Wednesday, September 23, 2015
HEADLINES:
Verrett stumbles in the fifth as Mets lose to Braves 6-2:
 Logan Verrett slips up in fifth as Braves beat Mets (ESPN New York)
 Terry Collins: Tyler Clippard's struggles unrelated to back issue (ESPN New
York)
 Rapid Reaction: Braves 6, Mets 2 (ESPN New York)
 Mets lose to Braves, but magic number still shrinks with help from Orioles (New
York Daily News)
 Mets lose to Braves, 6-2, but magic number reduced to 6 as Nationals fall
(Newsday)
 Mets Fall to the Braves, but Manage to Gain Ground With Outside Help (New
York Times)
 Wright makes great barehanded play for out (MLB.com)
 Mets fall to Braves, but so does magic number (MLB.com)
 Collins not worried about Clippard's struggles (MLB.com)
 Mets fall to Braves, 6-2, but magic number down to 6 (The Record)
 Logan Verrett falters in Mets' 6-2 loss to Atlanta Braves | Rapid reaction (NJ
Advance Media)


Mets' Logan Verrett isn't Jacob deGrom vs. Atlanta Braves (NJ Advance Media)
Wisler, Braves stall Mets' push toward NL East title, 6-2 (Associated Press)
Mets align rotation:
 Mets confirm rotation for final road trip, line up aces for Nationals (ESPN New
York)
 Jacob deGrom to make next start for Mets on Sunday, lining him up for Game 1
of the NLDS (New York Daily News)
 Jacob deGrom is proof Mets are handling Matt Harvey perfectly (New York Post)
 Mets' Jacob deGrom will start on Sunday (Newsday)
 Mets' rotation for stretch drive taking shape (MLB.com)
 Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey? This is who's lined up to start NLDS Game 1 for
Mets (NJ Advance Media)
 Mets line up aces to face Nationals in season finale (Fox Sports)
Yoenis Cespedes:
 Terry Collins gets explanation from Yoenis Cespedes for lack of hustle (ESPN
New York)
 Mets’ honeymoon with Cespedes is over after boo-filled mess (New York Post)
 Mets notes: All's well with Yoenis Cespedes (The Record)
 Yoenis Cespedes explains why he didn't run on strike 3 in Mets' loss vs. Atlanta
Braves (NJ Advance Media)
 No free passes here: Mets fans boo revered Cespedes in loss (Fox Sports)
Terry Collins says Mets look tight:
 Terry Collins on Mets: 'It looks like we're tight' (ESPN New York)
 Mets slip again as Terry Collins says team seems ‘tight’ (New York Post)
 Are struggling Mets feeling the pressure? Their manager Terry Collins thinks so
(NJ Advance Media)
Other Mets News:
 Morning Briefing: Magic number down to six (ESPN New York)
 Savannah manager Jose Leger joins Mets (ESPN New York)
 Mets' Juan Uribe remains unavailable; Travis d'Arnaud sits (ESPN New York)
 Mets skipping Jacob deGrom's start ahead of playoffs is the right move (New
York Daily News)
 Mets vs. Braves, Game 151: As Mets plan champagne shindig, Nats set to hold
Yoga party (New York Daily News)
 Braves' manager Fredi Gonzalez shills for Mets' Terry Collins (New York Daily
News)
 Why the Mets won’t let Michael Conforto hit against lefties (New York Post)
 Terry Collins learns to change with the times (Newsday)
 Sadness vs. Euphoria: Fans Script Endings to Mets’ Season (New York Times)
 Yogi Berra passes away; HOF legend was 90 (MLB.com)
 Colon, Mets continue postseason push vs. Braves (MLB.com)









Conforto won't start vs. lefties for rest of 2015 (MLB.com)
Collins honored by NL Manager of the Year talk (MLB.com)
Mets have a kryptonite going into playoffs and against Los Angeles Dodgers (NJ
Advance Media)
Mets don't have Juan Uribe and why is Travis d'Arnaud sitting? (NJ Advance
Media)
The 1 team Mets GM Sandy Alderson doesn't want to see in the playoffs (NJ
Advance Media)
How Michael Conforto helped Mets prospect Dominic Smith this season (NJ
Advance Media)
Tuesdays with Brownie: Blame for Mets' situation falls on one man (Yahoo Sports)
Harvey Danger (NBC Sports)
Ballparks Attract Foodies with Distinctive Offerings (Speciality Food)
FULL ARTICLES:
Verrett stumbles in the fifth as
Mets lose to Braves 6-2:
Logan Verrett slips up in fifth as Braves beat Mets
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- The likely final start of 2015 for rookie Logan Verrett turned out to be a letdown.
After two solid performances filling in for Matt Harvey, Verrett was having similar success
Tuesday in a spot start in place of Jacob deGrom.
But after taking a scoreless effort into the fifth inning, Verrett surrendered a leadoff homer to
Jace Peterson and three-run shot to Hector Olivera in the frame and the Atlanta Braves went on
to beat the New York Mets, 6-2, at Citi Field.
The Mets had intentionally walked Nick Markakis with two outs, with a runner on second base
and the score tied 1-1 ahead of Olivera’s three-run shot -- a decision manager Terry Collins
labeled a no-brainer.
“One guy has got 175 hits and is hitting .300. And the other guy is hitting .240,” Collins said,
contrasting Markakis with Olivera. “I thought it was pretty simple. That’s second-guessing."
Collins then turned playful as he continued.
The manager added: “I’m going to get home and my wife is going to tell me, ‘You’re an idiot.
What are you doing walking that guy? The guy hit a homer.’ 'No s---. What the hell? ... I need
you down in the dugout when these decisions are being made.'”
Verrett (1-2, 3.40 ERA) approved of pitching around Markakis to get to Olivera.
“I thought it set us up well. I liked the matchup against Olivera,” Verrett said. “I just missed with
the pitch. Unfortunately, with two guys on base, you can’t do that. It makes it hard to come back
from that.
"I was trying to go inside. I was trying to go sinker in on him. We had done that a couple of times
to him already and he just chopped them into the ground at third base. I just missed on the
outside part of the plate. I just yanked it a little bit. And it was up in the zone, so he put a good
swing on it.”
Terry Collins: Tyler Clippard's struggles unrelated to
back issue
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- New York Mets setup man Tyler Clippard returned to the mound on Monday after
being sidelined during the weekend with back tightness. Clippard's struggles then continued
Tuesday, although manager Terry Collins said the subpar performance was unrelated to the
back issue that briefly idled the reliever.
Clippard allowed a two-run double to Adonis Garcia in the ninth inning to cap the scoring in the
Atlanta Braves' 6-2 win against the Mets at Citi Field.
Clippard has allowed nine earned runs and four homers in his last 8 2/3 innings.
"That's not the problem," Collins said about the back.
Clippard pitching in the ninth inning Tuesday with the Mets trailing by two runs suggests Collins
was trying to get the reliever work in a less critical situation so Clippard can iron out kinks. Given
how well Addison Reed has pitched since joining the Mets, it will be interesting to see if Reed
gets the eighth inning over Clippard the next time the Mets have a narrow lead. Reed has
tossed 11 1/3 scoreless innings since arriving in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Clippard also allowed a three-run homer to Garcia on Sept. 12 at Turner Field. Collins said the
issue was the same in both instances -- location.
"The ball that Garcia hit in Atlanta, he got him in a good count and he left a changeup up, over
the plate," the manager said. "If that ball is down over the plate, it might be a hit. I'm not saying
he's not going to get a hit. But he's leaving balls in the middle of the strike zone -- up. He's being
hurt by that. It's just a matter of making better pitches."
Rapid Reaction: Braves 6, Mets 2
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- Logan Verrett twice pitched gems filling in for Matt Harvey. Verrett’s spot start in
place of Jacob deGrom turned out far worse.
Verrett surrendered a pair of fifth-inning homers and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets
6-2 on Tuesday at Citi Field.
The Mets’ magic number nonetheless dipped to six and their division lead remained 6½ games
thanks to the Washington Nationals' loss to the Baltimore Orioles in D.C.
Trailing 4-1 in the eighth, the Mets (85-66) loaded the bases with one out. Michael Cuddyer,
pinch-hitting for Lucas Duda, followed with a sacrifice fly. Wilmer Flores then grounded out to
strand two baserunners. Tyler Clippard, who has struggled of late, allowed a two-run double to
pinch hitter Adonis Garcia in the ninth. Clippard has allowed nine earned runs and four homers
in his last 8 2/3 innings.
Verrett coasted into the fifth inning with a 1-0 lead thanks to a solo homer from David Wright
against Matt Wisler. Verrett then surrendered a solo homer to Jace Peterson and three-run
homer to Hector Olivera in the frame. The Mets decided to intentionally walk Nick Markakis with
two outs ahead of Olivera’s long ball.
Verrett (1-2) departed for pinch hitter Kelly Johnson with the Mets trailing 4-1 in the bottom of
the fifth.
The Braves are now 19-49 in their past 68 games.
DeGrom is likely to return to the rotation on Sunday in Cincinnati. The Mets decided to skip him
Tuesday because they figured his recent struggles could be the result of fatigue.
Double stuff: Daniel Murphy produced a pair of doubles, giving him 226 for his career. That
passed Ed Kranepool (225) for second on the franchise’s all-time list. Wright ranks first with 381
doubles.
Well-armed: Michael Conforto threw out AJ Pierzynski trying to stretch a hit into a double in the
sixth inning. That gave Conforto six outfield assists, which is tied with Washington’s Michael
Taylor for the National League rookie lead.
What’s next: Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.15) opposes right-hander Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16) in
Wednesday’s 7:10 p.m. ET rubber game.
Mets lose to Braves, but magic number still
shrinks with help from Orioles
KRISTIE ACKERT, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Terry Collins has even more reasons to worry. Getting the starting rotation rest and keeping
those pitchers sharp has kept the Mets manager up at night over the last few weeks. Now he is
watching his hitters fall into an “uptight” funk.
The bats were quiet again Tuesday night as the Mets fell to the Braves, 6-2, at Citi Field and
Collins is now worried that his team is starting to react to the pressure of clinching its first playoff
berth since 2006.
The Mets (85-66) lost for the fifth time in eight games, snapping a five-game winning streak
against Atlanta (61-91). The defeat also clinched the Mets’ first losing record on a home stand
this season.
The Mets still hold a 6.5-game lead in the National League East over the Nationals, who lost to
the Orioles. Washington’s loss shrunk the Mets’ magic number to clinch the division, and a
playoff spot, to six.
“I am shocked, very surprised,” Collins said. “We were swinging great coming into a home
stand. We have a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead, where nobody
needed to be uptight.
“Everybody should have been quite relaxed with the lead we have and should have been going
out and playing the game nice and loose and calm and for me it looks like we’re tight,” Collins
continued. “I don’t know why, that’s just the perception from the bench.”
It certainly seems like something is wrong with the at-bats, if you look at the results.
The Mets scored 64 runs on their recent 10-game road trip, with the help of 18 home runs. They
walked 49 times and struck out 72 times in that span. In their eight games since returning to Citi
Field, they have scored 20 runs, including seven homers. They have worked 26 walks and
struck out 65 times.
On Tuesday night, the Mets opened the scoring on David Wright’s solo homer to right-center
field in the first inning. It was Wright’s first homer at Citi Field since July 11, 2014. The Mets
other run came when they loaded the bases in the eighth with one out against the Braves
struggling bullpen, but could only bring one in on Michael Cuddyer’s sacrifice fly.
“I don’t think we are tight,” Wright said. “There will be some games where we get outplayed.
Tonight was one of them. It’s not necessarily tight. ... We’ve got to win series. It’s not about
going out there and winning every game, not that you don’t want to, but we need to do a better
job of winning series. Especially at home.”
Said Collins: “We came home and we have played great at home all year long, and all the
sudden we hit a wall.
“We are not swinging the bats very good. We had 10 more strikeouts tonight. We have got to go
back and quit trying to hit homers. Let’s put some balls in play, hit some line drives. We have
got to swing the bats better, because we are a better offensive team than we showed this home
stand.”
It wasn’t just the offense.
Logan Verrett (1-1) started in Jacob deGrom’s spot and put the Mets behind with a disastrous
fifth inning, in which he allowed four runs on two home runs. Adding to Collins’ concerns, Tyler
Clippard gave up a two-run double to Adonis Garcia in the ninth. The setup man has yielded six
earned runs in his last four appearances.
“He’s just leaving balls in the middle of the zone up,” Collins said. “It’s a matter of making better
pitches.”
And for the “uptight” Mets, it’s simply a matter having better at-bats, pitching more effectively
and finally getting the division race over with.
