McLean only allowed two hits in his first major league outing. He held the Seattle Mariners scoreless over those 5 1/3 innings of work, striking out eight. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy was removed from the game at 91 pitches (55 strikes), and left-handed Gregory Soto worked around McLean’s inning-opening walk, to ensure a scoreless outing for the young right-handed prospect.

The only bugaboo for McLean was his inability to throw strikes at points. He walked four batters, a trend that followed him throughout his minor league stops, and specifically, this season, where he walked 50 across 113 2/3 total minor league innings. However, outside that, he was magnificent on Saturday.

McLean picked up right where he left off in the minor leagues. The metric, “Stuff+,” measures a pitch’s physical characteristics, such as velocity, movement, and spin. A 100 rating is average, while anything above qualifies as a “filthier” pitch while anything below 100 demonstrates a physically subpar pitch. McLean’s 126 “Stuff+” rating leads all Triple-A pitchers this season according to Eno Sarris of Fangraphs. This translated to the big leagues right away, as he posted a 106 “Stuff+” on Saturday. Specifically, his sweeper owned a “Stuff+” of 111 according to Thomas Nestico on X.

Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Analyzing more into McLean’s arsenal on Saturday; he threw his sweeper 36% of the time, sinker 26% of the time, curveball 21% of the time, fastball 10% of the time, and mixed in a cutter and changeup a combined 6% of the time. With this pitch mix, he was able to generate 11 whiffs on 38 swings, good for a 29% whiff rate. Fox context, the average in the big leagues this season is around 23%.

McLean was also able to get hitters the chase, specifically, his curveball induced a 46.2% chase rate. For context, the average induced chase rate by pitchers in the big leagues is 29-to-30%. Further, to show how lethal that curveball was on Saturday, the pitch averaged 3,279 RPM of spin. Entering Saturday, the pitcher who led the major leagues in curveball spin was veteran Charlie Morton. His average sits at 3,168 RPM.

To top off the sensational debut outing, the former two-way player also flashed the glove on numerous occasions. The most notable was a double play he turned in the third inning with his back up against the wall. McLean found himself in a bases loaded, one-out situation thanks to two walks to lead-off the inning and a single by current American League MVP favorite, Cal Raleigh. McLean got Julio Rodríguez to hit a ground ball right back up the middle. The former third-round pick made a nifty behind-the-back snag and tossed the ball to second base starting the 1-4-3 inning-ending double play.

In his first big-league start, McLean was as promised. He turned in a sparkling outing while flashing the stuff that had the young pitcher ranked by several as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball. He was so good, he made Mets history, of sorts, as he became the second Mets pitcher to win their big league debut, allow zero runs, and have eight or more strikeouts, as pointed out by MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Hopefully, this is just the beginning in McLean’s journey to be a stalwart in the Mets’ rotation for years to come.

The post Nolan McLean Makes Terrific First Impression appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Opening Day is finally here! After five long months of cold weather and no Mets baseball, Amazin’ fans can rejoice as their club will take the field yet again today. Last season was a wild roller coaster ride that saw the Mets look dead in the water a couple of months in, to doing a complete 180 and going to the sixth game of the NLCS. The squad from Queens has now added some new faces, including former crosstown foes Juan Soto and Clay Holmes, to try to get themselves over the hump. The energy is high as another exciting season is on tap in Queens!

The Mets open up in Houston today at 4:10 p.m. EST. It will be Clay Holmes making his first start as a Met, going against Astros ace Framber Valdez.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Manny Randhawa of MLB.com did an interview with Juan Soto’s mentor and Little League coach, Rafel Zapata, who turned Sot from a pitcher to a position player. 

Frankie Montas‘ MRI this week showed “really good healing” in his strained right lat, David Stearns said. He still is a week or two away from starting a throwing program, per Tim Healey of Newsday.

Steve Cohen went in depth with Jon Heyman of the NY Post on how any why he went to the length that he did to get Soto.

Carlos Mendoza says Brett Baty will receive “a lot of the reps” at second base with Jeff McNeil starting the season on the IL, per SNY.

Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña made the Opening Day roster. Click here to learn more about the Mets’ Opening Day cuts.

Latest MLB News

Strauss is beginning a Minor League Baseball partnership as the first brand partner on MiLB helmets, per David Broughton of Sports Business Journal.

RHPs Carl Edwards Jr. and Touki Toussaint each signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels and were assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

New Brewers starter and former Met Jose Quintana agreed to be optioned to the minors to complete his build-up, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

In 2025 spring training, the ABS challenge system yielded these results: 4.1 challenge per game, 52.2% overturn percentage, 2.6% of called pitches challenged and 13.8 seconds added per challenge.

The Yankees and Mets are expected to generate $909 million in economic impact for New York City during the 2025 regular season, according to projections from NYC mayor Eric Adams and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, per Mike Mazzeo of Sports Business Journal.

Pirates star young pitcher Jared Jones is dealing with a UCL sprain and the organization is being careful and exploring other avenues as they try to avoid Tommy John surgery, per Noah Hiles of Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette.

Latest on MMO

MMO has released their 2025 pre-season MLB power rankings. 

Check out MMO’s preview on new Met A.J. Minter!

See what moves the Mets made to complete their opening day roster.

On This Date in Mets History

2022: Jacob deGrom pitches the first three innings and Max Scherzer finishes the game with six innings in relief as they strike out 12 in a 7-3 spring training win over the Cardinals.

1987: The Mets acquire David Cone from the Royals in exchange for Ed Hearn, Rick Anderson and Mauro Gozzo. 

Born on This Date: Clay Holmes (1993), Brandon Nimmo (1993), Matt Harvey (1989), Johnny Monell (1986), Michael Cuddyer (1979), Bill Sudakis (1946).

The post Morning Briefing: Opening Day is Here! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby field was officially set Wednesday as the final two spots were filled for the eight-man event. Earlier in the day, MLB announced that Rangers slugger Adolis García would be participating in the derby for the second year in a row. Shortly after, during last night’s Phillies-Dodgers game on ESPN, while mic’d up, Teoscar Hernández told the broadcast booth that he would be the final participant in the Home Run Derby. The two join two-time derby champ and Mets first baseman, Pete Alonso, as well as Gunnar Henderson, Marcell Ozuna, Alec Bohm, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Ramírez.

On Wednesday night, the Mets took Game 2 of their six-game homestand in another solid all-around performance, beating the Nationals 6-2. Luis Severino battled through 6 1/3 innings, only allowing 2 ER on 4 H and leaving the game at a 2-1 deficit. However, a four-run sixth inning led by Jose Iglesias put the Mets up 5-2, and it was smooth sailing for the Amazin’s from there on. The Mets are now only 0.5 games back of the Padres for the third Wild Card spot and 1.0 games back of the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot. Click here for the full game breakdown.

It’s an early start for the Mets on Thursday as they’ll go for a sweep of the Nationals with David Peterson (3-0, 3.58 ERA) going against Mackenzie Gore (6-7, 3.83 ERA) at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

The Mets placed RHP Reed Garrett on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation and activated newly acquired RHP Phil Maton. Along with that, they also optioned RHP Eric Orze to Triple-A Syracuse and called up LHP Danny Young from Syracuse. Click here for more information on the club’s moves.

The Mets are considering having Kodai Senga pitch Sunday at Triple-A Syracuse on standard rest, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The club would rather give Senga five days of rest between starts, but the All-Star break prevents them from doing so now unless his next outing is a sim game.

Infield prospect JT Schwartz was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse after the 24-year-old hit .295/.408/.424 for Double-A Binghamton this season. 

