This Week in Mets: Travis Jankowski and the meaning of clubhouse chemistry – The Athletic

“You’re a good soldier Choosing your battles Pick yourself up and dust yourself off And back in the saddle.” — “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” Shakira and John Hill NEW YORK — Travis Jankowski tells a funny story about Joey Votto. When Jankowski was just settling in as a young outfielder in San Diego, he found himself on first base during a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Votto, one of the friendliest men in the game, complimented Jankowski on his swing, then offered an icebreaker that caught Jankowski off guard. “He says: ‘Hey, you’re a Stony Brook guy,’” Jankowski recalled. “I’m like: ‘What? Joey, how’d you know that?’ He was like: ‘Dude, I watched you in the College World Series. Stony Brook. Man, great school.’” On the surface, Jankowski understands he can be easy to overlook. He is a 30-year-old outfielder who has just twice had more than 300 at-bats in eight major-league seasons. He probably earned his journeyman merit badge in March when he signed with the Mets, joining his fourth organization in the past four years. He is a former first-round pick — which shouldn’t be forgotten — but he did play his college baseball at Stony…
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