The fall of Joe Frazier. The Monday Nights of football.

The voice of Howard Cosell brought countless iconic moments to the masses. Saturday at Citi Field, the Cosell brand adds another to the list.

Colin Cosell, Howard’s grandson, was hired as the Mets public address announcer (along with Marysol Castro) last May. This weekend, he will introduce David Wright for the final game (games?) of his career.

“It’s impossible to describe.”

Let’s hope not.

“The way I see it, I’m going to be only the second person to bring David up to bat at home,” Cosell said. “With that comes a lot of responsibility to the fans, to David, and to the history of the franchise. I just want to make sure I do right by everyone.”

The next few days will be a celebration of David Wright’s career. But just like his ‘Poppa’, Colin is in the spirit of ‘just telling it like it is.’

“I expect Saturday to be an emotional roller coaster, almost like a massive playoff game,” he said. “However, no matter the score, we already know the outcome: we lose our Captain with the final out.”

Asked for a preview of his introduction, Cosell said he is still rehearsing. He knows his grandfather will be listening.

“He’s there to keep me in check and to keep the bar raised,” Cosell said. “Come Saturday, I have no doubt Poppa will be there both in my mind and spiritually. It will be the biggest moment I’ve been part of as a PA announcer. I’ll need him more than ever.”

The post MMO Exclusive: Introducing David Wright One Final Time appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

From All-Star to disappointment; that’s what fans saw as Jason Bay took the podium last night representing the Pirates at the 2016 MLB Draft.

Pittsburgh fans had a two-time All-Star and a middle-of-the-order slugger. Mets fans, however, saw what could have been, rather than what was.

Bay, in the area for the first time since retiring in 2013, holds similar feelings about his time in New York.

“When I look back,” he told MMO. “I just wish I had done better.”

Bay hit just .234 with 26 home runs in three seasons with the Mets after signing a 4-year, $66 million contract. He was bought out of his contract in 2012.

“I don’t regret it by any means, but I went there to do a job and I didn’t do it,” Bay said candidly about his Mets career. “Ultimately I live with that. It’s a performance-based game, it’s ‘what have you done?’ And I didn’t get it done.”

Bay said he was thrilled to see the Amazin’s capture the National League Pennant last season, and marveled at the quality of the “amazing” pitching staff. The 37-year-old still keeps in touch with several former teammates, including David Wright.

“Nobody cares more than he does,” he said. “He signed with the Mets at a time where things weren’t going well. He wanted to be here. He’s loyal to the Wilpons, he’s loyal to the team, and that goes a long way.”

Bay, who endured two concussions and a broken rib in New York, said injuries were one of the most infuriating parts of his Mets tenure.

“The toughest part is when you’re not healthy, there’s nothing you can do,” he said. “You can’t do anyone any good and that’s a very frustrating feeling.”

While he said he sympathizes with Wright’s situation, Bay stopped short of likening their struggles with injuries.

“I didn’t really build up any good will, I kind of came in here with expectations and didn’t get it done,” he said. “David’s built up an endless supply of good will in my opinion.”

The post MMO Exclusive: Jason Bay Wishes Things Could Have Been Better With Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Fifteen months ago, Michael Conforto had completed his junior year at Oregon State University. In a matter of days, he will participate in his first MLB postseason game.

Conforto told me before Sunday’s 1-0 win over the Nationals that being called up so soon after being drafted has “accelerated” his development. Now nearly on the eve of the NLDS, the 22-year old Mets rookie said he cannot wait for the playoffs to get started.

“I am really, really excited to get into playoff baseball,” he said. “It’s why we play the game. You want to be in the playoffs and play in the most exciting games at the end and be on the right track to win the World Series, we’ve got a shot. So I’m excited to see how things play out in L.A.”

The 22-year old left fielder debuted on July 24 at Citi Field against the Dodgers, starting all three games of the series. Based off of what he witnessed in that series, Conforto said he draws parallels in how both the Mets and Dodgers were constructed.

“Obviously they’re a solid club, they can swing it, they can play defense, they have really, really good pitchers,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a battle. The blueprint is kind of the same for our team.”

Conforto reached base seven of 12 times up at-bat in that Dodgers series, the most painful addition to his on-base percentage coming on a bases-loaded plunk from Zack Grienke, who the Mets will almost certainly face in Game 1 or 2 of the NLDS.

He said the key to success against the Dodgers’ powerful right-hander is simply to stick to the game plan they’ve had all season.

