15
2012
Harvey’s Gone, But We Haven’t See The Last Of Him In 2012
An article by 
I was holding off on this post to see whether or not Mets pitching prospect Matt Harvey would survive the first official round of spring training cuts. He didn’t. But that’s okay, and for those of you that were hoping to see at least another start from this unbelievably talented pitcher, take solace in the fact that he’ll be back and it could be sooner than you think.
Harvey went out with a bang yesterday as he dazzled onlookers who gathered to catch a glimpse of the Mets phenom in action. J.P. Ricciardi, Sandy Alderson and even Jeff Wilpon were all on hand to see Harvey blaze through a team of Mets Minor League hitters while lighting up the radar gun with speeds of 95-96 MPH.
When all was said and done, the Mets 2010 First Rounder struck out eight batters over five scoreless innings of work, thus ending his first big league camp with a resounding performance.
“I wasn’t trying to throw it as hard as I can,” Harvey said. “I was just trying to hit spots and work on my stuff, and it felt pretty good.”
It’s not clear what lies ahead for Matt Harvey just yet, but I’d expect him to start the season at Double-A Binghamton, with a quick promotion to Triple-A Buffalo if he dominates in the first month of the season.
Once Harvey gets to Buffalo, all eyes will be fixed on how he handles the best the International League has to offer. Continued dominance will only hasten his arrival to Citi Field where he will ultimately make his Major League debut at some point this season.
Harvey has already made quite an impression on everyone who has been lucky enough to see him or brave enough to stand in against him in the batters box. Perhaps there’s no more fitting a way to end this post, but to recant what future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones had to say after meekly grounding out on Harvey’s improved two-seamer last Friday. “Where did you get this guy?” Jones said. “He’s throwing bowling balls up there.”
Ohhh man, you just gotta love this game sometimes. 
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 25 | 18 | .581 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 21 | .523 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 23 | .477 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 24 | .415 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 12 | 32 | .273 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/19/2013
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Joe D, nice article, regarding chipper jones, don’t put too much into what he says, he said this back in june of last year:
“David is certainly the cornerstone that you would like to build your organization around,” Jones said before hitting a monster homer in Friday night’s 6-3 victory over the Mets. “Unfortunately they have two players that are very dynamic on the left side of the infield that you would like to build your team around. That’s a very tough decision to make if you can only keep one as an organization.”
“I don’t know Jose as well, but I do know that when he’s at the top of his game, he’s the most dynamic leadoff hitter in the game,” Jones said of Reyes, who figures to command big money as a free agent. “And he is also a guy that you would want to build your team on top of.
“It’s something that they are going to have to weigh their options. But, off the top of my head, if you are asking me my opinion, I would want to build my team around David Wright.”
Yikes… guess he forgot that 72-90 season when we had wright as the main guy… ohh welll…
any opportunity to turn every post into a chance to bash Wright, right?
Dude, seriously. Seek professional help. You turn an article about Matt Harvey’s chances of making the major league squad into a referendum on Wright?
Please, for the love of Jeebus, go be a Yankee fan.
I know you must be indented one level too far, and that was meant for Alex!
Just telling JOE D, not to believe in chipper too much.. if you don’t like it, not my problem… there’s always TRDM for you…
My mistake. I thought it was a chance to complain about Wright again. Did not realize he had nothing to do with it, and it was all about Chipper.
It was, he’s still a wittle upset that his hero Weyes was wet gow.
I know. you missed the scm font tag…
I don’t know why Chipper would say such a thing. Maybe it’s because other than last year, Wright’s career has dwarfed Reyes.’ Maybe Chipper noticed Reyes’ disappearing acts circa Sept 07 and 08.
I love how you call others the worst on this site and then turn every thread into either a Sandy or Wright bashathon, both members of your alleged favorite team and then gush over 2 Marlins, one of them being a punk.
2009 (72-90) also featured the 2nd worst pitching staff we’ve had in 43 years.
Only a bonehead would be blaming that on the third basemen.
Amazing isn’t it? They were 72-90 because of the 3rd baseman. All I know is that the team was still a game over 500 without Delgado and Reyes. It wasn’t until after Beltran went down the team started to tank.
Alex has turned into an obnoxious cretin.
Looking forward to Harvey’s ML debut.
Also looking forward to Chipper’s Retirement Announcement.
I really thought that was happening a couple years ago.
so much for going out on top, not hanging on too long and tarnishing his reputation, etc.
Not sure why some of them do it.
In Chipper’s case, when he is healthy he is still a very creditable bat. I can’t imagine what his body is telling him though patrolling third every day.
Look at Mariano….I’m sure this will be his last year. But dang….42? Still on top of his game.
oh, you know why they do it. I was really commenting on CHipper since a few years ago he was very outspoken about how he would never do it, when his body was letting him down he would walk away, etc. then he did the opposite when the time came.
Should have, if nothing else, gone to the AL to become edgar matrinez a few years ago!
Would have suited me just fine he Chipper left for the AL some years ago.
I guess SRT they hang on too long simply for the love of the game. Watching Mays at the end with the Mets was actually a sad thing to see. Some guys you have to rip the uniform off of them. Mariano is just a freak of nature.
I actually was at Shea for Willie Mays day – that last regular game of the season when he had announced his retirement.
Obviously Willie wasn’t what he once was, but as a young teenager I still got a thrill of seeing him play for my team in person.
He had some big hits in that ’73 WS as well. Too bad we didn’t win and Willie could have went out with one last ring.