Pitching prospect Jonah Tong continues to deal for High-A Brooklyn: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 80 pitches/53 strikes. His High-A ERA is down to 2.85.

Ryan Clifford had another good night at the plate for Double-A Binghamton, going 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and six RBIs. He has a .923 OPS for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Latest MLB News

Max Scherzer told A.J. Pierzynski of Foul Territory TV that he would not be willing to waive his no-trade clause at this year’s trade deadline. Scherzer in response to potentially waiving the no-trade clause, “Yeah, I’m not gonna do that… We’re gonna play better baseball. It’s gonna be a moot point to even talk about… We’re gonna win here.” 

HBO will be releasing a four-part documentary series on Pete Rose which will chronicle the life and career of one of sports’ most polarizing figures. The docuseries will premiere on July 24 on HBO Max.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was placed on the restricted list after previously being on administrative leave, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Franco will not be paid and will not be able to accrue service time.

After being charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor on Tuesday, Franco is now also being accused of human trafficking according to a press release by Dominican authorities, per Juan Arturo of ESPN. If convicted, the crime has penalties up to 20 years in prison. 

Bobby Miller, who was supposed to be one of the top arms in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation this season, was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Miller missed two months due to a right shoulder injury and has given up 19 earned runs in 17 1/3 IP since returning, ballooning his ERA to 8.07 on the season. 

The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly offered Aaron Judge a 10-yearm $300 million deal before he returned to the Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million deal in 2022, per Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays, a notoriously frugal franchise, have only doled out two contracts topping $100 million in their history. 

A robot bartender is going to be serving drinks at Globe Life Field during All-Star Week in Texas. 

A robot bartender is going to be serving drinks during All-Star Week in Texas 👀🤖

(via @stensinthecity) pic.twitter.com/IGp4DM6ZAl

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2024

The New York Yankees signed left-handed relief pitcher Tim Mayza to a minor league deal, per Katie Woo and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Mayza was recently released by the Blue Jays after over six years in Toronto.

Former Mets RHP Matt Festa signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, per Shawn McFarland of Dallas Morning News. The Staten Island native was DFA’d by the Mets on July 3rd after one appearance with the club.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari analyzes the Mets new acquisition, Phil Maton.

Mojo Hill details the Mets’ decision to put Reed Garrett on the injured list and the other bullpen moves.

Ricky Keeler highlights how Jose Quintana has hit his stride with Francisco Alvarez behind the dish.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: Francisco Alvarez hits a home run in the Futures Game during All-Star weekend at Coors Field in Colorado.

2018: Brandon Nimmo breaks a scoreless tie against the Phillies in the 11th inning with a three-run walk-off home run. 

2015: Matt Harvey hits his first career home run into the Party City Deck at Citi Field against Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

2006: After getting to the finals of the Home Run Derby the night prior, David Wright hits a home run in his first All-Star Game at-bat and joins Lee Mazzilli as the only Mets to ever go yard in the All-Star Game.

Birthdays: Blaine Boyer (43), Mark Little (52), Donne Wall (57), Jack Heidemann (75)

The post Morning Briefing: Home Run Derby Field is Set appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Regularly the smallest player on every organized team he played on, Collins realized that he could stand out by routinely playing harder than the rest.

Collins, 74, has spent over five decades in professional baseball. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 19th round of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft, he never appeared in the big leagues as a player. Collins soon understood that if he wanted to taste the life of a major leaguer, he would need to do so in a different way.

The baseball lifer worked his way up from managing in the minor leagues to earning a coaching spot with Jim Leyland’s Pittsburgh Pirates team before getting his first shot as a major league skipper with the Houston Astros in 1994. The Astros would go on to finish second in the N.L. Central in each of the three seasons Collins was at the helm. Houston fired him following the 1996 season, however, after the team went 8-17 in September and saw their division lead disappear.

Collins wasn’t out of work long though, as the Anaheim Angels named him the 15th manager in franchise history in November of 1996. The Angels won 84 and 85 games, respectively, in 1997 and 1998, but went a disappointing 51-82 in their first 133 games of the 1999 season. Despite receiving a contract extension midway through that campaign, Collins resigned as manager following a nine-game losing streak at the end of August. Stories of player unrest and a fractious clubhouse marred Collins’ tenure as Angels manager.

Following stints as an advance scout with the Chicago Cubs, bullpen and third base coach with the Tampa Bay Rays, field coordinator and director of player development with the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, Collins was hired by the New York Mets as their minor league field coordinator for the 2010 season.

Almost a year after the Mets brought Collins on, he was tasked with a new, yet familiar, responsibility: managing a ball club.

Collins returned to the dugout, becoming the 20th skipper in Mets history. He made a promise to himself to enjoy this time more and not make the same mistakes he did with the Astros and Angels.

In total, he was at the helm for seven seasons (2011-2017), becoming the second manager in franchise history to lead the club to back-to-back postseasons in 2015 and 2016 (joining Bobby Valentine). Collins is the longest-tenured manager in Mets history, managing 1,134 regular season games.

Recently, Collins joined X (formerly Twitter) and began a podcast with John Arezzi aptly called “The Terry Collins Show.” The weekly show features Collins bringing listeners behind the scenes of a major league clubhouse, along with hosting a variety of guests, including David Wright, R.A. Dickey and Daniel Murphy.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Collins over the phone, where we discussed his playing career, transitioning to managing and some of his memories from his time with the Mets.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Collins: I grew up in Michigan, and Al Kaline was a big star with the Tigers. There was another player named Rocky Colavito who became a great player with the Tigers.

The Yankees won a lot back then, so I was a big Mickey Mantle fan.

One of the stations we listened to in Michigan had Milwaukee Braves baseball. I used to listen to the great Braves players like [Hank] Aaron and [Eddie] Mathews. The catcher’s name was Del Crandall, who I played for in the minor leagues. So that was cool.

MMO: You played all over the field throughout your minor league career. Were you always a versatile player?

Collins: I grew up playing just second base. I was always the smallest guy on every team I ever played. Second base was my position, and I only played a couple of games at shortstop in American Legion.

When I got to college, I made the team as a freshman. The first game we had was a doubleheader, and the second baseman on varsity got hurt. They brought me up for those two games, and I got six hits in the doubleheader.

The next day the coach asked me, “Can you play shortstop?” I told him yes. He said, “Well, meet me at the field,” and the following day I played shortstop against the University of Michigan. I ended up playing shortstop the rest of my career at Eastern Michigan.

MMO: You’ve always been known as an intense and fiery competitor. Do you remember when you first started displaying those traits?

Collins: Well, again, I’m a little guy. When I had to compete, if I was going to compete, I had to play hard. I played harder than anybody.

When I was a little boy, my mother got a phone call from one of my friend’s mothers. She said, “I don’t want Bobby playing with Terry anymore. He plays too hard.”

When my dad got home from work that night, my mom said to him, “You need to talk to Terry.” My dad asked, “Why?” She said, “One of the mothers called and said Terry plays too hard, and we need to talk to him.” My dad said, “I’ll talk to him.” She asked, “What are you going to tell him?” He said, “I’m going to tell him not to play with Bobby anymore.” [Laughs.]

MMO: When and how did the chance to manage in the minor leagues come about? 

Collins: It’s pretty funny. My first spring training, I saw Triple-A guys who were 29-30 years-old still playing. I wrote a letter to my mother that spring telling her there are guys who are 29 and 30 years old still playing in the minors. I told her I’m giving it three years, and if I’m not in the big leagues in three years, I’m going to go back and use my education. Fifty years later, I’m still doing it!