Mets lose to Braves, 6-2, but magic number reduced
to 6 as Nationals fall
GREG LOGAN, NEWSDAY
As the innings passed and the Mets' bats remained quiet in a 6-2 loss to the Braves Tuesday
night at Citi Field, the attention of a crowd of 26,227 inevitably drifted to the out-of-town
scoreboard high atop the leftfield stands. The news there gave comfort to Mets fans because a
Nationals loss to the Orioles maintained the Mets' NL East lead at 61/2 games while reducing
their magic number to clinch the division to six.
Trailing 4-2 in the eighth, the Mets had one golden opportunity to piece together another lategame comeback when they loaded the bases with one out. Pinch-hitter Michael Cuddyer got
one run home with a sacrifice fly, but Wilmer Flores grounded out to end the threat.
In the ninth, reliever Tyler Clippard gave up a two-run double to pinch-hitter Adonis Garcia,
putting the game out of reach. At least another page came off the calendar.
Asked if the Nationals' loss salvaged a positive outcome, Terry Collins said, "No, we've got to
play better. We've played great at home all year, and all of a sudden, we've hit a wall. We've got
to swing the bats better. We're a better offensive team than we've [shown] this homestand."
Coming off an 8-2 road trip with sweeps in Washington and Atlanta, Collins figured the Mets
were primed to keep rolling at home. But they went 1-2 against the Yanks and Miami and are 11 against the Braves with the rubber game Wednesday.
"I'm shocked," Collins said about the Mets' slide in run production at home. "We were swinging
great. Coming home with the lead we had, nobody needs to be uptight. For me, it looks like
we're tight."
Logan Verrett started the game for the Mets in place of Jacob deGrom, who skipped a turn in
the rotation for much-needed rest. Verrett's first two starts were in place of Matt Harvey, and he
went 1-0 with a sterling 1.38 ERA in those games.
David Wright staked Verrett to a 1-0 lead with a laser shot over the fence in center in the first
inning. But Braves second baseman Jace Peterson led off the fifth with a home run to right to tie
the game at 1.
Michael Bourn then reached base on a one-out infield single and was sacrificed to second by
pitcher Matt Wisler (6-8). Collins chose to walk Nick Markakis intentionally to set up the force
play, but the strategy backfired when Hector Olivera delivered a three-run homer for a 4-1 lead.
That was the end for Verrett, who was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth. "Really, the one pitch in
the fifth to Olivera sours this outing," Verrett said.
Before the bases-loaded situation in the eighth, the Mets had a couple other opportunities, but
after doubles in the first and sixth by Daniel Murphy, Yoenis Cespedes struck out and flied out,
and Lucas Duda hit an infield popup and flied out.
Wright took issue with his manager about the level of tension with which the Mets have been
gripping their bats on this homestand. "No, I don't think we're tight," Wright said. "There's going
to be games when you get outplayed. We need to do a better job of winning series at home. It
seems like the last couple series have gotten away from us.
"It's not making excuses. The Yankees played well against us, and Miami had won five straight
series coming in here. I don't sense anybody is tight in here. It's playoff baseball. There's going
to be a little pressure. We're trying to make a push. But I don't sense it carrying over to the
field."
Mets Fall to the Braves, but Manage to Gain Ground
With Outside Help
DAVID WALDSTEIN, NEW YORK TIMES
With a successful road trip and an eight-game winning streak, the Mets built their lead in the
National League East to nine and a half games with only 17 to play. Even for a team with a
recent history of shocking collapses, that should have been enough allow the Mets to glide
joyfully into their first division title since 2006.
But since then, the Mets have lost five of seven, the most recent a 6-2 decision to the Atlanta
Braves on Tuesday night, in a slide that has left their manager wondering what happened to the
loose, confident bunch that rampaged through Washington and Atlanta two weeks ago.
The Washington Nationals also lost on Tuesday, dropping the Mets’ magic number to clinch the
division to six, with 11 games left on their schedule. Even the most cynical Mets fans, still
stinging from the team’s notorious failures of 2007 and 2008, recognize the team’s lead is
probably too big even for the Mets to blow.
But as the Mets stumbled a step closer to their goal of winning the division, Manager Terry
Collins said they needed to play better.
“We had a very substantial lead where nobody needed to be uptight,” Collins said. “We should
have been quite relaxed with the lead we had, should have been going out and playing the
game nice and loosely and calm. And for me, it looks like we’re tight. I don’t know why, but
that’s just the perception it looks like from the bench.”
David Wright, who went 2 for 4 with a solo home run at Citi Field on Tuesday to raise his batting
average to .306, politely disagreed.
“No, I don’t think we’re tight,” he said. “I think that there’s just been some games where we’ve
been outplayed, and tonight was one of them.”
Collins said he was shocked that the Mets had cooled off offensively the way they had during
this homestand, with a 3-5 record. Only one game remains before they return to the road,
making this the first homestand the Mets have lost all season.
“We’ve got to play better,” Collins said. “We came off a tremendous road trip, came home —
we’ve played great at home all year long — and all of a sudden we’ve hit a wall. We’re not
swinging the bats very good. We had 10 more strikeouts tonight. We’ve got to go back and quit
trying to hit homers and hit some line drives.”
The Mets rookie Logan Verrett started Tuesday’s game essentially in place of Jacob deGrom,
who has not pitched well recently and is expected to start Sunday’s game at Cincinnati instead.
There is a sense that deGrom is feeling the cumulative effects of the 181 innings he has pitched
this year, the highest total — by more than 30 innings — of his professional career. In his last
five starts, opposing teams have batted .330 against him, and he has gone 1-2 with a 6.41
E.R.A.
“This guy is too good a pitcher to pitch the way he’s been pitching,” Collins said before
Tuesday’s game.
Verrett did not do much better. Wright’s home run, his fourth, gave him a lead at 1-0, but in the
fifth, Verrett gave that back and more.
Jace Peterson blasted a leadoff home run to right. Michael Bourn singled with one out and
advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, so the Mets intentionally walked Nick Markakis.
That brought the rookie Hector Olivera to the plate, and he blasted the second home run of his
young career, a liner that made the score 4-1.
The Mets scored a run after they loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Tyler Clippard
surrendered two more runs in the ninth.
Collins was asked why he chose to walk Markakis to pitch to Olivera in the fifth, and that gave
him the opportunity to embark on a humorous, self-deprecating, profanity-tinged speech. Collins
knows that when a batter homers immediately after an intentional walk, the manager is always
second-guessed, even by close family members.
“I’m going to get home, and my wife’s going to tell me: ‘You’re an idiot. What are you doing
walking that guy?’ ” Collins said.
The hypothetical criticism was especially amusing because before the game, Collins was asked
about the possibility that he could be named the National League’s manager of the year.
“It’s nice to be mentioned,” he said at the time, “and you know why? Because our players are
playing good. That makes me a lot happier than anything else, and if we can finish this thing off,
nothing can top that — with what we’ve gone through here for five years, nothing can top the
fact that we’ve finally given this organization and this fan base something to cheer about.”
There was not a lot to cheer about after the game, even if the Nationals did lose. Wright may be
correct that the players are not tight. But some of those fans Collins mentioned, including the
ones who remember the pain of 2007 and 2008, looked just a little tense as they walked out of
Citi Field.
Wright makes great barehanded play for out
ANTHONY DICOMO, MLB.COM
NEW YORK -- Before injuring his back, David Wright routinely proved that use of a glove was
optional at third base.
It seems that little has changed. Wright made a barehanded play to end the third inning of
Tuesday night's 6-2 loss against the Braves, throwing all the way across the diamond to nail
Hector Olivera at first. Drifting deep toward the third-base line to field Olivera's bouncer, Wright
figured he could save some time by barehanding it and throwing off his back foot.
"It takes a little time to transfer it," Wright said. "So sometimes it's easier just to kind of catch it
as you're going back on your arm motion, and try to get it over there as quickly as possible."
It was a vindication of sorts for Wright, who bobbled Nick Markakis' first-inning single while
transferring to his throwing hand, after fielding it cleanly in his glove. Then again, Wright had
already made up for that -- and then some -- by homering to right-center in the bottom of the
first, his first opposite-field homer since 2013.
Overall since returning from the spinal stenosis issue that sidelined him for four months earlier
this season, Wright is batting .297 with three home runs and 12 walks in 103 plate appearances.
He has been playing in roughly three out of every four games.
"The days that I am in there," Wright said, "I'm going to try to contribute and help this team get
to the playoffs."
Mets fall to Braves, but so does magic number
ANTHONY DICOMO AND MARK BOWMAN, MLB.COM
NEW YORK -- For the first time since he began subbing for the superstars in New York's
rotation, Logan Verrett was unable to make the Mets forget about Matt Harvey and Jacob
deGrom. Verrett gave up four runs in the fifth inning Tuesday at Citi Field, including a three-run
homer to Hector Olivera, dropping the Mets to a 6-2 loss to the Braves.
Combined with Washington's loss to the Orioles, which lowered the Mets' magic number to six,
the defeat kept their National League East lead at 6.5 games with 11 to play. The Mets are a
half-game back of the Dodgers in the race for home-field advantage in their potential NL
Division Series matchup, after the D-backs defeated Los Angeles on Tuesday, 8-0.
"For me, it looks like we're tight," manager Terry Collins said. "I don't know why. It's just the
perception it looks like from the bench."
"I don't think we're tight," third baseman David Wright said. "There's just going to be some
games where we get outplayed, and tonight was one of them."
Subbing for deGrom, whom the Mets pushed back in their rotation to lighten his workload,
Verrett held the Braves scoreless until Jace Peterson homered to start the fifth. Five batters
later, Olivera added a three-run shot to spoil Verrett's day.
That made a winner out of Braves rookie Matt Wisler, who pitched into the eighth to snap a
seven-game losing streak.
"We aren't chasing a playoff berth, but we're here to play hard and we're not here to give games
away," Olivera said through his interpreter, Alex Cotto. "We work hard and we're going to play
hard. We're going to try to win every game that we can."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Rookie settles in: Wisler appeared to be in trouble when he allowed Wright's solo home run and
a Daniel Murphy double before recording his second out of the night. But the poised rookie
gathered himself and retired 20 of the final 25 batters he faced, while notching a career-high
eight strikeouts. He walked Curtis Granderson to open the eighth, and then anxiously watched
as the Mets ended up scoring just one run after loading the bases with one out. More >
Swing and a drive: For the first time since 2013, Wright homered to the opposite field when he
took Wisler deep for a solo shot to right-center in the first inning. Wright also made a nifty play
when he barehanded an Olivera grounder on defense in the third, firing across the infield
diamond for the out. More >
Fifth-inning power: Peterson opened the four-run fifth with his first home run since going deep
on Aug. 2-3. But the big blow came from Olivera, whose three-run shot proved decisive and
served as the second homer of his young career. Statcast™ projected Olivera's home run to
land 418 feet away. This marked just the second time in the past 25 games that the Braves hit
two homers in an entire game.
"I don't even know when the last time it was we hit two home runs in one game, let alone in one
inning," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That was a big four-spot there." More >
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Murphy hit the 225th and 226th doubles of his career, passing Ed Kranepool for the secondmost in franchise history. Wright is the Mets' all-time leader with 381 doubles.
Wisler has produced a 2.25 ERA in the four starts he's made against New York teams (the Mets
and Yankees). He has compiled a 6.85 ERA in his other 13 starts this year.
IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL, A.J.
Michael Conforto threw out A.J. Pierzynski in the sixth inning for his sixth outfield assist in 47
games. That is tied for the NL rookie lead with Washington's Michael Taylor, who has played in
128 games. Two innings later, he made a diving catch in left field to rob Pierzynski of a hit.
WHAT'S NEXT
Braves: Williams Perez will take the mound when Atlanta and New York conclude their threegame series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Perez has allowed three earned runs or less and
pitched into the sixth inning in each of his three previous starts against the Mets.
Mets: Bartolo Colon, who quietly leads the Mets in wins and innings pitched, will look to
continue stating his case for the playoff roster when the Mets conclude their series with the
Braves. Colon is unlikely to win a rotation spot in October, but could still pitch his way into the
bullpen.
Collins not worried about Clippard's struggles
JOE TREZZA, MLB.COM
NEW YORK -- The early returns on Tyler Clippard that followed his acquisition at the non-waiver
Trade Deadline were so good -- the righty allowed one earned run over the first 20 appearances
with his new team -- that perhaps the Mets should have anticipated some regression towards
the mean. And perhaps the images of so many successful Clippard outings are why Mets
manager Terry Collins can recall the growing list of negative ones in such detail.
"He's just leaving balls in the middle of the strike zone and up, and he's being hurt by that,"
Collins said, shortly after reciting from memory several of the Clippard pitches opposing hitters
have recently turned into big innings.
