Harvey reminds us all of how much he wants to win every five days. He’s the textbook definition of a fierce competitor.

But thanks to Steve Serby of the New York Post, we learn a few things about Harvey that you might not have known about the intense right-hander.

:When asked about his growing celebrity, Harvey whisked it aside, but said something very interesting, “I like to have my personal life, but for right now and for the most part, the season’s on my mind, the All-Star game’s on my mind, and winning’s on my mind.”

The All Star Game… How cool would it be to see Matt Harvey getting the starting assignment before the throng of fans at Citi Field for the Mid-Summer Classic? Lets hope it happens.

I didn’t know that Matt was a bif fan of our crosstown rivals and Derek Jeter in particular. ”I was a Yankee fan growing up. In my mind, somebody who ruled New York was Derek Jeter,” harvey told Serby.

“You saw him everywhere, you heard about him everywhere. Everybody wanted to be like Derek Jeter. He never gets in trouble. He’s never doing anything wrong off the field. He’s just a true professional in everything he does.”

He never gets into trouble or does anything wrong. That’s a great take-away during these tough times in Flushing. We could use a few players like Jeter who never gets into trouble, don’t you think?

A few more like David Wright and Matt Harvey would go a long way toward healing the rift in what I see as a fractured clubhouse.

As to Harvey’s success, he credits one pitch for putting him over the top. “The slider. That’s definitely a pitch I feel like I can use right now in any count to a righty or lefty.”

It was nice to read about Harvey’s thoughts about baseball, life, cultural issues and even tragic events like the Boston Bombings and the Newtown Massacre.

Steve Serby doesn’t get enough credit for these weekly interviews he treats us to every Sunday. Go read his full column. .

I wanted to post a story that was published in the February 2011 issue of the MLB Insider Magazine, who allowed me to share my memory of a great night at Citi Field with another huge Mets fan, my mother. This is my story:

In September 2009, my wife, son and I traveled from our home in Florida to visit family in Brooklyn, NY. When we arrived my stepfather Joe surprised us with six tickets to a Mets game.

Ever since I can remember, I have been a Mets fan. It started with my mother buying me my first Mets hat at the age of two and then taking my sister Vanessa and I to games at Shea Stadium. We went to games when the Mets were really bad in the early 80’s, but it didn’t matter because we were all together.  Shea Stadium was our place of refuge, a place where we could build memories together.

When the Mets won the World Series in 1986, my mother made sure we were up bright and early so we could be at the ticker-tape parade.  Joe even suggested that we get there around 7:00 am, a good three hours before anyone arrived. Good thing we went early, though, because we had a front row spot for the parade.

But, on this wonderful night in September 2009, it marked two milestones: the first game that I attended with my mom since the Mets lost a playoff game at Shea Stadium to the Dodgers in 1988 (the game when Mike Scioscia hit his famous home run off of Dwight Gooden), and also my first Mets game with my 3-year old son, Christopher. Additionally, it was also our first visit to the club’s beautiful new home, Citi Field.

It was a great night of reminiscing, talking with my mom about our memories and making new ones with my son.

Writing this story brought back so many memories with my mother and how baseball was just a huge part of our lives.  She always made it a point to be at my little league games, I could see her behind the plate excited to see me playing the game I love.  My mother knew what we needed when times just seemed so hard and instilling the love of a team in our lives was just what the doctor ordered.

Being able to visit Citi Field for the first time and having my mother there with me made the night extra special.  I can’t remember if the Mets won that night, but in my mind, it didn’t matter because the night was a huge hit and a victory in our family.

I thank my mother for introducing me to the Mets, and for taking the time to take us to games even when they didn’t count.  But in her mind each game was important because she watched her children grow and survive one of the hardest years of our lives while rooting for our favorite team.

I want to wish my mother a Happy Mother’s Day and thank her for always supporting my life decisions.  I am who I am because of how she raised me and I will continue the tradition with my children that my mother started with us.  The Mets mean more to my family than just being a baseball team.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mother’s that sacrifice their lives to raise their children. You are all extremely appreciated.

Jeurys Familia

Asked if he was concerned about the situation, Familia shrugged. ”I’ll be OK in a couple of days. I want to play,” he said.

Manager Terry Collins said he was aware of Familia’s condition before the game.

No word if the Mets will have Familia get a precautionary MRI or if he was examined by team doctors. It’s also uncertain how long Familia will be sidelined and unavailable.

Familia said the soreness began on Wednesday, when he pitched one inning against the White Sox and allowed a run.

Among the highs and lows to already come out of the first month of this season, the continued improvement of Daniel Murphy has certainly been one of the brighter spots to this point so far.

Playing out of his natural position, Murphy has slowly made the proper adjustments on both sides of the diamond. After being jostled all over both the infield and outfield, Murphy has finally found himself a home at second base with the Mets while also improving significantly with the bat. I caught up with Murphy at Citi Field yesterday and he spoke with me about his strides so far this season.

“I didn’t get a whole lot of work in Spring Training since I was injured” said Murphy regarding his defense. “But I think that having more time there has made me become more consistent, more comfortable, and has given me a better understanding of how to position myself and how much time I have.”

Another Met playing out of his original position is Lucas Duda. What has lacked with his .239 batting average he has made up for in his power and improved ability to get on base. After being sent to Buffalo following an extremely poor first half of 2012, Duda came back showing more plate discipline and emerging as an overall better hitter. Murphy says he has been impressed with how Duda has performed this year.

“He’s been awesome.” said Murphy. “I think Justin Turner said yesterday that ‘Duda really knows how to grind out an AB’ and I have not seen him give many at-bats away this year. That’s kind of a goal we have as an offense personally to not give at-bats away, and he’s been locked in and done a great job of getting on base.”