I kind of fell in love with the game. The one thing I always wanted to do was be a coach. When I went to the Dodgers organization from the Pirates, in spring training you would go into a backroom, and they had this little area where guys could get a beer. It was part of the complex. You would sit there and listen to [Sandy] Koufax, [Don] Drysdale, [Johnny] Podres, Maury Wills, Wes Parker, Walter Alston and [Tommy] Lasorda. They were always at spring training. You just sat there and absorbed as much information as you could.

When I was hoping I would get a chance to manage, as I said, I played for Del Crandall. I picked his brain because he was an outstanding minor league manager, great teacher, and great teacher of catching. Back then, you didn’t have any coaches in the minor leagues; it was just you. I had to learn how to teach catching, how to teach outfield play and how to work with the pitchers.

I picked the brains of those guys as much as I possibly could. I knew at some time I was going to have to use all of that information. It was the greatest education you could have.

MMO: It’s crazy to think there was a time where the only coach on a minor league time was the manager.

Collins: My first year managing, I’m in Lodi, California, and in the minors you have halves. So, the first half, our team wasn’t very good. Fernando Valenzuela burst onto the scene in Los Angeles, and he was throwing a screwball. There was an older pitcher the Dodgers had at one time named Jim Brewer, and Jim threw a screwball. The Dodgers hired him to go through the minor leagues and try to teach some guys that were average pitchers the screwball.

The first place he came was Lodi. He saw our pitching staff and said, “Terry, first of all, I’m going to teach them how to throw their fastballs for strikes. I’m not worried about the screwball. If they can’t throw their fastballs for strikes, the screwball is not going to help them.”

He turned our entire pitching staff around in three weeks. We ended up winning the second half and won the championship because Brewer came and taught my pitchers to throw strikes with their fastballs. That’s the kind of stuff you got the opportunity with. Again, this was my first year coaching by myself.

When I got to Triple-A, we had coaches; we had a pitching coach and third base coach. My pitching coach was Dave Wallace, who was one of the best pitching coaches for a long time and one of my best friends. He had to go home, and I’m the only guy who’s ever had Sandy Koufax as a pitching coach. Sandy used to roll through the minor leagues, and he came to Albuquerque when Dave was going to be gone. Sandy was my pitching coach for a day.

MMO: You can’t do much better than having Koufax offering his tutelage.

Collins: We were sitting on the bench and the game was going on, and I brought a pitcher in for the ninth. He walked the first guy, and I went, “God damn it!” And Sandy, sitting next to me, said, “Did you ever pitch?” I said, “No.” Then he said, “Well, it ain’t that easy.” I never, ever said that again! I learned a lesson in one little sentence. [Laughs.]

MMO: Can you talk a bit about the role Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland played in your development as a skipper?

Collins: Jim had a similar background as me. He only got to Double-A as a player; I spent six years in Triple-A. Neither of us got to the big leagues. Jim started managing at a young age and was stuck in the Tigers organization where Sparky [Anderson] was the manager, so Jim was going nowhere.

He was stuck in Triple-A and had a chance to go with Tony La Russa, but he wanted to be a Tiger; that’s all he wanted to do. Sparky wouldn’t hire him, so Jim ended up leaving. It was a very similar thing [for me]. Tommy [Lasorda] was the manager of the Dodgers, and he was never going to go until he decided he was going to. There was no place for me.

I had been managing in Albuquerque for six years as the Triple-A manager, and I had a chance to go to the Pittsburgh Pirates and manage their Triple-A team. I went to Pittsburgh and asked, ‘How do I get to the big leagues?’ I met Jim, and he liked me, and he brought me to the big leagues three years later. We had this relationship because of our backgrounds. He’s such an entertaining guy and funnier than heck.

In September, they started bringing the Triple-A manager up to the big leagues at the end of the season as part of the call-ups; they bring five, six, seven guys up in September. They started bringing the managers up so that you could help the coaches and the [minor league] manager knows about the [minor league] players. The other teams brought their minor league guys up who I saw [play]. So you could help.

When I got to the big leagues, Jim said to me, “Here’s your job: I want you to sit next to me on the bench during the games. I want you to throw batting practice to [Barry] Bonds, [Bobby] Bonilla and [Andy] Van Slyke. If I ever see you throwing batting practice to Tom Prince, I’m going to send you back to Triple-A. When the game’s over, I want you to come in, sit right over there in the corner, and listen to what kind of questions the sportswriters ask me and how I answer them. You don’t have to say the same things I say, but you need to hear the kind of questions you’re going to face.”

For the next number of years, that’s what I did. We’d sit on a plane together, and I’d ask questions about situations that happened in the game that night. He’s very upfront and blunt about it and would talk about it.

I asked him one time, ‘Jim, when you got the job in ’86 in Pittsburgh, what changes have you made to be the manager you are today?’ He looked off for a second and said, “Well, I’ll tell you, Terry. The biggest change I made was I write Barry Bonds’ name in a lineup now and not Jason Thompson’s.” [Laughs.]

MMO: There’s no better way to get acclimated to a future as a major league manager then getting to essentially shadow one as you did with Leyland.

Collins: Absolutely. They had a lockout one time, and Jim was in minor league spring training, so there were no big-league players at camp. The Triple-A manager ran spring training with the Pittsburgh organization at the time, so I ran spring training.

When it was over, Jim came over to me and said, “They opened up the camp for the big-league players. I don’t make promises but the next spot on my staff, you’re it.” That’s how I got my chance. I was really lucky, and we’ve just been very, very good friends. We stay in constant contact.

MMO: Are you planning on being in Cooperstown for his induction into the Hall of Fame this summer?

Collins: Yeah, absolutely.

MMO: I interviewed Ned Colleti several years ago, and he sang your praises during your time with the Dodgers as director of player development. He said when you left for Japan, he often missed your approach, intellect and honesty. What are your memories from your time with the Dodgers organization?

Collins: I was talking with Andy Green when he got the job with the Mets, and I told him that he’s the perfect guy. I told him he can make a huge impact on people. What helped me, Mathew, to be honest, I had already managed in the big leagues for six years. I had some situations with young players that got to the big leagues that failed miserably, and they were good players! It took them a while to get through it. That was one of the theories when I became the minor league director of Los Angeles was, look, I’m going to challenge my good players, and if they’re good enough they’ll get it and move faster.

I challenged Matt Kemp when he was 19; I put him in Double-A. He might have had a little problem in the beginning, but at the end of the year, he’s the best player in the league bar none.

My time with the Dodgers, Paul DePodesta was the GM, and when Jim Tracy was let go and I was going to get that job, Paul got fired two days before they were going to name me the manager. Ned got hired, and he came down to Florida to talk to me, and he said, “Look, you’re not going to get the job. I’m going to go with somebody else.” I said, “Okay.” And he said, “I don’t know what you want to do.” I told him, ‘I’m going to do what I always do: I’m just going to do my job.’

But I didn’t mope; shit happens! I stayed on and tried to help Ned as best I could and was always there and calling about different things. I had a great relationship with him, but I had a chance to go to Japan [to manage] for a lot of money, and I couldn’t turn that down. That’s why I left.

MMO: How would you compare baseball in Japan vs. the States?

Collins: The whole game’s different. Number one, they are fundamentally off the charts; tremendous cut-offs and relays. They can lay down the best bunts you’ll ever see, they can run the bases – they don’t steal a lot – but they run the bases great. They play to score one run and they play to protect one run. It might be the top of the first inning, and a guy’s on third base with one out and they’re bringing that infield in. They’re not giving up runs. You’re going to have to get a hit to earn a run; that’s how they play.

