Steven Matz made his Spring Training debut against the Miami Marlins today in which he fared pretty well.

Matz, 27, lasted two innings in which he allowed one run and two hits while striking out three batters and walking none on 32 pitches.

In the first inning, the left-hander struck out JT Riddle to start the game, but then proceeded to allow a single to Brian Anderson. The latter would steal second and advance to third due to an errant throw by Tomas Nido.

However, Matz didn’t let the runner at third with only one out inning bother him, as he went on to get a sharp groundout from Isan Diaz that Anderson couldn’t score on and then struck out Peter O’Brien.

At the start of the second inning, the Stony Brook native had a 1-0 lead, but that immediately went away as Lewis Brinson hit a towering solo home run to left-center field to tie the game.

Matz would then get Monte Harrison to ground out and strike out Pedro Alvarez. Austin Dean would reach first on a hard ground ball to Gavin Cecchini that he wouldn’t be able to corral and would get charged with an error for.

Bryan Holaday would get a single right afterward to put runners on first and second with two outs. Matz would get out of it, though, as Riddle would hit a line drive that came off Matz and went straight to Amed Rosario who threw to first to end the day for Matz.

After the game, Matz spoke with the media and expressed optimism in how he pitched today.

“I feel good about it. Attacking the strike zone, that’s my main focus right now. It’s to attack the strike zone with all my pitches and I felt like I was able to do that today. So, I’m pretty pleased.”

Matz went on to talk about a specific tip he took from Jacob deGrom this past offseason regarding his workout and pitching regimen that he thinks made a significant difference for him so far in camp.

“One thing that I was able to do, that I’ve kind of taken from, really deGrom, is just continue to throw the whole offseason. Don’t take off too much time as you’re lifting and stuff, and I felt like, coming into Spring Training, that I was more ready than I’ve ever been.”

It will certainly be interesting to see what the young southpaw has in store for the rest of Spring Training and the 2019 season as the team’s fourth starter.

Here’s what Steven Matz told reporters after the game, audio provided by Rich Coutinho:

The post Matz Strikes Out Three in First Spring Training Start appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The offseason is coming to a close as February is right around the corner. While most free agents have found homes on new teams, there are still many who are looking for teams. Some of these players can still give a boost to teams from their respective positions. The following are some of the best at their positions who are remaining.

The All-Free Agent Team

Starting Pitcher – Jason Hammel

Starting pitching is one of the stronger positions for teams who have needs. Doug Fister and Jorge De La Rosa aren’t terrible options. However, Jason Hammel leads this pack. The 34-year old was behind some of the top pitchers in baseball on the World Champion Cubs team. He contributed to the effort by going 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 166.2 innings.

Catcher – Matt Wieters

Matt Wieters is one of the most valuable free agents remaining. This is mostly because he is leaps-and-bounds better than most free agent catchers. With competition from players like A.J. Pierzynski, Dioner Navarro, and Steve Clevenger, it wouldn’t be surprising for Wieters to get a decent deal even now.

First Base – Mike Napoli

Mike Napoli hit 34 home runs, scored 92 runs, and drove in 101 RBI with a .239/.335/.465 slash line. Those stats stand for themselves.

Second Base – Chase Utley

Second base is another weak position. Kelly Johnson and Aaron Hill are very similar to each other in production, but Chase Utley is better than both, as painful as that may sound to Mets fans. Also he is primarily a second baseman while the other two play around the field more. After a terrible 2015, he bounced back with a better season as he hit .252/.319/.396 with 14 home runs, 52 RBI, and 79 runs scored.

Third Baseman – Aaron Hill

Luis Valbuena would have made this position, but he just signed with the Angels recently. Both Johnson and Hill play this position as well and as already mentioned, they are similar players. Hill had 297 at bats as a third basemen in 2016 while Johnson only had 60. It’d only be fair to give the edge to Hill.