Hi SRT,
Man, you got me so jealous of you – being at Willie Mays Night when he said goodbye to America. I get goosebumps just thinking of it.
We all know Willie was a shadow of himself by the time he was discarded by the Giants but it didn’t matter – having him in a Met uniform was all that mattered. It was like Yankee fans in 1968, he was an old, over the hill player always in pain and not even a shadow of his old self – but they didn’t care either and was hoping he wouldn’t retire when he got to Ft. Lauderdale and made his announcement during spring training of 1969.
BTW – saw Willie hit a triple for the Mets (losing his hat along the way, as expected) and then almost win the game with a ball that just went foul in the ninth inning against Montreal in 1972.
If I may add something. In Willie Mays’ first game as a New York Met, on May 14, 1972, which was also Mother’s Day, he started at first base and batted lead-off. In the bottom of the fifth inning he hit a dramatic game-winning home run off Don Carrithers of the Giants. It broke a 4-4 tie and propelled the Mets to a 5-4 win. One of the most exciting games in Mets history.
I was at the game when Willie Mays hit is last homerun,
I got a huge thrill getting a chance to see Mays too! I only saw him play in person like 3 maybe 4 times in 73, he did get 2 huge hits in the 73 series, watching him fall down twice though was sad to see. I felt bad for him.
I still remember the sound of the fireworks going off when Oakland got the last out in game 7. I also have visions of Felix Millan letting the ball go through his legs as Tuefel did in game 1 in 86. My Father still 2nd guesses Yogi’s decision to pitch Seaver on 3 days rest, up 3 games to 2 instead of going with George Stone on regular rest who was great in 73. I was lucky enough to get Willie’s autograph at Oldtimers day in 77, along with Ralph Kiner’s.
I totally agree with your father, not pitching Stone was a HUGE mistake by Yogi. He had a great season and was very consistent all year, and even if they lost game 6, they would have had Seaver in game 7 on full rest. It was the second biggest mistake in Met history.
Nice.
Some great memories here.
Saw Willie play many a time against the Mets wearing a Giant uniform, the first such occasion being in 1962 at the Polo Grounds when we actually beat San Francisco 5-4.
One would think Willie was always wearing a Met uniform judging from the long and loud standing ovations he got, especially that first one when stepping up to the plate.
Got my Willie Mays Bobble Head Doll wearing the orange and blue pinstripes!
Pay check ain’t too shabby, neither…
Very nice to see him progressing since last year. He does seem very close at this point.
Seems reasonable that a month at AA to fine tune his stuff and make sure the mechanics are nailed down will be plenty to earn a call up to AAA. And at that point, should just be a matter of his performance dictating when he should be called up.
June 1st, not out of the question, but again, make sure it is based on him “graduating”, not the Mets being desperate and plucking him before he is quite ready.
and once he comes up, it would be best if it was to stay.
Know this will come across to some as an anti-Sandy comment but it’s really meant to remind many that our number one draft pick in 2010 was scouted and selected under Omar’s watch. Others he selected give us a bright future as well with both the kids just sent down for more seasoning like Harvey, Havens, Mejia, Jenry and others we already have in the form of Davis, Duda and Murphy (Thole, Gee, Neise and Parnell all hold promise but still have to prove themselves).
So while I think it is unfair to say that Omar ignored looking out for the future I will, at the same time, admit feeling more comfortable with Sandy at the helm for I’m not sure if Omar would have traded off some of that potential future talent to win for today if the fiscal restraints facing Sandy were non-existent. So looking more seriously toward the future in terms of restraint, either by design or by fiscal necessity Sandy is indeed doing more than his predecessor.
Just let’s be fair to both of them.
One thing I respect about Minaya is he didn’t trade the farm on the prospects he brought in. Other than Guerra, Mulvey, Cleto, Carrera, Joe Smith, he pretty well stuck by the guys he drafted or signed.
The ones he inherited he didn’t bother keeping around as much and other than Milledge and Feliciano and Pagan both of whom he reacquired, didn’t seem to give too many of them a chance.
Some of the guys he traded, waived or lost in the rule 5 include Humber, Gomez, Flores, Wilson, Bell, Jacobs, Bannister, Carp, Keppinger, Pagan, Ring, Lindstrom, Owens, Psomas, Petit, Carp, Gaby Hernandez, Huber and Pedro Feliciano and Nick Evans was never really given a shot for even a platoon or bench role.
Not saying that he didn’t make the right call on most of these guys or that the trades some of them were involved in weren’t good trades or at least good ideas just that he seemed to value the prospects he brought in much more so than the one’s he inherited.
Unless you get off to a flying start when you’re called up like say Daniel Murphy in 08, it’s difficult to succeed in NY as a prospect. As soon as one of them starts to struggle, the media and especially the fans start getting impatient. Steinbrenner suffered from prospect impatience. If they didn’t hit like Mantle off the bat he often shipped them out for aging has beens.
He’s upset about being cut but it’s obvious that he will get time. If it was up to me, he’d be a regular in the rotation by September, which he likely will be.
Should just be a matter of time. And not that much of it.
My guess is beginning of June.
before the start of ST, I would have said a September call up for a couple starts to get his feet wet.
Now, I think anytime after 6/1 is possible. Again, as long as he has proven that he has mastered whatever it is that still needed some work. do that in AAA instead of the majors, to give him the best shot at hitting the ground running. And, to stay once he arrives.