Our team goal is pretty simple ... basically prepare ourselves to play for nine innings every day, every series, and against every opponent. For me individually, it's more of just trying to play my role the best I can every day.

Whenever I get a chance, I'm trying to take the extra base and make them make a play on me. I'm not going to stop looking for the extra base unless the scoreboard tells me.

A lot of people have told me real New Yorkers are Mets fans

When you're losing, you see what your team is made of.

You need something that no one else is using. And something that is clean enough to play around audiences.

The simple approach is that if I stay aggressive, I'll hit less often with two strikes in the count. I've been aggressive, but I've missed pitches. If I can put them in play earlier in the count, I eliminate the two-strike approach.

Japan has one of them crazy robot shortstops.