Shortstop – Alexei Ramirez

This is the weakest position by far. Ramirez slashed just .241/.277/.333 for the season albeit a little better in his time towards the end of the season with the Tampa Bay Rays. The only other Major League free agent at shortstop is veteran Erick Aybar who struggled mightily in 2016 as well.

Outfield – Angel Pagan

There are very few remaining outfielders of value left on the market especially after Mark Trumbo agreed to a deal to stay with the Orioles. Angel Pagan is still a solid player nonetheless. While he may not be a difference-making, his speed, defense, and offense are all serviceable. His 15 stolen bases show he still has some speed on the basepaths. His 12 home runs were actually a career-high. He is all-around one of the better outfielders on the market.

Outfield – Brandon Moss

Brandon Moss fits better at first base, but since Napoli is still on the market he can’t really be considered the best at that position. Since the outfield is so weak and Moss does play outfield, he can definitely be considered one of the best outfielders left. He paces the competition when he comes to power as his 28 home runs pack a powerful punch.

Outfield – Coco Crisp

Coco Crisp leads both the previous outfielders in a category most players don’t want to: age. The 37-year old is at a point where many players see a big decline or retire. Instead he was actually traded to the American League Champion Indians during the season. He has the weaker qualities of the other two outfielders, as in the on-base skills of Moss and the power of Pagan. His 2016 could still arguably be considered his best season since 2013, however.

Designated Hitter – Pedro Alvarez

Since Napoli took the first-base spot, that leaves few top remaining designated hitters. Pedro Alvarez and his 22 home runs in 2016 lead the way here. He also had career best .255 isolated slugging and was a 1.1 fWAR player. Chris Carter deserves mention for his 41 home runs, but also struck out 32% of the time and is a butcher in the field.

Left-Handed Relief Pitcher – Jerry Blevins

This is a tough one between Jerry Blevins and Travis Wood. In 2016 Blevins had a 2.79 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 42 innings. Wood, on the other hand, had a 2.95 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 61 innings. You can’t compare much else of their careers as Wood really only converted to a relief pitcher in 2015, while Blevins never made a MLB start. Since strikeouts are big for relief pitchers, Blevin’s 8.7 career strikeouts per nine innings edges out Wood’s 7.4.

Right-Handed Relief Pitcher – Joe Blanton

Right-handed relief pitchers are still abundantly on the market at this time. Joe Blanton is the best on the market especially after he struck out 80 batters in 80 innings to the tune of a 2.48 ERA. Sergio Romo is another big name, but for relievers of similar ERA production, it would be hard to rank him and his 30.2 innings pitched above Blanton and his 80 innings pitched.

The post The All-Free Agent Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

I wanted to update this post with something Matt Harvey posted on MLB’s Snapchat this afternoon. It’s just another reason why I am so glad that we have a player with this kind of focus and high aspirations on our team. Harvey epitomizes everything I want to see from this team.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Matt Harvey delivered another solid performance yesterday, but he received little support from his teammates. He tossed six strong innings while allowing only one run and striking out six. However, he got a no decision as the Mets’ lineup struggled to score against the Pirates’ pitching.

This has unfortunately been a theme throughout Harvey’s career. He has made 16 starts where he’s allowed one or no runs without receiving a win, which is a record for the most by any starter in the last century during their first 59 starts.

“It was a rough day; it was a rough series,” Harvey said. “But we’re still in good position, and we’re happy where we are . . . We’ve got to flush this one and move forward.” (Brian Heyman, Newsday)

Even though he’s gotten a lot of bad luck, Harvey is in the midst of a very impressive run. He has a 1.45 ERA over his last ten starts, and he hasn’t allowed more than one run or one walk in each of his last four outings. This streak is tied for the second longest in team history with Bob Ojeda and Pedro Martinez. Tom Seaver holds the record with five of these starts in a row.

Harvey may not have had his best stuff yesterday,  but it was another great game for the Dark Knight who’s been excellent all year.