Tuesday provided another example, and extended the scope of Clippard's struggles into a
second week. The righty allowed two runs in the 9th inning of New York's 6-2 loss to Atlanta,
giving him nine earned runs allowed over his last eight appearances. In that 8 1/3-inning span,
Clippard has allowed four home runs.
"I like the breaking ball there," Collins said. "He just hung it out over the plate."
The breaking ball in question was a 1-2 splitter to Adonis Garcia, who doubled in Cameron
Maybin and Michael Bourn to put the game out of reach. Garcia also tagged a Clippard
changeup for a three-run home run on Sept. 12 in Atlanta. Clippard allowed a run in his next
appearance before being shut down briefly with lower back tightness.
Collins insists Clippard's health is not in question, but Clippard wasn't available for comment on
Tuesday.
"[The back] isn't the problem," Collins said. "You see the ball that Garcia hit in Atlanta. He got
him into a good count and got a changeup up over the plate. The other day with the home run
he left that ball right out in the middle of the plate. If he makes his pitch he may get a swing and
miss. It might be ball two. But he'll have another pitch to live by."
It's been a season-long endeavor for the Mets to build a reliable bridge to closer Jeurys Familia.
With Addison Reed excelling in the 7th inning, Collins believes he has that now, finally, after
exhausting through a parade of candidates that faltered for one reason or another.
His recent struggles aside, Clippard maintains a veteran track record and secondary pitches -his changeup, in particular -- that remain formidable. Which is why Collins longs to get him back
on track -- and dreams of fortifying a three-inning link similar to the one Kansas City rode to last
year's World Series.
Mets fall to Braves, 6-2, but magic number down to 6
CHRIS ISEMAN, THE RECORD
NEW YORK – The Mets entered this homestand winners of seven straight with a comfortable
lead atop the NL East. For Terry Collins, there was no reason for his players to feel any
pressure.
Yet as the manager has watched his team struggle through its last eight games at Citi Field,
he’s gotten the sense his troops aren’t as loose as they should be.
“For me, it looks like we’re tight,” Collins said. “It’s just the perception it looks like from the
bench.”
The best of the Mets’ offense Tuesday night came and went with David Wright’s first-inning solo
home run as they fell to the Braves, 6-2. Since returning to Citi Field the Mets are 3-5, and
they’ll finish with a losing record on a homestand for the first time this season.
Yet despite their defeat, the Mets (85-66) still had their magic number reduced to six, courtesy
of the Nationals’ 4-1 loss to the Orioles. New York maintained its 6½-game lead atop the NL
East.
Starting in place of Jacob deGrom, Logan Verrett yielded four runs on five hits in five innings.
He walked one and struck out three in his 75-pitch outing.
Wright gave Verrett early run support with an opposite-field homer off Atlanta (61-91) starter
Matt Wisler in the first. Verrett cruised through the early innings, but struggled in the fifth.
The right-hander allowed a leadoff homer to Jace Peterson, then gave up an infield single to
Michael Bourn. Wisler moved Bourn to second with a sacrifice bunt. With first base open,
Verrett intentionally walked Nick Markakis to pitch to Hector Olivera, but it backfired.
Verrett fell behind 2-0, then missed his location with a sinker and Olivera crushed it over the leftcenter-field wall for a three-run homer.
“I liked the matchup against Olivera, but just missed with the pitch,” Verrett said. “Unfortunately
with two guys on base, you can’t do that. It makes it hard to come back from that.”
The Mets had chances to put a dent in their deficit, but couldn’t capitalize. They finished 0-for-8
with runners in scoring position.
They loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but had only pinch-hitter Michael Cuddyer’s
sacrifice fly to show for it.
Tyler Clippard allowed a two-run double to Adonis Garcia in the ninth to put the game further out
of reach.
It was another disappointing defeat during this homestand. The Mets lost their first two series to
the Marlins and Yankees, and now are in danger of losing another unless they win tonight.
Given the way his team was hitting on the road, Collins is “shocked” by how much the Mets
have struggled at the plate.
“All of a sudden we’ve hit a wall. We aren’t swinging the bats very good,” Collins said. “We’ve
just got to swing the bats better because we’re a better offensive team than the way we’ve
played.”
Wright didn’t agree with Collins’ belief that the team is tight. Instead, he said the Mets simply
were outplayed by the Braves.
“I don’t sense that anybody’s tight in here or feeling the pressure,” Wright said. “It’s playoff
baseball; there’s going to be a little bit of pressure. We’re trying to make a push. But I don’t
sense it carrying over to the field.
“Everything we want to accomplish is right in front of us. That’s what we need to focus on. The
way you do that is to win series and hopefully we can start [tonight].”
Logan Verrett falters in Mets' 6-2 loss to Atlanta
Braves | Rapid reaction
MARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK — All month long, the Mets have been caught in a difficult balancing act. As they
enter the final stretch of the regular season, they've been torn between their desire to clinch a
playoff berth as quickly as possible while also making it a priority to give their talented core of
young starters extra rest in anticipation of a possible postseason run.
The tricky part, however, is that the Mets haven't actually clinched anything yet, and that
process has arguably been slowed by their decision to limit their top arms in late September.
This difficult situation presented itself in the Mets' 6-2 loss to the lowly Atlanta Braves on
Tuesday night at Citi Field.
Rookie right-hander Logan Verrett, who was pitching in place of Jacob deGrom and making only
his third major-league start, tossed four scoreless innings before faltering in the top of the fifth. A
pair of home runs proved to be his undoing, as he surrendered a game-tying solo homer to
Hector Olivera, followed by a three-run, go-ahead shot to Jace Peterson.
Braves right-hander Matt Wisler, meanwhile, allowed a solo blast to David Wright in the first
inning but then quieted the Mets' bats for nearly the rest of the night.
Wisler was lifted after issuing a leadoff walk to Curtis Granderson in the bottom of the eighth.
The Mets then loaded the bases with one out and pulled within two runs after pinch-hitter
Michael Cuddyer's RBI sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 4-2. But Edwin Jackson induced an inningending groundout from Wilmer Flores to kill the rally.
The Braves capped their scoring in the top of the ninth on Adonis Garcia's two-run double off
reliever Tyler Clippard.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Daniel Murphy finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, surpassing Ed Kranepool for second place on
the Mets' all-time doubles list with 226.
• Left fielder Michael Conforto recorded yet another outfield assist by nabbing A.J. Pierzynski at
second after the Braves catcher tried to stretch a single into a double in the sixth inning. Despite
playing in just 47 major league games this year, Conforto's six outfield assists are tied with
Michael Taylor for the most among all National League rookies.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
INJURY REPORT:
• Juan Uribe was unavailable for Tuesday's game after suffering a deep bruise in his chest area
while making a diving play against the Yankees on Sunday. X-rays and an MRI were both
negative, but Uribe is still experiencing soreness, according to manager Terry Collins.
• Carlos Torres is still dealing with a left calf strain and was also kept out of Tuesday's game.
UP NEXT:
The Mets play the final game of their three-game set with the Braves on Wednesday night at Citi
Field. Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.15 ERA) will take the mound and face Atlanta right-hander
Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16 ERA).
Mets' Logan Verrett isn't Jacob deGrom vs. Atlanta
Braves
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK -- For the first innings Tuesday night, the Mets surely had no regrets about starting
Logan Verrett. How could Jacob deGrom have done any better than four shutout frames against
the Braves.
But Verrett came apart in the fifth, leaving his start just a shoddy impression of the Mets ace.
Verrett took a 1-0 lead into the fifth but allowed a solo home run to Jace Peterson, then a threerun shot to Hector Olivera.
It wasn't his last inning. He was done after five, with the Mets now trailing 4-1 at Citi Field.
Verrett started in deGrom's place Tuesday. The Mets wanted to rest deGrom after seeing the
All-Star show signs of fatigue as he struggled in his last few starts. He allowed five runs in six
innings last week to the Marlins.
DeGrom will next start Sunday in Cincinnati.
Verrett has been a constant understudy for the Mets. He's made spot-starts in place of Matt
Harvey this season and allowed just two runs over 13 innings.
"He's a young guy who's getting the opportunity to pitch in the big leagues and so he's got
himself mentally prepared to do that and to help out as best he can," Manager Terry Collins had
said before the game. "And so we sent him down, he went down, knew what his role was gonna
be, has come back and worked very hard to stay focused and pay attention and ask questions
that's gonna help him get better."
Wisler, Braves stall Mets' push toward NL East title, 62
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Matt Wisler wised up in a hurry.
Tagged by David Wright's home run with one out in the first inning and a follow-up double by
Daniel Murphy, the Atlanta rookie quickly found his rhythm.
Wisler went on to end his nine-start winless drought and the Braves, boosted by a rare power
show, stalled the New York Mets' push toward the NL East title with a 6-2 victory Tuesday night.
"I feel good against them," Wisler said. "I think my stuff kind of matches up with their
weaknesses. They're a really good hitting team, obviously, they're tops in our division and it's a
battle every time against them. But I continue to have some good luck against them."
Wisler (6-8) struck out a career-high eight and left after a leadoff walk in the eighth.
The 23-year-old, who beat the Mets in his big league debut June 19, had been 0-7 in his last
nine starts. Earlier this month, he lost to the Mets despite pitching well.
"I had a good start and a really rough August, so I'm trying to learn from that and I feel better
mentally the last couple of outings. I'm just really trying to attack hitters as best I can," he said.
The Mets lost for the fifth time in seven games. They held their 6 1/2-game lead over
Washington, whose loss to Baltimore cut New York's magic number to six for clinching the
division.
Down 4-1, the Mets loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. Edwin Jackson, Atlanta's fourth
pitcher of the inning, gave up a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Michael Cuddyer and got Wilmer
Flores on a grounder to protect the lead.
Pinch-hitter Adonis Garcia lined a two-out, two-run double in the ninth off Mets reliever Tyler
Clippard.
Jace Peterson led off the Atlanta fifth with a home run and Hector Olivera launched a three-run
shot later in the inning off Logan Verrett (1-2). Atlanta is last in the majors, by far, with 90 home
runs.
Olivera's tiebreaking homer came after an intentional walk to Nick Markakis with two outs.
"The bottom line is, we aren't chasing a playoff berth, but we're here to play hard and we're not
here to give games away," Olivera said through a translator.
The Mets had won five in a row against Atlanta, and Wright put them ahead again with a solo
homer in the first. But other than Murphy's two doubles, New York rarely dented Wisler in
finishing 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
The Braves won for just the eighth time in 35 games. They have the second-worst record in the
majors after trailing the Mets by only 1 1/2 games a few days before the All-Star break.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: Markakis started after missing two games because of stiffness in his upper back and
neck. ... C Christian Bethancourt is still day to day after bruising his left wrist on a play at the
plate Sunday.
TERRY TIME
Even with the Braves struggling, manager Fredi Gonzalez is secure — in July, the team
extended his contract through 2016. New York manager Terry Collins has a club option for next
season and Gonzalez said Mets management should take care of his counterpart now. "Do the
right thing for T.C.," Gonzalez said.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16 ERA) is 2-0 in his last three starts. The no-decision was
against the Mets, when he pitched six innings and gave up three runs. He made his big league
debut this year and has one save, which came vs. the Mets.
Mets: Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.15) has won all four of his starts vs. the Braves this season.
Three Atlanta hitters have caused him trouble — Andrelton Simmons (11 for 20), Freddie
Freeman (9 for 20) and Nick Swisher (7 for 15 with two homers).
Mets align rotation:
Mets confirm rotation for final road trip, line up aces
for Nationals
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- New York Mets manager Terry Collins confirmed the team's rotation for the final
road trip of the season. After Bartolo Colon pitches Wednesday's homestand finale against the
Atlanta Braves, here is how things line up:
At Cincinnati
Thursday: Steven Matz
Friday: Noah Syndergaard
Saturday: Matt Harvey
Sunday: Jacob deGrom
At Philadelphia
Tuesday: Jonathon Niese
Wednesday: Colon
Thursday: Matz
That, of course, lines up Syndergaard, Harvey and deGrom to face the Washington Nationals
during the final series of the season if those games are meaningful.
Harvey's outing in Cincinnati is expected to be abbreviated -- perhaps even shorter than the five
innings he went in his Sunday start against the New York Yankees. DeGrom, who was skipped
on Tuesday night, will be pitching for the first time since Sept. 15 when he takes the mound in
Cincinnati.
Jacob deGrom to make next start for Mets on
Sunday, lining him up for Game 1 of the NLDS
KRISTIE ACKERT, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Jacob deGrom will make his next start for the Mets on Sunday in Cincinnati, a move that
appears to line him up for Game 1 of the NLDS.
Terry Collins announced that deGrom — who was skipped Tuesday night in place of Logan
Verrett — will start the series finale against the Reds next Sunday, a day after Matt Harvey
makes his next start.