All the while, Duda has not only had to learn to adjust with the bat, but also with the glove as he learns on the job patrolling left field at Citi. As he has done, Murphy sees the similarities in both of their defensive improvements.

“The same thing as I have at second.” said Murphy. “He’s become more comfortable, he’s starting to understand how to position himself and to read swings. What he’s doing is not easy. It’s very difficult to go from the infield to the outfield and I think he’s done a great job.”

Murphy can relate to attempting to make the transition from the infield to the outfield, although he knows that their results have varied significantly.

“He’s doing better than I did.”

Although the situations are similar, Murphy understands why Duda wouldn’t ask him for advice about making such a transition after his failed outfield experiment.

“No, I don’t know if I’d have anything good to give him.” said Murphy, when asked if Duda has come to him about the transition from infield to outfield. “Try to be as relaxed as you can. Tom Goodwin has done an awesome job with him and a great job with positioning him. I think he does a good job of picking the brain of Marlon Byrd.”

Although the outfield did not work out for Murph, it seems to be suiting Duda in 2013. Murphy in turn has found his niche at second. Both came up with the Mets as talented bats that needed a position other than the corner infield and through several trials and tribulations have both found where they belong for the New York Mets.

I want to thank Daniel Murphy for taking some time during batting practice to speak with me. He’s a terrific guy who really adds a lot to the clubhouse and chemistry of the team. You can see how his teammates respect him as a leader as well as a productive player and integral part of the everyday lineup.

Starting Lineup

1. Ruben Tejada – SS
2. Daniel Murphy – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. John Buck – C
5. Lucas Duda – LF
6. Andrew Brown – RF
7. Ike Davis – 1B
8. Juan Lagares – CF
9. Matt Harvey – RHP

Game Notes

• The Mets went 2-3 on their recent road trip. The club begins a six-game homestand tonight. New York is 7-8 at home this season. Saturday’s rain out in Atlanta is now scheduled for Tuesday, June 18 at 1:10 p.m. as part of a split doubleheader. That series is now a five-game series.
• New York is 2-0 this year in Interleague play after beating the Twins twice in Minnesota. The Mets were 8-7 vs. the AL last season. The Mets are 137-127 all time in Interleague play. The 137 wins are the fourth-most among NL clubs. Since 2010, the Mets are 11-3 vs. the AL Central.
• The Chicago White Sox make their first trip ever to Flushing. The Mets have hosted every other American League team at least once. New York has played the White Sox just once: the Mets lost two of three to the Sox in Chicago in 2002.
• David Wright has 94 career Interleague RBI, the most in team history. The 94 Interleague RBI are tied for the fourth-most among any major leaguer since 2005, the first season Wright played an Interleague game. Wright has hit a home run in three straight games. It’s the fifth time he’s hit a home run in exactly three consecutive games, his career-best is a home run in four straight games, June 7-10, 2007.
• Matt Harvey has allowed one run or less in 10 of his first 16 major league starts and has not allowed more than one run in seven of his last eight starts. Since July 26, 2012 (his ML debut), he ranks fourth in the majors with a 2.26 ERA (25 ER/99.2 IP). Minimum of 70 innings.
• Harvey also has 116 strikeouts in his first 16 major league starts, the 11th-most since 1921 by a pitcher making his first 16 career starts. Kerry Wood is first with 148 strikeouts in 1998. Harvey is third in Mets history, behind Dwight Gooden, who had 125 strikeouts in his first 16 starts and Nolan Ryan, who had 117 strikeouts.
• Frank Francisco pitched 1.0 scoreless inning last night for St. Lucie of the Florida State League vs. Daytona. He allowed a single. He’s tossed 4.0 scoreless innings in four rehab outings.
• Edgardo Alfonzo, SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt and 92.3 NOW’s Ty Bentli will serve as judges for Banner Day on Saturday, May 11 at Citi Field. The judges will select three finalists to join the online Banner Day winner then fans at the ballpark and at home will vote for the winner through texting, Twitter and Facebook.

Game Preview

The White Sox finally visit Citi Field as the Mets will meet up with an old friend in Robin Ventura tonight. The Mets are coming off of a 9-4 loss where just about everyone on the field was experiencing a collective off day. Since then the Mets have had an off day and for the first time on 7 days rest, the Mets will enjoy another Harvey day as Matt takes on Hector Santiago.

Sandy Alderson told the Daily News that the Mets still have confidence in Ike Davis even though he is batting .172 to start the season. “I don’t think he’s happy with what has happened to date,” Alderson said. “We would have hoped for a better performance to this point, but the evidence is he can do it, and he could do that again this season, we’ll see what transpires.” Last year was batting .173 last year at this time, but he was dealing with a case of valley fever, a one-year layoff, and recovering from a serious ankle injury.

Matt Harvey is 4-0 on the season with a 1.56 ERA over 40.1 innings of work. He bounced back from his worst start of the season (3 ER over 6 innings, quality for everybody else) to pitch 5.1 innings allowing 1 ER in Miami, a game he really had to labor through. He allowed 7 hits in that game, a season high, but paired that with 7 strikeouts. Not really all that surprisingly, Matt has not faced the White Sox in his career and has not faced any batters on the roster.

Hector Santiago gets the nod for the White Sox. On the young season he is 1-1 over 8 games, 1 start with a 2.29 ERA over 19.2 innings. His last outing was the first start of the season where he allowed 1 ER over 5.1 innings of work while striking out 6 batters. Last season, he was in 42 games including 4 starts with a 3.33 ERA. In his four starts, he pitched 19.2 innings allowing only 4 ER. Also not really surprising, but he has not faced anyone on the Mets roster in his career.

Let’s Go Mets!

