MATT HARVEY & THE NEW YORK MESS

Photo: Kathy Willens AP

The "Dark Knight" has fallen again. Yes, I say again because it's not the first time that he has screwed up. This time he has earned himself a three game suspension and potentially a fine. You can read that HERE. You would think that by now he would've learned his lesson. I guess not. Apparently, after a third mistake the Mets have finally had enough of his crap, and it really is long overdue.

I will be the first to admit that I do not care for Matt Harvey. I never have. For the record, it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fact that he plays for the Mets. None. I've had that thrown at me a time or two since I have been writing for this blog. Truth is, I'm not a Mets hater. I intensely dislike two teams....and they aren't the Mets. Harvey could be pitching for the Miami Marlins and I would still feel the same exact way. The guy has a character issue, plain and simple.

I lost all respect for Harvey when he turned himself in a target back in September of 2015. The prima donna wouldn't commit to pitching beyond the 180 innings limit he had even with a playoff berth in sight. Yes, he just had Tommy John surgery and he was trying to protect his future with three years to go before free agency.....blah blah blah. We remember it well. We also remember him writing THIS on Derek Jeter's website trying to redeem himself. It's all just a bunch of Matt Harvey drama that nobody wants to hear about anymore. That inspired us to write NO ONE CARES ABOUT MATT HARVEY...EXCEPT MATT HARVEY and it didn't end there.

It went from bad to worse when Harvey made his another big mistake by missing a team practice when the Mets were preparing for the playoffs back in October of 2015. First he said he lost track of time "doing some things" and then he couldn't get his alibi straight and later said he got stuck in traffic, read that HERE. It's sad when you can't remember what you said to keep up with your lies. Give me a break.

Now here we are in a young 2017 season and now Matt Harvey doesn't show up to a game. Clearly, he had something better to do. Unprofessional much? He gets paid to pitch every fifth day, and even when it's not his turn he still has to be there just like everyone else. In fairness, the exact details for his failure to appear at Citi Field on Saturday are not known, and Mets Manager Terry Collins seems determined to keep details out of the media. We do know that he was suspended for "a violation of club rules" but it is rumored he missed the game due to a migraine (!) and the Mets aren't messing around anymore. When Harvey showed up on Sunday he was sent home, his start skipped and the rookie who filled in for him at the last minute didn't give them a win.

So now, Harvey has a mess to dig himself out of. Fans are even more upset with him (if that is possible), his organization is making an example out of him, and even his team mates like Jose Reyes are voicing their frustrations. It's gone too far when someone on your team gets vocal. Now Harvey has filed a grievance against the Mets and this soap opera only gets worse.

Here is a bit of advice for Harvey....not that he listens to anyone but himself because he is the great Matt Harvey and he only cares about Matt Harvey....do not file your grievance. It is time to stick your tail between your legs and say you are sorry (again). This time when you do, you give a SINCERE apology and show your team mates that you can be that guy they count on. You have the same goals as they do and you will be there for them. Next, give that same apology to Terry Collins, the rest of the coaching staff, Sandy Alderson and the fans (again).

Photo: Getty Images

After you give your apology tour start acting like you mean it. Grow up, get over yourself, SHOW UP and be thankful that you get to play a kids game and get paid for it. Remember why you are here and why people know who you are, it's because you have talent - not because you are dating supermodel Adriana Lima. Stop making a spectacle of yourself!

It must be hard to be a Mets fan right now. The pitching rotation is supposed to be their strength, but when you have a headcase like Harvey on your team it turns into a giant weakness. It's guys like this that make me sick. He pisses away what he has and doesn't care....what a waste.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

BYB Stack Merchandise (2017)

JAMES KAPRIELIAN: IT'S NOT A SPRINT, IT'S A MARATHON

 Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

We've heard the phrase, "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon." And the other phrase, "It's not about the outcome, it's about the process."  Well, both of these sentiments drive home the idea that James Kaprielian may just be the next best Yankee starter in waiting, with the key word "waiting."

Source: LA Times

As Joe Girardi said in an interview captured in the NY Post on Saturday, “I think we’re probably going to see him in a game,” Girardi said of the 16th pick in the 2015 draft out of UCLA. “I’m not sure when, but I think our plan is his next appearance is going to be in a game. We’ve taken it slow on purpose because he’s pitched in the fall league.”