They have a tremendous work ethic. I mean, the pitchers with 200-pitch bullpens between starts, and hitters will take 500 swings before a game. They trained themselves and want to make the game easier so they get themselves into tremendous shape. They run and run and run and run!

You go to spring training, and they don’t have the number of fields we have over here, but spring training starts at nine in the morning and you’re off the field at six. You have dinner, and then the players get their bats and go out in the parking lot and swing. The rookies went to a room at the hotel and had night batting where they used wiffle balls. It’s pretty intense. It’s always go, go, go!

They have a day off or two every week, they play 144 games, but there’s a number of off days. They take the bullet trains, or they’ll take an easy flight, which are only an hour and ten minutes.

They’re very sound players. All of their pitchers throw the ball over the plate. Here, we like strike one and then expand the zone. They do almost the opposite. They nibble the outside corner and see if you’ll swing at it. If you don’t, they’ll throw it over. They don’t like to strikeout, so those guys will put the ball in play. They’ll hit that borderline pitch. They may not hit it good, but if you really work the count, you’re going to get a good ball to hit.

When I got over there, Bobby Valentine told me, “Terry, you’re not going to like the cut-offs or relays, but leave them alone because they do it.” Mathew, in all my years in the United States, I have never seen a guy tag up at third base on a fly ball to the outfield and try to score where the ball is cut off and relayed to home never be thrown out. I saw it three times in Japan! They are so good at it. Every cut off is perfectly thrown.

MMO: Did you take anything you learned in Japan and bring it back to the States when you were managing the Mets?

Collins: Not really. I saw a thing the other day that Carlos [Mendoza] was saying we took infield. Well, you know, in all my years in New York, we took infield. You know how they used to take it after batting practice? We took it before. When we were at home, our guys threw to the bases twice during a homestand. The outfielders loved it. You had [Yoenis] Céspedes and [Juan] Lagares, who both had tremendous arms. It was like a challenge of who was going to make the better throw.

Tommy Goodwin was my outfield coach, and those guys loved him. We took infield/outfield most every day. Those fundamentals in Japan, I remember I took an American coach over and a scout asked him one day before the game, “You guys going to take infield?” And John said, “Let me think, this is our hundredth game, and we’ve taken infield one-hundred times. Yeah, we’ll take it again.” [Laughs.]

I liked it. You make it easy because they want to take ground balls anyway. We came out 15 minutes early before we started hitting, and guys got all of their defensive work in. Now, if you want to take some balls off the bat during batting practice, that was fine. It eliminated guys getting hit because they were catching a ground ball while someone was taking BP. It really helped out, and I thought it was a big difference, so I brought that over.

Their batting practices at home [in Japan], have two cages going; they have a right-handed pitcher and a left-handed pitcher. You just go from cage to cage. It’s tremendous! They have routines, man. I saw [Yu] Darvish when he was 19. I saw [Masahiro] Tanaka when he was 17. They were electric, and both threw between starts. They would throw 150 pitches in the bullpen because that would make their game easier when they got to 120. That was their theory. But you couldn’t bring that here. You’d never get an American guy to do that.

MMO: The July 29, 2015, game is one fans will likely never forget with the sight of Wilmer Flores crying on the field believing he had been traded. What memories stick out for you from that night, and how did you go about managing a game that clearly had so much off-the-field speculation going on?

Collins: It was during the trade deadline, and Wilmer’s name was never mentioned; Sandy did that stuff himself. I’m just standing in the dugout and the game’s going on, and Wilmer was on deck, and some fans were yelling good luck and we love you. I’m going, “What the heck is that?”

David [Wright] came up to me and said, “Terry, it’s all over TV. He’s been traded.” I said, ‘David, he has not been traded.’ He said, “I’m telling you they’re broadcasting right now on TV; he’s been traded.” I said, “David, this guy has not been traded. You see that phone right there?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, ‘That phone goes to Sandy. If there’s a deal done, that phone would be ringing, and I’d be taking him out of the game.”

Now people are telling Wilmer he’s been traded, and he’s upset. I walked down the dugout to him, and I said, “Hey, let’s go. You’re on this team. You have not been traded. You’ve got to go out and play.” He goes out, and sure enough, he starts crying on the field. As he comes in off the field, I went over to him, and at the time, I think he was the only shortstop I had who was healthy. I said, “Look, you’ve got to finish this game, man. You’re fine, you’re still a Met. You’re not going anywhere.”

He went back, and he’s still crying on the field. The next thing you know, the phone rings, and it’s Sandy. And he said, “You’ve got to take Wilmer out.” I asked, ‘Is he traded?’ He said, “No, but he’s crying on the field!” So, he came back in, and I got him out, and sure enough, he wasn’t traded. I didn’t know what else to do. I told him, ‘Wilmer, if you were traded, I would’ve been told, and I would’ve taken you out of the game. You are a Met. Everything’s going to be okay.’

Sure enough, it ended up being okay. And that’s why, Mathew, two days later he hit that home run against the Nationals that couldn’t have been written. You can’t read a Hollywood script better than that.

MMO: Your “To who? For What” postgame comment will forever be etched in my brain. I always loved watching your pre and postgame press conferences because you were very transparent.

Collins: Absolutely, Mathew, and I’m going to go back to Jim Leyland. Right when I got my interview with the Houston Astros, I called Jim and said, ‘I’m going to go to Houston tomorrow and interview for the manager job.’ He said, “I’ll meet you at the stadium.” I was living in Pittsburgh, and we went to the stadium and I spent six hours with him. He just talked about all these different questions that I was going to face and different things.

One of the things he said was, “Listen, I’m going to tell you right now, you treat every reporter as if they’re the sports editor of The New York Times. There are no dumb questions, but if you’re hit with one, treat it like any other question. Don’t belittle the guy, just answer the question.”

When I got to the Mets, Jay Horwitz was the guy who told me, “Terry, one of the best things you can do is learn everybody’s name.” When I did these press conferences and if Mike Puma asked me a question, I would say, “Well, you know Mike…” Now his name is tied to that question.

There were some questions asked by some young guys or people from a different team or something that didn’t make much sense and all the writers would laugh. I didn’t laugh; I just answered the question. I thought that really helped, not to belittle any reporter. They have a job to do, and I respect it.

The only thing I ever asked of these guys was not to lie. Don’t make something up. It’s your opinion and strictly your opinion; that’s fine. There were a couple of times where there was an unnamed source that says this. I would go to them and say, “I know you won’t tell me who it was that said it, but how do I know you just didn’t make that up? Maybe you just said this is what I think, and I’m going to put it down and say somebody else said it.” I always did that one-on-one, I never did it in front of any of the other writers.

After your press conference, you’ve got to budget two minutes for almost every one of those guys; they all want their own two minutes. They’d ask a question or two for their own stories that they don’t want out there. That’s why I try and tell anybody that’s ever managed in New York that you’ve got to understand to budget your time for these guys and answer their questions. Don’t blow them off because they’ve got the pen, and they can make it miserable for you. Just treat them with respect, and that’s about it. I thought it helped me out a lot.

MMO: How beneficial was the Matrix during the 2015 season?

Collins: It was just coming into play then. I think it was a great coaching tool, I think it’s really good for coaches to use. The players can get overwhelmed with information, and their job is to go play. As a coach or manager, you take that information and try to use it to your benefit to put those guys in the best position to succeed. We didn’t flood them with a bunch of information; I just didn’t like it. Number one, most of them have played a long time, I had a pretty veteran club. The last thing I want to do is put stuff in their head.