What is better than heading out on game day to see your New York Mets? Loading up the car hours beforehand to go and meet with friends in the parking lot and have a pre-game celebration? Maybe toss a ball around, fry up some burgers and have a few beers? Well you can scratch that last part.

New York City police officers will be patrolling the Citi Field lots this season, searching for those with open containers of alcohol and handing out citations for those caught drinking in public according to a recent Yahoo! News article.

The Mets website states the following regarding tailgating:

Tailgating is permitted only under the following conditions:

• No open flames of any type, (charcoal should not be disposed of in vacant parking spaces at any time).
• Only one parking space may be used.
• Consumption of alcohol is prohibited.
• Inappropriate or dangerous behavior is not allowed.
• For security reasons no trash bins are located in Citi Field parking lots. Guests should bag trash for pick up after the event.

Failure to comply with any of the above conditions may result in a fan’s removal from the parking lots and/or summoning of NYPD.

It is the law, but NYC’s ban on drinking in public has rarely been enforced at stadium parking lots. According to the article, the New York Yankees have no policy on their website, and the Jets site references tailgating at MetLife Stadium as a “ritual at the stadium”. The Mets however have clearly stated a prohibition on alcohol on their site. They also have nothing at the park to warn fans not to drink.

“I was unaware of the rule until it was too late,” said Woodmere, New York, resident Sami Wyman, who received a $25 citation for drinking a Bud Light out of the can at Mets Opening Day this year. “It’s unfortunate that some people can’t control themselves when drinking, but it is outrageous to ticket people for something that is a traditional part of a sporting event.” –Yahoo! News

On a side note, the Yahoo! article’s image actually shows a number of fans at the ReadTheApple Opening Day tailgate; myself and my father can be seen in the background (green backpack). Ironically, the majority of us–again, myself and my dad included–had nothing to drink that day and were merely enjoying the Opening Day pre-game festivities.

I understand the fact that the Mets want to maintain a family environment, but this is WAY too much in my opinion. April 1st was the first Opening Day my dad and I had ever been to, and when we arrived around 10:00 A.M., I was thrilled to see the number of fans enjoying themselves. People were playing catch and grilling burgers, many of which were having a Bud or a Coors in their hand. It wasn’t like there was a drunken mob out in C Lot; just people excited to see their team play.

For a franchise that has had trouble putting fans in the ballpark, do the Mets really think it is wise to hand out citations for having a beer or two before a baseball game? Especially after the $20 for parking? What’s next? Are they going to limit the number of Cracker Jack’s one can consume?

I’ll let one of our founding fathers have the last word on this one. Take it away Ben!

Starting Lineup

1. Mike Baxter – RF
2. Ruben Tejada – SS
3. Daniel Murphy – 2B
4. David Wright – 3B
5. Lucas Duda – LF
6. John Buck – C
7. Ike Davis – 1B
8. Jordany Valdespin – CF
9. Dillon Gee – RHP

Game Notes

• The Mets have scored 110 runs in their first 20 games (5.5 runs per game). The 110 runs are the fourth-most the Mets have scored after 20 games in any season. New York is scoring 5.5 runs per game ranking first in the majors.
• Mets starting pitchers are 7-6 with a 3.72 ERA (45 earned runs/109.0 innings). The 3.72 ERA ranks 13th in the majors…The staff is 7-4 when they toss a quality start.
• The Mets turned four double plays yesterday. New York has turned at least one double play in 10 of its last 11 games. The club has not made an error in a season-high five consecutive games. New York is eighth in the NL with a .984 fielding percentage.
• John Buck leads the NL and is third in the majors with his 22 RBI. Buck is also tied for third in the NL with seven home runs. Jeff Kent holds the team record with 26 RBI in April in 1994.
• Lucas Duda ranks third in the National League with a .459 on-base percentage and David Wright is fifth with a .438 on-base percentage. Wright is second in the NL with 18 walks and Duda is third with 17. New York ranks ninth in the majors as a team with a .329 on-base percentage.

Game Preview

The Mets look to bounce back from dropping a series against the Dodgers by taking one from Phillies tonight at Citi Field. Yesterday was a frustrating day as the Mets offense just could not build any rallies off of Hefner’s strong start and ended up losing 3-2 after winning the previous game with a walk off grand slam. Tonight Dillon Gee will take the mound for the Mets as he squares off against Kyle Kendrick.

Dillon Gee is now 1-3 on the seasoon with a 5.85 ERA over 19.2 innings of work. He looked a lot better in his last start against the Nationals where he allowed 3 hits and no runs over 5.2 innings of work and tonight he has a shot of redemption. In his last start against the Phillies, the second start of the season for Gee, he allowed 7 ER over 3.0 innings. Now he gets the Phillies outside of their sand box and inside of Citi Field. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

Mayberry 4-11, 2B, 2 HR
Rollins 7-11, 2B
Utley 2-10, 2B
Howard 3-9, 3 HR
Nix 2-6
Young 4-5, 2 HR

Kyle Kendrick is 1-1 this season over 4 starts with a 3.28 ERA. Kendrick’s only bad start was the first of the season where he allowed 5 ER over 5.2 innings, after that he has allowed 2 ER or less between 6 or 7 innings (including a 2 ER, 6 IP outing against the Mets). On the bad side, he has allowed 8 hits in three of his four starts this year. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Wright 11-34, 2 2B, 2 HR
Davis 4-19, 2 2B
Murphy 3-17, 2B
Duda 3-12, 2 2B, HR
Buck 1-10, HR
Baxter 3-6, 2B, HR

Lets Go Mets!

Rafael Montero by MMO Contributor and Photographer Gordon Donovan.

