20
2013
Matt Harvey On Opening Day… Throw Us A Bone Please?
An article by Former Writers
I get it. I really do.
At this point, no Mets’ fan in their right mind thinks Johan Santana is going to be ready for Opening Day. And it appears the start will go to Jonathon Niese. And out of any other options in the rotation, Niese is probably the one that most deserves it. Shaun Marcum? No. Dillon Gee? No. Matt Harvey? No. Hmmm, on second thought…
Look, I’m not even saying that I’m an advocate for Harvey to get the Opening Day start. Niese deserves it, albeit it’s an undeserving group to begin with. Mike Francesa brought this up on his show a few weeks ago, and the belief was that Terry Collins wasn’t considering it. That’s not surprising – Collins is very much a “by-the-book” baseball manager, who more than likely believes those honors need to be earned. Case in point with R.A. Dickey a season ago.
And this isn’t even a big deal in the grand scheme of things. However, as Joe DeCaro pointed out on Monday, 60% of the Mets’ payroll may start the season on the DL. And it’s looking more and more likely that could include both David Wright and Daniel Murphy. What juice or energy will there be in Citi Field on Opening Day?
This has the potential to be a season where there is little juice all-together at the ball yard in Flushing. We git two home games against the Yankees in May, the All-Star Game in July, and of course Opening Day. That may just be the reality of the situation when it comes to thrills.
I’ll be at Citi Field on April 1st, and even with the uncertain specter of this team, there should be some energy in the ballpark. I’ll be excited regardless. Matt Harvey would undoubtedly bring it on at a whole other level though.
I can’t think of a physical reason why he couldn’t take the ball. Regardless of what day it is, he’ll more than likely be throwing in some chilly April weather. I’m not totally sold that pitching Harvey on Opening Day is the correct move, but I sure hope the Mets at least considered or are considering it. Something for the fans in a year where there may not be much. What’s the harm?
This season could be a long one. If Harvey took the hill on Opening Day, even if just for an afternoon, it wouldn’t seem like it.
About the Author: Former Writers
20 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 28 | .600 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 35 | .493 | 7.5 |
| Phillies | 34 | 37 | .479 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 40 | .385 | 14.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 47 | .319 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/18/2013
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Love this kid! The only real bright spot for this organization, at the MLB level, heading into this season.
I feel the same way and actually wrote a piece in November where I stated that Harvey is the logical choice to become the ace of the staff if Dickey was traded and Johan ends up on the DL…not many people agreed back then. I wonder if they would agree today?
Love Harvey, his attitude and work ethic and I hope he’s our next superstar. However, not sure what kind of message that send to Niese. He’s earned it, we expected him to get better each year, and he has has.
Now bring in, lets face it to this point, an unproven guy, that’s all the hype and let him take the ball, because of said hype?
I think we are getting ahead of ourselves. Maybe next year……………
Collins is 100 percent right to hand the ball to Niese. I’m pretty sure a baseball guy like Matt Harvey would agree with that choice, too. I don’t think Terry Collins is looking at who he hands the ball to on Opening Day through the eyes of a fan. His decision comes through the eyes of a manager. No matter how gloomy the preseason appears to we fans, Collins is preparing to compete. His choice is a long-term consideration, not a one day issue.
Considering the Opening Day assignment from that perspective it makes total sense that Niese gets the nod. Without Santana, Niese is the most veteran pitcher on the staff, a home grown guy who has shown steady progress throughout his major league stay in New York. Collins needs Niese to see himself as the ace of the staff, to believe the team needs him to take the ball and deliver every fifth day. Collins knows that no matter how well Harvey throws this year, his team needs this from Niese.
I agree with the Skipper’s decision. Opening Day is an honor, a recognition of sorts considering what you have done in the past and your role in the present, not acknowledgement for future potential. If things work out as we hope, Matt Harvey will be granted that honor again and again sometime in the future.
I understand why Niese should start opening day but I think Harvey should get the nod! Like
you said TC is a go by the book type of guy but Harvey is the future ace of the staff so why
not? As far as the weather in april goes if Harvey starts opening day or the second or third
game the weather is going to be the same and with the ball park full why not give the fans
something to really cheer about? Niese is just not anywhere near as exciting as Harvey!
Full house and Harvey’s blood pumping and the possibility of a lot of strikeout will have
Citifield rocking!! With Gee, Marcum,Hefner, and Niese, Harvey is the only pitcher on the
staff who can get the crowd going and with opening day being the biggest crowd of the year
next to the allstar game why not make it a day to remember!!
