While there are many potential pitfalls, the New York Mets hiring Carlos Beltran as the 22nd manager in team history is amazing, and it is cause for celebration.
By and large, it does seem like Mets fans are celebrating. Perhaps, it is because he is replacing an unpopular Mickey Callaway. It could be that after all this time the fans who had a certain level of frustration with him realized they were unfair, and with time having passed, they can better appreciate him. Whatever the case, the fans are excited, and that’s great.
Another factor here is after years where there was a hang up over Beltran wanting to sign with the Yankees in 2005, he made his intentions known he wanted to be a Met. As a result, Beltran only interviewed for the Mets job eschewing opportunities with the Cubs and Padres.
He now becomes the Mets first ever Hispanic manager. For what it’s worth, he was also their first true Hispanic superstar. As such, he is fully aware of what he’s taking on, and to that end, there’s arguably no one better to handle all that is coming his way.
His reward is not just being the Mets manager, but he’s also going to get to manage the Mets when they play in his home of Puerto Rico.
In Beltran, the Mets are getting a savant. As described in the book Astroball, Beltran picked up on things before the analytically driven team could. He also helped bring the team together as one unit. He accomplished that not just by being multilingual but a leader interested in making everyone in that clubhouse comfortable feeling like a member of the team.
With Beltran coming home to the Mets, we can envision how well it worked when other former Mets managed this team.
Gil Hodges engineered the 1969 Miracle Mets. Bobby Valentine was the first Mets manager who led the team to back-to-back postseasons. Most recently, Willie Randolph led the 2006 Mets to within an at-bat of a pennant.
Speaking of that at-bat, Beltran handled that with the class and dignity which has come to define him. He’s overcome both that and injuries to build a Hall of Fame career. He overcame all of that and some hard feelings which existed at the time he was traded for Zack Wheeler to not just want but to get the Mets manager job.
In the end, Beltran is back with the New York Mets where he belongs. After all these years, the fans love him, and he loves this team. He’s now coming home to where everything is possible.
He can guide the Mets to one or more World Series. He can join Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza in the Hall of Fame. His 15 will hang in left field with Casey Stengel‘s 37, Hodges’ 14, Seaver’s 41, Piazza’s 31, and soon Jerry Koosman‘s 36.
In fact, when all is said and done, Beltran could emerge as one of the most beloved figures in Mets history. To be able to even contemplate this is incredible, and it is a reason why Beltran returning to HIS Mets is a dream come true.
November 1, 2015. That was the date of what was one of the greatest World Series starts we have seen from a Mets pitcher. Through eight innings, the Kansas City Royals had no chance against Matt Harvey. With the way he was pitching, you had to believe Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the 1927 Yankees, or Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and the Big Red Machine would have flailed much in the same way that Royals team had.
This start was the start Mets fans had waited for nearly a year-and-a-half. This was our reward for having our hearts broken when he would need Tommy John surgery late in 2013.
That 2013 season was as great as we have seen any Mets pitcher. To put it in perspective, by FIP, it was better than Dwight Gooden‘s 1985 Cy Young Award winning season, and it was better than all three of Tom Seaver‘s Cy Young Award seasons. That is just how great he was, and that is why he was the starting pitching for the All-Star Game at Citi Field that year.
While Harvey was very good in 2015, he was not quite that pitcher in 2015. That was not until Game of the 2015 World Series.
After working through the first three innings, he rediscovered something in the fourth. He struck out the side that inning, and he would strike out three of the four batters he faced in the fifth. Over those four innings, Alex Gordon (walk) and Ben Zobrist (single) were the only Royals to reach base.
Terry Collins went with his heart instead of his head, and we know what happened from there. After the Eric Hosmer RBI double in the ninth, Harvey would walk off the mound to a standing ovation.
When Harvey walked off that mound, we knew that was going to be the last time we ever saw him pitch at Citi Field that year. What we didn’t know was that was the last time we would see the real Harvey.
In 2016, something just wasn’t right with him. There was discussion it was his mechanics, but it wasn’t that. There were some who wondered if it was something in this private life. but it wasn’t that either. No, Harvey had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
Even after his surgery, things were no better, and in 2018, he would be designated for assignment by the Mets before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Devin Mesoraco. In Cincinnati, there was hope he was figuring things out as he had a 4.50 ERA in 24 starts.
This year, he would sign with the Los Angeles Angles. After a 7.09 ERA over 12 starts, he was designated for assignment. Eventually, he would be released, and he wouldn’t latch on with anyone until he was reunited with Sandy Alderson when the Oakland Athletics gave him a minor league deal.
