The one benefit to having your manager managing the All Star Game is knowing that you have someone who will get you into the game at some point so you’ll have a lifelong memory to tell your friends and family about for the rest of your life. That’s usually the case in every All Star Game except when Terry Collins is your manager.
Collins made sure that every National League team had at least one player participate in the game. He went so far as to have Cardinals rookie Aledyms Diaz pinch-hit to strike out in the biggest at-bat in the game. He inserted Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen for one batter in the eighth.
Collins made sure every single representative from the National League made their way into the game. All that is except the defending National League champions, not one Met made their way into the game.
in year mets have player w/ best tools (YC), SP w/ best stuff, top closer & most fun guy to watch (BC), no met plays in ASG
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 13, 2016
Nobody was more excited, honored and humbled to make the All Starr team than first timer Jeurys Familia, who was told he was going to pitch and was slated to be the closer. Except that moment never came and he never tossed one pitch. Bartolo Colon said he couldn’t believe he made the All Star team and was speechless when he was told he made the squad. “it’s such an honor, especially at my age,” he said through an interpreter. Like Familia, Colon never made it into the game either.
No big deal, right? Not really… Moments after the last out of the game, the reports started to pour in via social media.
First, the normally affable and media friendly Jeurys Familia declined to be interviewed as he had nothing to say as he didn’t pitch in the game. It was the same story for Noah Syndergaard who joined his teammates in San Diego despite the news he wouldn’t pitch. In fact, none of the Mets were willing to give any interviews. and every media outlet were reporting about how upset each and every Mets All Star was:
https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/753078019506446337
What was supposed to be a memorable moment and a special lifelong memory for two Mets All Stars who anxiously awaited their chance to play in the Midsummer Classic, concluded on a very sour note it seems. I don’t think this was the way Terry Collins intended to begin the second half.
After the game Collins explained that he was holding Familia back for a save chance that never came, and that he was keeping Colon on ice in case the game went into extra innings.
“We had some health issues and we knew that,” Collins said. “Cespedes would have been a nice piece to have. But the other guys, they were available. We had it set up to when we were going to use them, and we just didn’t get to get there.”
Familia eventually ended his media blackout and reached out to a few Mets beat writers to say, “I’m not disappointed.” He said he understood the rationale and that he was being saved to close. “Maybe next year.”