I remember one time when I was in Anaheim, Tim Salmon, who’s a great, great player, somebody on the team said, “Hey, I’ve got the signs. Do you guys want them? If I’m on base I can tell you what’s coming.” And Tim said, “I do not want to know. I’m fine.” I asked him after the game was over why that was, and he said, “Terry, if he’s wrong, it’ll screw me up mentally. Let me just figure it out.” I thought that made sense.

They used it (analytics) a lot in Japan. In interleague play in Japan, you can have your advance scout on the bench with you. The other team brought in a pitcher, so this advance scout got up and talked to my rookie shortstop, who was a pretty nice player, and said, “There’s a thirty percent chance you’re going to get this, another thirty percent chance you’re going to get this pitch, a twenty-five percent chance you’re going to get this pitch.” You’ve got to be shitting me! [Laughs.] Go up there, and if you get a fastball, hit it!

You’ve got to filter it. I thought our coaches did a great job of using that information for their benefit to help the players and not try to overwhelm them.

MMO: One of the moments I’ll always remember is when SNY caught the shot of you going over and putting your arm around Jacob deGrom in the dugout after he gave up eight earned runs against the Texas Rangers in 2017. Do you remember some of the things you relayed to deGrom in that moment?

Collins: First of all, everybody saw how talented Jake was. Great talent. He was the best pitcher we had. There were times Matt [Harvey] was the best, or [Noah] Syndergaard might have been the best, but Jake was our guy.

I remember years ago, Walter Alston told me when I first started managing, “Terry, there are two kinds of players. There are the ones who have been humbled, and ones who will be humbled in this game.” And that was what I pretty much told Jake. Everybody’s going to have a bad day. [Sandy] Koufax had a bad day; Bob Feller had a bad day. He had a bad day. You’ve got to be able to forget about it, because in four days you’re going back out there, big boy. Blow it off, tip your cap and say I’ll see you in four days.

That was just a moment where you could look back and say, guess way? Welcome to the game. It’s not easy out there. That’s why guys who compete like he did, it can cause that humbleness that a player needs once in a while to realize the game is not easy. I thought that was a coaching chance for me to tell Jake that he’s still the guy. You’re going to be just fine, you had a bad night and move on.

MMO: Does a day go by where someone doesn’t mention the ass in the jackpot game?

Collins: You know what? It’s become part of me, it really has!

I live in St. Lucie, and I belong to a golf course where three quarters of the members are New Yorkers. During this time of year, people come down and they’ll come out and somebody will introduce me. And that’s the first thing they’ll bring up!

I have a friend who’s a golf pro at the pro shop, and every time I walk in the first thing I hear is, “Give us a shot! Gotta give us a shot!” So there’s not a day.

MMO: It still baffles me that Adam Hamari had such a quick trigger when it came to Syndergaard’s pitch behind Chase Utley.

Collins: That was my argument. Do you remember John McSherry? Great, big umpire. He actually died on the field in Cincinnati. He was a long-time umpire, and we had a fight in Houston. When the fight finally stopped, I went over to him, and he’s writing down names of guys he’s going to kick out. He never looked up; he was just writing names down. He said to me, “You get one shot. You get the first guy in the batter’s box and then I’m going to put an end to this.”

Four years later, I’m managing the Angels, and we get in a big fight in Kansas City. Don Denkinger said exactly the same thing to me when all the stuff stopped finally. He said, “You get the first guy and it’s over with.” This was the first time we saw Utley, and I was shocked. That’s why when Tom [Hailon] said, “You had a shot,” no we didn’t! This was it! That was my whole argument. I wasn’t mad at Tom; we didn’t get the chance to get Utley and that’s what I was upset about.

MMO: What advice would Terry Collins in his final year as manager in 2017 give to first-year manager Terry Collins in 1994?

Collins: Enjoy the game more. I took it real serious, that’s why I rubbed people the wrong way. I’m a pretty intense guy, you know, when I played, I was intense. I had an old manager tell me one time, “Players will take on the personality of the manager.” I really respected the game. I wasn’t a good enough player, but there wasn’t a time that I didn’t play as hard as I could. Not one day.

One year I broke my jaw, and seven days later with my jaw wired shut, I was in the lineup. I was playing with a pair of pliers in my pocket in case I got sick so I could snip the wires off. You just played; you played as hard as you could. I always thought you had to respect the game. If it wasn’t for baseball, what would we all be doing? Give it back, give it back effort. And for some people that rubbed them the wrong way. And I understood it. Shoot, I apologized to a lot of players.

Garret Anderson was a really good player, but he was one of those guys who didn’t run every ball out. One time I went up to him and asked, “Do you have a problem with me?” He said, “Absolutely not. You’re wound a little too tight for me, but I know you want to win, and I have no problem with that.” I told him okay, and that I just wanted to make sure because he’s going to be playing, he’s going to be in the lineup every day.

There are times where you’ve got to take a stance on something. It might rub a player the wrong way, but I just think that’s the way the game should be played and managed.

When I went to New York, I told myself that I’ve got to start enjoying the game more. I’ve got to enjoy my time because these jobs are hard to get. I’ve got good players, and there’s nothing more fun than going out with the best players in the world and competing. So, I told myself I’ve got to enjoy it, and that’s how I went about it in New York.

MMO: Tell me about joining X and starting a podcast. What can fans expect from “The Terry Collins Show”?

Collins: John Arezzi called me about it, and I had absolutely no idea I was going to do it. I’m not a big social media guy, and I’m too old to get on that stuff. But I just want to have some fun with it.

As you said earlier in the conversation, I’m an honest guy. I think there are things the fans might want to know about with the actions during a game or what goes on behind the scenes. The more they know the more they’ll enjoy the game. I want to have some fun and have guests on and talk about their careers.

I’ve got a buddy who’s a bookie, and one of the shows is going to be about gambling in sports, especially baseball. It’s just something to have some fun with and to relate to the fans. I’ve never been big enough in the game to think that I don’t have a relationship with the fans. I respect that. I try and say hi to everyone and take pictures. It takes ten seconds to sign an autograph, and that ten seconds means a lot to people.

MMO: When you look back over your fifty years in the sport, what are you most proud of?

Collins: That’s a tough one. I guess I’m most proud that I lasted for fifty years. After I signed, three years later I was released. I loved the sport and endured enough through all of the years, rode a lot of buses and didn’t make much money for a long, long time. I still respected and loved the game enough that it was fun, and it was all I wanted to do. So, I stayed with it.

I stayed with what I wanted to do and made a life. I took the ups and downs and tried to be the same guy every day. I think baseball teaches that.

Follow Terry Collins on Twitter, @TerryCollins_10.

Check out Terry’s podcast here.

The post MMO Exclusive: Former Mets Manager, Terry Collins appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It makes sense. The Mets desperately need starting pitching, Yamamoto is one of the most attractive option on the market, and Imanaga is no slouch himself. Instead of going into why each of them are targets, let’s go into what the Mets should do if they somehow pull of signing them – and a strategy that may work no matter which starters they add.

If they manage to bring in both Yamamoto and Imanaga, the Mets should take the leap and go to a six-man starting rotation. Not only would this approach be wise if those two are signed, but also a method that should be considered either way.

Yu Darvish. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

In 2014, a story by David Waldstein was published in the New York Times about Yu Darvish, then the ace for the Texas Rangers, lobbying for a six-man rotation. The article states how in Japan, teams only play six games a week. They use six starting pitchers, and each pitcher only throws once a week.

It wasn’t directly said by Darvish, but the article notes how this was during the same time fellow Japanese starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka suffered a partially torn UCL. Tanaka was in his first season with the Yankees, brand new to Major League Baseball and brand new to throwing in a five-man rotation. Obviously, the five-man rotation can’t definitively be blamed for the injury, but the article notes how Tanaka never had a serious injury in his career before that.