“He wasn’t as sharp as he normally is, but I’ll tell you, our starting pitching battles,” Collins said. “Matt didn’t give in.”

“He found all his pitches as the game went on,” Travis d’Arnaud said. “So I thought he got better and better as the game went on.”

Harvey now lowers his ERA to 2.57 on the season and his record remains at 11-7. He’ll look to keep his success going in his next outing against Colorado.

The post Matt Harvey Does Not Accept Mediocrity appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at Citi Field where the Mets lost the series finale a score of 8 to 1.

Matt Harvey wasn’t particularly dominating this afternoon, and he labored with baserunners in every inning despite only allowing one run on a solo shot by Pedro Alvarez through six innings of work.

Harvey allowed a walk and seven hits including a double, two triples, and a home run. But to his credit, he managed to bear down when he needed to and limited the Bucs to just one run in his 103 pitch effort. All in all, Matt Harvey got the job done.

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud got the Mets on the board with a solo homerun in the third inning. He also lined a two-out double in the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning with the game still knotted at 1-1, Daniel Murphy singled and Michael Cuddyer got hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. It looked like the Mets were about to break the game open.

Then with the red hot d’Arnaud up at the plate… CRRACKKK!! BABOOM!!!

A bolt of lightning and an ear-shattering peal of thunder had d’Arnaud jump out of his skin and racing for the dugout as a giant deluge of rain poured onto the field.

With just the home plate umpire and the Bucs catcher standing alone at the plate, both wondering if the frightened Travis d’Arnaud was ever coming back, lol, the crew chief called for the tarp and the game went into a rain delay.

However after a 42 minute delay, and the hard-throwing Arquimedes Caminero on the mound for the Bucs, d’Arnaud struck out looking and Ruben Tejada hit a weak grounder to end the inning with two runners stranded.

Enter Bobby Parnell, who has been terribly ineffective since July 24. The veteran reliever walked the leadoff batter in the seventh to get things started. Then after inducing a comebacker to the mound, Parnell fielded it and threw it into centerfield because nobody was covering second base. Yeah, that happened.

So with runners on first and third, Gregory Polanco singled to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. A passed ball by d’Arnaud would bring in another run, and then after another walk by Parnell, Aramis Ramirez singled home the Bucs’ third run of the inning.

And for his second consecutive appearance in a row, Bobby Parnell left the mound to a chorus of boos.

The Force was not with the Mets at Citi Field.

Eric O’Flaherty came in to relieve Parnell, but was quickly greeted with a single to drive in the Pirates fifth run of the game. The next hitter hit a soft grounder to first but he was safe amidst the confusion of who was covering the bag. Finally and mercifully, O’Flaherty got the third out. 5-1 Buccos.

It was as ugly an inning as the Mets have had in an awfully long time, and it was painfully brutal to watch. The Pirates would go on to score 3 more runs.

New Rule: No more rain delays.

Bright Side: We’re done playing the Pirates who have outscored us 37-10 and swept the season series six games to none.

Sage Advice: Can we not play Michael Cuddyer at first base anymore?

Okay shake this this one off, boys…

The Mets will have the day off on Monday before beginning a short two-game series with the suddenly red hot Orioles in Baltimore on Tuesday. Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are the probable starters for the Mets.

The post MMO Game Recap: Pirates 8, Mets 1 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The saga of Ike Davis lives on.  ESPN’s Adam Rubin has reported that the Oakland A’s acquired the former Met from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for International signing money.  This will be the embattled slugger’s third team in less than a year’s time.

A’s GM Billy Beane jumped right away to pick up the first baseman after he was designated for assignment by the Bucs last week. Perhaps he sees some value in the once promising Davis against RHP, he owns a career .357 OBP, .456 SLG and.813 OPS versus righties.

Former Met Andrew Brown, who Oakland claimed last week, was designated for assignment to make room for Davis.