Updated by Joe D. on 4/24

It’s almost word for word from what Mitch wrote yesterday, but here is what VP of Player Development Paul DePodesta had to say about Rafael Montero:

“His fastball is very advanced right now, but the secondary pitches need to continue to get better,” DePodesta says.

“He just needs to face better hitters, and he needs to face some adversity. And I think he will… We’ve already sped the development of the player up quite a bit, and he has responded to it very well.”

Can a pitcher make the jump from Double-A to the majors?

“It all depends on the individual,” DePodesta says. “There are guys who can make that jump from Double A to the big leagues with little or no time at Triple-A, and there are guys who need some or even significant time at Triple-A.”

By the way, we are actually chasing down Paul DePodesta at Citi Field. Got off the phone with John and told him to seek him out and emailed him 4-5 questions to ask.

Stay tuned…

Original Post 4/23

In case you missed the feature on MMO about Rafael Montero on Saturday, I posed the question on whether or not it was possible that Montero actually makes it to Flushing before Zack Wheeler:

“Never thought I would be pondering this question, but if Montero keeps up this pace, is there a chance that we will see him in Citi Field before Wheeler?

The answer is yes, it is a definite possibility.”

That was written after another dominating performance by Montero, where he struck out six batters and walked none. That brought his season totals to 27 Ks and one walk. I couldn’t do that in a game of MLB The Show, and here is Montero, putting these numbers up in real life.

Once he got to Double-A, his numbers were supposed to dip a bit as he made an adjustment to a higher level of hitters – the complete opposite has taken place. He has made the jump up to Double-A look as if it was a step down. And how should the Mets reward Montero if he continues this utter dominance? How about a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas?

Heck No.

The last thing the Mets should do is promote Montero to Las Vegas. The only reason why he would have to stop in at Triple-A, would be if he needed to continue working on mastering the strike zone. The difference in facing Double-A hitters and Triple-A hitters isn’t great – and actually very similar to the difference between Low-A and High-A ball hitters.

Montero has already mastered the strike zone. Montero is already a great pitcher.

He needs a few more starts in Double-A, but if he continues this dominance then you bump Montero straight to Flushing with no layovers in Vegas.

Why send this dynamite talent to a notorious hitter’s league?

There are no written rules that say that a pitcher needs X number of starts at Double-A, followed by X number of starts at Triple-A before they are ready for big league action. A pitcher tells you when they are ready by showing sheer dominance, and that is exactly what Montero has shown.

I still find it funny that Metsblog had Montero labeled as “raw” during spring training. Raw pitchers do not have a 27:1 strikeout to walk ratios. I guess “raw” is a term to use when an analyst has never heard of a guy and has no clue what they are looking at. Montero is not raw, he may be the most polished pitcher in the entire Mets system right now. Going back to his last season, the fireballing righty has struck out 137 batters while walking only 20.

Had Wheeler shown this dominance at any level, then we would be having the same discussion about him. However, Wheeler is a “thrower” at this point, using his overpowering stuff to get hitters out, but he hasn’t mastered the art of pitching yet. When he does master it, watch out.

Montero’s stuff is electric – Wheeler’s stuff is better. That’s a scary thought.

It’s now been over seven years since that promising Opening Day in 2006, which was only day one of a season that took the Mets just a big swing away from the National League Championship trophy, and a visit to the World Series. With the exception of a few R.A. Dickey masterpieces, and a special no-hitter, there hasn’t been much cheering in Flushing since that magical run in 2006.

The Metropolitans are a team that has always been known for its pitching, with ace Cy Young winners like Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden leading the pack, career years from David Cone, and the aforementioned Dickey, are just compliments to the team’s rich pitching history. All of those Mets aces brought with them to the stadium every fifth day, great stuff, a great baseball mind, and of course big crowds.

With an ace, comes a crowd. With Matt Harvey, come the masses. He is in a word, phenomenal, and perhaps even more important to Flushing than the wins he brings, is the spirit he brings to the ballpark.

Matt began his pro career as a first round draft pick for the Mets in 2010, but hasn’t always been looked at as the ace type he has recently shown to be. Just last season before he arrived in Queens to play with the big boys, scouts as well as others around the organization, and around the league, had doubted Matt’s ability to be a front end pitcher.

Unlike his early success this season, Matt, although he performed well, did not dazzle as he has thus far in 2013. He finished the 2012 season at 3-5, with a 2.73 ERA; impressive, yet not startling.

Any bit of doubt that had yet to evaporate going into this baseball season, was gone after Harvey’s very first start of the year. If the season were to end today, the Cy Young Award would most definitely be spending a second consecutive year in the Big Apple, and it would say Harvey all over it.

The good doctor, Mr. Dwight Gooden has already given the Mets 24 year old ace his blessing. Gooden tweeted to his 35,000+ followers on twitter Saturday, that the Mets now have “The Real Deal” in town, and Gooden likes what he sees.

Citi Field has a very different aroma on “The Real Deal” days, instead of Amazin’ fans chowing down on some delectable delights during innings, Mets fans are paying close attention to each and every time Harvey serves up one of his out pitch – that devastating high fastball.

The fans rise on each two strike count, and they get behind their, so far, 4-0 ace every time he needs that extra bit of adrenaline from the Citi Field faithful. He is certainly a special player to say the least, and there is absolutely no doubt from anyone in baseball that there is much more from Matt “The Real Deal” Harvey, yet to come.

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO reader, Michael Feldman. Follow him on Twitter at @michael4ny. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 16,000 Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

Updated 12:15 PM

David Wright on Wednesday joined New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Mets favorites in kicking off this year’s All-Star Game festivities at City Hall, with less than three months to go before the Midsummer Classic at Citi Field.