That will line up deGrom for the season finale against the Nats (an abbreviated start unless it’s a
must-win of course) and for the first playoff game.
Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard will pitch the first two games of the four-game series
against the Reds on Thursday and Friday.
The Mets enter Tuesday with a 6.5 game lead over the Nats in the NL East and trail the
Dodgers - their first-round opponent if they get there - by just a 1/2-game for homefield
advantage in that series.
DeGrom is being skipped Tuesday to limit his innings and keep him fresh for the postseason.
The Mets have already skipped a start by Noah Syndergaard and are also limiting the innings of
Harvey, who is pitching his first season after missing 2014 due to Tommy John Surgery. That
path reared its ugly head Sunday night when Harvey pitched five innings of shutout ball against
the Yankees, only to see the bullpen allow 11 runs in the next four innings.
Jacob deGrom is proof Mets are handling Matt Harvey
perfectly
KEVIN KERNAN, NEW YORK POST
There are lessons to be learned from the Matt Harvey Experience and all the Mets have to do is
look back at Jacob deGrom, who is lined up to start Game 1 of the NLDS.
DeGrom missed the 2011 season after Tommy John surgery following the 2010 season.
In 2012, deGrom pitched 111 ¹/₃ minor league innings. That was his first year after Tommy John
surgery. The previous year at Stetson University, and his first year of minor league ball with the
Mets, the right-hander totaled 108 ¹/₃ innings.
In 2013, deGrom pitched 147 ²/₃ innings.
In 2014, deGrom built up to 178 ²/₃ innings, 38 ¹/₃ were in the minors, and the Mets shut him
down at the end of the season as he won Rookie of the Year honors.
Manager Terry Collins said, at the time, it was clearly the right thing to do — he was in the same
territory Harvey is at right now.
“Matt is doing a great job,’’ deGrom told The Post Tuesday night as the Mets dropped a 6-2
decision to the lowly Braves at Citi Field but still managed to have their magic number drop to
six because of the Nationals’ 4-1 loss to the Orioles.
This season deGrom is at 181 innings.
Still, there is a price to be paid for skipping starters and Logan Verrett started in deGrom’s place
and surrendered a four-run fifth to the Braves, giving up two home runs.
“We have to play better,’’ Collins said. “All of a sudden we’ve hit a wall.’’
Collins said deGrom will start Sunday against the Reds, which puts him in line for Game 1
against the Dodgers in the playoffs, as expected.
Like deGrom, Harvey has already given one elbow to the campaign, so no more talk please
about Harvey not stepping up a year after missing the season.
Harvey is at 176 ²/₃ innings, yet there is nothing but Harvey Hysteria because the Mets are
headed to the postseason. In 2014 they were headed nowhere.
The postseason rotation is being set with deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Harvey and Steven Matz
expected to be the Big Young Four starters for the first-round matchup against the Dodgers.
If the series starts in L.A., Syndergaard gets Game 3 at Citi Field. If the series starts at Citi
Field, Syndergaard would start Game 2 with Harvey starting Game 3 at Dodger Stadium.
“Doing what we are doing now with Jake, I like the status of the pitching staff. I think the rest is
going to help Jake,’’ Collins said. “Skipping Noah, he’s come back and has thrown the ball really
well. I think it made a big difference and hopefully in two weeks they are going to show it.’’
Of course, the Mets have to get there first and not collapse. There is still work to be done.
“They built me up year after year and it was good,’’ deGrom said of the pitching plan. “I think last
year, when they shut me down at the end, big picture, it was a smart move. We weren’t in a
race, it was my first time pitching that late in the year and that was the most I’ve pitched in my
career.’’
“Matt looks good when he is out there, so I think he’ll be fine.’’
Harvey said Tuesday that when his number is called in the postseason: “I’ll be ready to go.’’
That’s really all the Mets need to hear.
Limiting Harvey’s innings is the right thing to do as long as Harvey makes that playoff start.
That’s imperative.
Sandy Alderson is acting as a steward — which is the right thing to do. The Mets, Harvey, his
agent Scott Boras and Dr. James Andrews are on the same page now.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen predicted 185 innings for Harvey back in spring training.
The Mets are heading to the playoffs a year earlier than they anticipated.
This is a reverse Murphy’s Law for the Mets — what could go right has gone right.
At this stage, I’m all for Harvey having a three-inning start next time out. Just be ready to punchin against the Dodgers.
Mets' Jacob deGrom will start on Sunday
GREG LOGAN, NEWSDAY
After losing two of his past three decisions and getting roughed up in a couple of other starts,
Jacob deGrom was skipped in the rotation against the Braves Tuesday night at Citi Field and
replaced by spot starter Logan Verrett. Terry Collins said it's a one-time thing to get deGrom
extra rest, and he is expected to return Sunday in Cincinnati.
"This guy is too good a pitcher to pitch the way he's been pitching," Collins said of deGrom, who
has one win since Aug. 18. "He's got too good of stuff and too good of command to make the
mistakes he's been making. I just think the extra rest is going to help him. Five days from now,
we're going to bring him back and see how he is, but I think it will make a big difference in him .
. . I think the rest is going to help Jake."
Collins: It's the players
Collins' name has begun to surface in "Manager of the Year talk recently, but as much as he
appreciates it, he said that award really is more about the players at a manager's disposal. "I've
talked to a lot of the great managers in the game that have won these awards hundreds of
times, and I will tell you that very few of them have ever said, 'Boy, I managed my [rear end] off,'
" Collins said. "They put the right names in the lineup is what they've done and let them go
play."
Extra bases
Catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who is in a 0-for-10 dip, sat Tuesday night in favor of Kevin Plawecki,
but Collins said d'Arnaud likely will play Wednesday night . . . Juan Uribe was a scratch because
Collins said he's "still pretty sore" after a recent diving catch . . . Collins confirmed outfielder
Michael Conforto will not be in the lineup against left-handed starting pitching the rest of the
season.
Mets' rotation for stretch drive taking shape
BARRY M. BLOOM, MLB.COM
NEW YORK -- The Mets went into action on Tuesday against the Braves at Citi Field with a 6
1/2-game lead over the Nationals in the National League East and 12 games to play.
They lost, 6-2, to the Braves when rookie starter Logan Verrett allowed two Atlanta homers in
the fifth inning. New York has lost three of its last four and five of eight on this nine-game
homestand, squandering a third of what was once a 9 1/2-game lead. But there's nothing to
worry about here.
"We know that every single night we go out there and play our game, we have a [darn] good
chance of winning it," said Verrett.
The Mets were fortunate on Tuesday because the Nationals lost to the Orioles, 4-1. The Mets
thus maintained their 6 1/2-game lead, now with 11 to play, the last three games being against
Washington at Citi Field. The magic number to clinch the title is any combination of six Mets'
wins or Nationals' losses.
"I'm shocked," Mets manager Terry Collins said about the way his club has hit and played
against the Marlins, Yankees and Braves, during this homestand with so much on the line.
"I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to get through this and go to the playoffs," Verrett
said. "Absolutely no doubt at all."
Barring any injury or setbacks, Verrett has made his last start of the season, Collins said after
the game. Beginning on Wednesday night he'll use his six best starters in succession. Bartolo
Colon gets the series finale against the Braves.
"We go into [a four-game series] in Cincinnati with Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, Matt
Harvey and Jacob deGrom. And then we go into [a three-game series] in Philly with [Jonathan]
Niese, Colon and Matz."
That would mean Syndergaard, Harvey and deGrom could start the final three games of the
season against Washington.
The playoffs are another story.
"I'm not thinking that far ahead," Collins said. "I'm just thinking about the next [11] games."
That's more detail than Collins had been willing to recently impart about his starting pitching
alignment.
"We got it all cleaned up?" Collins said. "I'm really glad. I want to make sure everybody leaves
here tonight with a smile on their face except [vice president of media relations] Jay [Horwitz]
and I."
With Harvey, deGrom and Matz all trying to avoid a recurrence of Tommy John surgery, there is
no precedence for what Collins is dealing with regarding his pitching staff.
Harvey threw five scoreless, one-hit innings against the Yankees on Sunday night and left the
game after throwing only 77 pitches. Nearing the 180-inning mark, his workload in his final two
starts will be seriously curtailed.
By the time deGrom gets back into the rotation he'll have been idle for 12 days. In his last three
starts he's allowed 11 earned runs on 24 hits in 18 innings.
"I think we're in an usual situation, period, as far as guys getting to their inning limits," Verrett
said. "[Collins] and them have to adjust around that so they'll just be sure those guys will be
ready to go in the playoffs. It's all about keeping guys fresh and not overworked."
Of course, it actually is all about making the playoffs without any injuries to their key starters.
Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey? This is who's lined up
to start NLDS Game 1 for Mets
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK -- The Mets have been adamant about not talking about their postseason roster but
they may be tipping their hand too.
Jacob deGrom will start Sunday in Cincinnati, pitching the series finale against the Reds after
being pushed back from his scheduled start Tuesday. The Mets gave deGrom extra rest after
seeing diminished results they believe are due to fatigue.
"This guy is too good a pitcher to pitch like he's been pitching," manager Terry Collins said.
"He's got too good of stuff and too good a command to make the mistakes he's been making.
So I think the extra rest is going to help him. In a few days, in five days from now we're going to
bring him back and see how he his, but I think it'll make a big difference in him."
That would leave deGrom on track to pitch the last game of the season, Oct. 4 against the
Nationals at Citi Field.
Matt Harvey is scheduled to pitch Saturday in Cincinnati.
And if the Mets return to pitching their starters on normal rest, than deGrom would pitch five
days later. That would be Friday, Oct 10, the day of Game 1 of the National League Divisional
Series -- with the Dodgers as the overwhelmingly likely opponent.
DeGrom-Greinke or deGrom-Kershaw sure sounds like a good way to start the playoffs.
Mets line up aces to face Nationals in season finale
FOX SPORTS
Although the New York Mets hope to have clinched the NL East before they face the
Washington Nationals next week, they've set up their aces to take care of business in case the
division isn't sealed by then.
On Tuesday, manager Terry Collins revealed the Mets' upcoming rotation for their final road trip
of the season.
After veteran Bartolo Colon pitches on Wednesday, lefty rookie Steven Matz will start on
Thursday to open a four-game series in Cincinnati, and will be succeeded by fellow rookie Noah
Syndergaard on Friday, Matt Harvey on Saturday, and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob
deGrom on Sunday.
When the Mets head over to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Jonathon Niese will begin the threegame series, followed by Colon and then Matz on Thursday.
Assuming the Mets adhere to the same rotation to cap off the regular season, Syndergaard,
Harvey, and deGrom will take the ball when New York hosts the Nats from Oct. 2 to 4.
While the Mets currently possess a 6 ½-game lead in the NL East with a magic number of six,
they have hit a recent snag and lost three of their last four while Washington has won seven of
its last nine.
Yoenis Cespedes:
Terry Collins gets explanation from Yoenis Cespedes
for lack of hustle
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- When New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes struck out in the fourth inning
and the ball eluded catcher AJ Pierzynski, Cespedes never broke for first base on Tuesday
night.
Manager Terry Collins said he asked Cespedes the reason for the lack of hustle. Cespedes
replied that he believed he had not swung on what was ruled by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez
as a swinging third strike.
"He didn’t think he went,” Collins said after the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Asked if he would prefer Cespedes run anyway just in case he was ruled to have swung, Collins
added: "I’d like him to run. Yes."
Cespedes finished 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
Mets’ honeymoon with Cespedes is over after boofilled mess
ZACH BRAZILLER, NEW YORK POST
The honeymoon is over. And Tuesday night the Mets and Yoenis Cespedes had their first fight.
After the slugging outfielder failed to run to first on a wild pitch after being called out on a check
swing in the fourth inning, the Citi Field faithful let Cespedes hear it, voicing their displeasure.
They weren’t Jason Bay/Oliver Perez boos, but they were boos nonetheless.
It was another forgettable evening for Cespedes and the Mets at home, who fell to the hapless
Braves, 6-2, losing for the fifth time in eight games on this homestand.
Manager Terry Collins said Cespedes didn’t think he swung on the wild pitch, but also said: “I’d
like him to run, yes.”
Cespedes declined comment postgame.
Cespedes, a free agent in the offseason who has said he is looking for a six-year contract, had
another ugly evening at the plate, striking out twice against Braves right-hander Matt Wisler as
part of an 0-for-3 night. He did walk in the eighth as the Mets staged a rally that went for naught
when Michael Cuddyer flied out with the bases loaded and Wilmer Flores grounded out.
The Mets had hoped his slump was behind him, after Cespedes had three hits, including two
ringing doubles, in Monday night’s 4-0 victory, but he was back chasing bad pitches against on
Tuesday, now 4-for-his-last 27 with nine strikeouts.