Darvish said he believed a six-man rotation could reduce the stress on pitchers elbows. 

“If you really want to protect players, we should add one more spot to the starting rotation,” Darvish is quoted saying.

Tanaka didn’t end up undergoing Tommy John surgery, he went the rehab route and returned just a couple of months later. He made two starts in September and was good to go for 2015. Unfortunately, by the time Tanaka was back on the mound, Darvish was off it.

On August 13, 2014, 23 days after Waldstein’s article, the Rangers placed Darvish on the disabled list with right-elbow inflammation. He didn’t pitch again until 2016.

During his first spring training start ahead of the 2015 season, Darvish felt discomfort in his triceps. His right elbow, which an Associated Press article from 2015 said checked out fine in the offseason, now showed inflammation and a partially torn UCL. Darvish, unlike Tanaka, underwent Tommy John surgery.

Colby Lewis, a former MLB and NPB pitcher, was quoted in the article voicing his support for a six-man rotation.

“I loved pitching once a week,” Lewis said. “You always felt great, really healthy and strong. Then you come here and pitch every fifth day, and it’s different. Look what happened to Tanaka. I’m not saying that’s the specific reason he got hurt, but it’s worth thinking about.”

Former Mets’ manager Bobby Valentine was also quoted in the article, and like the others he too was in favor of a six-man rotation. Funnily enough, the team he said would benefit the most? The New York Mets.

“When Matt Harvey comes back, why not go to a six-man rotation and take the stress off his elbow?” Valentine said. “You may not have as many starts per season, but you may have more over the length of a career.”

Zack Wheeler.Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Would moving to a six-man rotation have prolonged Matt Harvey’s career? Would it have helped Zack Wheeler who underwent his own Tommy John surgery in 2015? There’s no way to know, but it’s interesting to think about looking back.

There’s no use living in the past though, it’s time to live in the present — and the present Mets have an opportunity to take their former mustachioed manager’s advice almost nine years later. 

If the Mets are truly “full bore” in their pursuit of Yamamoto and Imanaga, a six-man rotation is the way to go. 

Hypothetically, if the Mets land both starters, the rotation would then look like this: Kodai Senga, Yamamoto, José Quintana, Imanaga and newly acquired Luis Severino.

Of those five starting pitchers, three of them would be Japanese. Yamamoto and Imanaga would be in their first season in MLB, and Senga in just his second. Quintana will be 35 years old and coming off a season where he made just 13 starts, and Severino is a reclamation project who has a lengthy injury history. 

Plugging a sixth starting pitcher into the rotation would realistically benefit all five of them. Senga already was given extra rest days pretty frequently throughout the 2023 season, and his results showed the benefit of it. If the Mets bring in one of Yamamoto or Imanaga they will likely treat them the same way. If they bring in both, they might have no choice but to go to a six-man rotation to accommodate all the extra rest days.

The Mets have a ton of options for who the sixth starter could be. Of course, they could always add another starting pitcher via free agency or trade, but there are already a lot of in-house options. 

Tylor Megill is now over 50 career starts and is an option. Despite his struggles last season, he had a really nice September which could have been a sign of him turning a corner. At worst, he should at least be good for a couple of great starts to open up the year. David Peterson is there too, but his availability is up in the air after undergoing hip surgery in early November.

José Butto. Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

José Butto quietly made nine appearances (seven starts) to the tune of a 3.64 ERA in 2023, headlined by an excellent five-start stretch to end the season. In six of his seven starts, he gave up no more than two earned runs. Butto has definitely earned a chance to win a rotation spot in spring training.

Joey Lucchesi made nine starts in 2023 and had a 2.89 ERA, making him maybe the most attractive candidate to fill the sixth spot in the rotation. He was looking good in 2021 before he got injured, and looked good again when he came back two years later.

There are also now a lot of options in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Mike Vasil, Blade Tidwell, Christian Scott, Dominic Hamel and Tyler Stuart all made starts at Double-A or higher in 2023. While maybe not candidates to make the Opening Day roster (though never say never), they all could be in play for a mid-season call-up.

Long story short, the Mets have options. A six-man rotation is more than possible. 

Now, there are some possible downsides. It’s not like MLB will give the Mets an extra roster spot to accommodate the extra starting pitcher. A sixth man in the rotation means the Mets would have a seven-man bullpen as opposed to eight. One of those seven would need to be a long reliever for those games where a starter gets knocked out early, maybe even two. That would leave five-to-six true relief pitchers. Is that enough? There’s no way to know for sure, but there is a wrinkle here that could help it work.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

One of the benefits to pitching in a six-man rotation is that starting pitchers can throw more pitches each time out. In his final start of the 2023 postseason, Yamamoto threw 138 pitches over nine full innings. That’s unheard of in today’s MLB. In Japan though, throwing well over 100 pitches is much, much more common. Throughout the season, Yamamoto averaged a little over seven innings per start. Imanaga averaged about 6 2/3 innings.

Logan Webb, who led MLB in innings pitched in 2023, averaged a little under 6 ⅔ innings per start. Gerrit Cole averaged 6 ⅓. Zac Gallen was in that area too, as were Framber Valdez, Mitch Keller, Wheeler, Corbin Burnes and a handful of others. Most starters didn’t come close.

Yes, six starters means fewer relievers which could tax the bullpen. However, it could also mean starters going deeper into games, which would help offset that extra tax. 

MLB also isn’t like the NPB where teams play six games a week. Sometimes, teams will play seven (or even eight) and these starters will still have to go on five days of rest — but it’s better than four — and there will still be plenty of opportunities for more rest throughout the season. 

There’s one more advantage to a six-man rotation that hasn’t been discussed; the Mets could use it as a selling point to get Yamamoto and Imanaga to sign with them. If the Mets go into negotiations saying something along the lines of, “we want to sign both of you, pair you with Senga and commit to a six-man rotation just like you’re already used to,” it could be enough to give the Mets the edge over other potential suitors. 

It’s not going to be exactly the same as what is done in Japan, but it can be close. The Mets already have multiple pitchers in their rotation with injury concerns. If they also end up with multiple pitchers in their rotation used to going once a week in Japan, a six-man rotation almost makes too much sense.

The post Opinion: The Mets Should Use A Six-Man Rotation In 2024 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Wednesday night, the MLB season officially ended as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series, four games to one. Winning Game 5 of the series by a score of 5-0, the 2023 Rangers gave the franchise their first-ever World Series trophy since its inception in 1961.

Game 5 was the definition of a pitcher’s duel, even though each side’s pitcher did it in their own way. Nathan Eovaldi did a masterful job of wiggling in and out of trouble throughout his six innings of work, as the Diamondbacks were getting runners into scoring position consistently. While the D-backs couldn’t cash in on any of their early chances, their ace Zac Gallen did more than keep them in the game as he started his outing with six no-hit innings. However, Mitch Garver helped the Rangers scratch across a run as he was the third of three consecutive hits off of Gallen in the seventh inning. But the final blow came in the ninth inning; Jonah Heim scorched a two-RBI single, which was followed by a Marcus Semien two-run home run, as the Rangers solidified their championship win.

Corey Seager won his second Willie Mays World Series MVP as he tallied three home runs, six RBIs, and hit for a 1.137 OPS during the five-game series. Additionally, three former Mets — Max Scherzer, Travis Jankowski, and Jacob deGrom — became World Series champions, Scherzer winning his second. Rangers GM Chris Young also played for the Mets, and interviewed for their GM opening in 2020. 

