According to a report by Marc Carig of Newsday, Mets first baseman Lucas Duda is still bothered by a comment made by Royals third base coach Rusty Kuntz five months ago after Kansas City won the World Series.
Regarding Duda’s throwing error in the ninth inning of Game 5, Kuntz said, “Bless his heart, Duda. He’s a good bat.”
There was more to it than that and Duda didn’t take to kindly to any of it.
“He gave it to me pretty good,” Duda told Carig. “It’s his opinion, man. If he thinks I’m a (expletive) first baseman, then it’s OK.”
It was a wide throw to the plate by Lucas Duda that allowed Eric Hosmer to score the tying run in the ninth after Salvador Perez hit a grounder to third baseman David Wright.
Of course the Royals went on to win the game in 12 innings and become the World Series champs at Citi Field.
“I kind of hooked it, just sort of rushed it,” Duda said of his errant throw. “That’s really all it was. I just made an errant throw.”
While Duda admitted he was haunted by the play during the offseason, he’s over it now and will not let it affect his play this season.
“That’s one of those things that I think can break you or propel you. It’s not going to define my career. It’s not going to break me. I’m going to become stronger.”