“We’ve got to take disciplined at-bats and not get away from ourselves,” he said. “Stick to our plan and have quality at-bats, and we’ll be fine.”

Finishing the year with a .270/.335/.506 slash as well as nine homers and 26 RBIs in just 56 games, Conforto will be looked to as an integral bat in the Mets first postseason berth since 2006.

Keep checking back over the course of the week as I’ll have more from Conforto along with interviews with Curtis Granderson, Michael Cuddyer and Kevin Plawecki who recap the regular season and comment on the upcoming Division Series.

The post MMO Exclusive: Michael Conforto Talks About Beating Dodgers With Metsmerized appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said he would be “very surprised” if infielder Juan Uribe were to make the NLDS roster.

The Mets are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Wednesday, and it doesn’t appear that Uribe will be make the trek as he continues to recover from a chest contusion.

This has opened the door for Kirk Nieuwenhuis to make the team, at least for the first round of the playoffs.

After the NLDS, should the Mets advance, they will be able to reevaluate and comprise a new roster for the NLCS which is a best of seven series.

October 4

Speaking to reporters at Citi Field before Sunday’s regular season finale, manager Terry Collins said that third baseman Juan Uribe is “iffy” to make the Mets roster for the NL Division Series against the Dodgers.

That would certainly open up a roster spot for Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

October 1

Terry Collins told reporters that veteran infielder Juan Uribe has made no progress with his chest injury and will now be examined by team doctors in New York.

Collins explained that the injury to Uribe is where sternum meets the clavicle, and the fear is that instead of a cartilage-related bruise they initially diagnosed, it may actually be a separation.

While Collins considers Uribe a valuable player to have against the Dodgers’ left-handers, he admits that his status for the NLDS is now up in the air.

Uribe, 36, re-injured his chest muscle after he appeared as a pinch hitter last Friday night in Cincinnati.

The post Alderson Would Be “Very Surprised” If Uribe Were On NLDS Roster appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The dust has settled, and the New York Mets are in the playoffs and will face the Los Angeles Dodgers sans home-field advantage beginning Friday, October 9.

With the postseason beginning next week, Terry Collins addressed a number of topics regarding the NLDS at his final regular season post-game press conference. Here are some of the highlights:

1.  The fun is only just beginning

“90 wins is a big step, it’s a huge step from where we’ve been and all the things we went through and to see the expression on their faces that they accomplished something. Even though they accomplished it last week, knowing what we’ve got ahead. I just talked to (Cespedes) and he said ‘the fun is just starting,’ and he is right. We’ve worked hard to get there and we’re going to enjoy it. We’re going to get ourselves ready this week and go out to LA and play like we know how.”

2. Bartolo Colon will be a “steadying influence” in the bullpen

“He brings a lot to the table and he’s going to be a steadying influence in that bullpen, we’ve got a lot of guys that are going to be in that bullpen in Los Angeles, so to have him sitting out there will help a lot.”

3. The Mets are confident in the rotation they’ve set for the NLDS

“I think Game 3 in a 5-game series is the pivotal game. So I told Matt a week ago, if we get in, you’re going to pitch Game 3. It’s big, it’s going to limit you obviously to the number of times that you’re going to pitch, which is part of the whole plan behind him saying ‘hey, I want to go out and pitch as much as I can at the end of the season.’

“And then we went with the guy who’s pitched the best all year, and that’s Jake deGrom. To have him start Game 1. Noah, who after his rest in September has been absolutely brilliant, he can go Game 2 and we’re going to come home and we have Matt taking the mound, so we kind of like the way it sets up and we’re going to let them go pitch their games.”

4. Terry appreciates the fan base’s patience, support

I sat here last October and told our fan base that their patience is going to be rewarded, but it was time for us to win. So I just wanted to go out an applaud them for all of their support. The last month, those series against the Nationals here. The energy in the stadium, I have never been around it, and the players talked about the importance of it all and so I just wanted to go around and thank everybody. You can’t shake everybody’s hand but just to let them know that we knew we were there, we appreciate their support and we promise to show them a good time come Friday.

5. Jim Leyland likes to throw stat books

“In ’92, we were getting ready for the playoffs against Atlanta when I was with Pittsburgh and all the information was not on a computer, it was in a binder that was about *this* thick. Jim Leyland at the end of the meeting took the binder and threw it up in the air and papers were flying all over the place and he said ‘understand something, this game is played by humans, who make mistakes.”