Taking it slow may be just the recipe the 23-year-old prospect needs missing most of last year with a flexor tendon problem and having pitched in the Arizona Fall League.  “Whether he gets here this year, I don’t know, but there’s a ton of talent there. I think the biggest thing for him is to stay healthy. If he does that, there’s definitely a chance I think.” He has a chance for big opportunities with some patience and wait time.

Source: NJ.com

Optimists like the media covering the Yankees and myself, a BYB writer, think if Kaprielian can stay healthy and continue to be effective,  there could be a big push to bring one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects to the Bombers in the Bronx sometime in 2017.  The skeptic in me feels that he needs more time to grow and develop his pitching arm.  We don't need him to go out too hard and not get the rest and recovery he needs from innings pitched.  We don't need him to come back after surgery like another young pitcher across the River.  That pitcher and Mets hopeful being Zack Wheeler.

Source: NY Post

"Wheeler's 2016 comeback was stymied by a bunch of problems: a flexor strain, a dissolving stitch that never dissolved and nerve discomfort in the elbow. He also had elbow soreness earlier this spring training. The Mets have discussed adding Wheeler to the bullpen instead of the starting rotation, but haven't made any decisions," reported NJ.com  Wheeler pitched just under his 35 pitch limit on Friday against the Braves and according to Mets Manager Terry Collins, he looked good hitting his curveball and spiking the radar gun at 94-mph.

As for Kaprielian, I would like to see him take his time and ask that the Yankees not rush him.  He has a lot of talent, some of which is unrealized since he is so young in his career.  He has the potential of being something great, maybe like my favorite Yankee pitcher, Ron Guidry.  Let's not go that far, but one could hope...Happy Sunday, everyone!



--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

NO FUN IN THE SAN DIEGO SUN

Well so much for equal representation. The best part of the All-Star game is watching a star studded game where the winner gets bragging rights and home field advantage for the World Series. You get to see the best players in the game duke it out in match-ups you may not see during the regular season and you get to see every team play....well everyone except the New York Mets. If you wanted to see them on Tuesday night you were screwed.

Part of me has to think that this was just a massive mistake and an oversight. Terry Collins got to manage the National League team but he didn't use any of his players in the game. Not that I EVER want to defend the Mets but, I think Collins just had a senior moment. Major League Baseball makes such a big deal about making sure every team is represented in the game and the Mets had a breakout year last season so I can't imagine why Collins would choose to bench his team. It just makes no sense.

I can't hep but feel bad for Jeurys Familia because you could tell that he was excited to play in his first All-Star Game. I'm sure there will be other opportunities to come in his young career but based on other media buzz it sounds like he was pumped up and expecting to play. Regardless of the fact that he had no lead to protect, he sat back and watched the game go by without him or his teammates participating but I don't understand all of the backlash.

The All-Star game is supposed to be a fun, happy and exciting time for players so talking to the media should be a lot easier. If media reports are correct Bartolo Colon, Yoenis Cespedes and Noah Syndergaard were so frustrated that they refused to complete interviews after the game. Playing for New York is a whole different animal because it is New York. It's a stage of bright lights (yes, even for the Mets) and there are big personalities all around players and journalists included. Hiding from the media just isn't an option and for crying out loud this wasn't a game that counted toward the standings! Throwing a temper tantrum after the All-Star game is just ridiculous.

It sounds like Mets spokesman spoke with Familia at least and so did Collins. It may have been too little to late but at least Collins spoke to his player. What isn't OK is allowing your team to act like toddlers and then not talk to the media which is part of their job! Where were Mets spokesmen with the rest of their team? Hmmm?

Maybe the Mets were just frustrated that the Royals managed to steal the spotlight once again. I dunno. I can't really explain why the Mets decided to be so petty. I understand the passion. I understand that if all teams are chosen to represent the team like MLB wants that they should be able to participate but I don't understand acting like an immature child. Address it and move on....and be ready for next year. Drama free. I'm so glad this didn't happen in Yankeeland. We have enough problems.