Now, Harvey is a free agent with a very uncertain future ahead of him. Maybe it would behoove him to rejoin the Mets. Certainly, it would help to once again work with people like Phil Regan. Then again, even if he returns to the Mets, Harvey will never return.
That Harvey has been long gone, and it is a real shame. However, no matter how far gone that pitcher is, nothing can take away the memories of just how great Harvey was in a Mets uniform. Nothing will take away the memories of moments like Game 5.
In Mets history, they have played in two World Series which have gone seven games. The first time was in 1973 when Jon Matlack took the mound. Thirteen years later it was Ron Darling. Despite both of them being highly touted first round picks who had good careers, neither would win a Cy Young Award.
In World Series history, there has been 17 different times a pitcher who would win a Cy Young would start Game 7 of the World Series. Can you name the pitchers? Good luck!
Bob Turley Vern Law Sandy Koufax Jim Lonborg Bob Gibson Mike Cuellar Pete Vuckovich Bret Saberhagen Frank Viola John Smoltz Roger Clemens Chris Carpenter Corey Kluber Zack Greinke Max Scherzer
With the Washington Nationals defeating the Houston Astros to win the 2019 World Series, the National League East has joined the American League Central as the only divisions in baseball to have had each of their teams win a World Series.
In terms of the AL Central, while all of their teams have won a World Series, not all of them have done it recently. For example, the Cleveland Indians last won in 1948, which was before the Mets or Nationals even came into existence. The Nationals first became a franchise in 1969, and they played their first game against Tom Seaver and the New York Mets. Little did anyone know it at the time, but that 1969 Mets team would win the World Series.
The Mets next World Series title came in 1986. As noted by Mark Simon of Sports Info Solutions, Jesse Orosco would become the last relief pitcher to have an RBI in a World Series game. This would also mark the last time the New York Mets have won a World Series.
Since that time, each of the Mets division rivals have won at least one World Series.
In the strike shortened 1995 season, the Atlanta Braves finally got over the hump when World Series MVP Tom Glavine pitched eight shut out innings allowing just one hit against an absolutely stacked Cleveland Indians lineup. Two years later, Glavine would lose Game 6 of the NLCS to MVP Livan Hernandez and the Florida Marlins.
When Edgar Renteria singled home Craig Counsell in the 11th inning of Game 7, that Marlins team would win their first World Series. Six years later, the Marlins would win their second World Series when Josh Beckett pitched a complete game shutout on three days rest to beat the 2003 New York Yankees in six games.
In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies would break through and win the second World Series title in team history. Their clincher came when they and the Tampa Bay Rays resumed a rain shortened game the following day. The Phillies returned to the World Series the following year, but they lost in six to the New York Yankees.
That leaves the Mets with the longest drought, which stands at 33 years, as the longest in the division. It is not like the Mets haven’t had their chances.
Everything changed in 1988 with Mike Scioscia‘s grand slam. The 1999 Mets couldn’t pull off the miracle with Armando Benitez and John Franco blowing a save before Kenny Rogers walked in the series winning run. The following year, both Todd Zeile and Mike Piazza would come just short of hitting homers.
The 2006 Mets saw Guillermo Mota shake off Paul Lo Duca, and Carlos Beltran take a wicked Adam Wainwright curveball. There were the ensuing collapses the following years with Glavine getting shellacked by the Marlins in 2007, and Scott Schoeneweis allowing a homer to Wes Helms the ensuing year.
The Mets wouldn’t return to the postseason until 2015. Their World Series hopes were dashed when Daniel Murphy overran a ball, and Lucas Duda thew one away. The following year, Madison Bumgarner proved why he is an all-time great postseason pitcher with his throwing a complete game shutout in the 2016 Wild Card Game.
With Zack Wheeler being a free agent, the Mets offseason was already going to be an interesting one. It is now all the more interesting as you consider all the moves this team will need to make to bring home the team’s first World Series since 1986.
The 2019 Washington Nationals World Series winning team had many parallels to the 2015 New York Mets pennant winning team. Really, the parallels go further than that. Those parallels bring forth a sense of melancholy when you consider what the Nationals could do that the Mets didn’t.
First and foremost, you think of how David Wright isn’t going to get the ring which Ryan Zimmerman just one. The two of them grew up together, were first round draft picks, and they were both Gold Glove All Star third baseman playing in the same division. They’d both suffer career altering injuries. In Wright’s case, it was career ending, but Zimmerman was able to overcome his injuries. That is part of the reason why Zimmerman has a ring, and Wright doesn’t.