Wright was named Major League Baseball’s official spokesman for the T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, to be held at the Jacob K. Javits Center from July 12-16, while former Mets Edgardo Alfonzo, John Franco and Mookie Wilson were anointed All-Star ambassadors.

“All-Star FanFest is the world’s largest baseball fan event and is a great experience for the whole family,” Wright said in a statement. “Just like New York City, FanFest has something for everyone, and I am proud to be a part of the home team as we host this exciting event.”

As FanFest’s official spokesperson, Wright will help to generate public awareness for the event and make appearances in support of it. Alfonzo, Franco and Wilson, meanwhile, will take part in an array of All-Star events leading up to and throughout MLB All-Star Week.

Some attractions include:

• The Diamond - Located at the center of T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, this attraction features daily clinics and appearances by MLB players, managers and other experts. Past appearances have included George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Torii Hunter, Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Jr. and many other MLB greats
• Legends Autograph Program - Free autographs from Hall of Famers and MLB legends. Players such as Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Ferguson Jenkins and Juan Marichal have previously signed for fans at T-Mobile All-Star FanFest
• National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum - Take a stroll through Baseball’s glorious past and experience the history of the national pastime with one of the largest collections of artifacts on loan from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown
• The Negro Leagues - A compelling visual journey back in time, the Negro Leagues attraction brings to life the heroic history of some of the game’s proudest and most talented players
• Hometown Heroes - Hometown Heroes showcases the New York Mets history, roots in the community and promise for the future
• World’s Largest Baseball - What better way to welcome families to the largest baseball fan event in the world than with the World’s Largest Baseball? The signature white leather, red-laced ball measures 12 feet in diameter and features the signatures of baseball greats such as Hank Aaron, Rod Carew, Derek Jeter, Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith and Ted Williams

The All-Star Game will return to Queens this summer for the first time since 1964, when the Mets hosted it during Shea Stadium’s inaugural season. New York City has played host to the Midsummer Classic eight times, most recently at the old Yankee Stadium in 2008.

Citi Field opened in 2009 after more than a decade of planning and construction; its completion coincided with the demolition of Shea Stadium, which the Mets called home for 45 seasons. Owner Fred Wilpon recently called the All-Star Game a chance to “show off the ballpark,” which was constructed to resemble old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

New York City has hosted the All-Star Game nine times, but this year’s game will be the first in Queens since 1964. New York last hosted the Midsummer Classic in 2008 at old Yankee Stadium.

Including the space in 54 luxury boxes, six clubs and restaurants, Citi Field can hold up to 41,922 fans at maximum capacity. Opened in 2009, the ballpark is within steps of the Citi Field-Willets Point stop on the New York City subway’s elevated No. 7 line.

Matt Harvey has been compared to some of the biggest names of the game both past and present. Whether it’s because of his lethal arsenal, his no-nonsense demeanor on the mound, or just his determination to keep getting better. In 14 starts he is breaking down long-standing records with such ease.

While expectations and pressure like that would crush most young players, Matt Harvey thrives on it. I was especially taken by his reaction on Friday night when fans at Citi Field roared with the chants of “Har-Vey’s Better! Har-Vey’s Better” with every pitch Stephen Strasburg threw.

It was amazing to watch both pitcher’s reactions as the SNY camera crew went to a split screen. There was Harvey sitting on the bench – looking all business and wiping his face with a towel. He was immune to what was happening on the field and didn’t allow himself to be captured by the moment. On the mound however, you could tell Strasburg was being rattled.

Pressure and expectations is a crazy thing. For many players it’s their death knell, but not for Harvey. This kid has ice running through his veins.

There’s more to Harvey than meets the eye and it may take years until we figure out what makes him tick. Baseball has always been a game of comparisons, but most often the comparisons are unfounded and the expectations are never met. So far, it looks like Harvey will be the exception to that rule. Gregg Jefferies never did become the next Ty Cobb, and the teenage hitting machine Fernando Martinez never did become the next Roberto Clemente.

“A lot of guys can throw 98,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “I like his competitive make-up. … Fear of failure is not in Matt Harvey’s make-up.’’

You know what else stood out from Friday night? Harvey’s comments after the game.

“I’ve got a long way to go,’’ Harvey said. “I appreciate the fans and the support and all that. But we’re here to win. We’re the New York Mets. It’s not just one guy out there. Every time I take the ball I’m trying to win for the team.”

Spoken like a true leader…

And for those of you who keep saying you want to see how Harvey would react in a tough situation, how does the the bases loaded with nobody out against the team who won more games than any other team last season sound? Is that challenging enough for you?

Harvey worked out of the jam with ease. “That’s a tough lineup, he said. “At any point it felt like it could unravel and things could have gone the other way.’’

However it didn’t unravel. Harvey bore down like a warrior and slammed the door on their offense. ”That’s the mark of an ace right there,’’ Collins said. “That’s why we can’t say enough things about him. Games like this can lead to a great season.”

Can you believe that there are still some Mets fan who haven’t bought into Harvey yet? It’s true. I’ve seen the doubts and speculation right here on our comment threads. They remain cautiously optimistic waiting for the bubble to burst. It’s hard to believe that 14 starts or basically a half season, and non-believers still abound.

I’m seeing some of the best raves and optimism about Harvey from non-Mets and rival fans. One Yankee fan told Me, “I can’t believe you got, Harvey. You’re so freaking lucky.”

David Price and Curt Schilling are also on the Matt Harvey bandwagon. So are Michael Kay and Mike Francesa. So are Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman. So are R.A. Dickey, Jon Lester and Justin Verlander.

So am I and most of MMO. I actually have been since day one.