More concerning, however, was his lack of hustle, not running to first base on the strikeout in
the fourth and failing to lay out for a Wisler single in the third inning that appeared catchable.
Cespedes also has been seen occasionally jogging to first base on ground balls.
Despite all of the rave reviews Cespedes has received since coming over from the Tigers in the
blockbuster trade on July 31, and they have been justified with the way he has carried the Mets
to the top of the National League East, he has struggled at Citi Field. Cespedes has hit just five
of his 17 home runs as a Met in 84 at-bats at home where he is batting just .223.
Fortunately for the Mets, they have just one home game left before heading out for a sevengame road trip, where Cespedes has been a lethal force.
Mets notes: All's well with Yoenis Cespedes
CHRIS ISEMAN, THE RECORD
NEW YORK — Yoenis Cespedes went 3-for-4 with two doubles in Monday's win over Atlanta,
further alleviating concern that his recent cold stretch was related to getting drilled on the leg
last week against the Marlins.
The outfielder had fallen into an 0-for-19 skid before he snapped it with a double against the
Yankees on Sunday.
Manager Terry Collins said he was never worried about Cespedes, who went 0-for-3 on
Tuesday.
"When you were so hot and all of a sudden you got so cold, everybody thought there had to be
an issue," Collins said. "I just think they made pitches, and like every hitter, he's got some
places he doesn't hit the ball real well if it's pitched in certain places."
NO REWARD NEEDED: With his team 20 games over .500 and 6 1/2 games up in the NL East
entering Tuesday, Collins has been mentioned as a potential Manager of the Year candidate.
Though Collins has plenty of critics, he's still been credited by supporters for leading a young
team into contention despite numerous injuries throughout the season.
Collins said Tuesday "it's always nice to get an award," but he's not concerned with whether or
not he's recognized.
"I've talked to a lot of great managers in the game that have won these awards a hundred times,
and I'll tell you what, very few of them have ever said, 'Boy I managed my [butt] off,' " Collins
said. "They've put the right names in the lineup, that's what they've done, and let them go play."
Collins could be among a group of candidates that likely will include the Cubs' Joe Maddon and
the Pirates' Clint Hurdle.
"And it's nice to be mentioned. You know why? Because our players are playing good," Collins
said. "And that, to me, makes me a lot happier than anything else. And if we can finish this off,
nothing can top that."
BRIEF: Collins held catcher Travis d'Arnaud out of Tuesday's starting lineup. D'Arnaud pinch-hit
in the ninth, but fouled out. He's hitless in his last 18 at-bats.
Yoenis Cespedes explains why he didn't run on strike
3 in Mets' loss vs. Atlanta Braves
MARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK — In the bottom of the fourth of the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Braves on Tuesday,
Yoenis Cespedes stepped up the plate to face Matt Wisler and open the inning.
Cespedes fell behind, 0-2, before coming back to work a 2-2 count. On the fifth pitch of the atbat, Cespedes struck out on a checked swing, but the ball got away from Braves catcher A.J.
Pierzynski and rolled all the way to the backstop. Cespedes, however, didn't run to first base,
allowing Pierzynski to easily throw him out and record the first out of the inning.
With the Mets only leading 1-0 at the time and runs at a premium, Cespedes' lack of hustle
incited a smattering of boos from the crowd at Citi Field. Manager Terry Collins said afterward
that he would have liked to see the Cuban outfielder sprint to first in that instance.
"He thought the guy was checking. He didn't think he went," Collins said before adding, "I'd like
him to run, yes."
Cespedes confirmed to NJ Advance Media that he didn't run on the play because he disagreed
with the umpire's call.
"I didn't run because I was upset with the umpire," Cespedes said in Spanish. "I didn't think that
I swung the bat in that moment."
When asked if he was surprised by the fans' reaction, Cespedes said, "Honestly, I didn't hear
anything."
No free passes here: Mets fans boo revered Cespedes
in loss
FOX SPORTS
For the first time since being acquired by the Mets, Yoenis Cespedes experienced how brutal
the fickleness of New York fans can be.
Although Cespedes had been revered as the Mets' savior for his sensational offensive
performance in his first six weeks with the team, fans at Citi Field showered the 29-year-old
outfielder in boos on Tuesday.
The incident came when Cespedes checked his swing in the fourth inning of the Mets' 6-2 loss
to the Braves.
Believing that he hadn't gone around, Cespedes remained at the plate as the ball got away from
the catcher, and continued standing there even after he had been called out.
The Citi Field faithful voiced their displeasure by booing Cespedes for his inaction.
Cespedes didn't comment on the incident after the game, but manager Terry Collins said
simply, "I'd like him to run, yes."
The Mets' loss on Tuesday marked their fifth in seven games as the team tries to secure its first
postseason berth since 2006 by clinching the NL East.
New York holds a magic number of six with 11 games remaining in the regular season, but has
suddenly struggled to compile wins.
"I'm shocked," Collins said. "I'm very, very surprised, because we were swinging great coming
into a homestand and had a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead where
nobody needed to be uptight.
"Should've been quite relaxed with the lead we had; should've been going out and just playing
the game nice and loosely and calm. For me it looks like we're tight. I don't know why, but it's
sure the perception it looks like from the bench."
Terry Collins says Mets look tight:
Terry Collins on Mets: 'It looks like we're tight'
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- After sweeping series at Washington and Atlanta, the New York Mets returned to
Citi Field on Sept. 14 with an 83-62 record and 9½-game division lead.
Then the Amazin’s lost rubber games to the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees in Queens.
Now, after losing 6-2 on Tuesday night, the Mets have split the first two games of a series
against the Atlanta Braves. The Amazin's are 3-5 entering the final day of their homestand. And
manager Terry Collins believes his ballclub looks tight.
“Coming into a homestand, we had a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial
lead, where nobody needed to be uptight,” Collins said. “We should have been quite relaxed
with the lead we had. We should have been going out and playing the game nice and loosely
and calm. For me, it looks like we’re tight. I don’t know why. It’s just the perception it looks like
from the bench.”
The Mets, now 85-66, nonetheless have a 6½-game lead over the Washington Nationals for first
place in the National League East. The magic number is down to six thanks to the Nats’ loss to
the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. The Mets have 11 games remaining, including the final three
of the season against Washington at Citi Field.
Collins is perplexed by why the offense has suddenly gone into a rut. Through eight games of
the homestand, the Mets have produced 20 runs -- 2.5 per game.
This will be their first losing homestand of the season.
“We’ve got to play better,” Collins said. “We came off a tremendous road trip, came home.
We’ve played great at home all year long. And, all of a sudden, we’ve hit a wall. We aren’t
swinging the bats very good. We had, what, 10 more strikeouts tonight? We’ve got to quit trying
to hit homers, I think, and let’s hit some line drives. We’ve just got to swing the bats better,
because we’re a better offensive team than the way we’ve played this homestand.”
Still, captain David Wright disputed his manager’s assertion that the Mets are tight.
“I don’t think we’re tight,” Wright said. “I think there are just going to be some games where we
get outplayed. Tonight was one of them.”
Mets slip again as Terry Collins says team seems
‘tight’
BRIAN LEWIS, NEW YORK POST
After the Mets came off a red-hot road trip, Terry Collins expected them to come back to
Flushing loose and confident. What he got is a team that’s tight and pressing, squeezing the life
out of its own bats.
The Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Braves Tuesday night was their fifth in eight games on this
homestand, ensuring their first losing homestand of the year. It’s a good thing for the Amazin’s
their NL East lead is so big, and the Nationals are so bad, because their lineup has gone icecold at the worst possible time.
“I’m shocked,’’ Collins said. “I’m very, very surprised, because we were swinging great coming
into a homestand and had a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead where
nobody needed to be uptight. Should’ve been quite relaxed with the lead we had, should’ve
been going out and just playing the game nice and loosely and calm. For me it looks like we’re
tight. I don’t know why, but it’s sure the perception it looks like from the bench.’’
And it’s the perception from the Citi Field stands, where 26,227 saw the Mets’ lineup smothered
by a struggling rookie who hadn’t been able to buy a win for months. They scored just two runs
and struck out 10 times, eight of them against Matt Wisler (6-8), who’d been 0-7 with an 8.08
ERA in 10 starts since July 26.
Yes, the Mets’ offense has become that bad. After closing out their road trip by piling up 49 runs
in a seven-game winning streak, they’ve dropped five of eight on this homestand, mustering just
20 runs (2 ¹/₂ runs per game). And even though their magic number fell to six thanks to
Washington’s loss, they’ve watched a 9 ½-game lead they had upon their return shrivel to 6 ½.
“We’ve got to play better. We came off a tremendous road trip, we come home where we’ve
played great all year long and all of a sudden we’ve hit a wall,’’ Collins said. “We aren’t swinging
the bats very good, we had 10 more strikeouts tonight. We’ve got to go back and quit trying to
hit homers. Let’s hit some line drives. We’ve just got to swing the bats better, because we’re a
better offensive team than what we’ve showed this homestand.’’
Two days after the Mets dropped the Subway Series finale trying to manage Matt Harvey’s
innings, they lost Tuesday trying to limit Jacob deGrom’s. They skipped deGrom’s turn in the
rotation, and in his third spot start, Logan Verrett (1-2) finally fell short, coughing up four runs in
the fifth on a pair of homers.
After Jace Peterson hit his full-count pitch for a solo shot, Verrett intentionally walked Nick
Markakis with two out, and then — upon falling behind Hector Olivera 0-2 — surrendered a
three-run blast to left to put the Mets behind 4-1.
“I liked the matchup against Olivera, just missed with the pitch. With two guys on base you can’t
do that. It makes it hard to come back from that,’’ said Verrett, who had stood in for Harvey
twice and excelled both times. But this time, after David Wright’s first-inning solo shot gave him
a lead, he couldn’t hold it.
“It’s our job to turn the tide and win this series [Wednesday] and pick up that momentum again. I
don’t sense that anybody is tight in here or feeling the pressure. … Sometimes you just get beat
and we’ve had a couple of those,’’ Wright said. “We have four, five series left. Win those four
series and get some momentum back on our side because we’ve lost a little of that momentum
that we gained.’’
They didn’t score again until the eighth on Michael Cuddyer’s bases-loaded sac fly, but Edwin
Jackson got Wilmer Flores to ground out meekly to end the Mets’ threat. In the ninth Tyler
Clippard served up a 1-2 changeup that Adonis Garcia roped for a two-run, pinch-hit double to
essentially end the game.
“Falling behind to Olivera hurt [Verrett]. … He got behind in the count threw a fastball, too good
a pitch,’’ said Collins. “It’s the same thing Clippard did the last inning, the pitch to Garcia. He
leaves a breaking ball in the strike zone. You’ve got to make a pitch. We didn’t make a pitch we
had to make.’’
Are struggling Mets feeling the pressure? Their
manager Terry Collins thinks so
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK -- A losing home-stand. A sleepy offense. The drama surrounding Matt Harvey. It's
been rocky last week for the Mets.
Tuesday night, they took another hit with a 6-2 loss to the lowly Braves. Afterward, Terry Collins,
their manager, declared the Mets were looking "tight" as they navigate the last few weeks of the
season and try to clinch their first postseason appearance in nine years.
And frankly, he doesn't get why.
"Coming into the home-stand with a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead
where nobody needs to be uptight," he said. "Should be quite relaxed with the lead we had.
Should be going out and just playing the game nice and loosely and calm. For me, it looks like
we're tight. I don't know why. It's just the perception it looks like from the bench."
But Collins' opinion isn't unanimous. Just because the Mets have lost three games on their lead
on the Nationals over eight games doesn't mean the team is now feeling the pressure. At least
that's what David Wright, the Mets' captain, says.
"I don't sense that anybody's tight here or feeling the pressure," Wright, who homered Tuesday,
said. "It's playoff baseball, there's going to be a little bit of pressure. We're trying to make a
push. I don't sense it carrying over to the field....It's just some days you go out there and get
beat."
Both, however, acknowledge that the Mets have hit a bump.
Their offense, which had bulldozed opposing pitching for nearly a month, has struggled. The
Mets scored two or fewer runs for the fourth time in six games Tuesday night. They're 3-5 on
this home-stand. Yoenis Cespedes, their dynamo trade pickup, cracked an 0-for-19 streak
Monday night.
Tuesday, Matt Wisler, a rookie, allowed two runs over seven innings.
"All of a sudden we hit a wall," Collins said. "We aren't swinging the bats very good. We had 10
more strikeouts tonight. We gotta go back and quit trying to hit homers. Let's hit some line
drives. So you just gotta swing the bats better because we're a better offensive team than we've
played this home-stand."