Just over a decade after losing back-to-back World Series, even being an out away from accomplishing the feat, Texas overcame all of the odds to win this year’s commissioner’s trophy. They became the third team in MLB history, including the 1969 New York Mets, to win the World Series just two seasons after losing 100 games. 

Latest Mets News

Andy Martino of SNY reported that Mets third base coach Joey Cora has heard from several teams regarding open coaching positions. Cora is not under contract with the Mets any longer, and his future with the team is uncertain as the Mets continue to make changes after the hiring of David Stearns. 

Joel Sherman of the New York Post gave two significant updates to the Mets managerial search on Wednesday, as he reported that the Mets have interviewed Carlos Mendoza and Andy Green for the position. Mendoza, who has been with the Yankees organization for 15 seasons and has spent the past four as their bench coach, is reportedly also in a second-round callback interview with the Mets per Andy Martino of SNY. Green is a former major leaguer, playing four games for the Mets, and has managing experience as he formerly managed the San Diego Padres. 

Latest MLB News

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that Major League Baseball will no longer use uniform employee contracts, the agreements with standardized language that MLB long required managers, coaches, trainers, and salaried scouts to agree to across the 30 teams. Clubs are now to draft their own contracts, allowing terms to vary as the MLB makes this move to protect the league office against liability. However, Drellich reports that many are worried that clubs will now attempt to include language that works against employees in new ways. 

MLB’s Arizona Fall League announced the participants for their 2023 Home Run Derby, which will take place on Saturday, November 4. The field has several top prospects: Kevin Alcántara, Kyle Manzardo, Aaron Sabato, Ivan Melendez, Wes Clarke, Damiano Palmegiani, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Kala’i Rosario.

The San Diego Padres recently took out a $50 million loan to help cover payroll, per a report from Dennis Lin, Evan Drellich, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Despite being in a bottom-third media market in the league, San Diego had one of the highest payrolls in baseball, as they are obligated to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others. According to the article, the loan was taken out to “address short-term cash flow issues and meet their obligations, including payroll.”

Latest on MMO

Allison Waxman looked back at the infamous Matt Harvey ninth inning in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series and asked the readers, should he have gone back out?

Jett Williams‘ plan to make his major league debut in 2024 was highlighted by Alexis Farinacci. 

Evan Mazza looked into the Mets’ recent interviews for their open manager position. 

On This Date in Mets History

2015: After a historic postseason run in which he led the Mets to an unexpected World Series appearance, Daniel Murphy graces the cover of Sports Illustrated, titled “The Amazin’ Murphy.”

1972: The Mets traded Gary Gentry and Danny Frisella and, in return, acquired Félix Millán and George Stone from the Atlanta Braves. Both players the Mets received played crucial roles in their 1973 pennant-winning season; Millán hit .290 and received MVP votes, while Stone went 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA.

Birthdays: Denyi Reyes (27), Tom Paciorek (77)

The post Morning Briefing: Texas Rangers Win First World Series Championship appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Allison Waxman: Handed the Ball Off

There was nobody out there drinking the Harvey Kool-Aid more than I was. When I brought my nephew to his first Mets game, I made sure he wore a Batman t-shirt, after all, for our Dark Knight. However, in my heart, I can never defend him going out there to finish off the game. He’s coming off Tommy John surgery, he’s over 100 pitches, and he only has a two-run lead. It’s as if the baseball gods were tempting him, and he took the bait.

I understand why you don’t go to Jeurys Familia in the situation. Sure, he’s had the best season of his career, but he’s also just blown the save the night before and in Game 1 of the World Series. The rest of the bullpen also got a beating that World Series, but in a series-clinching game, a World Series-clinching game, you cannot let your starter go back out there. No matter how good of a game he’s having, you never know when the wheels will fall off or when the end is the end.

Unfortunately, this is what people remember from Harvey’s Mets career, and I wonder how things might have gone if Terry handed the ball off to someone like Bartolo Colón, who only allowed one run in the series in four ⅓ innings pitched. The Mets could have won the game, extended the series, and even added another World Series title to their belt.

Mike Mayer: Give Him A Chance…But

I have no issue with Terry Collins giving Harvey a chance in that spot. I was at the game, and the atmosphere of Citi Field when Harvey came out for the ninth inning hasn’t been felt again, unfortunately. Harvey was at 102 pitches after a quick eight inning, a count that he had surpassed nine times in the regular season, and he was coming off an outing of only 80 pitches in Game 1 of the World Series. As you can see in the video, The Dark Knight clearly fought to stay in the game.

That said, Collins should’ve gone into the inning thinking that as soon as Harvey allowed a baserunner, he would go to the bullpen. Harvey walked Cain to start the inning and was left in to face Eric Hosmer. Hosmer doubled off Harvey to cut the Mets lead to 2-1 before Collins finally went to the bullpen. We don’t need to talk about what happened after that.

“Obviously, I let my heart get in the way of my gut. I love my players. And I trust them,” Terry Collins said. “It didn’t work. It was my fault.”

The post MMO Crossfire: Should Matt Harvey Have Pitched the Ninth? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The short but eventful career of Matt Harvey in New York covered countless emotions. There was great anticipation, electrifying performances, disappointment, frustration, and empathy. It didn’t end the way anyone wanted, but it had plenty of thrills. Here are the best:

The Debut – July 26, 2012

Considering everything that transpired after this, it’s poignant to look back at the beginning of what appeared to be the onset of this generation’s Seaver or Gooden. “The Dark Knight” debuted in the desert and the Arizona Diamondbacks were first to witness Harvey’s high-90s fastball. That was the primary source for his eleven strikeouts—the most ever by any Met in his first start. Harvey also became the only pitcher since 1900 to fan that many batters while allowing two hits or less in a debut big-league outing. And if his pitching wasn’t enough, he got two hits at the plate. At 106 pitches over 5.1 innings, Harvey’s historic open was finished and would eventually end up as a victory.

“Har-vey’s Bett-er” – April 19, 2013

Two of the best young arms resided in the National League. Stephen Strasburg, the heralded first overall pick of the Washington Nationals, arrived in 2010. Harvey, coming off a solid 10-game audition the year before, was about to put it all together. They faced off at Citi Field for what seemed like the first of many match-ups. While Harvey put together a performance typical of what was to come in 2013 (seven innings, four hits, one run), Strasburg’s outing was done in by homers from Ike Davis and Lucas Duda. It was soon after that fans let it be known who they felt was the superior pitcher. The chant would be more than just hometown bias. Harvey didn’t lose until June 13 and posted a 2.27 ERA in an abbreviated but stellar first full season.

Brush with Perfection – May 7, 2013

Much like Gooden in ’84, each ‘Harvey Day’ became a happening. Harvey rarely disappointed (and rarely gave up any runs)—with a 1.89 Citi Field ERA. The White Sox were the unwilling participants in his well-advertised spectacle. It seemed the only thing that could stop Harvey was a bloody nose, which streamed down to his upper lip during the first inning. The Mets medical staff would stop the bleeding, and nothing would stop Harvey. Each of the first twenty White Sox batters were retired. With two outs in the seventh, Alex Rios’s infield single broke up any hopes of a perfect game. Harvey did finish with 13 strikeouts and no other baserunners allowed over nine innings in what became a no-decision.

All-Star Starter – July 16, 2013

Following in the footsteps of Seaver and Gooden, Harvey earned the starting assignment for the Midsummer Classic in his first full big-league season. And he got to do it at Citi Field. Harvey brushed off early jitters to toss two scoreless innings before the announced crowd of 45,186—the largest in the brief history of Mets’ new stadium. Sporting new bright orange cleats, the 24-year-old saw a double from Mike Trout and drilled Robinson Cano with a pitch. He settled down from there, retiring the next three batters including a strikeout of Miguel Cabrera. Harvey rode that momentum into a much easier second inning. He got David Ortiz to fly out, fanned Adam Jones, and retired Joe Mauer on a liner to left on his 32nd and final pitch.

