Matt Ibanez

You hear the word “accountability” all the time in sports. When it’s demanded by a manager, it often leads to a big payoff. Remember a game between the Mets and Brewers at Citi Field in late August? Cooper Pratt, two months into his major league career was pulled from the game by Pat Murphy because, having failed to execute a sacrifice bunt earlier in the game, Pratt did not run hard out of the box on a pop up near the right field line that fell between three Mets fielders. Pratt should have been at second base, but his lack of hustle forced him to hold on at first. Murphy would not tolerate that mistake, especially from a rookie. Well, look at Pratt and the Brewers now. That’s how you establish a winning culture, whether running hard out of the batter’s box is someone’s “cup of tea” or not.