Zimmerman might’ve won in 2012, but the Nationals would lose in the NLDS. One of the reasons for that loss was Stephen Strasburg was shut down.
Unlike Matt Harvey, Strasburg heeded the advice of Scott Boras, and Strasburg put his career above one shot at a World Series. To the Nationals credit, they did the same. Of course, the Mets pressured Harvey to pitch, and in the process, they reneged on their previous agreements. In the end, Harvey would pitch more innings than anyone had previous pitched post Tommy John.
As noted previously, Dave Martinez did what Terry Collins didn’t do. He lifted Strasburg one batter in the ninth. Through and through, the Nationals knew how to treat and handle their franchise starter, and the Mets didn’t.
On the subject of Martinez, it is noteworthy he was a first time manager in 2018 like Mickey Callaway. Like Callaway, both were on the hot seat entering this season. In fact, both of them had seats scolding hot at points during the season. The Nationals stuck by Martinez, and they won a World Series, while the Mets are conducting a search for their next manager with former Mets player and current Nationals first base coach Tim Bogar among the candidates.
In terms of players with ties to both teams, Asdrubal Cabrera would win his first ring with the Nationals. To his credit, Cabrera did all he could do in 2016 to get the Mets into the Wild Card Game, but the Mets would lose that game. Obviously, the Nationals would win that game making a stunning come from behind victory.
Other interesting tidbits was Max Scherzer having a start similar to the one Jacob deGrom had in Game 5 of the 2015 NLDS. Scherzer faced off against Zack Greinke much like deGrom did four years ago. Another interesting tidbit was like with Daniel Murphy in 2015, it took a home run from the second baseman to give their team a 3-2 lead. Well, actually Howie Kendrick was the DH last night, but he has been a second baseman for much of the year.
Finally, when thinking of the Washington Nationals franchise, you come to think of Gary Carter. He was the first ever player from that franchise inducted into the Hall of Fame, and it was the result of the Baseball Hall of Fame not permitting him to wear a Mets cap like he wanted. Part of the reason why was Carter didn’t want to go in the Hall with a team with whom he had no ties.
In the ensuing year, the Nationals unretired his number, and there is little reference or honoring him or the other Montreal Expos greats. Still, while the Nationals fans don’t remember him, we, as Mets fans will, especially because it was Carter who started the greatest rally in World Series history. That rally helped that 1986 team accomplish what the 2019 Nationals did – win a World Series.
Zack Greinke was absolutely great in Game 7, and it is going to be completely lost. That is partially because he was removed from the game by A.J. Hinch with one out in the seventh.
At that time, Greinke had allowed just two hits with one of them being Anthony Rendon‘s solo homer to pull the Nationals to within a run. Now, all postseason, we’ve seen Juan Soto follow a Rendon big hit with one of his own. In fact, if you go back to the NLDS, Rendon and Soto went back-to-back against Clayton Kershaw.
Greinke being the smart pitcher he is wasn’t going to get that happen. He pitched around Soto, and with his getting squeezed a bit, he walked Soto. Instead of letting Greinke go get Howie Kendrick, Hinch pulled him.
He didn’t go to Gerrit Cole, who was arguably the best pitcher in baseball this year, to do his best Madison Bumgarner impression. No, he went to Will Harris. Now, Harris has been great all year and all postseason. However, by Hinch’s own admission, Harris has been overused, and he showed his first cracks in Game 6. Harris would give up a big two run homer giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead.
I got, I got, I got, I got l̶o̶y̶a̶l̶t̶y̶,̶ ̶g̶o̶t̶ ̶r̶o̶y̶a̶l̶t̶y̶ clutch genes inside my DNA.#WorldSeries // #STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/lwrOTkiRVD
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 31, 2019
From there, Hinch played a game of not using his best pitcher in Cole which probably left even Buck Showalter shaking his head.
After Greinke departed, we saw Harris, Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly, Joe Smith, and Jose Urquidy. As they pitched and Cole sat, the 2-1 lead became a 6-2 deficit.
Now, that deficit was partially the result of the Astros going 1-for-8 with RISP and leaving 10 men on base. It’s something which plagued them throughout the World Series. Part of the reason why that happened tonight and in the series is the Nationals pitching.
Max Scherzer gave one of the guttiest performances in World Series history. Days after not being able to even dress himself (not hyperbole), he allowed just two runs over five. In many ways, he appeared to be set to be a very undeserving loser.