Taking Care of the Cubs – October 17, 2015

The innings limit feared to keep Harvey off the mound come postseason had been a distant memory. There was no taking him away from the playoff stage. On cue, he delivered a terrific outing in the NLCS opener against the Chicago Cubs. An offense laden with young sluggers like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant weren’t able to handle Harvey’s heat on a cold night at Citi Field. Working into the eighth inning for the first time in over two months, Harvey struck out nine in what would be a 4-2 victory — the first in the Mets’ four-game sweep over Chicago. “I wanted this game bad,” Harvey said afterwards.

The Harvey Game…for Eight Innings – November 1, 2015

As painful as the end result was, the willingness to be the determined ace Mets fans hoped for is a feat that earned tremendous respect. With little margin for error on the scoreboard and no margin for error as far as losses, Harvey dominated the Kansas City Royals. He struck out nine, walked one, and gave up four hits as New York held a 2-0 entering the top of the ninth. The conviction Harvey presented in the dugout to finish the game was enough for Terry Collins to stick with his starter to record the last three outs. Collins could have removed Harvey following a leadoff walk but instead kept him going. Once Eric Hosmer doubled into the left-field corner to cut the lead in half, Harvey’s tremendous effort was over. Before long, the lead was gone and soon too the series. But Harvey giving his all at the most needed time should not be forgotten.

The post Matt Harvey’s Greatest Mets Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

Kodai Senga said that he’s confident that he could pitch through the tendinitis in his index finger right now, but he’s being cautious. Senga was scratched from his start on Saturday because of the injury. Buck Showalter said that if this were the regular season, Senga likely would have made the start.

Kodai Senga is confident that he could pitch now if needed, but he's being cautious as he deals with tendinitis at the base of his index finger: pic.twitter.com/MN68xwpmBt

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 12, 2023

WBC Scores

Japan 7, Australia 1

Italy 7, Netherlands 1

• Former Met Matt Harvey: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K, W

Israel 3, Nicaragua 1

• Former Met Ty Kelly: 0-for-1, BB
• Former Met Robert Stock: 1 IP, 2 K, SV

Canada 18, Great Britain 8 (F/7)

Venezuela 9, Puerto Rico 6

• Francisco Lindor: 1-for-4, R
• Former Met Javier Báez: 0-for-4, RBI
• Eduardo Escobar: 0-for-5
• Former Met Andrés Giménez: 2-for-5
• Former Met Hector Santiago: 2 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 K

Mexico 11, USA 5

• Pete Alonso: 0-for-4, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil: 1-for-4
• Adam Ottavino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB 1 K
• Former Met Aaron Loup: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Australia 8, Czech Republic 3

Latest Mets News

The Mets fell in their spring training contest with the Rays, 10-4. Carlos Carrasco pitched four innings, allowing four hits (two home runs) and two earned runs, walking none and striking out four. The Mets had two players leave the game due to injuries. Starling Marte exited the game early after getting hit in the helmet by an Elvin Rodriguez fastball. His initial test showed he was negative for a concussion.

Bryce Montes de Oca‘s velocity was down noticeably, and he walked three straight batters before leaving the game with the trainer. Showalter said the hard-throwing righty will undergo imaging on his forearm area.

The Mets have placed Rule 5 Draft pick Zach Greene on outright waivers. He’s struggled this spring, allowing seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. If he clears waivers, the Mets will have to offer him back to the Yankees for $50,000.

After a disappointing 2021, Jeff McNeil thought he wouldn’t be on the Mets in 2021. He spoke with Tim Healey of Newsday on how he bounced back in 2022.

Latest MLB News

Justin Turner spoke to reporters on Sunday, saying he’s progressing well after getting hit in the face by a pitch last week.

“I got pretty lucky, all things considered. Every day, I’ve been getting a little bit better. I actually got the last of the stitches removed today and starting to do some baseball activities, so that’s encouraging,” Turner said.

Craig Stammen suffered a torn and strained the subscapula in his right shoulder on Friday, and he told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that his playing days are likely over. Stammen was able to pitch at the end of the 2022 season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection. This latest injury would sideline Stammen for four-to-six months if he opted not to undergo surgery.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer looks at the battle for the final spots in the Mets’ bullpen.

Anthony Gabbianelli recaps the Mets’ loss to the Rays.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: Endy Chávez hits a two-run homer, the second he’s hit in as many days, as Venezuela downs Puerto Rico in World Baseball Classic, 6-0.

Birthdays: Terry Leach (69), Jorge Fabregas (53), Johan Santana (44)

The post Morning Briefing: Kodai Senga Exercising Caution With Finger appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com talks about the excitement for Eduardo Escobar to be able to play for Team Venezuela in the 2023 World Baseball Classic tournament.

The Mets played an exhibition game to Team Venezuela on Thursday and lost 6-4. Metsmerized’s own Jack Ramsey was there and covered the game. Check out his game story here.

WBC Scores

Japan 8, China 1

Italy 6, Cuba 3

• Matt Harvey: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
• Yoenis Céspedes: 0-for-4

Czech Republic 8, China 5

Cuba 13, Panama 4

• Ruben Tejada 1-for-3, 2 RBI

Latest Mets News

Mets manager Buck Showalter spoke with Adam Jones on the Adam Jones Podcast on Thursday.

Tim Healey of Newsday Sports talks about two changes Drew Smith made during the offseason: his pitching delivery and his diet.

Matt Harvey pitched three scoreless innings in Italy’s 6-3, 10-inning win over Cuba on Thursday morning. Per USA Today, Harvey said the game on his outing: “You know, I know my grandfather is part of the reason I’m able to be here. He’s getting older, and I know he was up this morning to watch it and it’s just special to be able to play for him.”

Latest MLB News 

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the New York Yankees are eventually expected to have a uniform sponsorship patch, but according to the New York Post, it won’t be before opening day.

Christina De Nicola of MLB.com talks about how after the World Baseball Classic, Ty Kelly plans to go to Triple-A as a coach.

According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, Carlos Rodon has a mild forearm strain and will not throw for seven to 10 days, per Brian Cashman.

Nabil Crismatt will get the ball in Team Colombia’s opening World Baseball Classic game on Saturday. He spoke with AJ Cassavell of MLB.com about what it means to him to pitch for his country, but especially to be the first to get the ball in the tournament.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that Hunter Greene will get the ball on opening day for the Reds.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, free-agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel is in agreement on a contract with the Miami Marlins.

Latest on MMO

Rivka Boord discusses Baseball’s Savants stats on catchers and which Mets catcher’s defense should keep that player’s playing time up.

Michael Mayer recaps Matt Harvey’s scoreless three-inning start in Team Italy’s win on Thursday.

Dan Quinones recaps Max Scherzer’s outing on Wednesday against Team Nicaragua.

Christian De Block previews Pool B of the upcoming 2023 World Baseball Classic that officially starts this weekend.

Jack Ramsey discusses Jose Butto’s struggle in his first start since the rotation spot opened.

Colby Morris talks about Bryce Montes de Oca impressing during the spring for Mets Minors.

On this Date in Mets History

1962: The 1962 New York Mets made their spring training debut. They lost the game 8-0 to the Cardinals under Casey Steng.

Birthdays: John Cangelosi (60), Mike Birkbeck (62), Wayne Twitchell (75), Ken MacKenzie (89) 

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