Ace Justin Verlander is already a two-time World Series champion but seems to understand that bringing a title to long-suffering New York Mets fans would be a unique experience.
Per John Harper of SNY, Verlander explained on Wednesday that he spoke with teammate and reliever David Robertson about winning a World Series with a New York club. Robertson earned a championship ring with the New York Yankees in the fall of 2009.
“I was actually talking with Dave Robertson about his time with the Yankees, what winning a championship was like, what the parade was like,” Verlander said. “Obviously in that city, it’s just iconic. I don’t know what it would mean for my legacy or what, but I know that’s why we play the game: you want to win a championship. If we were able to do that for this organization, particularly one that has gotten close a couple of times but hasn’t been able to get over the hump in a while, and one that has a wonderful fan base I’ve come to know in a short period of time…those are stories that live forever. That would be pretty special.”
The Mets haven’t won a World Series since 1986 and haven’t been back to a National League Championship Series since they lost the 2015 Fall Classic. Big-spending team owner Steve Cohen is looking to end such unfortunate streaks by paying stars such as Verlander and potentially turning the Mets into MLB’s new “Evil Empire.”
Verlander admitted on Wednesday he hasn’t yet “envisioned” being part of a Mets-related World Series parade perhaps as soon as this fall.
“I’m not afraid to talk about winning a championship,” the three-time Cy Young Award winner continued. “I think establishing a culture where you expect to win a championship is important. You should be able to talk about it. That’s what we’re all here for. You don’t shy away from it. However, you don’t put the cart before the horse. You start envisioning the parade and you’re too far ahead.”
Verlander joined the Mets in December via a two-year, $86.66 million contract that reportedly includes a vesting third-year option worth $35 million. Signing a starter to that type of deal roughly two months before he turned 40 years old helped show that Cohen is serious about embracing a “World-Series-or-bust” mentality.
Meanwhile, it sounds like Fox Sports MLB analyst and podcast host Ben Verlander was spot on when he recently said his older brother “is absolutely perfect for New York City” and for all that comes with playing home games in baseball’s biggest market.