November 21

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated former Mets first basemen Ike Davis for assignment yesterday.  Pirates GM Neal Huntington told reporters, “As we sit here right now, we’ve essentially committed to Pedro over Ike Davis”.

The organization feels the position must be cleared for resident third basemen Pedro Alvarez, who packs an outstanding power bat, but lacks the defensive prowess to stick at the hot corner.  As of now, Davis is searching for his third team in less than a year’s time.

Ike’s fall from grace has been flat out cataclysmic, no?  Look, I’m fully on board with Lucas Duda, but I still hoped Davis would have a good run at it once he got a fresh start.  It just still baffles me to this day every time I see his name in the papers, it’s another step back for him.  This from a player that flashed so much power that vanished in the blink of a collision. Seriously, that’s what it comes down to.  There’s Ike Davis pre-collision and then there’s Ike Davis post-collision.

Suppose I’ll always have a soft spot for Ike because he made the time when he first came up so special to watch.  He hit home runs and made diving catches over the railing at a time when the team was entering it’s darkest hours.  Now, he’s struggling to stay in the major leagues.

I’m sure someone will pick him up, maybe give him a platoon/DH role somewhere in the American League.  He still managed to compile a .343 OBP during his time in Pittsburgh and he has good skills with the glove.

Sandy Alderson, good call on this one.

The post Oakland A’s Acquire Ike Davis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C – Joe Mauer, Twins (5)
1B – Chris Davis, Orioles (1)
2B – Robinson Cano, Yankees (5)
SS – J.J. Hardy, Orioles (1)
3B – Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (5)
OF – Mike Trout, Angels (2)
OF – Adam Jones, Orioles (1)
OF – Torii Hunter, Tigers (2)
DH – David Ortiz, Red Sox (6)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C – Yadier Molina, Cardinals (1)
1B – Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (1)
2B – Matt Carpenter, Carpenter (1)
SS – Ian Desmond, Nationals (2)
3B – Pedro Alvarez, Pirates (1)
OF – Michael Cuddyer, Rockies (1)
OF – Andrew McCutchen, Pirates (2)
OF – Jay Bruce, Reds (2)
P – Zack Greinke, Dodgers (1)

Silver Sluggers, presented by Louisville Slugger, are awarded annually to the best offensive players at each position in each league. Voting was conducted by Major League managers and coaches, using batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage as key statistics. Voters could not include players from their own team on their ballots.

The last time a Mets player won a Silver Slugger was in 2008 when David Wright won.

The post 2013 Silver Slugger Award Winners appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This is a road that the Mets have been down before and an actively debated one among Mets fans. While I’m not an advocate for trading any of the team’s valuable arms for anything short of a certified impact player, it is an issue worth bringing to the forefront again.

Peter Bourjos is a nice player, especially on defense but he is what he is and that’s a glorified fourth outfielder. The Mets essentially have a younger, more appealing version of Bourjos in Juan Lagares so there is no sense in pursuing that angle.

The player that has been on the Mets radar for some time is Mark Trumbo. Say what you want about his high strikeout rate and low on-base percentage but at the end of the day, Trumbo is a power hitting 1B/OF that would go a long way toward protecting David Wright in the lineup. It’s no secret that Wright’s best numbers were produced with the likes of Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd hitting behind him. It’s a scary thought but their golden boy isn’t getting any younger and the club cannot continue to wait around while David stands alone in the lineup.

Trumbo would fill two voids: a first baseman that provides an adequate glove (think Ike Davis) and a power-hitting clean-up man (think the opposite of Ike Davis). He is set to receive approximately $4.7 million in arbitration but this makes him an affordable option with three years of team control remaining.

The market has been fairly quiet for Trumbo throughout the Angels efforts to trade him. Teams are hesitant to meet the Angels demands for a player who consistently ranks among the leaders in strikeout percentage. Added to that, Trumbo finished behind only Pedro Alvarez with the second lowest BB% among the top-10 qualifiers in K%. As a result, the interest in Trumbo seems to be at an all-time low.

