Musings
Given the Mets and Nationals play in the same division, you could understand the impulse for the fans to root for the Astros in the World Series. Recent events may want Mets fans to reconsider that position.
In an article written by Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated, we learned after the ALCS Astros Assistant General Manager Brandon Taubman got aggressive with female reporters:
And in the center of the room, assistant general manager Brandon Taubman turned to a group of three female reporters, including one wearing a purple domestic-violence awareness bracelet, and yelled, half a dozen times, “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f—— glad we got Osuna!”
To put it into perspective, this was said after Robert Osuna blew the save by allowing a game tying two run homer to DJ LeMahieu in the top of the ninth. This is the same Osuna who has a 5.27 postseason ERA with the Astros.
To put it another way, at a time where you’d expect the front office to celebrate George Springer, their 2011 first round pick who got the rally started, or Jose Altuve, a player they signed as a teenager for just a $15,000 signing bonus, who hit the pennant winning homer, they opted to celebrate the guy who blew the save.
The article noted these reporters were not speaking with Taubman, and no one was talking to or about Osuna. Of course, when the topic of Taubman’s behavior arose, the Astros declined to make him available to Apstein, and they declined comment.
That was they declined comment until the article was published. At that point, they opted to attack the reporter’s credibility:
The Astros just released the following statement. pic.twitter.com/KnA6kQt0hq
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 22, 2019
It’s odd they would do that after a no comment. It’s almost as odd as the Astros going out and acquiring Osuna after they had implemented a zero tolerance policy where it came to domestic violence.
Issuing a statement after the fact leaves the impression the Astros aren’t being as truthful about the incident much like how their zero tolerance policy wasn’t exactly written in stone.
Further showing the Astros aren’t being forthright or truthful are the accounts from other reporters substantiating Apstein’s article based on both her integrity and their own observation of the incident.
https://twitter.com/hunteratkins35/status/1186474194772598784?s=21
I know @stephapstein, and saying she would fabricate a story is misleading and completely irresponsible. https://t.co/Noo7hhjyCW
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) October 22, 2019
By the way, this isn’t just some rogue front office executive. There’s a quote from Alex Bregman offered in support of Osuna.
Overall, there remains likeable players on this Astros team. That includes Justin Verlander who has been outspoken on this issue. On that note, he didn’t exactly condemn Osuna or the trade to obtain him last year.
Taking it all into account, it’s very difficult to root for this Astros team considering not just their support, but their belligerence when it comes to those who commit vile acts of domestic violence. Taking that into account, perhaps we should all be rooting for the Nationals.
On July 20, 2018, Yoenis Cespedes serves as the Mets DH in a game against the Yankees. Despite not having played in a Major League game in over two months, he homered.
Roughly two weeks later, Cespedes underwent the first of two surgeries required to not just remove calcifications, but to also save his career.
This was a surgery necessary because he was in so much pain/discomfort he actually had to alter the way he ran in order to play. In essence, Cespedes did what he could do to keep playing even if it arguably led to other injuries.
Seeing what he went through just to play, you could not question his heart, drive, or commitment. That is unless you work for SNY, which is owned by the Wilpons.
Carlos Beltran has been a mentor to many challenging players over the years, and one person who knows him well suggests he’s the guy to motivate the quixotic Yoenis Cespedes from the ranch to the batters box
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) October 19, 2019
Imagine covering Cespedes and learning of all he went through and still finding a way to say the Mets need to hire Carlos Beltran to motivate Cespedes to play baseball again.
It’s purposely oblivious to overlook Cespedes’ double heel injury and his subsequent broken ankle to say the needed motivation to play the game. After all, it’s not like we have seen Cespedes play through excruciating pain and just find ways to get onto the field.
No, his only problem was motivation.
Andy Martino just called a player who needed double heel surgery and suffered a broken ankle lazy. A Hispanic player at that. Given what he just said, it’s surprising he didn’t go further by invoking other negative stereotypes.
What Andy Martino said about Yoenis Cespedes was wrong. Plain wrong. And he owes Cespedes an apology.
According to Baseball America, Major League Baseball is considering eliminating 25 percent of Minor League baseball for a number of reasons including the need to pay players a living wage. Part of that is the elimination of stateside short season minor league baseball.
For the Mets, that means no Kingsport Mets or Brooklyn Cyclones. With respect to the Cyclones, there are kinks which could be worked out allowing the Mets to keep them as an affiliate in some fashion.
But Kingsport, they’d be as good as gone.
Instead, they could be a part of a “Dream League.” That would be a league of now unaffiliated teams who catch undrafted college players. That’s a fairly steep drop in cache for affiliates like Kingsport.