 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer & Editor
  Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

GIRARDI NEEDS TO BE GRITTIER

Reflecting on this year's post season gives me the opportunity to see flaws in our team including our dugout management.  My reflection yields one main thought: Joe Girardi needs to be grittier.  Now, when I brought this idea up to my Met fan daughter, she said, "Like Terry Collins?"  I had to agree and added, "like him, Cubs manager Joe Maddon, Royals manager Ned Yost, and Astros manager A. J. Hinch."  They teach grit and it shows in their players who evoke situations that yield opportunities for their teams to dominate games over their opponents.

In an MLB post game interview back in 2014, Ned Yost described grit and persistence best when he talked about how his Royals team used their tremendous energy to battle back and his coaching staff exerted patience and understanding for his young players who were just fighting to win.  "We are doing things differently; we are defending a little bit earlier, we are pinch hitting more in certain situations because we are trying to win baseball games. The scrutiny is the scrutiny.  I've come to find out that I can put a player in the ball game and if he gets a base hit or gets a big out, no one is going to say anything.  But if I put in that same player and he strikes out or gives up a hit, then it's all the second guessing that comes down on you. I've learned that it is neither right or wrong most of the time.  You made the right decision; it either works out or it doesn't work out.  The one thing that has gotten us to this point is the patience we have had with these young guys."  

Am I saying that Joe Girardi doesn't have patience?  Perhaps.  He is just so tight and old school that he seemingly appears outdated for a game that seems to be more about chances and opportunities than playing the odds of lefty vs. righty.  Guys need to be gritty.  They need to be persistent in their quest for the chance to play in the Fall Classic.  Like former New York Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said to his guys, "One week at a time, one game at a time, one win at a time."  Girardi needs to think more like that and take some chances.

"We've been behind a lot of times. We've battled back. We totally expect that out of the Cardinals. A lot of their better record against us was early in the season, their ability to battle back against us in the latter part of a game. So none of that surprises -- you can take nothing for granted. You don't pack up the bats with the last out ever, and I love it for that," said Joe Maddon after moving on to play the Cards in their match up last October.  I feel like the other Joe has forgotten how to battle or perhaps he needs a more energetic team to battle with?

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said this after learning that they would play our Yankees in a Wild Card game this October.  "We have such a young team, a talented team. This could have gone many different directions this year. A. J. (Hinch) kept the guys focused and they had so much desire inside of them to win. As we started accumulating those wins in April, it started to become a reality for us that we have a chance to make the postseason, and through the ups and downs of a long season they battled through and made it today. I couldn't be happier for them. You know what? They're not done."

Bottom line, Girardi needs to be grittier.  He needs to evoke this persistence in his team.  Some will say we need more youth to finish the deal.  I say sure, but without a teacher and a leader who can help young guys develop into good men, we can't win; we won't win.  Girardi, find some grit and bring it with you to Tampa in February.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

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HOW IMPORTANT IS TEAM LEADERSHIP?

My brother, a die hard Yankee fan, made a statement last weekend that stuck with me.  He said, "If the Mets lose this series, and I have pledged to root for them despite being a Yankee fan, I will never root for them again, ever."  I sort of laughed, but he's right.  I always root for the team who I feel hasn't had the chance to get to the Series in a number of years.  So, I rooted for the Cubs and then I rooted for the Dodgers and then I rooted for the Mets.  In the American League, I rooted for Houston and then I rooted for the Royals.  But when it came down to the Mets vs. the Royals, I got my New York On and just bit the bullet.  I rooted for the Mets.

I figured it would be a good Series not just because of the hype, the hitting, the Daniel Murphy Show, the pitching, the Noah Syndergaard Show or even the stick-to-it-ness that each team had all post season.  No, not just for all of that, but something more.  It was the team leadership I saw in the eyes and actions of Terry Collins and Ned Yost and how important this is to the rise and fall of teams throughout the baseball long season.

As I watched Game 5, I shook my head in disbelief as I saw what has become common place in classrooms and living rooms across this country.  I saw pouting and lip service from a player to a manager and pitching coach.  I saw Matt Harvey whine to his team leadership when they told him he was done for the evening after throwing over a hundred pitches.  "cameras caught Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen appearing to tell Harvey his night was over.  Harvey's response? "No way." After repeating it again, he headed over to manager Terry Collins and said it again. "No way."

