Mets' Bruce after being pinch-hit for: 'I didn't draw it up like this'
Jay Bruce might be wishing for a return to the Queen City because nothing's gone right for him in the Borough of Queens.
Bruce's nearly two-month tenure as a member of the New York Mets hit its low point Monday. The outfielder allowed a fly ball to drop on what appeared to be a communication error, and was later pinch-hit for by a player whose last major-league plate appearance came in May.
"I definitely didn't draw it up like this, coming over here it's been tough for me," Bruce told reporters after drawing heavy boos from Citi Field faithful during the Mets' 5-4 loss to Atlanta.
Bruce was acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline to provide an offensive spark similar to what Yoenis Cespedes gave them last season. Though Bruce arrived in New York as the NL RBI leader, it's been all downhill since.
A TALE OF TWO TEAMS
| 2016 | BA/OBP/SLG | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB/K | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reds | .265/.316/.559 | 22 | 6 | 25 | 80 | 27/83 | 0.5 |
| Mets | .176/.255/.289 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 14/39 | -0.7 |
His struggles to produce in New York eventually put manager Terry Collins in an unenviable position Tuesday: Having to lift his struggling star from the game, ostensibly for his own good. When the Braves brought left-hander Ian Krol in to face Bruce, Collins pinch-hit with Eric Campbell, who picked up an RBI single.
"It's one of the worst things you can do as a manager, pinch hit for a star, especially one of the elite power hitters in the game," Collins said.
"But my job is to try to win the game. I know (Bruce) is struggling. I know he's struggled with lefties. I talked to him the inning before and said, 'Hey, if they bring out a lefty, I've got to (pinch) hit.' That’s not a fun situation."
It's clear something's not right in the fit between Bruce and New York, and nobody's quite sure how to fix it. Though he'll continue to face intense scrutiny as long as he's wearing a Mets uniform, the 29-year-old is confident he'll be a contributor to the team before this year's out.
"I think everyone in here and everyone involved in the organization was and is and will be confident in the ability that I have to help win games," Bruce said. "I think that is why they traded for me and the track record speaks for itself. I have never come off that and never wavered, and I don't think anyone else thinks this month-and-a-half stretch that I've had defines me as a player."