Rachel Marcus, MetsBlog Intern
The scenes were similar. First, Johan Santana, then David Wright. Both coming off big games and being interviewed. For Santana, it was his no-hitter. For Wright, it was his walk-off hit against the Phillies before the All-Star break. The interview starts off the same. Typical questions for exceptional performances.
Then comes Justin Turner. And the pie. Smack in the face.
'It's kind of like a cherry on top of being the hero for that night,' said Turner, the Mets affable infielder and the culprit behind the pies. And Santana and Wright are just two examples of this.
While Turner has been more of the pie-smasher and not the hero for much of this season, he's filled that role just fine while also overcoming a slow start to become one of the Mets' hottest hitters of late.
To Turner's credit, he's been able to strike a balance between productivity on the field and being a jokester in the clubhouse, even as the Mets have struggled lately.
'I just try to show up to the field and I really enjoy this team, my teammates and like to have fun,' Turner said. 'We poke fun at each other. Nothing's really personal. We have fun together. You don't get away with anything in here. I just enjoy being here, coming to work every day. It's awesome and I think it translates to being out on the field.'
While how you do on the field can quickly change the public's perception of you, Turner doesn't believe that how you do on the field necessarily translates into how guys look at you in the clubhouse.
Everyone, Turner said, is going out on the field and trying to be successful.
'In this game it's hard to be successful every time so you kind of have to keep an even keel about the way you go about your business,' Turner said, 'and you can't get too high when you're doing well and you can't get too low when you're struggling a little bit.'
Last season, Turner came up to the Mets and was a hot-hitting rookie. This year, save for a recent hot streak in the last month, things weren't so bright and cheery on the field. But Turner didn't make his struggles outwardly open.
'You just show up for work every day and try to prepare yourself the best that you can,' said Turner, on his mindset from when he was struggling earlier this year. 'Everyone in here knows how much work you're putting into it and that you're trying to get better every day. That's all that matters. If I was coming in here every day and just messing around all the time and not preparing myself to go out on the field and then I was struggling out there then I'd probably lose a lot of respect from these guys.
'So as much fun as we have, there's still an unbelievable amount of preparation going into every night from every single guy in here.'
That balance of preparation and fun has rubbed off on Turner's teammates. Relief pitcher Josh Edgin, who was recently called up from Buffalo, appreciates the support and acknowledges the importance of Turner's role.
'He definitely keeps everyone on their toes,' Edgin said. 'He's a good guy, good teammate, just one of those guys that if you need a smile that day, or you need a little pep talk or something he'll come up to you and be like, 'Hey Man, don't worry about it.' Just stuff like that he does.
'To have someone in the clubhouse like that is very important. Anybody that's struggling, to have someone come up to you and be like, 'Hey, don't worry about it, it's baseball, you'll get through it,' that's definitely a plus.'
Turner, through his hitting highs and lows, has found that balance he speaks of between performing during games and still having fun after the final out.
He's one of a few Mets active on Twitter and ' after taking over Willie Harris' role from last year ' has become the guy with the pie running toward Santana, or Wright, or R.A. Dickey.
And when Turner talks about his pie role, he can only focus on what it feels like for the player on the receiving end. He's excited for them, his teammates.
'It's a pretty fun thing to be on there, and you're getting your interview,' Turner explains. 'You come out and you get a pie in your face. You get the pie and then after the interview you come walking in (the clubhouse) and your face is covered in whipped cream. Everyone rallies round you. And you're the hero for the night.'
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