For example, in 2018 Kingsport had significant prospects like Jarred Kelenic, Ronny Mauricio, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Mark Vientos. This year, Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty played for Kingsport. That’s a reason to not just go to the ballpark but to also follow the team.
Then again, just having a team in Kingsport, TN is reason to follow the team.
The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are nearly five hours away. The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals are over six hours away. Those are the closest options meaning if you want to see a baseball game live your best bet is the Kingsport Mets.
The question is whether Kingsport can continue operations without an affiliation with the Mets and having a roster of players like T.J. Rivera at the point in Rivera’s career where he was a complete nobody with little to no chance of making it to the majors.
Remember, Kingsport needs a new park. While the Mets would help now, that won’t happen if Kingsport is not part of their system two or three years from now.
Where does that leave Kingsport? Well, it likely leaves them on the brink. They need a new ballpark, and with them needing to help pay player salaries in the new “Dream League,” you wonder just how much longer they can continue operations.
If they’re gone, the State of Tennessee has one fewer professional baseball team. The City of Kingsport loses baseball period. That’s a missed opportunity to grow the game in what is mostly football country.
Really, when you look at things, Baseball is the only league without a Major League team in that state. To that end, you’d wonder why baseball would not want to try to find a way to keep fans engaged in that region as much as they possibly can to grow the game.
In the end, this is about punishing players for not being able to afford living off wages below the poverty line. In doing that, Major League Baseball is going to cut its nose off to spite its face.
Edgardo Alfonzo is one of the greatest Mets to ever wear the uniform. In fact, according to WAR, he’s the eighth best Met ever putting him ahead of beloved Mets like Keith Hernandez and Mike Piazza.
Even if you don’t subscribe to WAR, it’s hard to argue he’s the best second baseman in team history, and he’s one of the most beloved players to ever don a Mets uniform. That includes both fans and fellow players. We all loved and respected him.
T.J. Quinn of ESPN would note that saying Alfonzo “was practically a coach while he played, he was so respected by other players. ” They all believed he would one day manage, and starting in 2017, he would.
While things did not go well in his first year as a manager, Alfonzo did guide the Cyclones to consecutive seasons with a winning record. That included the Cyclones winning their first ever outright New-York Penn League title this year.
With the Mets having fired Mickey Callaway, you could make the argument Alfonzo should’ve been considered as a replacement. Alfonzo wouldn’t even get an interview. In fact, he’s out of a job all together.
As reported by Mike Puma of the New York Post, the reason provided was Brodie Van Wagenen wanted to hire his own guy to manage the Cyclones.
Did you ever think you’d see the day where the Mets said Alfonzo wasn’t one of their guys?
It’s embarrassing, and it gets worse when you consider it’s coming from the guy who gutted the farm system and brought in his old clients for a third place finish. Under Van Wagenen, the Mets are saying Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie are their guys, but Alfonzo isn’t.
Now, the Mets are saying the only manager in their organization who went to the playoffs, let alone won a championship, isn’t one of their guys. The best second baseman in their history isn’t one of their guys. A person who has been a Met since he’s been 17 years old isn’t one of their guys.
Not only is this insulting, but it’s embarrassing for this organization. Alfonzo, the players, and the fans deserved better. That does double when you consider all the times the Wilpons interceded for Terry Collins.
Overall, there’s been nothing from the organization. Not a press release thanking him. As usual, both the Wilpons and Van Wagenen are ducking the media to avoid answering for their decision.
This is not how you treat an all-time great Met. It gets worse when you consider Alfonzo STILL isn’t in the Mets Hall of Fame. Top to bottom, the Mets organization should be ashamed of themselves.
Edgardo Alfonzo deserves much better than this.
CC Sabathia has had a truly great career; a career which is arguably Hall of Fame caliber. With him announcing his retirement, we knew his career would potentially end in the ALCS, but not like this.
Sabathia has pitched 19 years in the majors. What made that career truly remarkable is he almost lasted all 19 years without a shoulder or elbow problem which required season ending surgery. This made him a rubber armed and durable starter.
Sabathia always took the ball. That was no more evident than when he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008. After that trade, the Brewers rode him hard to an almost unethical point.
Sabathia was a 27 year old in his prime set to cash-in in free agency, and the Brewers were not going to be in a position to sign him. Despite that, he’d make four consecutive starts on three days rest. Where we’ve seen other pitchers contemplate their careers, Sabathia took the ball, and he’d pitch the Brewers into the postseason.
Sabathia was rewarded with a massive contract with the Yankees, and he’d help pitch that Yankees team to the 2009 World Series.
With that World Series title, a Cy Young, six All Star appearances, and 3,093 strikeouts (third most by a LHP all-time), he arguably had a Hall of Fame career. However, just because he had a great career, it doesn’t always mean it was a charmed one.