Though Harvey gave up a run before he was pulled by Collins and the Mets had another disastrous late-inning collapse, the moment will sit well with die-hards who questioned the starter and the controversy stirred up by all that talk about his innings limit," reported NJ.com the morning after the Mets' lost the game ending series.  I don't blame Harvey.  He is a certified prima donna.  No, I blame Mets team leadership for not sticking with their gut and their experience in the game.  The pitcher was done; it doesn't matter if he is multi-million dollar Scott Boras pitcher Matt Harvey or if he is a minor league newbie. Done is done. 

I also blame Mets team leadership for leaving in Yoenis Cespedes in after he was injured "Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes fouled a ball off his left knee in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 5 against Kansas City Royals' starter Edinson Volquez Sunday night, dropping to the ground for over a minute as he shook off the pain.  "Oh mercy" - Harold Reynolds commentates as Yoenis collapses into a heap," reports NJ.com.  He then flied out to the shortstop  with the bases loaded.  Collins, it's the World Series.   Cespedes is hurt and frankly has not provided much to help the team in the Series. Take him out!  Another bad decision, which lead to the Mets' unraveling and loss of the World Series.

On the flip side, you have the gritty management of Ned Yost, who enabled his players to play fearlessly, taking risks around every turn.  That's why Eric Hosmer sprinted for home to tie the game in the ninth inning forcing Lucas Duda to rush and make a bad throw to the plate.  If I were Collins, I would have anticipated this and walked the next batter to set up the double play or as David Wright, I would have just held onto the ball. As a team leader, Wright should have known better. KC history this season and last says he's running.

How important is team leadership to the outcome of a game, a World Series?  It's everything.  From player leadership to dugout leadership to front office leadership, they are all valuable and they are all equally important.  The Mets lost because, frankly, their leadership did not step up when it was needed.  Next season, beside finding some great pitchers, we better be looking for leadership who can carry us through and handle the prima donnas, the press and the day to day drama both on and off the field.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof





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PRESSURE PROVES FAMILIA IS NO RIVERA

After finishing his first full season as the closer, Jeurys Familia had to be living the dream. His fans sure were. We saw lots of comments about him being "the next Mariano Rivera". Personally, I don't have it in for him or his fans, but I had to bite my lip when I read that. See, I got to watch him pitch from his rookie year to his retirement, and I know how special his accomplishments were. Comparing a 26-year old who just completed his first complete season to a Hall of Famer seems presumptuous, but I understand the enthusiasm. Still ....

Over the course of 16 seasons, Rivera appeared in 32 postseason series. Fifteen of those 32 resulted in a World Series win. A career postseason ERA of 0.70 and a World Series ERA of 0.99. I could quote a million stats which prove what we all know about Rivera. Even Mets fans who compared Familia to him acknowledge it when they use Rivera as the standard of greatness. Comparing a kid who had one successful regular season and two postseason series to that kind of legacy is just illogical. But again, I understand the irrational exuberance.

In the aftermath of the Mets' World Series collapse, you have to look at how important the role fo the closer is. If Familia had been able to do the job his first two times out, the Mets could have been up 3-1 instead of down 3-1. Let that sink in. This was what Rivera meant to the Yankees. If we had the lead going into the 8th inning, it was over. If he entered a tied game, he held the line. Eighty-five times he came in with a tie or a lead and eighty times the Yankees got the win they earned. It wasn't absolutely perfect, but it was better than almost anyone else.

Rivera built a kind of trust you just don't see all that often. Goose Gossage said it best - "This guy walks into the game, and they are done." That was the thinking of Joe Torre, who was accused of overusing him. Could you blame him? Rivera was the ninth inning guy. Unless, of course, the tying run got on base or came to the plate in the eighth. Since becoming the closer, he was brought in in the eighth inning of a postseason game 45 times out of 83 appearances. That speaks to a level of trust that you don't often see. Look at what happened in Game 5 of the Series. Going into the top of the 9th, Matt Harvey had already tallied 102 pitches. Yes, he was throwing a scoreless ballgame and maybe pitch counts are overrated. Nevertheless, that's the exact situation where you bring in your closer. Yet Familia was in the bullpen. I cannot read minds, but that doesn't scream confidence from Terry Collins.  By the time Familia came in, the tying run was on second with no one out. Even then, he should have been the perfect man for the job. The closer who had a 9.9 K/9 during the regular season, whose team desperately needed a strikeout, couldn't get a single swinging strike. Two soft grounders and the tying run crossed the plate.