He wouldn’t be because of the rally and because Dave Martinez didn’t screw around like Hinch.
After Scherzer, he used Patrick Corbin for three scoreless innings. With the four run lead, he had his best reliever, Daniel Hudson, slam the door shut.
In the end, yes, you can pinpoint many different reasons why the Astros lost this game and series. However, when the chips were down, Hinch was at his worst, and he didn’t use his best. Ultimately, that’s why the Nationals are celebrating the World Series which the Astros should’ve won.
On July 8, 2000, Roger Clemens threw a fastball directly at the head of Mike Piazza. The ball would hit Piazza rendering him unconscious, and the Hall of Fame catcher would suffer a concussion. As detailed in the New York Times, Joe Torre would come rushing in to defend Clemens:
Yankees Manager Joe Torre defended Clemens, saying he has encouraged him to pitch inside. ”To hit somebody in the head — we don’t do that,” Torre said. ”Why? Mike hadn’t had a hit in the series, and we’re not going to stir that up.”
As if that wasn’t enough, in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series, Clemens would throw a bat at Piazza. Once again, Torre would come rushing in not only defending Clemens but getting nasty with reporters. Both he and Clemens would make the absurd claim Clemens thought the bat was a ball. Of course, even if true, you’d have to wonder how a 37 year old pitcher who played 17 years could confuse the two and why he thought it best to throw a ball at a player.
Fast forward a few years, and even after the events of 9/11, Major League Baseball would not allow the Mets players to war the First Responders caps like they did in 2001.
In 2011, Torre defended the decision saying, “We just felt all the major leagues are honoring the same way with the American flag on the uniform and the cap. This is a unanimity thing.” Fast forward to 2019 when Pete Alonso forced the issue with the cleats, and Torre would this time defend the decision saying, “If we allow one team … you wind up able to do stuff everywhere. That’s the only issue.”
Of course, that wasn’t an issue with the Houston Astros wore commemorative caps honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing. But when it comes to the Mets and 9/11, uniformity is demanded.
Then, there was last night. Home Plate Umpire Sam Holbrook made a controversial and wrong call in ruling Trea Turner interfered with Yuli Gurriel‘s ability to field Justin Verlander‘s throw. While all the hysteria was happening Turner noted how Torre was ignoring him and the Nationals. Hearing Torre post-game with Ken Rosenthal, we had an idea as to why:
MLB's chief baseball officer, Joe Torre, explains all aspects of Trea Turner's controversial runner interference call to @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/SEJDUuwRB7
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2019
Not only would Torre back-up what was the wrong call on the field, he would go so far as to say Dave Martinez “was out of control.” Mind you, this is the same Torre who thought Clemens was in control when he threw a ball at Piazza’s head and a bat at Piazza’s body.
Of course, when it was Clemens hitting Derek Jeter in 1998, Torre had an issue bemoaning how Clemens gets away with stuff other pitchers don’t and noting how it was “strange that after we tied the score his control got bad.”
That is Joe Torre in a nutshell. He is a complete shill without an ounce of integrity. He walks into every situation and finds a way to make it worse. He does that by not just offering nonsense explanations, but he also goes on the offense attacking someone. Piazza should’ve gotten out of the way. Reporters are trumping up a story. Martinez was out of control.
Mets fans are well aware of all that Torre is, and they no longer want to hear from him on anything. After last night, you can suspect Nationals fans feel the same way. Really, after last night, every baseball fan should have had enough of him. While we can fall short of demanding he be fired, no one should ever want to hear him speak on anything baseball related ever again.
With the Washington Nationals facing elimination, Stephen Strasburg was sent to the mound to begin the ninth inning. On the second pitch of the inning, Yuli Gurriel hit a hard liner to left, which was caught by Juan Soto for the first out of the inning.
Even with a five run lead, the Nationals went to their closer, Sean Doolittle, who was already warmed up. Doolittle came in, and he shut down the Astros allowing the Nationals to fight another day.
In a World Series filled with reminders of the 2015 Mets, this served as yet another tragic reminder to Mets fans.
Going back to that fateful Game 5, Matt Harvey was as dominant as any pitcher we had ever seen on that stage. Through the first eight innings, he had not allowed a run. The Royals had no chance against him walking just once and getting just four hits while striking out nine times.
After that eighth inning, Harvey was at 101 pitches. At that time, the heart said to keep Harvey in the game to complete his masterpiece. The head said to go with Jeurys Familia. Terry Collins went with his heart, and then he completely lost his head.
