PORT ST. LUCIE — The TV screens in the Mets clubhouse were tuned to Olympic hockey Sunday morning as players dressed for workouts at Clover Park.
Outside on the big screen, during morning drills, the United States-Canada gold medal match continued, with sound from the broadcast piped into the ballpark. And just before the Mets began live batting practice, Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime, bringing the gold medal to the U.S.
Cheers erupted from the dugout. Later, Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” played in the clubhouse. And with a nod to Americana, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Nolan McLean was among the most invested in the proceedings. In less than a week, the rookie will leave the Mets to begin workouts for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Though it won’t be a gold medal Olympic hockey match, the feelings of national pride drive him in a way they must have propelled a player such as Hughes.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