The Angels are far from an advantageous negotiating position with an excess of expensive hitters that haven’t met expectations and the league’s 24^th best team ERA. Their roster suggests that they would seek an established MLB pitcher or at worst a pitcher that can contribute in 2014. That points toward Dillon Gee.

If the trade would be Trumbo for Gee straight-up or even Trumbo and Howie Kendrick for Gee and Rafael Montero, I would have to take a good, long look.

The Mets inevitably need to field a more legitimate lineup than the product on the field in recent years. Trumbo is capable of producing .240/.300/.475 with 30 home runs and 95 RBIs, which goes a long way toward shoring things up and protecting Wright in the middle of the order.

The Mets will eventually need to pull the trigger on some trades/signings because the answers are not all coming internally.

(Updated 11/1)

The post Angels Ready To Deal Trumbo, Bourjos, Kendrick For Pitching appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner didn’t come to the Mets with all hype and bravado of an elite pitching prospect the way that his teammates Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler did. In fact, most never even gave him a chance to be in the rotation until news broke during spring training, that Johan Santana would be out for the season. Even then, Hefner was just one of three possible options to replace Johan in the rotation. The other two, Aaron Laffey and Collin McHugh, are not even with the organization anymore.

Last night, the incredible journey that is the 2013 season for Jeremy Hefner continued. After surrendering a two-run home run to Pedro Alvarez in the first inning, it didn’t look good for Heff, but he held the Pirates to just one more hit for the rest of the night and gave his team the chance to comeback and tie the game. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out three over seven innings and was pulled after 78 pitches thrown.

He closes out the first half of the season with a 4-6 record, a 3.33 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 19 appearances (18 starts). He has a 65-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 108 innings and is a win away from matching his career high in a season.

Even more remarkable than that, over the last 30 days Hefner has been the best pitcher in the National League. In his last ten starts spanning 63.0 innings, he has a 2.14 ERA and allowed just ten walks while striking out 54 batters. He has allowed just ten runs over his last eight starts and since the end of April has been the best pitcher in the Mets rotation. He has posted a 1.80 ERA in June and a 1.29 ERA in July. Scintillating….

Nothing phases him and while he should easily have 8-9 extra wins on his record, the losses and no-decisions don’t bother him.

“That doesn’t matter to me,” the Moore, Oklahoma native said. “If I give a quality outing, go deep into games, I’ve done my job. If we score runs, then I’ll get a win. If we don’t, then I might get a no-decision or whatever. Just as long as the team wins, I’m happy.”

As most of you know, I’ve been on the Hefner bandwagon since last season. There’s a subdued coolness about him that stands out and is hard not to admire. It’s not a glaring cockiness, but rather a quiet and confident demeanor of someone who’s  focused on working hard at being the best he could be.

“I knew that I could pitch this way,” says Hefner. “My performance is finally matching up to the expectation. This doesn’t surprise me. I know I’m capable of doing this. So it’s not a shock to me.”

Hefner, 27, just closed out the first half of the season with flair, domination, and excellence. His reward will be taking the mound against the Phillies when the Mets begin the second half of their season. Piece of cake…

“I know that I’m good enough to be here,” Hefner said. “I know I’m good enough to beat these hitters. If someone does beat me, I know I can get the next guy.”

There have been a few nice surprises to the Mets 2013 season so far, but none of them compare to what Jeremy Hefner has done. Nobody saw this coming. Nobody that is, except Jeremy Hefner.

The post Jeremy Hefner: The Improbable Dream appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Pedro Alvarez Homers In Pirates 3-2 Win 

In front of a full house tonight at beautiful PNC Park, we were treated to a good, old fashioned (and quite frankly unexpected) pitcher’s duel between Jeremy Hefner and Charlie Morton, as the Mets battled the Pirates to open up their last set before the All-Star break.