Collins sat idly by when Harvey walked Lorenzo Cain. Harvey was still on that mound when Cain stole second, and he would score on an Eric Hosmer RBI double. This set forth a series of dominoes leading to David Wright playing a ball which should’ve been played by Wilmer Flores. With Wright abandoning third, Hosmer took off from third with reckless abandon, and he scored the tying run as Lucas Duda made what was the worst throw in World Series history.
No, the Mets didn’t lose because Harvey started the ninth. The same can be said about Duda completely botching that throw. However, what is not up for debate is Collins didn’t put his closer in the best possible position to succeed. Looking back at that series, that’s one of the many ways Collins blew that World Series for the Mets.
The Nationals didn’t blow the World Series. Not yet at least. They didn’t partially because they knew when to get Strasburg from the game. This is just yet another dreaded Strasburg/Harvey parallel from this World Series. Based on how this series is going, who knows what insult to injury will be added for the Mets fan in Game 7 of this series.
After Game 6 of the World Series, Joe Torre explained the controversial call where Trea Turner was called out for interference was not reviewable because it was a judgment call.
That explanation is complete and utter nonsense.
For starters, EVERY call on the field is a judgment call. Is it a ball or a strike? Is the runner safe or out? Was the ball fair or foul? All of them are judgment calls.
Some of those judgments are right, and some of them are wrong. The reason why we have replay is we don’t want the umpire’s “judgment” to forever change a game or series.
Now, with the Torre explanation, we’re going to hear this is different than other calls. This is about the application of a rule as opposed to a black and white call like safe or out.
Again, this distinction is nonsense.
With replay, other judgment calls akin to this are reviewable. Since the institution of the Posey Rule, teams have been permitted to challenge the judgment call of the umpire over whether a catcher blocked home plate illegally.
Since the imposition of the Utley Rule, teams have been able to challenge the judgment call of the umpire on whether the runner interfered with the infielder.
Those are two very specific instances where an interference judgment call is reviewable. Despite that, Major League Baseball has decided this specific ball is a non-reviewable judgment call. Let’s call this what it is.
It’s stupid.
It may sound harsh, but in reality, this is being kind. If this same play happens at second, it’s reviewable. If If happens at home, it’s reviewable. But since it’s first base, it’s not.
Trea Turner was called out for interference here.
Did the umps blow it?
(via @MLBonFox) pic.twitter.com/pdN4753HP6
— Yahoo Sports MLB (@MLByahoosports) October 30, 2019
There is zero good reason to have this distinction. More than that, when replay was instituted in response to umpires making poor calls AND in an effort to get every (non ball/strike) call correct, you cannot wash your hands of certain calls.
Fortunately, thanks to Anthony Rendon, the blown call and inexplicable distinctions on what judgment and interference calls are and are not reviewable did not decide this game. But still, it could’ve, and that’s not alright.
Major League Baseball needs to realize their justification for reviewing some calls and not others don’t jive. They’re actually plain wrong. Perhaps, the only thing more wrong than the explanation is the rule in the first place.
In the end, every single (non ball/strike) call on that field needs to be reviewable. There is no reasonable argument why they can’t be.
In the first inning of Game 6, Alex Bregman homered off Stephen Strasburg to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 lead. For some reason, Bregman would carry his bat to first base and give it to First Base Coach Don Kelly.
October 29th, @ABREG_1, that's all. #TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/BBCWafQb5Y
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 30, 2019
In an era where we are beginning to see more and more acceptance of bat flips and home run celebrations, this did seem a bit excessive. There were former players like Paul Lo Duca, who tweeted, ” If this wasn’t the world series he would get one in the ear.”
He’s not the only one who thought that, and certainly, you’re left to wonder what pitchers of yesteryear would’ve done in that situation. At least by reputation, you can’t believe pitchers like Bob Gibson would’ve let it go unanswered.
Well, just because a pitcher doesn’t throw at a batter in retaliation, it doesn’t mean you can’t respond in kind. We saw that when Juan Soto hit an absolute bomb off of Justin Verlander to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead.
21 savage. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/AcYp6Ypps5
— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2019
It wasn’t just his absolutely destroying that baseball which made it the perfect response. No, it was his carrying the bat to first like Bregman before dropping it in front of First Base Coach Tim Bogar.
We all can debate about whether celebrating is showing up the opponent. We can also debate whether there should be a retaliation for those celebrations. Where we all can agree is there is no better way to exact revenge than to do what Soto did.