I’ve seen a meteoric rise like one this twice before as Met fan. The first time was with with “The Franchise” Tom Seaver, and then two decades later I saw it again with “Doctor K’ Dwight Gooden. I became emotionally invested from day with those two Mets icons too, just like I am now with Harvey. As a Met fan, I always did take “Ya Gotta Believe” very seriously. Times have changed, but I’m still old-fashioned that way.

Rafael Montero took s the hill for Binghamton today and dominated.

When it comes to pitching prospects in the Mets organization, Zack Wheeler is the guy that the majority of fans will stop to see how he performed the night before. However, it seems that with every start Wheeler makes, he is getting further and further away from making his Citi Field debut. On the other hand, Rafael Montero seems to be getting closer and closer with every start he makes.

Is there a more impressive pitcher in the Mets organization right now than Montero? He started today’s game for Binghamton and dominated again. He pitched six innings, allowing no runs, struck out six batters and walked none. He now has 27 strikeouts this season, and has only given up one walk. I think I have to say that again for effect – He now has 27 strikeouts this season, and has only given up one walk. That is about as phenomenal a ratio as you will see. He is holding opposing hitters to a .182 average against him. In other words, the batters that are reaching base against Montero didn’t have a bowl of Wheaties for breakfast, they had Lucky Charms.

I never thought I would be pondering this question, but if Montero keeps up this pace, is there a chance that we will see him in Citi Field before Wheeler?

The answer is yes, it is a definite possibility — especially with the way Wheeler has been pitching lately. Montero is showing complete mastery of the strike zone, something that we have yet to see from Wheeler. Wheeler may have better stuff than Montero, but at this point, Montero is a better pitcher. By the All-Star break, expect Montero to be with Las Vegas. And if he continues this level of dominance at Triple-A, expect him to be a September call up.

As of right now, I would place Montero as the No. 3 pitcher in the Mets organization, but he is hot on the heels of the pitchers ahead of him. Wheeler still hangs on to the top spot, and Noah Syndergaard hangs on to the No. 2 spot, but that is simply due to their high ceilings. The better pitcher of the three of them right now is Montero, and there is a chance that Montero makes it to the show before both Wheeler and Syndergaard if he continues pitching like he is from another planet.

Shaun Marcum looks to be making steady progress. According to Adam Rubin, the veteran right-hander tossed four no-hit innings in an extended spring training game today.

Marcum has been on the 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis, retroactive to March 22, but has been rehabbing and tossing from a mound over the past ten days.

The Mets signed him to a guaranteed $4 million dollar deal in January, but he has been injured with one ailment or another since reporting to spring training. It now appears that he is getting healthy and putting all of that behind him. He possibly could join the Mets during their next homestand.

The Mets will not need a fifth starter again until a week from Saturday. Marcum could likely make his Mets debut on that day against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.

Updated by Joe D. at 3:50 PM

It’s official. The Mets just announced that they have recalled RHP Jeurys Familia from Las Vegas (AAA) and optioned RHP Greg Burke to Las Vegas.

Hat tip to Mr. North Jersey….

Original Post 2:40 PM

The Mets’ bullpen allowed 14 hits, 10 runs, eight earned over 9.0 innings during yesterday’s doubleheader and appear to be showing some leaks. Entering the Colorado series, the bullpen had posted a 2.08 ERA in their previous six games.

Overall, the Mets relievers are 2-1 with a 4.21 ERA (20 earned runs/43.2 innings) and they rank seventh in the NL in ERA.

The backend of the Mets rotation is certainly not helping matters and only adding to their woes.

With that in mind, the Mets have opted to call-up righthanded reliever Jeurys Familia, who is on his way to Denver to join the Mets, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.

This looks like a Taxi Squad move and it’s not immediately clear whether Familia would be activated upon his arrival or if he would be activated at all, writes Rubin.

Familia has allowed five hits in five innings with one save in four relief appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas and has yet to allow a run. In his last appearance, Familia pitched a hitless ninth two strikeouts.

The young fireballer ranked No. 7 in our 2013 Met Top Prospects Rankings where we wrote:

There is so much to like about Jeurys Familia. I am going to go out on a limb and say that Familia could be a successful reliever in the MLB right this second because of his electric stuff.

I saw a lot of this kid down the home stretch at Citi Field in 2012 and his fastball is everything scouts say and more. Electric and explosive.

Josh Edgin (7.50 ERA), Greg Burke (7.35 ERA) and LaTroy Hawkins (6,75 ERA ) have all struggled, and if I had to guess I’d say the 31-year old Burke will be the first to go if the team does activate Familia from the Taxi Squad..

Mets manager Terry Collins said he did not plan to disrupt the throwing schedule for Matt Harvey regardless of postponements in Denver. So Harvey continues to be in line for Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals, who are expected to start Stephen Strasburg in the series opener at Citi Field.

Original Post by Ed Leyro on 4/15

Although not nearly as grandiose as this historic matchup, Stephen Strasburg vs. Matt Harvey promises to be Must See TV.

Matt Harvey almost made history on Saturday for the Mets, coming within seven outs of pitching the franchise’s second no-hitter.  Although he didn’t keep the Twins hitless, he did keep them behind the Mets all day en route to his third consecutive victory to start the season.

Given the weather forecasts for Minneapolis today and Denver during the week, the Mets might have to shuffle their rotation if games get delayed or postponed.  If that happens, Mets fans might be in for a real treat next Friday when their beloved team returns to Citi Field to open a ten-game homestand against the division rival Washington Nationals.

Washington has already announced that their starting pitcher for Friday night’s game against the Mets will be Stephen Strasburg.  Because of the uncertain weather conditions the Mets face in Minneapolis and Denver, Strasburg’s opponent could very well be Matt Harvey.