The Bucs got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first when Pedro Alvarez (oh, the irony) hit the first pitch he saw to dead center for his 24^th dinger of the year. Alvarez brought in Jose Tabata as well to make the score 2-0.

Both pitchers traded zeroes for the next four innings until the Mets finally got to Morton in the top of the sixth. With one out, Eric Young Jr. slapped a double down the left field line, barely edging out a strong throw from Starling Marte.

After Daniel Murphy moved Young over with a grounder to second base, El Capitán David Wright exacted his revenge on the Pittsburgh fans, bringing Young home with a single to right.

Unfortunately it was Ike Davis‘ spot in the order again, and to literally nobody’s surprise he struck out on- what else- an off-speed pitch in the dirt to end the inning. Davis is now 2 for his last 16 with zero home runs and five strikeouts. He seems to have picked up right where he left off prior to his demotion to Vegas.

Hefner had retired 14 straight when, in the bottom of the sixth, Marte drove a double down the left field line. Hefner worked out of that jam though, making a slick play on a comebacker to nab Marte in between second and third, and then inducing Andrew McCutchen to ground out to short to end the frame.

The Mets struck again in the top of the seventh when Kirk Nieuwenhuis smacked a fastball over the right field fence to even the score at 2-2, though that was all they could scratch across in what turned out to be Morton’s last inning. Morton’s final line was impressive: 7IP, 6 hits, 2ER, 4K, 1BB.

Hefner was pulled after seven as well. I’m not sure I agreed with pulling him, but nonetheless, his line was an impressive one: 7IP, 3 hits, 2ER, 3K, 0 BB. He allowed only one runner on base after Alvarez’ first inning moonshot.

Hefner has been absolutely dominant as of late; he hasn’t allowed more than 2 earned runs in a start since May 29th. His WHIP since then has been a ridiculous .98.

After both bullpens traded goose eggs in the eighth and Jason Grilli tossed a perfect top of the ninth for Pittsburgh, the Met bullpen came through maybe the biggest they have all year. Starling Marte led off with a double, and after Tabata bunted him over, the Mets faced the heart of the Pirates order, one of the most feared in baseball.

After an intentional walk to McCutchen by David Aardsma, Scott Rice entered and came up with a HUGE strikeout of Alvarez to secure the second out. And after Greg Burke walked Russell Martin to load the bases and give us all a minor cardiac episode, Josh Edgin entered and got Gaby Sánchez to ground out to end the threat.

For the 12th time this year, off we went to extra innings.

After a relatively quiet 10th on both sides, a win just wasn’t in the cards for the Amazin’s. They went 1-2-3 in the top of the 11th, and in the bottom, Gonzalez Germen issued a leadoff walk to McCutchen. As happens 40% of the time, the leadoff walk ended up scoring, this time coming from a single up the middle by Jordy Mercer.

Overall, not really a loss to be ashamed of. The Pirates are tied for the third most wins in the MLB, and to bring them to eleven innings is something this team wouldn’t have dreamed of even a month ago.

The Mets will try to bounce back tomorrow night, first pitch at 7:15.

The post Hefner Shines But Bucs Prevail In Extra-Inning Heartbreaker appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Wright, the National League captain for the 2013 Chevrolet Home Run Derby, has selected Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez to replace Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies in the Derby, to be held on Monday, July 15th at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.

Alvarez will compete in his first career Home Run Derby, and will become the fifth player in Pirates history to partake in the event, joining Bobby Bonilla (1990), Barry Bonds (1992), Jason Bay (1995) and Andrew McCutchen (2012). The New York native, who graduated from Horace Mann High School in the Bronx in 2005, has 23 home runs on the season, which is tied for second in the N.L. Alvarez, who was named to his first Midsummer Classic, is one of just three Pirates in history to hit at least 23 home runs prior to the All-Star break, joining Hall of Famers Willie Stargell and Ralph Kiner. In 2012, the Vanderbilt product hit a career-high 30 home runs, which was fourth among Major League third basemen and ranked third all-time among Pirates third basemen.