“So all the information we have is legitimate, but now we have to go out and execute it, and I think we have the guys who can go out and do that.”

The post 5 Things We Learned From Terry Collins Today appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

As the champagne flowed, the parade of interviews began and the cigar smoke filled the visiting locker room of Great American Ball Park Saturday, a wave of emotions passed over you. Satisfaction, relief, pure elation, perhaps a tear or two; all appropriate.

You’ve been on air all weekend. It’s difficult to explain what you’re feeling to a non-Mets fan.

They don’t have a separate dresser drawer dedicated to shirseys that can no longer be worn in public.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the vicious cycle of April hope, July disappointment and September football has been broken.

You’ve been through the collapses of 2007 and 2008. You remember the Sports Illustrated cover in March of 2009, picking the Mets to win it all; only to witness everyone not named Daniel Murphy or Mike Pelfrey head to the revolving door that became the 15-day disabled list.

Dropped pop-ups, 3-2 curves, valley fever, the Oli folly, boxes of chocolates; you’ve been through it all.

Sure, there’s been some good times, but maybe outside of HI57TORY, you haven’t felt this good about Mets baseball since Endy Chavez robbed Scott Rolen at the “apex of his leap.”

You watched every meaningless game in the dog days of summer, cheered in a half-empty ballparks, all for the hope that a day like Saturday was on the horizon.

You’ve spent the last month counting down the magic number, not trusting that this dream season was a reality until it hit zero.

Few sports fanbases have suffered more in the last decade than Mets fans have.

Now October baseball is real; it’s happening.

Don’t worry about explaining yourself.

Just savor it, enjoy it–you deserve it.

The post For Die-Hard Mets Fans, The Joy Is Indescribable appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The acquisitions of Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson and particularly Yoenis Cespedes proved crucial in sparking the Mets late-July turnaround. Cespedes, a multi-tool talent in the outfield, has performed so well, his name is being mentioned in MVP discussions despite just playing in just 36 National League games. Johnson and Uribe, in addition to their veteran presence, have contributed a number of timely hits and have been key pieces for Terry Collins to rotate around the infield.

These three deadline additions weren’t the only shot in the proverbial arm that has enabled these thrilling seven weeks of Mets baseball.

Travis d’Arnaud returned from injury on July 31 and has hit the cover off the ball ever since. In fact, d’Arnaud’s .954 OPS since the trade deadline is the highest of any Met with the exception of Cespedes during that period. The Mets are 32-16 when d’Arnaud is starting behind the dish, compared to 46-45 when he is not.

His performance at the plate in the last 30 days has rivaled some of baseball’s best. Over the last 30 days, d’Arnaud’s OPS ranks 6th in the National League, Cespedes is third. If his 11 homers and 37 RBIs in 49 games in 2015 were extended to a full season for a catcher (let’s say 130 games), d’Arnaud would have 29 homers and 98 RBIs and likely in more realistic talks for NL MVP.

Rookie Michael Conforto, as well as Johnson and Uribe, played their first career games as a Met in the Dodgers series from July 24-26, widely seen as the beginning of the new-look offense in Queens. Since then, Conforto has dominated right-handed pitching, ripping six homers and 19 RBIs while posting a .950 OPS in just 101 at-bats. Now the other side of the platoon with Conforto, Michael Cuddyer has managed a mere .714 OPS in 264 at-bats vs. righties.

While much of the attention has pointed to Cespedes, and deservingly so, there have been a number of other bats that have changed the Mets offense from awful to awe-inspiring; foul to feared.

When this season is “in the books,” whether in the first week of October or the last, Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto ought to be remembered as two core additions in the final week of July that helped the Mets turn the corner when the season looked like it was on the rocks, not just Cespedes.

The post Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto: Unsung Heroes of 2015 Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In the last three weeks, the conversation has largely shifted from if the Mets make the postseason to when. The question still remaining however, is whether this is a team capable of playing deep into October or not.

Bobby Valentine, who knows a thing or two about quality Mets baseball, believes this year’s club could win it all.

“I think they could win a World Series,” Valentine told me Saturday while I was covering the Mets game for WSOU–Seton Hall’s student radio station. “Those guys are healthy and they’re out there pitching. No one wants to play the New York Mets.

In addition to the pitching staff that are “compared to none,” Valentine said the 2015 Mets just have the right formula for postseason success.

“When you get really good talent and then you get really good health you have a chance of being more than competitive down the stretch, I think you have a chance of winning it,” he said.

