Clay Holmes went from New York Yankees closer to New York Mets Opening Day starter in just one year. Although the 31-year-old found plenty of success, his final season with the Yankees had its share of ups and downs. During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Holmes revealed his honest feelings about closing games for the Yankees.
“I enjoyed every second of my time there, being a closer and being in New York,” Holmes said. “It was a great, fantastic three years… I loved every second of it.”
Clay Homes embraced pressure of pitching for Yankees
Playing any position in New York brings its share of challenges. Closing games for the Yankees, however, comes with added pressure. Even one blown save can lead to no shortage of backlash.
How did Holmes deal with the pressure of closing games for the Yankees?
“There’s definitely a perspective to it,” Holmes explained. “I think there’s no better place to play baseball than New York. The relieving is what I was doing and it was something that… Adding a pitch when I got to New York was something that helped take me to the next level. I added the sweeper. It really opened my arsenal and helped my sinker out.
“I think when you experience baseball in New York and there’s a lot of emotions that come with it… The feeling of, ‘hey man, the sky is falling,’ or ‘man, this is the best thing in the world’… Those extremes, for me they excite me because it’s like, in those moments who can have the clearest vision. Who can still have the belief. That’s the separator.”
Holmes embraced the pressure and the challenge of accepting the Yankees’ closer role. He will face pressure as well with the Mets, but it won’t be as intense as what he dealt with as a member of the Yankees.
Holmes’ strong spring training up to this point led to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza giving him the Opening Day starter nod. The right-handed reliever-turned-starter will attempt to find success with his new ball club in 2025.
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