Still, the Mets are 6.5 games up on the Nationals with 11 games to go. Their magic number,
despite the loss, was whittled down to six thanks to Washington's loss. That has been a saving
grace for them during this cold streak.
"We've put ourselves in a good position where we don't have to be perfect down the road,"
Wright said.
"Fortunately we've played so well a couple weeks ago that we haven't lost too much of that
ground that we worked hard to get and that's nice. But again you'd like to finish strong."
Other Mets News:
Morning Briefing: Magic number down to six
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -FIRST PITCH: And now it's Bartolo Colon's turn to try to get the New York Mets back on track
… with his arm and maybe even his bat.
The Mets wrap up their first losing homestand of the season when Colon (14-12, 4.15 ERA)
opposes right-hander Williams Perez (6-6, 5.16) in the 7:10 p.m. ET rubber game against the
Atlanta Braves on Wednesday at Citi Field.
WEDNESDAY'S NEWS REPORTS:
Subbing for Jacob deGrom, Logan Verrett allowed a pair of fifth-inning homers and the Mets
went on to lose to the Braves, 6-2, on Tuesday. The Mets nonetheless maintained a 6½-game
division lead over the Washington Nationals, who lost to the Baltimore Orioles. The Amazin's
magic number is down to six. After the loss to Atlanta, manager Terry Collins said the Mets look
“tight” during this homestand. Meanwhile, Tyler Clippard's struggles continued, although Collins
insisted that the reliever's recently tight back is not a factor. Clippard allowed a two-run double
to Adonis Garcia in the ninth that capped the scoring. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily
News, Times, Newsday, Record and at MLB.com.
The Mets confirmed their rotation for the final road trip, and essentially for the remainder of the
regular season. Matt Harvey's next abbreviated outing comes Saturday in Cincinnati. DeGrom
pitches the following day.
Yoenis Cespedes failed to run to first base after striking out on a pitch that eluded catcher AJ
Pierzynski on Tuesday. Read more on Cespedes' recent shortcomings in the Post.
Juan Uribe remained unavailable Tuesday with a deep chest bruise.
Tim Brown at Yahoo! suggests Collins has been the best manager in the National League this
season, ahead of Joe Maddon, Clint Hurdle, Mike Matheny and Don Mattingly. Read more on
Collins' reaction to Manager of the Year talk at MLB.com.
Columnist Mark Herrmann in Newsday writes that Collins has changed with the times.
Savannah manager Jose Leger joined the Mets staff for the remainder of the regular season.
Former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone is not a fan of the handling of Harvey. “I think the
thing is totally asinine,” Mazzone told Bob Nightengale in USA Today. “Come on, you want him
to go five innings, and maybe even less in his next starts, and then you want him to go seven,
eight or nine innings in the playoffs. That's totally ridiculous. You're going to blow out your
bullpen before the playoffs even start.”
Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post is fine with Harvey going three innings against the Reds on
Saturday as long as he is ready to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series when it
matters.
Joe Posnanski at NBCSports.com weighs in on Harvey's late-season usage.
Michael Conforto will continue to sit against left-handed pitching for the remainder of this year.
Of course, Collins only expects the Mets will see one more southpaw starter the rest of the
regular season. Read more at MLB.com.
Fans use their imagination and write the opening to the final game story of the Mets' 2015
season in the Times.
From the bloggers … Mets Report addresses who are the targets of Collins' anger. … The
Kings of Queens looks ahead to facing Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the NLDS.
BIRTHDAYS: Pete Harnisch turns 49. ... Gonzalez Germen is 28.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
YOU'RE UP: Are you having any second thoughts about whether the Mets should aggressively
bid for Cespedes?
Savannah manager Jose Leger joins Mets
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- The New York Mets typically call up a manager or coach from the organization
once minor league seasons end.
This year's honor goes to Jose Leger, who managed low-A Savannah to an 84-53 record this
season in the South Atlantic League, albeit with a first-round playoff exit. The Gnats won 18
straight games in August -- the longest winning streak in the majors or minors in 10 years.
Leger, 33, will be with the Mets for the remainder of the regular season. He previously managed
short-season Kingsport for three years.
Leger played professionally in the Minnesota Twins organization as a third baseman and
catcher.
Mets' Juan Uribe remains unavailable; Travis d'Arnaud
sits
ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK
NEW YORK -- New York Mets infielder Juan Uribe, who was diagnosed with a deep chest
bruise, likely remains unavailable for Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.
Uribe originally was injured diving for a grounder on Sunday and departed that game.
Also on the medical front: Reliever Carlos Torres may not be available for Tuesday's game.
Torres returned from a strained left calf on Sunday but was not available for Monday's series
opener against the Braves because the injury apparently lingered.
In other Mets news:
• Catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who is hitless in 17 at-bats, will sit Tuesday in favor of Kevin
Plawecki. Mets manager Terry Collins pledged that d'Arnaud would return to the lineup
Wednesday and would not sit for multiple days because of his struggles.
• Collins suggested that Jacob deGrom, who is being skipped Tuesday in favor of Logan Verrett,
will return to the rotation in five days. So figure deGrom faces the Cincinnati Reds in the series
finale Sunday at Great American Ball Park.
Mets skipping Jacob deGrom's start ahead of playoffs
is the right move
ANDY MARTINO, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
The most important Met this October is Jacob deGrom, and the most important event at Citi
Field on Tuesday night was a total non-event: deGrom did not pitch on his rotation turn. And
that was the right move, despite the 6-2 loss to Atlanta.
The Mets’ decision to skip deGrom and start Logan Verrett was wise, even after Verrett
struggled — not only because the All-Star has shown signs of fatigue as he pushes deeper into
a season than he ever has before, but because the Mets will need him to be their October
horse. If deGrom is unable to make multiple effective starts per round, it is hard to imagine the
Mets taking a serious shot at a championship.
Matt Harvey is one of the most talented pitchers in the league, a true ace. But this year, with
Harvey's post-Tommy John innings restrictions limiting his availability, deGrom is the starter
who will have to carry this pitching-rich club.
This is a sketch of how a divison series rotation would go (delivered with the caveat that it is
highly subject to change): deGrom in Game 1 — he is being lined up for that, sources told the
Daily News. Noah Syndergaard in Game 2. Harvey in Game 3. Steven Matz in Game 4.
deGrom again in Game 5.
From there, a team does what it can to set up a rotation, at the mercy of the previous series'
length. But of all those pitchers, deGrom is the one who will need to be the sharpest, best and
most durable.
As with the controversial plan to shorten Harvey’s Sunday start against the Yankees, skipping
deGrom meant that the Mets were less likely to win an individual game. Indeed, Verrett allowed
four runs in the fifth inning, and was done.
But a large NL East lead allows the team to turn one eye toward the next phase. And despite
deGrom’s protestations, he has appeared in need of a timeout. It wasn’t merely the 5.50 ERA in
his previous three starts, it was imprecise location and an inconsistent release point, according
to the coaching staff.
So Sandy Alderson issued the order to skip deGrom, with the hope that five more days of rest
will restore his better self. DeGrom will start on Sunday in Cincinnati, and then again on the final
day of the regular season.
If the Mets have clinched by then, deGrom would only last a few innings to tune up for the
Dodgers; if they have not clinched by then, Citi Field will be on fire, and mass hysteria will
render the streets around it unsafe.
“I just think the extra rest is going to help him,” Terry Collins said. “In five days, we’re going to
bring him back and see how he is, but I think it’s going to make a big difference.”
If it does, the Mets will have a substitute ace who inspires full confidence in the clubhouse.
You can’t even finish a question about deGrom to David Wright, before the captain interrupts to
begin raving.
“He’s awesome,” Wright says. “He’s awesome. I mean, he’s awesome. He is phenomenal. ...
He doesn’t express a ton of emotion, but he’s got that ‘it factor’ where you see the confidence.”
Wright can go on.
“It’s fun to watch. You see him get so upset when he throws a bad bullpen. Other pitchers see
that, and it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s what it takes to be Rookie of the Year. That’s what it takes to be
an All-Star. That’s what it takes to, for a while, be in the Cy Young talk.’ That guy is very
underrated. He’s excellent.”
That long answer came in response to a query about the idea of having deGrom in Game 1
(and 4 or 5 or 7). Clearly, Wright feels good about it. That’s why deGrom needs his rest now, to
carry the team later. That’s the only way this can work.
Mets vs. Braves, Game 151: As Mets plan champagne
shindig, Nats set to hold Yoga party
BILL PRICE, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
I have to say I don't know much about Yoga. I knew this girl in college who was going to try it,
but read in some book you can die doing it, so she forgot about it. (I think that was extreme
Yoga).
I know there are some sights on the web that feature pictures of women wearing Yoga pants
and NYDN Back Page guy lost a bunch of weight doing Yoga a few years ago and you need a
mat to do it. We bought that Wii Fit board a few years ago, and now that is where my kids stack
up their video games.
If I had to sum it up, I would say Yoga is a way of relaxing and exercising/toning at the same
time and it has something to do with your balance and core.
What I do know is that Sunday, our friends in DC will be hosting a post-game Yoga party. It's
something called Yoga in the Outfield, where Nationals fans - with a special ticket purchase will have to chance to have a 45-minute Yoga class on the outfield grass after the game. You
even get a little Yoga mat with the Nats logo on it.
Maybe, just maybe, after being a complete and utter disappointment all season, the Nats are
offering their fans - with a special purpose - a chance to relax and let all their troubles vanish
into thin air with a few upward facing dog poses. They can forget about Matt Williams being a
buffoon or Max Scherzer being a $30M waste of money or that they are stuck with Papelbum for
a fwe minutes.
And hopefully, if things go right, this Yogafest will be going on around the same time the Mets
are celebrating the NL East title. The Mets have six games between now and the big Yoga fest,
so if they can go 5-1, all we need are two Nats losses to make that happen. Now, these are the
Mets, so even if they are going to clinch the division, there is no way they will do it the same day
Nats fans are oooming and ummmming on the outfield grass. And knowing our Mets, we may
be the ones in need of some serious relaxation by Sunday, but I think we should be ok. Maybe a
few Yoga sessions before the playoffs would help, but let's get there first.
So enjoy the Yoga party Nats fans, I'll go with the bubbly instead.
It's Logan Verrett in place of deGrom Tuesday at Citi Field. I wasn't crazy about Collins taking
Niese out after six innings, but clearly TC is trying to get this 7-8-9 inning punch lined up. It
worked Monday.
Braves' manager Fredi Gonzalez shills for Mets' Terry
Collins
KRISTIE ACKERT, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Terry Collins doesn’t care about awards, but Fredi Gonzalez thinks the Mets manager should be
rewarded by the team for the work he has done this season.
“Do the right thing for TC,” the Braves manager told reporters before Tuesday night’s game.
Gonzalez has already been extended for next season by Atlanta and when asked about Collins,
he made it clear that he feels the Mets should be working on a contract extension with their
manager. “Do the right thing.”
FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. "LIKE" US HERE
Collins has told those close to him that he would like to be back for 2016. Mets GM Sandy
Alderson has repeatedly said he would not discuss an extension for Collins until after the
season.
Collins, 67, is in his fifth season with the Mets and in his 11th overall as a big league manager.
He is pushing for his first division crown and playoff appearance, so everything else, including a
possible NL manager of the year award, doesn’t mean that much to him right now.
“It’s always nice to get an award, but I am going to tell you what, it’s all the players,” Collins
said. “I have talked to a lot of great managers in the game who have won these awards
hundreds of times and I will tell you what, very few of them have ever said ‘I tell ya what I
managed my ass off.’
CLEANING UP
Collins shook up his lineup Tuesday night, putting David Wright back in the No. 2 spot and
moving Yoenis Cespedes down to the clean-up spot.
“One of the things we were seeing, even though Yoenis was so hot, hitting homers we didn’t
have a lot of guys on ahead of him,” Collins explained. “By putting him there, the way David gets
on base, and Dan (Murphy) even though he has had some games he hasn’t had many hits, he’s
a guy who is on base, so to have Yo hit behind him and protected by Lucas (Duda) , against
right-handed pitching is a nice way to look at the lineup.”
It was the 15th time Wright, who responded with a solo home run and a 2-for-4 night, hit
second. Cespedes went 0-for-3 with a walk, hitting fourth for the second time for the Mets this
season.
NO START FOR D’ARNAUD
After going 0-for-his last 17, Travis d’Arnaud was out of the starting lineup, but popped up to first
base as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. Collins said he would probably be back in the lineup
Wednesday, but there is concern the catcher is slumping at the wrong time... Juan Uribe (chest
bruise) was listed as day to day. “He’s still pretty sore.”
Why the Mets won’t let Michael Conforto hit against
lefties
BRIAN LEWIS, NEW YORK POST
The rookie wall clearly hasn’t slowed Michael Conforto in the regular-season. But will a dearth of
right-handed pitching to rake stop him in the postseason?