As things currently stand, Dillon Gee is set to start today’s finale against the Twins.  Gee would be followed by Jeremy Hefner on Monday in Colorado, Aaron Laffey on Tuesday and Jonathon Niese on Wednesday.  Harvey would be in line to pitch in the final game against the Rockies Thursday afternoon.  However, if today’s game in Minnesota is rained out (and there’s a 90% chance of rain being forecast for Sunday afternoon), Gee’s start would be pushed back to Monday.

Of course, if the Mets have a game postponed over the next few days, manager Terry Collins could bypass Aaron Laffey’s spot in the rotation and continue to pitch the other starters on four days’ rest.  That would keep Harvey on pace to pitch Thursday.  But there is an 80% chance of precipitation for the Mile High City on Monday.  And on Wednesday night, the temperature is supposed to dip to a ridiculous-for-baseball 12°.  That’s 12° Fahrenheit, not 12° Celsius (which converts to a more baseball-friendly 53° F).

If any of the games in Colorado are postponed, we might get a pitching matchup to drool over on Friday night at Citi Field.  It’s such a juicy matchup, it deserves its own paragraph, italics, centering, boldface and a pair of photographs:

Matt Harvey vs. Stephen Strasburg

As Mets fans, we never want to see Mother Nature deny us the opportunity to see our beloved team on a day the schedule tells us that they’re supposed to play.  But the potential for a Harvey/Strasburg matchup at Citi Field is too intriguing to pass up.

Do yourselves a favor.  Pay a visit to your local bookstore and ask if they have a “Raindancing For Dummies” manual.  Then send it to a couple of displaced Mets fans living in Minnesota and Denver.  You won’t regret it if we get a pitching matchup of Harvey vs. Strasburg at Citi Field on Friday night.

Update:  It looks like the “Raindancing For Dummies“ manual worked.  As of Sunday morning, the finale of the three-game series in Minnesota has been canceled due to inclement weather.  The official New York Mets Twitter account has posted the pitching matchups for the four-game series in Colorado, and you might notice a specific member of the rotation who is not scheduled to pitch at Coors Field.

Rotation for the Rockies: Mon: Dillon Gee. Tue. Aaron Laffey. Wed. Jeremy Hefner. Thurs. Jonathon Niese.

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 14, 2013

Matt Harvey will not be pitching in Colorado this week, meaning he will indeed be starting the opener of the homestand against Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals.  If you were able to send one of the manuals to a displaced Mets fan in Denver, please contact them and tell them it’s defective.  That way, they won’t use it and we’ll get that epic matchup on Friday night.  Barring any other weather-related cancellations, it appears as if many Mets fans, as well as baseball fans in general, will be in love with this matchup on Friday night.

Updated by HoJo at 10:45 PM

Pedro Feliciano tossed a scoreless seventh inning for Advanced-A St. Lucie tonight in his first game action in nearly a month and the results were encouraging.

The Mets’ southpaw allowed one hit, one walk, and had one strikeout. But his velocity was in the 84-86 mph range, according to Adam Rubin, which was up from 82-83 in spring training last month.

Original Post 7:00 PM

Other Mets News

• Tonight’s game between the Mets and Rockies has been postponed due to snow. The two teams will play a split doubleheader tomorrow, the team announced. The first game will begin at 3:10 PM, and the second game will  start around 8:40 PM. It was the Mets second straight postponement for the Mets after wintry conditions in Minneapolis on Sunday forced the game against the Twins to be called off. It was rescheduled for August 19. Weather forecasts call for additional snow on Tuesday.
• Pedro Feliciano has officially joined Class A St. Lucie, the team announced today. The lefty reliever spent the past two weeks building up shoulder strength. According to Adam Rubin, the Mets asked Feliciano to give them a month in the minors from Opening Day before leaving the organization.
• Frank Francisco is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Class A St. Lucie, a club source told ESPN New York. Francisco underwent surgery in December to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow. He experienced inflammation upon arriving at spring training. An official rehab assignment starts a maximum 30-day clock after which the pitcher is due to be activated. The right-handed Francisco has disappointed since signing his tw year, $12 million deal before the 2012 season.  He went 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA in 48 relief appearances last season.
• Shaun Marcum will not be ready to be activated from the DL until the middle of next week at the earliest. He has been on the 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis, retroactive to March 22. Marcum is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday and then throw a three or four inning simulated game in Port St. Lucie on Thursday. Marcum, who signed a guaranteed $4 million dollar deal in January, has been injured with one ailment or another since he reported to spring training.
• A Monday morning fire damaged parts of the administration building at Citi Field, the club announced, though sprinkler systems contained the blaze before it was extinguished by FDNY. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to the team, though it did not damage areas accessible to fans and nobody was injured or harmed.

In the sixth inning of tonight’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes slid into second base awkwardly on a stolen base attempt.

Reyes immediately grabbed for his ankle, then spent most of the time writhing in pain and in tears until trainers came out and carted him off the field.

The stolen base was Reyes’ fifth of the year and he was enjoying a solid start to the season batting .395 on the season despite the Blue Jays 3-6 start.

Maicer Izturis came in to replace Reyes at shortstop.

We hope it’s not a serious injury for the former Met who gave us so many great thrills and memories when he patrolled shortstop at Shea and Citi Field.

Thanks to our great photo services partner US Presswire and Luis Rivera  for the photo…

METS LAUNCH ONLINE BANNER DAY CONTEST

COMPANION PROGRAM TO BANNER DAY PARADE AT CITI FIELD!

Winner Will Secure a Spot to Join Banner Day Finalists at Citi Field

Banner Day Tickets Start at $12 and Are Available at Mets.com and (718) 507-TIXX

The New York Mets today announced the launch of an online Banner Day contest where fans can submit their designs at Mets.com/bannerday for the chance to join the finalists at Banner Day at Citi Field on Saturday, May 11.