Let me get this straight, the season hasn’t even begun, and some of the most optimistic Mets fans are already waving the white flag? Hmmmmmmmm…. Speaks a lot for the FO and the alleged “changes” that were coming right. It’s downright sad and pathetic to be a mets fans these days.
and about Harvey, let this kid get there first, there’s nothing wrong with niese as the opening day starter, let Harvey go second, don’t put more pressure on this kid than what he already is putting on himself. while I love his attitude and demeanor, let him earn the strides as he goes along, it ain’t like this team is going anywhere ANYTIME soon so.. But hey. guys. look at it in the bright side, this could me we can have a top 10 draft pick for next year so yay to that!
why the flag gotta be white though ?
Lol, captain, I am not sure what color is the sabermetric flag so I went with white…
“Let me get this straight, the season hasn’t even begun, and some of the most optimistic Mets fans are already waving the white flag? Hmmmmmmmm…. Speaks a lot for the FO and the alleged “changes” that were coming right. It’s downright sad and pathetic to be a mets fans these days.”
“it ain’t like this team is going anywhere ANYTIME soon so.. ”
Ironic?
Side note: it is hilarious how Jay Hororowitz still says Frank Viola is the last Met pitcher to win 20 games.
After taking Dickey out of the 2012 highlight DVD, The Mets still try to erase the memory of Robert Allen Dickey from your memory banks.
I wonder what are they going to do around the ASG when Dickey comes back to Shea with a legion of African kids from the next village he saves from total destruction.
I guess the last Met pitcher to win a Cy Young was Doc Gooden ?
He’s getting plenty of flack for that mistake. Not sure how you can easily mistake the pitcher that just won 20 games last season but a CY award to go along with it. Not sure it was intentional though. Probably along the same lines of you saying Shea instead of Citi Field.
I’m hoping to see Dickey pitch at the ASG too.
You know the Shea line was sarcasm right ?
He fixed it on another tweet.
The “Opening day start” is overrated.
Thats exactly why Harvey should start opening day because the team isn’t going anywhere this year anyway! Opening day may be the biggest regular season game of the year and
the most crowed so why not pitch Harvey he’s got the makeup to handle it! If you hurt
Niese’s feelings to bad he will get over it and in the meantime the crowd and Harvey will
feed off each other and feeling in the park will be electric!! I saw Tom Seaver and Gooden
pitch opening day for years and there was nothing like it!!
Blasting, Fair enough. good point. but again, I think Harvey wants to win it the starting opening day job for himself, not kinda like default you know. he’s that type of player. He’ll probably be ok with being the opening day started, but I think he’d like to earn the honor instead of being handed to him.
baseball has it’s traditions (the “book”) and that includes the old school stuff like a rookie has to earn his spot on the pecking order.
While Matt Harvey for now is our “Wonderboy” and certainly a breath of fresh air towards the future of this team, I would not start him on opening day! Yes, the injuries we have at the moment may further weaken our lineup on opening day but in itself “Opening Day” is supposed to be exciting!
The fact is that Jonathon Niese deserves the start based on both his performance and his seniority. Many Met fans feel that he will be making the next step forward to becoming a 15-20 game winner anyway. Not starting Niese would be sending the wrong message! In addition, Matt Harvey has shown us maturity and poise but the excitement of “Opening Day” might just get him a bit too wired up!
There will be many years for Harvey to earn the opening day start…but not quite yet!
in 2014, Harvey and Wheeler will be competing against each other for the Cy Young award
Baseball Protocoll calls for the established veteran to get the nod.
Niese was one of the Top 30 SP in Baseball in 2012, has paid his dues and was the Mets´ 2nd best SP in 2012 behind RA Dickey who is gone.
So, with Santana – a former CY winner and natural ODSP according to protocoll – out, it´s absolutely Niese´s turn.
Starting Harvey would be nice for the fans but very disturbing for the team & within clubhouse.
That´s besides putting unneccessary pressure on a pitcher barely 10 starts into his MLB career who is already viewed as a potential savior. If Harvey performs over a full season and becomes the Mets ace in 2013, he´ll be the deserved SP on Opening Day 2014.
But for now, Niese has earned it. And – financially – it probably makes even more sense to start Harvey later to draw some extra fans compared to OD where the stadium will be pretty packed anyway.