It’s increasingly likely the Mets will not only make the playoffs but face the Dodgers, who are
capable of throwing three lefties in the NLDS — Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood and Brett
Anderson, begging the question of whether there’s anything Conforto can do to break out of his
platoon with Michael Cuddyer?
“I don’t think at this particular moment there’s a lot he can do to change it,” manager Terry
Collins said before the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Braves on Tuesday night at Citi Field. “Everything
can change, but we’re looking at one lefty in the next seven days, maybe even the next 10 days.
“His opportunities to face left-handed pitching are going to be pretty thin. There’s some people
here whose job it is to hit left-handed pitching. … Down the road this kid will be one of them. But
right now I think we’ll stick with what we’ve done.’’
Conforto — who is hitting .284 after going 1-for-4 — entered Tuesday hitting .294 and slugging
.571 against righties, but just .182 (2-for-11) in limited action against lefties.
“Not a lot you can do except go out there and keep performing and playing well against the guys
you do face,’’ Conforto said. “That’s not my call, whether I’m in there or not. But we’ve been
having success, we’ve been winning games and we’re in a good spot right now. “The situation
where I’m not hitting against lefties has worked, so until that stops working I don’t see a reason
why we should change it. … For me, for whatever Terry and the rest of the coaches think is best
for the team, I’m all in.”
Conforto’s had a nifty outfield assist in the sixth inning, alertly picking up A.J. Pierzynski’s bloop
single that dropped between himself, shortstop Luis Flores and third baseman David Wright,
and throwing the catcher out at second trying to stretch a single into a double.
Conforto’s sixth outfield assist tied Washington’s Michael Taylor for most by an NL rookie. Then
he robbed Pierzynski again, this one a divining catch to end the eighth.
Daniel Murphy’s two doubles gave him 36 for the year and 226 for his career, passing Ed
Kranepool for second on the Mets’ all-time list. David Wright, who hit a solo homer, has the
team record at 381.
Travis d’Arnaud was held out of the starting lineup in favor of Kevin Plawecki after going 0-forhis-last-17, and 0-for-10 with men in scoring position since Sept. 15. Collins said he likely would
start d’Arnaud Wednesday. Plawecki went 0-for-3 while d’Arnaud flied out to end the game as a
pinch hitter.
Another Met being rested was Jacob deGrom, who was skipped Tuesday in favor of Logan
Verrett. Collins said deGrom will resume his spot on the next turn, which would have him facing
the Reds next weekend in Cincinnati.
Verrett struggled in his spot start, allowing four runs in five innings.
Collins said the rotation in Cincinnati will be: Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and
deGrom, with Jon Niese, Bartolo Colon and Matz pitching against the Phillies.
Terry Collins learns to change with the times
MARK HERRMANN, NEWSDAY
When Terry Collins broke into professional baseball in 1971, there was no such thing as a
designated hitter. There were no pitch counts or innings limits. Tommy John was a pitcher, not a
surgery. John appeared in 38 games for the White Sox that season, without an inkling that he
would be operated upon three years later in a procedure that would bear his name -- and
become an epidemic among young pitchers such as Matt Harvey.
It all fits. The white-haired, 66-year-old Collins is the perfect guy to deal with Harvey and the rest
of the Mets' stellar, young, handle-with-care rotation. He has been around long enough to let
them know that this is going to work out, and that you never stop learning in this game, even
after 44 years.
Tuesday night was another new episode. Collins had to start Logan Verrett rather than Jacob
deGrom -- his best pitcher all year -- in the heart of a pennant race because deGrom had
seemed fatigued lately. The manager has learned the value of sacrificing today for a bunch of
tomorrows.
A sacrifice it was, a lackluster 6-2 loss to the Braves. Still, the Mets made progress, what with
the Nationals losing. Collins has rolled with that kind of punch so well this season that there is
talk he might be considered for National League Manager of the Year. He scoffed at that, saying
that he knows guys who have won such awards and they seldom say, "Boy, I managed my
[butt] off." He believes it is all about the players, as it was in 1971.
He comes from an era when "cripes" was an expletive. He broke in long, long before Tom
Hanks' character in "A League of Their Own" said the immortal line, "There's no crying in
baseball." The baseball lifer could not have dreamed that he would be around long enough to
see Wilmer Flores break that rule.
Nothing in the 1970s prepared Collins to deal with having a player on the field who was sobbing
over Twitter reports that he had been traded. There is no handbook for suddenly having to deal
with the Harvey Rules, which, of course, are no rules at all, only a fluid set of guidelines that are
hastily hammered out between management and an agent at the worst possible time.
As Collins said Monday, "This is a different era and a different age . . . Things change and you
have to change with them."
So there he was, having to watch Verrett allow four runs in the fifth. That was two days after
Collins had to lift his ace, Harvey, after five dominant scoreless innings.
Things change. Who would have thought ballclubs would have mental strength coaches?
"It's easy for us old guys to say, 'Suck it up, go out there and throw strikes, change speeds,' '' he
said. "But there is a different mentality."
Collins is more pragmatic and patient than he was in previous stints. Still, he refers to himself as
"old school." You know it pained him to remove Jose Reyes from a game in the first inning four
years ago so that Reyes could clinch a batting title. But it did reinforce his image as somebody
who will go to bat for his players. And these Mets do play hard for Collins. They didn't give up
early in the summer, when the offense was lifeless and the season looked hopeless.
So maybe he did manage his butt off. Maybe not -- his decision to intentionally walk Nick
Markakis in the fifth backfired.
"I'm going to get home and my wife is going to call me an idiot," Collins said.
Maybe he will be an award- winner. Maybe it's not a huge deal.
"Our players are playing good. That makes me a lot happier than anything else," he said, adding
that five years of struggle in Queens will all be worthwhile "if we can finish this off."
He always adds an "if" because 44 years tell him it all can change tomorrow. For today, though,
he is the right man at the right time.
Sadness vs. Euphoria: Fans Script Endings to Mets’
Season
READERS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES, NEW YORK TIMES
Mets Win, and the World Is a Better Place
And so it happened. The cosmos shifted. Children slept contentedly in their beds. Doors were
held open for the sick and elderly. All were kinder to animals. It was as if an amnesty for all the
long-suffering innocents and an amnesia for those who had long held pain in their memory
swept across our fair city. Yes, yes, yes. It happened last night. The New York Mets won the
Word Series.
A Tough Loss for Manager Boras
Matt Harvey was brilliant in his Game 7 matchup with the former Met R. A. Dickey and the
Toronto Blue Jays. However, Harvey was pulled from the game in the third inning by the new
Mets manager, Scott Boras, in an effort to conserve innings. The Mets’ offense sputtered, but
Yoenis Cespedes hit four home runs to leave the Mets a run shy of the Jays going into the final
inning. With two outs in the ninth, Bartolo Colon hit a pinch-hit, game-tying home run, but he
missed third base on his trip home. The Mets lost, 5-4. Minutes later, Cespedes signed a sevenyear contract with the Yankees.
Mets Are Champs. Honest.
It’s real. It happened. The Mets are the 2015 World Series champions. To a generation of fans
that endured 2000’s Subway World Series letdown, followed by more than a decade of
institutionalized mediocrity, interrupted repeatedly — and thus all the more teasingly — by the
cruel kind of irony that only the baseball gods can conceive (see: Endy Chavez’s Mr. Fantastical
catch in a losing pennant battle; two consecutive playoff races cut short by nosedive-fromgrace-styled collapses; and a Cy Young Award season from R. A. Dickey that earned him a spot
on the trading block), that sentence bears repeating. The Mets are the 2015 World Series
champions. It’s real. It happened. New York’s perpetual underdogs have done it, and all’s right
in the world of sport.
Relief in a Bottle
We’re cursed. It’s a cliché, I know, but this proves it. We just could not duck the slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune. Strong young arms and timely hitting just could not overcome the
relievers who turned the bullpen into a chicken coop. How could we possibly blow a lead like
that in the last two innings? How? Where was Gil Hodges when we needed him? Such elation
for seven great innings flushed in Flushing by relievers who gave us more grief than relief. I’m
going home now to sit with my friends Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam and Bud Weiser. They never let
me down. See you in April!
Free Baseball! But a Cap Is 20 Bucks.
David Wright hit a home run in the bottom of the 25th inning to break the tie, and orphans and
puppies ran down the steps of Citi Field. While fireworks lighted the sky overhead, Mayor Bill de
Blasio presented the team (but mostly Yoenis Cespedes) with the keys to the city and his choice
of the puppies. Finally, stores are offering Mets merchandise.
Colon’s Three Homers Aren’t Enough (Hey, It’s Snowing)
Perhaps the ancient gods of Shea Stadium actually followed the Mets to Citi Field. Or perhaps it
was the curse of Donald Trump, watching stone-faced from behind home plate, in a “Groundhog
Day”-like recreation of Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series. Despite
three homers by pitcher Bartolo Colon, the Mets lost the final game of an epic World Series to
the Toronto Blue Jays by 4-3, on Daniel Murphy’s fourth error of the snowy evening.
Yadier Molina Goes All Reg-gie
“Well, at least we beat the Dodgers — that made a lot of New York fans happy,” a glum Terry
Collins said after the Mets’ 2-0 loss to St. Louis in Game 7 of the N.L.C.S. It was a bitter end to
the Cinderella story Mets fans had been weaving in their dreams since their team took over first
place in the N.L. East in August. “Hey, my guys gave it all they had, but those four homers in the
last two games really shocked us,” Collins added, referring to the four surprising blasts by
Yadier Molina, which equaled his regular-season output.
Tears of Joy
The tears flowed down David Wright’s face as he fulfilled his dream of winning a championship
with the Mets. A hit by Wright scored Curtis Granderson and Wilmer Flores in the top of the
ninth of Game 7 to give the Mets a 6-5 win over Texas. Flores cried, too, as he hugged Wright
— the second time Flores had cried on the field this year. The first was back in July, after he
thought he had been traded. Now he shared tears of joy with the Mets’ captain. The Mets are
your 2015 World Series champions.
A Sweep by the Dodgers, a Cameo by Beltran
The dying embers of a Carlos Beltran effigy are all that remain on the field of the Mets’ 2015
campaign. Swept by the Dodgers in a division series, in part because of the tired arms of their
young pitching superstars and the silencing of August’s mighty bats. Fans of the team fought off
Citi Field security long enough to hurl a burning replica of Beltran’s Mets jersey onto the grass in
left-center.
Harvey in Game 7 Turns Into a Laugher
In the end, for fans used to tears, it was a laugher. The hand-wringing about wringing the last
few innings out of Matt Harvey’s apparently but disputedly healed right arm turned out to be a
footnote. In the seventh game against the Blue Jays, the Mets didn’t really need even the five
innings from Harvey that they used, after an offensive outburst in which they batted around
twice in the first two innings and scored nine runs.
A New Mr. November
On a brisk November evening, in Game 7 of the World Series, the Mets won the championship
on the back of their stellar pitching and Mr. November, Michael Conforto. What a playoff run this
kid had; what a bright future he has. An incredible season — one for the ages.
Cespedes Makes Them Remember Beltran
The hearts of Mets fans were broken last night as the Mets lost, 3-2, in Game 7 of the N.L.C.S.,
sending the Cardinals to the World Series. Yoenis Cespedes struck out on a nasty 3-2 curveball
with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning, bringing back painful memories for Mets
fans of the 2006 N.L.C.S., when the same thing happened to Carlos Beltran.
Nationals Celebrate at Citi Field
Life repeats itself. There is no joy in Mudville. In an epic collapse, the Mets again broke the
hearts of their fans by losing their eighth straight game. The Nationals completed a sweep of the
Mets, giving Washington a playoff spot. Tears rolled down the eyes of all the Mets fans, young
and old, as they watched Bryce Harper and his teammates celebrate at Citi Field. All of a
sudden it started to rain, obviously because the heavens were crying, too. Being a Mets fan is a
lifelong promise to feel the kind of pain that was felt tonight. This collapse, after the Mets were
up eight games on the Nationals with 16 left, will be talked about forever. Call it fate or a jinx,
but at the end of the day, it was just bad baseball. And who will not remember the ghost of
Carlos Beltran when David Wright took a called third strike to end the game with the tying run on
second? Mr. Met, how can you show your head in public?
Déjà Vu All Over Again
Second verse same as the first. Alex Rodriguez capped a stellar World Series with two homers
as the silver-spoon Yankees completed an improbable run from wild cards to world champions
by dashing the hopes of baseball’s feel-good story this year. The Yankees crushed the Mets, 91, in Game 5 of the second go-round of the modern Subway Series.