Fans can enter their banner designs online through April 29.  The Mets will select four designs for a fan vote.  The winner of the fan vote will receive tickets to and automatically be one of the four finalists on Banner Day.

Online banners must have a Mets theme and fit within the banner specifications on Mets.com.  Banners cannot have vulgar or abusive language nor contain commercial messages, non-Mets websites or Twitter handles. The Mets reserve the right not to display banners in the gallery.

Banner Day was a Mets tradition from 1963 to 1996 with fans of all ages parading on the field showing their homemade banners made from bed sheets that professed their love for the team.  Banner Day returned last year as part of the Mets’ 50^th Anniversary season.

Fans planning on participating in the pre-game, on-field parade on May 11, should follow these guidelines:

• Banner Day participants must have tickets to the game
• Participants must check in at the Bullpen Plaza on 126th Street at 37th Avenue
• Registration begins at 10:00 a.m.  Space is limited.
• Banners must be bigger than 22” by 28”
• Banners cannot have vulgar or abusive language
• Banners can be commercially produced, but can’t have commercial messages (Web sites or Twitter handles are not allowed)
• There is a maximum of four people per banner
• The Mets reserve the right to deny access to the field to any banner or person that is deemed inappropriate

The Mets will announce judges and prizes for Banner Day in the weeks ahead.

Tickets for Banner Day are on sale now at Mets.com and at (718) 507-TIXX.

Fast forward ten years to the days of competing for the right to command the front and back pages of the local New York newspapers with the Yankees. Winning baseball didn’t seem to consist of just developing the youth, it mattered most about getting the right players in a trade or free agency to try and win each and every year. Some years it was successful and other years it was just a terrible waste of money.

The 2000 Mets seemed to have the right pieces in place with some home grown players mixed in with a group of veterans brought in to help the Mets finally reach what they hadn’t done in nearly 14 years, and that is not just make it back to the World Series, but actually win again. With a city focused on Yankee baseball, the right ingredients were what mattered most for the Mets. And in 2000, they had the right team that made it back to the World Series, but this time met a Yankees team that was stronger and more experienced winning the big game, so the Mets settled for another year waiting in second place to the Yankees and longing for that elusive ring.

With six more years of trying to get it right, the Mets tried again to bring in talent from out of the organization through trade and free agency and had a team that the starting lineup consisted of only two homegrown players as in David Wright and Jose Reyes. This mix of players took them to the brink of another World Series appearance, only to be beaten by the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS and once again sending the organization back to the drawing board to try and get it right.

Well in 2013, I believe they finally have the pieces in place to maybe mimic the youth movement of the early to mid 1980’s. Twenty Seven years later, the Mets have decided to go with what they knew best back in the day, to build a team around a few stars, but allow their younger players to grow into superstars.

The lineup that the Mets posted on Opening Day 2013 included six home grown players and the 25 man roster today in total includes 15 players that are from the Mets minor league system. Very impressive when you consider what that would mean to a team in a big market who needs to put a winning product on the field each year. But for the Mets, with the talent that they are producing have set themselves up for many years to come with players that will grow up together and with the hopes of only getting better and one day winning that elusive ring that the franchise has longed for since the last one in 1986. And the Mets are not done yet with two young studs, catcher Travis d’Arnaud (Trade with Blue Jays) and Pitcher Zack Wheeler waiting for their turn to call Citi field their home, hopefully later this season.

This year may not produce a Mets World Championship, but once again there is a future in the Mets part of town and it is exciting. The season is very young (only six games in) but they are already exciting to watch and they are young and just want to play baseball. That is something not seen in NY in a very long time, but something that has been well worth the wait. This season is gearing up to be an exciting run for the Mets with an upside to the whole equation; the Mets are young and only going to get better. The Youth Movement is back in Queens.

That hasn’t stopped me before, but based on the wind, I had a feeling I was in store for a low-scoring game.

I even turned to my buddy before the game and told him to look at how quickly the flags on the top of the stadium were blowing in from the outfield. “We’re not going to see any homers tonight,” I said.

I sometimes like when I’m wrong.

Lucas Duda and Ike Davis crushed pure bombs deep into right field, while John Buck hit an impressive opposite-field two-run shot to right as well.

Duda’s ball was actually still rising as it cleared the yard and landed halfway up the Pepsi Porch. Davis’ blast was a moonshot that reached Shea Bridge. So much for the wind blowing in!

These home runs were an excellent sign for both players.

Duda struggled to open the spring but seemed to gain his stroke over the final few weeks. The contact he made on his homer last night was so solid, and he even added a booming double to right center as well.

For Davis – who had a good spring – that home run washed away any lingering thoughts about his Opening Day “Golden Sombrero.” Davis is going to strike out; it’s a fact. But if he’s dropping bombs like last night, the strikeouts won’t be too much of a concern.

Even more impressive is that these two lefties hit their homers off lefty Clayton Richard, who is no slouch on the mound after a 14-14 campaign last year for a mostly poor team. Davis and Duda don’t necessarily struggle against lefties, but it’s a great sign to see them display power against a southpaw.

Davis and Duda’s offense is one of the keys to this Mets’ season if the team stays relevant. The power they can provide in the middle of the order if they’re hitting can really go a long way.

Throw in right-handed hitters David Wright, Marlon Byrd and the hot-hitting Buck, and all of a sudden you have the makings of a balanced offensive lineup. And just imagine if Travis d’Arnaud pans out like expected!

It’s just two games, I know, but there is some potential here, which is exciting from a fan’s perspective. For a team that’s not supposed to set any home run records, Davis and Duda can at least provide a little bit of thump for the Amazins.