Throughout his career, Sabathia has battled weight issues. He’s been battling knee problems for nearly a decade now, which is roughly half his career.
In 2015, Sabathia had his most difficult battle. Late in that year as the Yankees were readying themselves for the Wild Card Game, he admitted he had a problem, and his season would end as he sought treatment for his alcoholism.
Sabathia got the treatment he needed, and he persevered. He’d even have a bit of a renaissance two years later going 14-5 with a 3.69 ERA for the 2017 Yankees.
That did not mean Sabathia was free and clear of all medical issues. In fact, Sabathia would need a stent put in his heart in December 2018. Seeing that, it should come as no surprise the 38 year old Sabathia would announce the 2019 season would be his last.
What was remarkable was despite the knee and heart issues, Sabathia would find his way onto the ALCS roster. He’d contribute too as a LOOGY getting Michael Brantley out in the 10th inning of Game 2. He appeared for a second time, tonight, in Game 4.
Given how Game 4 was unfolding with balls eating up DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres, you could see things were going to end badly, but you never expected it to end this badly. With a 2-1 count to George Springer, something happened, and the rubber arm of Sabathia’s finally broke.
Respect ?
CC Sabathia leaves tonight's game at Yankee Stadium for what could be his last career appearance.pic.twitter.com/i6GR7JEjhD
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) October 18, 2019
When the great ones go, you want to see them end it on their own terms. You want them to walk off the field. The very last thing you want to see is them leaving due to injury, but that’s what happened to Sabathia.
That’s how it ends to one of the best left-handed pitchers of all time. That’s how things end for a man who used his platform to give so much back through his PitCCh In Foundation. After all CC Sabathia has overcome, he left with an injury instead of leaving the field after recording that last big out.
Seeing this is the way it ends for Sabathia is heartbreaking. He and his storied career deserved better than that.
Hopefully, Sabathia can take solace in the fact he literally gave all he could give, and there was nothing else he could do. There is no room for second guessing himself because he undoubtedly gave everything he could.
Perhaps, while heartbreaking, it is a fitting end. After all, time and again, Sabathia took the ball. He always took the ball until he finally could not take it anymore.
As he departed, he received an ovation from the fans and the players on the field. He left with the admiration of millions of baseball fans in New York, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the entire world.
This is the end for Sabathia. While he likely wanted a better end, an end befitting of a great career on and off the field, he can hold his head high. He gave his all to this game, and he received back all the respect he showed it.
Congratulations to CC Sabathia on a great career.
When you look at particular days on the calendar, some have more meaning than others. There is your wedding anniversary and your children’s birthdays. Of course, there is Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July. For the Mets, they have October 17.
In 1969, this would be the day after Jerry Koosman‘s complete game in Game 5 of the World Series. This would be the first ever full day the Mets would be reigning World Series Champions.
As amazing as that was, thirty years later, the Mets would play in another epic Game 5. The Mets trailed the Braves 3-0 in the NLCS. There would be a Game 5 because John Olerud hit a two RBI single off John Rocker in the bottom of the eighth. The thrill of that victory was nothing compared to Game 5.
That Game 5 was an epic 15 inning game which was the longest postseason game in Major League history. You heart was in your throats for each and every inning. That was all the more the case when Melvin Mora threw out Keith Lockhart in the 13th. Lockhart would get the Mets back with an RBI triple in the 15th.
The Mets came back in a rally started with a simply great 12 pitch at-bat by Shawon Dunston. In a game with a series of unlikely events, Edgardo Alfonzo laid down a sacrifice bunt leading to the Braves loading the bases. Todd Pratt drew a game tying RBI walk before Robin Ventura hit the most famous single in baseball history:
This still stands as one of the greatest moments in Mets history, and it is one of the biggest moments in postseason history.
Sixteen years later, Matt Harvey would pitch in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Cubs. It was a game which featured it all.
Daniel Murphy continued his postseason heroics with a first inning homer off Jon Lester. Yoenis Cespedes would throw a runner out at the plate. Travis d’Arnaud would actually hit the Home Run Apple. Through it all, Harvey struck out nine through 7.2 innings before Jeurys Familia slammed the door shut.
Sure, there are some down moments on this date just like you have had a bad birthday or two. However, through it all, this date has had some magic to it. Certainly, that’s what it felt like in 1999 and 2015 – pure magic.
Maybe, just maybe, we will see this day have some magic in 2020 with Jacob deGrom pitching and a beloved Mets player like Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, or Jeff McNeil getting a huge hit. With this being the Mets, you never know.
On July 31, the New York Mets obtained Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes would become an instant star with the Mets hitting .287/.337/.604 with 14 doubles, four triples, 17 homers, and 44 RBI in just 57 games. After the Mets would win the pennant, fans clamored for his return.
