The Loop
New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway feels very strongly about bullpen "dry humping"
During his introductory press conference this past October, New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway spoke in an overly positive manner in regards to the 2018 season. "We're going to spend time with these guys in the clubhouse and I'm going to love every one of them," Callaway said. "I'm going to show them day in and day out, by the decisions I make, the way I communicate with them, that I truly, truly care about them." Well, if you thought that was a bit much, the former Cleveland Indians pitching coach took it to a different level of "love" on Valentine's Day.
Once again, Callaway was up to his usual tricks in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Wednesday, this time speaking in glowing terms about the team's pitching staff, which left a little something to be desired in 2017. “This is the best group of arms and stuff I’ve ever seen, from top to bottom,” he said. But the quote that caused everyone's ears to perk up came when the focus shifted to the bullpen and how Callaway plans keep them fresh. Have a listen for yourself:
Wait, what? Here's the full quote, for some context, per the NY Post:
“Dry humping guys is something I feel strongly about,” Callaway said, referring to a situation in which a reliever warms up and doesn’t get into the game. “That’s a lot of wear and tear that is endless and if I haven’t prepared the right way, that will happen. I have to make a decision with good timing so the game doesn’t speed up on us and we don’t have somebody ready.”
OK, so it's an inside-baseball term and not actually the "dry humping" all of our gutter minds immediately went to. To be clear, Callaway is against "dry humping," as we all should be ... for our favorite baseball team's bullpen.