The flurry of deadline deals, highlighted by the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes, not only drastically improved an offense that was in dire need of assistance, but made a statement that the Mets were ready to play relevant baseball into the final weeks of the season. Valentine, who’s 1998 team benefited from the midseason trade for Mike Piazza, said it is a major confidence booster for a ball club when a front office chooses to buy at the deadline.

“It just changes the attitude,” he said. “Once the attitude changes, life is good. Guys go up there now feeling good about themselves.”

It is that attitude alteration, particularly on offense, that Valentine said puts the Mets over the top.

“They didn’t have enough confidence, now they have enough confidence on offense,” he said. “So they’re the team to beat.”

The post MMO Exclusive: Bobby Valentine Says Mets Could Win World Series appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sandy Alderson acquired much more in the last 10 days than just three bats and a reliever.

In choosing to buy at the trade deadline, Alderson and the New York Mets have opted for competitive late-season baseball for the first time in the history of Citi Field.

That vote of confidence has had a ripple effect on the Mets clubhouse, who prior to the trade for Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson, had lost six of their last eight, including two of three against the then-division leading Washington Nationals.

Having scored an MLB-worst 3.4 runs per game prior to the July 25 trade, the Mets offense has improved that figure by nearly two runs since. Much of the offense however, has been without the help of the three new additions to the lineup—hat tip to Lucas Duda—who are hitting a combined 9-for-45 with 11 strikeouts in their first week in New York.

We have heard for much of the last five seasons that the Mets have the ability to spend, but after payroll shrank from the $140 million when Alderson took over to as low as $85 million, there had been understandable doubt.

Sure enough, after roughly $8.5 million in payroll was taken on—in part aided by money recuperated from David Wright’s injury and Jenrry Mejia’s suspension—over the course of 10 days, there has been a dramatic cultural shift in the mentality at Citi Field. Following the trio of trades, teams are taking this laughing-stock of recent years turned contender seriously.

In giving the ballclub the pieces needed to make a legitimate pennant push, the Mets gave their team, and their fans, a renewed sense of confidence heading into the stretch run.

This is no better exemplified by the three-game sweep of the Nationals this weekend, a team the Mets had posted a 2-16 record against at home since September of 2013 entering the series.

Two weeks ago the Amazin’s were a team with an unbelievable young group of arms, but no offense to support them. They now have a middle of the order worth intentionally walking and a bench with pinch hitters that are an improvement over the pitcher they’d replace.

Citi Field is packed and the Mets are in the thick of things entering the final two months of the season.

It’s amazing what a little help can do.

The post This Weekend Proved What A Little Confidence Can Do appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Noah Syndergaard flirted with history in a masterful performance Tuesday as the Mets (52-48) cruised to a 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres (47-53) at Citi Field.

Tonight was by far the best performance of Thor’s young career; he had everything working for them and the Padres couldn’t get anything going. Syndergaard took a perfect game into the seventh inning in the victory; the bid ending on a leadoff single by future Met Will Venable. Yangervis Solarte would follow with a single as well, setting up a first-and-third situation with nobody out. After Matt Kemp popped up to second, Syndergaard got Justin Upton to ground into the 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. Syndergaard would complete eight shutout innings, surrendering just three hits while walking none and striking out nine, earning his fifth win of the season.

Lucas Duda put the Mets ahead for good in the top of the first inning with a deep, two-run shot to dead center to make it a 2-0 ballgame. Duda’s home run, his 15th of the season, was measured at 462 feet; the longest homer ever by a Mets player at Citi Field according to ESPN Stats & Info. For Duda, it was his third home run in as many games, leading many to believe the Mets cleanup hitter may finally be getting his stride back.

In the eighth, Curtis Granderson also ripped a two-run homer, also for his 15th on the season, adding some insurance headed into the ninth. It was just the second home run for Granderson in the month of July.

Newly acquired Met Tyler Clippard came on to pitch the ninth to make his debut in Flushing. Clippard surrendering a leadoff double to Abraham Almonte but pitched a scoreless frame to close the door on the Padres and secure their 52nd victory on the season.

With the win and the Nationals falling to the Marlins 4-1, the Mets move within one game of first place in the National League East.

Bartolo Colon will get the ball Wednesday, squaring off against Tyson Ross in the second game of the Padres series, looking to secure a series victory. First pitch at Citi Field is scheduled at 7:10pm.

The post MMO Game Recap: Mets 4, Padres 0 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.