Cespedes would return, and he’d be as impressive in 2016 helping the Mets grab the top Wild Card spot. He’d opt out of that contract, and he would sign a four year deal that has not gone nearly as well. Over the first two years of the deal, he’d hit an impressive .282/.343/.525, but he’d only play 119 games out of a possible 324 games.
With Cespedes having season ending heel surgery in 2018 and his falling into a hole on his ranch, he would not play at all in 2019 meaning he’s only played 119 games out of a possible 486 games over the first three years of his deal. Who knows if he will be able to play at all in 2020?
The key piece going to the Detroit Tigers was Michael Fulmer. Like Cespedes, Fulmer had two strong years after the trade before succumbing to injury. In 2016, Fulmer was the Rookie of the Year, and in 2017, Fulmer was an All-Star.
In 2018, Fulmer had a down year as he dealt with various injuries. After season ending knee surgery that year, he would be diagnosed with a torn UCL before Spring Training this year. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March, and he would miss the entire season, and like Cespedes, we cannot be sure when he can play in 2020.
That leaves the final piece of the trade – Luis Cessa.
Cessa was traded by the Tigers to the New York Yankees along with Chad Green for Justin Wilson. Green has emerged as a key piece to the Yankees bullpen, and Cessa finally carved out a real role in the Yankees bullpen for himself this year.
Cessa would make his first postseason appearance in Game 3 of the ALCS pitching two scoreless innings against the Houston Astros. That makes Cessa the lone part of that famed Cespedes trade who is not only in the postseason this year, but who actually played a game during the 2019 season.
In the end, the Mets thought they were getting a player who would lead them to their first World Series Championship since 1986. The Detroit Tigers thought they were getting a staff ace who would lead them to their first title since 1984. The Yankees were getting an arm with upside, and that arm who could contribute something in the future.
It’s just funny how that one overlooked pitcher is the one player from a noteworthy deal who is in this postseason. We’ll see how things play out from here.
The Washington Nationals suffered their fair share of heartbreak. In the 2012 NLDS, they had seemingly overcome Stephen Strasburg being shut down due to post Tommy John innings limit. They had a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth inning before Drew Storen imploded allowing four runs in the ninth.
In 2014, Bryce Harper would hit a seventh inning homer off Hunter Strickland tie the Game 4 of the NLDS at 2-2. After than Matt Thornton would allow consecutive hits before Aaron Barrett walked the bases loaded and threw a wild pitch leading to the Giants clinching the series.
The 2015 Nationals team would choke literally and figuratively. The team would blow a 4.5 game lead over the Mets in the division, and they would also see Jonathan Papelbon choke Harper in the dugout. This led to Matt Williams firing and his being replaced by Dusty Baker, who would lead the team to consecutive division titles, but like his predecessors no trips to the NLCS.
In Game 5 of the 2016 NLCS, Max Scherzer shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers for six innings. In the seventh, Joc Pederson homered off Scherzer tying the game at 1-1. From there, Marc Rzepczynski, Blake Treinen, Sammy Solis, and Shawn Kelley would allow the Dodgers to put up four runs to win that game. Amazingly, Daniel Murphy, who had big homers against the Dodgers in this and the previous year’s NLCS, would pop up against Clayton Kershaw with the tying run at second in the ninth.
The following year, it was Scherzer again. Heading into the top of the fifth, the Nationals had a 4-3 lead, and Scherzer came out of the bullpen. The Dodgers scored four runs off of him to take a 7-4 lead. The Nationals would play catch up for the rest of the game, but they couldn’t quite do it as their bullpen continued to implode in the 9-8 loss.
Through all of that, and the team having been 19-31 this year and Dave Martinez on the verge of getting fired, the Nationals won the pennant. They won it with them coming from behind in the Wild Card Game with a Juan Soto RBI single and an error leading to a three run eighth in a 4-3 victory.
In Game 5 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Anthony Rendon and Soto hit back-to-back homers off Kershaw in the eighth to tie the score. Then, the bullpen which had been the bane of their postseason existence, held on as they won in 11 off a Howie Kendrick grand slam.
Now, they have swept the Cardinals in the NLCS to win the pennant. With that, they have exorcised every postseason demon, and they have earned this moment.
As it pertains to the Mets, there is a lesson here. This is what happens when you have ownership fully committed to winning and spends commensurate to market size and World Series window. This is what happens when you hire a very good General Manager and empower him. This is what happens when you allow players like Stephen Strasburg the necessary time to heal and recover.
In the end, the 2019 Nationals came and got the Mets and every National League team in their path this year. Whether that leads to a World Series or not is anyone’s guess. Even if it doesn’t, we know the Nationals will push on to try to get it instead of the half-measures we have seen from this Mets team since their 2015 pennant.