Kevin Kernan

Kevin Kernan

MLB

Yankees, Mets take note: Character wins titles

While speaking to a Red Sox official the other day, he related this story.

Hopefully, the Yankees and Mets listen carefully.

This happened in spring training, a mere five months after the Red Sox had finished dead last in the AL East.

Pitcher Ryan Dempster asked Jonny Gomes how he was doing and this was Gomes’ response:

“Great, one day closer to the parade.’’

Let that sink in for a second.

Here it was spring training, a time when players are focused on honing their individual skills for the long season. Yet Gomes, when asked about himself, talked about the Red Sox being one day closer, not only to a championship, but a parade the entire Red Sox Nation would take part in, the ultimate party day for fans and team.

That parade became a reality Saturday. The Red Sox have created their own version of “Duck Dynasty”, beards and all, having won three World Series titles since 2004. Over that span the Yankees have one, while the Mets are pitching a shutout since 1986.

The purpose here is not to anger or upset Yankees and Mets fans, but to point the two teams in the right direction when acquiring free agents and making trades.

Now, more than ever, a player’s personality has to be taken into account. It’s not just about wanting to win — after all, everyone wants to win. It’s about making a commitment to your teammates in doing whatever it takes to win, but also having the confidence to do what it takes to win a championship.

The Yankees have saddled themselves the last few years with mediocre talent, players just trying to survive in the big leagues, with winning a championship the last thing on their minds. They also have too many players going after individual goals. The team thing is beyond them.

Two years ago, I sat with a Yankees official in Oakland and suggested they go after Shane Victorino instead of Ichiro Suzuki. For all of Ichiro’s accomplishments, he clearly was going downhill, and the question was: Did he still have enough to be successful in such a vital position as right field? The Yankees, as an organization, had other ideas and traded for Ichiro.

This postseason, Victorino rose to the occasion in what I consider the most important statistic of them all — RBIs. Victorino hit .429 against the Rays in the Division Series and dropped to .125 in the ALCS and .154 in the World Series. But during the postseason he drove in a Papi-like 12 runs — three in the ALDS, five in the ALCS and four in the World Series. Only David Ortiz drove in more with 13.

The point is, the Yankees and Mets both have both signed mid-range free agents, especially the Yankees. They just signed the wrong ones. Both New York teams have to evaluate better — it’s as simple as that.

There is no magical new “philosophical’’ approach that’s going to make a difference for the Yankees and Mets. They just have to do a better job of evaluating the market.

The Yankees gave Kevin Youkilis ($12 million) basically the same money the Red Sox gave Mike Napoli ($13 million) and Gomes (two years, $10 million).

When evaluating talent, it just can’t be just looking at an iPad screen of numbers. The players’ positive approach to “All Things Team” must be taken into account. Not just that he is a “good teammate,’’ but that he “hungers’’ for the prize more than the next guy.

Spreadsheet baseball does not win championships.

Players like Gomes, who blasted a World Series-changing home run in Game 4, are concerned about team and titles. So were the Core Four Yankees.

“He just has this way about keeping you positive,’’ Dempster said of Gomes last week. “Let’s talk about being great today. He never talks about yesterday.’’

Acquiring talented players with that team, title and today approach should be the mission statement for both the Yankees and Mets.