Gonzalez, who is an All-Star for the second time in his career, has withdrawn from the competition after suffering a sprained right middle finger earlier this week.

Original Post 7/11

“Yo, dude? What’s up with that? Come on — El Toro’s born and bred in NYC!”

That was one Pirates’ fan’s reaction when learning that David Wright had snubbed Pedro Alvarez for the home run derby on Sunday. Alvarez is second in the National League in homers and fifth in MLB. Last night, when he walloped his 23rd home run, this was how Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown called it, “Take that, David Wright, says Pedro Alvarez.”

Alvarez can take comfort in manager Bruce Bochy picking him as a reserve and earning his first All-star appearance at the age of 26. But his snub is not only drawing the ire of the Pittsburgh Pirates alone, but many players from other teams as well, including Tampa Bays’ David Price.

No Pedro Alvarez for #hrderby?? And he's from NY…Harper is unreal but with 12?! Really?? I love Bryce but Pedro deserves it!! #whatajoke

— David Price (@DAVIDprice24) July 9, 2013

A couple of more nuggets:

Andrew McCutchen says: He’s probably one of the most powerful guys in the league and can put on a show. It’s unfortunate he didn’t get picked. Pedro definitely deserved it. He’s got tons of power, and it would have been fun to see him in there competing. So I’m a little disappointed.

Rum Bunter says: Wright has always been my favorite non-Pirate, and I’m serious when I say that. Ever since he came to PNC Park in 2006 and put on a show in the Home Run Derby – one that he deserved to make – he’s been my favorite player. I still like the guy, but he’s definitely lost some of my respect after his picks. He’s coming to PNC Park this weekend for a 3-game series, and I, along with the rest of Pirate Nation, are going to boo him until he can’t take it anymore. You know what’s going to be awesome though? When Alvarez hits a couple of home runs this weekend and the crowd goes crazy as he runs past Wright, who will be kicking dirt and looking at the ground, as he ponders his decision of passing up on picking Alvarez to the Home Run Derby.

Many of these pissed-off Pirates and Buc fans even accuse Wright of having an ulterior motive and that he didn’t choose Alvarez because he’s an up and coming star at third base and that he didn’t want him in the National Spotlight. But I wouldn’t go that far.

One thing’s for sure… After a three-day weekend in what will no-doubt be enemy territory for Wright and the Mets, he’ll get no reprieve afterward. Wright will be surrounded by plenty of Bucs during the All Star festivities on Monday and Tuesday at Citi Field as Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen, Jason Grilli and Jeff Locke will all be there in addition to Alvarez.

Ending this with a bit of levity is this… It seems that Pirates righthander A.J. Burnett, who’s having a great season by the way, had a very tough time spelling his own teammate’s name…

Will somebody explain to me how the hell Pedro Alveras is not in the Homerun Derby? Does the National League not wanna win? #ElToro

— AJ Burnett (@wudeydo34) July 8, 2013

My bad. Haha. Alveras! #autocorrectsucks

— AJ Burnett (@wudeydo34) July 8, 2013

Ok,.. Here we go,…Alveraz! #cleanitup34

— AJ Burnett (@wudeydo34) July 8, 2013

I quit! ………EL TORO!

— AJ Burnett (@wudeydo34) July 8, 2013

Okay I gotta be honest with you…. I couldn’t give a cow’s butt who gets selected for the Home Run Derby… I only wanted to post those tweets by Burnett on MMO and needed some filler…

Oh… One last thing…

Hey Buckos, Remember when David Wright came to PNC and put on a show of his own? It’s gotta be killing you that you can’t return the favor at Citi Field. Oh well, that’s how the baseball bounces….

The post With CarGo Out Of HR Derby, Wright May Avoid Walking Plank At PNC appeared first on Metsmerized Online.