Honestly, I feel bad for the kid. Maybe the "Rivera" talk got in his head, and he started to feel the pressure. Maybe the 26-yeaar old in his first World Series, feeling monumental expectations and pressure, cracked. I really hope he puts this in the past and he doesn't turn into Byung-Hyun Kim. At least he'll have a chance to redeem himself. The Mets open next season in Kansas City. You can't make this up.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row






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THE YANKEES MUST BEAT THE JAYS, NOT THEMSELVES

It's time to knock down the Blue Jays.  That's it.

Ken Davidoff writes a terrific piece in the New York Post today, and it's obivous, but he had to do it. Still, it's well done.  I want to give it a forum here... some good stuff. Here's a few portions of it:

"'We’ve run into a lot of teams who have been extremely hot at the given moment when we’ve hit them,' (Chris)Young said, 'and as you play those teams, play things out throughout the year, you realize that none of that stuff really matters when you’re in the heat of battle. The run that you’re on doesn’t matter. It’s irrelevant.'

His words came laced with the hope that the Yankees could once again cool off the hot opponent arriving Thursday. Yet by the end of Wednesday’s work shift in The Bronx, you could have attached a different meaning: The wish that the Yankees can shrug off their last two days...

For sure, the Yankees can take pride in slaying some monsters this year. Remember when they ended the Mets’ 11-game winning streak by beating Terry Collins’ group two of three times April 24-26 in The Bronx? Right before that series, they beat the Tigers three straight times to deflate Detroit’s 11-2 launch (including a win over the Yankees) to the season, and set them toward a course of massive disappointment.

And when they temporarily disrupted the Jays last month, they ended Toronto’s 11-game winning streak.

'If you’re able to stay on that run, then more power to you,' Young said. 'But nothing’s given. Nothing’s predicted. You can’t be a fortune-teller and tell the future of how our last 25 games are going to be, no less how their 25 games are going to be... Runs are amazing. Twenty-nine and [nine], that’s amazing. The only thing that matters is the end-of-season record. It doesn’t matter how you get there.'”

Chris Young has been a good Yankee, and that's why I chose some of his quotes from Davidoff's piece.  Young was dead with the Mets, alive with the Yankees and has done his job well. 

But it's more than that. He brings confidence to an unstable Yankee fan base.  Many fans are worried.  I don't worry, I just get aggravated. I get aggravated when our big boppers get hurt at the wrong time and I get annoyed when we can't consistently win, especially with the players we have. 

There is no excuse for bad play actually. You're a professional, suck it up and play hard. You get paid a lot of money to do it.  Hit the ball, HARD.  That's how you make your money.  And that brings me back to the Yankees and their next 7 games against Toronto.  Our approach needs to be strong. Go up with an approach at the plate, execute. We can't just go up there hitting solo shots, that does nothing.  We need runners on, and then those same runners scoring. It starts with us.

Baseball cannot be predicted.  We've seen underdogs win over dominant teams before.  The Yankees must win against the Blue Jays. That's it. They know this.  What we need right now is alittle help from the Ghost of Babe Ruth, Red Ruffing and Thurman Munson combined right about now.

That's right, alittle superstition helps. We need Derek Jeter to text the team. We need a Jorge Posada closed door player meeting.

We need a smashing of the Paul O'Neill water cooler. We need energy from within as well. We need to get angry out there.  We need to start winning ladies and gentlemen...that's the bottom line.

And through it all, I need the Yankee fans, BYB readers to do me a favor;  Get loud, but be the smart fan.  Don't go bitching about the Mets winning... that's them, they deserve to win, especially when they play hard. 

 Don't go giving excuses about how we're injured and we need Mark Teixeira healthy.  We still need to play... forget that crap.  No excuses.  We have the team. We have the pitching, we have the ability. 

I leave you with a very important quote from Chris Young, "The only thing that matters is the end-of-season record. It doesn’t matter how you get there.”

So, let's get there. Go Yanks!




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