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Chris Young is the Mets' clubhouse DJ, so that's worth $7.5 million. Tim Rohan reports.
PITTSBURGH — After every Mets home win, the players pour into the clubhouse, bobbing their heads as the hip-hop song “Get Like Me,” by David Banner, thumps through the speakers. For 15 minutes, music blares and the mood is light. Then the clubhouse is opened to the news media, and the players go their separate ways.
Chris Young coordinates the party. He is the Mets’ unofficial disc jockey, meaning he puts on music before most games and after the Mets win. It is a role he takes seriously and, his teammates say, is quite good at. In his tumultuous first season with the Mets, this is how Young has found a way to fit in.
Last off-season, perhaps unknown to the Mets’ front office, the position was open and still somewhat undefined. From 2005 to 2008, the team’s manager at the time, Willie Randolph, apparently influenced by his years as a Yankee, did not allow music in the clubhouse, said David Wright, the longest-tenured Met.
Under Randolph’s successor, Jerry Manuel, the ban was lifted, and it has remained that way during Terry Collins’s tenure. Jose Reyes, now with Toronto, used to play music at his locker, Wright said. Justin Turner, a backup infielder, then took over the job without any official designation. He seemed to be well liked in the clubhouse, but the Mets let him go in the off-season; he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
About three weeks into spring training, a few players milled about the clubhouse, asking if anyone had an iPod with him. Young eagerly volunteered.
It so happened that Young was qualified. He grew up on hip-hop in Houston, and in his more than seven years in the majors, he came to appreciate other genres, even techno and country when the mood struck. He had about 4,000 songs on his computer and was constantly updating his iPod with playlists.
“I’m the guy with the loud music, singing in the car,” Young said.
When he made his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, he was too young to play music. He had to wait a couple of years, he said, until he had enough standing.
In 2010, he hit 27 homers, drove in 91 runs and made the All-Star team. But as the team D.J., he played hip-hop every day and ignored most requests.
“In Arizona, I did it wrong,” he said, shaking his head.
Young’s production declined the next two seasons, and before the 2013 season, he was traded to Oakland. There, he said, Coco Crisp, a veteran who had established himself as a team leader, controlled the music. At the plate, too, Young looked out of place. He batted .200, with 12 home runs and 93 strikeouts.
This off-season, he was looking for a place to redeem himself, to rediscover his power swing, and he figured he would play every day with the Mets. Yet nothing has seemed to go right for him. He spent about two weeks in April on the disabled list and started his season in a deep slump. At home, he was roundly booed after every poor at-bat. Even in Pittsburgh on Friday, a handful of fans booed him.
Collins had essentially started benching Young, who is hitting ,203 this season, against right-handed pitchers, and the Mets had reportedly discussed releasing him. But Young had some hope. Last week, at spacious Citi Field, he crushed three home runs in two games, two off right-handers.
“I was really happy for Chris,” Collins said. “He’s a first-class guy.”
Young has had an easier time with his responsibilities in the clubhouse, now that he has learned from his mistakes. He actively seeks out requests. After wins, he plays what he called “Lil Jon-style music.” Before day games, he plays something lighter. He has noticed that everyone seems to enjoy hip-hop like Notorious B.I.G. and Outkast. Michael Jackson Sundays have been a big hit, too.
“I try to play something different every day, something that appeals to everybody as much as possible,” Young said. “Doesn’t matter if I like the music. Normally, once you get it going, people aren’t really hearing it too much anyway.”
Young understands that music can enhance team chemistry, setting the tone before games and reflecting the players’ moods after. Before Friday’s game, a few players sang along with the Chris Brown song “Loyal.”
“It’s easy these days,” Young said. “You used to have to create a playlist and think of songs. Now, all you need is Pandora. Pay that monthly subscription. Don’t have to worry about commercials. Just put it on a station people want, and let it roll.” |
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