domestic violence dispute with his wife.
Rosario could use all the support he can get from Reyes. It has not been smooth sailing for the 21-year-old shortstop. He’s hitting .179 through his first eight games with 11 strikeouts to show for it, and he snapped an 0-for-13 funk with an eighth-inning single in the Mets’ 5-1 loss to the Texas Rangers Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field. To his credit, he has had two triples and one RBI.
Rosario has been steady at shortstop at least. He has not been error-prone, which Is encouraging for him and the Mets. Even then Reyes had to counsel him after his misplay in the ninth that aided the Rockies to a 5-4 victory last Tuesday, which was his major league debut.
All Reyes has done is tell his protégé to relax and have fun. He told him not to put pressure on himself despite Mets fans hailing him as a savior. He has shared the wisdom of handling the rigors and lifestyle of being a Major Leaguer to him.
It has not made a difference in Rosario’s play, but at least Rosario has handled himself well. He speaks to the media after the games. He is accountable for his play. He understands the responsibility of being a franchise player and playing in New York. He knows he can’t let the highs and lows get to him. He is figuring out baseball is a challenging sport to think and react.
There has not been much fanfare on the Mets shortstop after his first four games. That’s mainly because the Mets have been so lousy by losing two of three to the Colorado Rockies, getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers and winning one out of two against the Rangers. Reyes has also been urging the media and the fanbase to take it easy on the kid, so that has helped him be relaxed out there.
For Reyes, mentorship has been a blessing. It has helped him mature as a person, and it has given him responsibility that he never had when he was the guy for the Mets. Rosario’s growth will come down to his impact on him.
If the new kid turns out to be a franchise player for the Mets, this will be the biggest reward Reyes could ever receive. He would take pride in Rosario’s success being that he was part of it.
Reyes is rooting for him. There’s no false pretense or ego involved. He cares about the kid’s well-being. It’s the type of leadership Rosario and the Mets need right now.
Rosario will always be thankful for what Reyes has done for him now and for the rest of his life. Everyone can use a mentor to handle the ups and downs since it’s not easy no matter what field they are in. A mentor can make a difference to a person’s life, so for Reyes to take that role is his biggest contribution to the major leagues. It’s something major leaguers should value after years of playing in Major League Baseball.
This should be a lesson Rosario should apply whether he becomes a successful Major Leaguer or not.