Dodgers Show Harvey His Innings Limit
In the end, the Los Angeles Dodgers had the final say on Matt Harvey’s innings limit. With the
Mets’ ace taking the mound at Citi Field in a must-win Game 3, he was able to register only two
outs. After Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke hit a three-run homer off Harvey in the top of
the first inning to put the Dodgers ahead, 7-0, Harvey’s and the Mets’ seasons effectively ended
at the same time.
Dodgers’ Two Aces Are Too Much
The No. 7 train was reduced to silence, kind of like the Mets’ bats, as it made its way along the
tracks from Citi Field after the Mets’ exit from the 2015 N.L. playoffs. David Wright did all he
could to keep the Mets’ miracle season alive by providing some spark to the lineup, but in the
end it just wasn’t enough to propel the Mets past the Dodgers in their first-round series. The
Dodgers’ pitching staff, led by the aces Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, proved to be too
much for the rest of the Mets’ bats to handle, as they cooled off the red-hot Yoenis Cespedes on
their way to back-to-back shutouts and a 3-1 series victory.
Is This Heaven? No, It’s Citi Field
Last night at Citi Field, Terry Collins watched Wilmer Flores approach the batter’s box with two
outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Nationals leading, 2-1, and Mets standing on second and
third. With a win, the Mets would clinch the N.L. East. A loss would flush the season. As Flores
stepped in, the fans began their age-old chant.
Flores stared down Jonathan Papelbon, fresh from the bullpen. Flores then winked at the
pitcher, trying to make him think he knew something Papelbon did not. Apparently enraged,
Papelbon let go with a 96-mile-per-hour fastball right down the pipe, and Flores sent it into the
left-field seats. Somewhere, in an Iowa cornfield, Moonlight Graham grinned from ear to ear.
A March to October Romance
While the Mets’ season ended with no new trophies to put on display or World Series rings for
players to wear, suffice to say that last March, any Mets fan would have gladly signed up for
ending 2015 one win short of reaching the Series. For one of the youngest teams in baseball,
that’s a lot to grow on. And having witnessed memorable October heroics from players like
Michael Conforto, Steven Matz and perhaps the new face of the franchise, Wilmer Flores —
already mentioned as a 2016 M.V.P. candidate — fans at least enter the winter feeling good
about their team for the first time in years. But imagine how much better they’ll feel upon
learning that Yoenis Cespedes will be buying some Manhattan real estate with part of his new
nine-figure contract.
A Nightmare Dressed Like a Daydream
The Mets came out onto the field to a large choir singing “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift. They all
forgot how to play baseball. So did the other team. They had to go home. The crowd was very
understanding.
Objects Block the Mets Players’ Airways
They choked. Again. Mets fans should be used to this kind of disappointment.
A Grand Finale for Colon
Bartolo Colon was the unlikely hero in Game 7. The 42-year-old right-hander came in to pinchhit for an injured Yoenis Cespedes with the bases loaded in the top of the 26th inning in a
scoreless Game 7 of the World Series in Toronto and homered off the former Met and Cy
Young Award winner R. A. Dickey. Colon then stayed in to pitch and surrendered three runs in
the bottom half of the inning before striking out Troy Tulowitzki with the bases loaded, and the
Mets won their first World Series since 1986.
A Repeat (No, Not That Kind)
In what came close to being an eerie repeat of their last postseason series, the Mets lost Game
7 of the N.L.C.S. to the Cardinals last night by a score of 3-1. The Cardinals, who will face the
Blue Jays in the World Series, won the game on a two-run, walk-off homer by Yadier Molina off
Tyler Clippard with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
A Mets Pitcher Who Knows No Limits
The Mets’ 1-0 World Series Game 7 win took a bizarre turn in the bottom of the 20th when Terry
Collins summoned his sole remaining pitcher, Matt Harvey, to protect the lead. A spectator ran
onto the field, carrying off Harvey and screaming, “No more innings!” Harvey seemed to be
responding, “Scott, get away from me.” But with Harvey gone, Collins turned to left fielder
Yoenis Cespedes, who struck out the side with nine 105-mile-an-hour fastballs for his first major
league save.
The Sweetest Vintage
Tonight in the Mets’ locker room, Wilmer Flores’s tears were mixed with Champagne.
A Pitching Collapse
In spectacular fashion, the Mets’ season ended in tragedy, as their pitching collapsed even as
their hitting continued to astound their long-suffering fans.
1969, 1986, 2015 ...
The New York Mets have proven the creators of “Futurama” wrong.
No longer can the view from the Year 3000 be limited to declaring this city’s long benighted
baseball team World Series Champions for 1969 and 1986.
That’s right, wiseguys: Add 2015.
And who knows, maybe more — though what Mets fan would dare tempt the fates by being so
greedy?
There’s No Crying in — Wait, This Just In
It began with tears. On July 29, the Mets’ 24-year-old shortstop, Wilmer Flores, broke baseball’s
cardinal rule (according to Tom Hanks) and cried on the field. This was the shift, the
demarcation for what was yet to come. There were tears again in Flushing last night: joyous
tears from the famously oft-heartbroken fan base. Last night the Mets defeated the Toronto Blue
Jays, 5-3, and stunned the baseball world by winning the World Series in five games in front of
a rhapsodic home crowd. The season was as unlikely, memorable and miraculous as the
franchise’s two previous championship efforts, in 1969 and 1986. The eyes of the Mets’ third
baseman and captain, David Wright, glistened as the Fox reporter Ken Rosenthal awaited for
the reply to the traditional inquiry to describe what this felt like. Wright surveyed the still surging
crowd and responded, “I’ve waited my whole life for this moment.”
Mets Enter Season’s Final Day, Ambulances Standing By
The Mets set a record today. Not for runs scored, or scoreless innings pitched, or any other
baseball-related feat. No, the Mets set a record today for the most emergency medical
technicians present at a regular-season game. In what was described by Mets officials as
“merely being cautious,” there were more than 1,500 E.M.T.s at Citi Field to tend to fans who
might be overcome by the stress of watching their beloved and historically beleaguered team
should they again lose an insurmountable lead on the last day of the season as they had done
twice before in this century. Fortunately, they were playing the Nationals, a team which, if this
were a Broadway matinee, would be announced as “playing the role of the N.Y. Mets today will
be the Washington Nationals.” And so the Mets will head to the playoffs for the first time since
2006, memories of Carlos Beltran gazing at Adam Wainwright’s final pitch dancing in their
heads like sugar plum fairies on Christmas Eve.
A Painful End to the Season
The sports world’s largest, stickiest Band-Aid finally yanked the last painful hairs from a sellout
crowd of cringing, flinching Mets fans Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, as the Washington
Nationals completed their agonizing September comeback and won the National League East,
defeating New York, 7-4. The post-Labor Day collapse might be called unprecedented except
Mets fans can point to identical Band-Aid-shaped hairless patches from 2007 and 2008.
Whether the skin of Mets fans or the arms of Mets starters suffer from soreness more can be
debated all off-season, along with such pressing questions as the value of Yoenis Cespedes’s
parakeet arm and golden bat. The Mets, once again, will not be in the playoffs.
Win One for Norse Mythology
Noah Syndergaard felt for his curveball grip, as Altuve, the terrifying bearer of the tying run,
danced off first. Syndergaard pondered Odin’s ravens Huginn and Muninn, as his visual field
condensed into Travis d’Arnaud’s glove. These hawks, pushing off the Norse god’s left and right
shoulders, soaring and bending across Midgard like Pedro Martinez’s breaking balls,
represented thought (Huginn) and memory (Muninn). Syndegaard knew he would need the
knowledge of grips and wrist snaps from the latter, the spontaneity to blow past Gattis and
knee-buckle Gomez from the former. He knew that this was on him now, because he had
sensed the predatory glee in Kazmir. Despite a mistake-turned-souvenir in the second inning,
the phoenixlike southpaw had figured out the Mets, and it was likely they would not score any
more runs. Syndergaard didn’t trust his own chicanery farther than his stuff could take it — not
against Springer’s coordination or even the harsh side of Carter’s three potential outcomes. He
would need a rare mode he called ginnheilagr (mighty), which he usually called on only for one
pitch per game. He would need this revelrous flow-state to be with him for the season’s handful
of remaining outs. “From there,” he recalled, touching the brim of his “World Series Champion”
cap, his face betraying his extreme youth, “I kind of just hoped for the best.”
Forget Whodunit; Whowunit?
An inexplicably charred baseball, 13 dead fish, a twerking mascot and a befuddled umpire
grasping to comprehend what had just taken place at home plate. Police and league officials
continue to investigate exactly what occurred last night to finish the Mets season in
circumstances that can genuinely be called bizarre.
Yogi Berra passes away; HOF legend was 90
MARTY NOBLE, MLB.COM
A loss that unquestionably transcends the game has sent all of baseball into deep mourning.
Yogi Berra -- Hall of Famer, all-time Yankees legend, three-time Most Valuable Player, master
of misstatement and beloved international icon, is gone. Berra died Tuesday night at age 90.
The announcement came early Wednesday morning and was announced via the Yogi Berra
Museum's Twitter account.
• Statement from Yogi Berra Museum
His passing has created a void that cannot be filled, even by the myriad anecdotes -- some
accurate, others exaggerated -- about him and the dozens of records he established. No
American sports figure other than Babe Ruth, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and perhaps Arnold
Palmer and Joe DiMaggio was more recognized by the general public in the 20th century. And
though his profile had become significantly lower in the last decade, Berra had retained a
conspicuous place in the American consciousness. He was extraordinarily popular.
He still is routinely cited, quoted and appreciated by presidents and plumbers, commissioners
and comedians, wideouts and waitresses, goalies and garbage collectors, authors and auto
mechanics, admirals, network anchors and professional wrestlers. All felt a kinship with the
bow-legged catcher from The Hill in St. Louis who was the inspiration for a cartoon and known
everywhere by his unique nickname.
"While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at
peace with Mom," his family said in a statement released by the museum. "We celebrate his
remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed."
Berra is most readily linked to championships in the game he played from 1946, when he broke
in with the Yankees, until '65, when he made a brief return to active duty and took his final at-bat
with the Mets. His teams played in the World Series 14 times and won it 10 times. No other
player has a comparable October resume.
Retired as a player, he managed the Yankees to the World Series in 1964 and the Mets to their
"Ya Gotta Believe" World Series appearance nine years later. It was during the Mets' worst-tofirst rush in late summer '73 when a phrase widely attributed to him became popular and, over
decades, frequently invoked by those fighting diminishing chances -- "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Some question exists, however, as to whether he said those six words.
Reporters covering the Mets that day recall his words as, "You're never out of it until you're out
of it."
His words, manner and unmistakable physical image, when combined with his nickname,
created a phenomenon that defied the limits of the dictionary. Steve Jacobson, a former
Newsday columnist, wrote: "Yogi looks just as it sounds; it's 'onomata appearance.'"
Berra's face was readily recognized throughout the land, and he was instantly identifiable from
behind when he wore his signature No. 8 uniform jersey. With apologies to Willie Stargell, Kobe
Bryant, Cal Ripken Jr., Carl Yastrzemski, Troy Aikman, Bill Dickey and Sammy Baugh, Berra's
No. 8 ranks first in the American roster of 8's.
But even when he wore one of his favored cardigan sweaters instead -- Berra once purchased
three of differing colors, "navy blue, navy green and navy brown," he said -- he was easily
recognized because of his distinctive shoulders, bowed legs and droopy posture.
Berra gained fame and distinction, though, mostly because of the on-field success he shared -and fueled, because he played the game at a level few others ever have attained and because
he hit as almost no else has. He routinely swung at pitches out of the strike zone, hit with power,
seldom struck out and often delivered in the most challenging circumstances. Long before the
words were attributed to him, it wasn't over until it was over if the game was tight and Mr. Berra
still had an at-bat pending.
He was universally regarded as a tough out and a tougher out in late innings. "There's no way to
pitch him," Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn said. "You can't expect to throw one by him." Wynn
walked Berra 20 times and struck him out 11 times in 204 confrontations. Berra batted .311 with
eight home runs against him.
Berra's skills as a catcher and batter sometimes were obscured by his comic-book image. But
his baseball jewelry -- 13 World Series rings, the three American League MVP Awards that bear
his name (1951, '54 and '55) and the slew of World Series records he holds (most games, atbats, hits, singles, doubles and games caught) are irrefutable evidence of his talent and impact
as a player.
He batted .285, hit 358 home runs and drove in 1,430 runs. No player whose primary position
was catcher has driven in run more runs. He averaged just fewer than 5.5 strikeouts per 100 atbats, never striking out more than 38 times in a season, and 102 RBIs per season in an 11season sequence that began in 1948, the first year he appeared in more than 100 games.
DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle were his teammates from 1946-51 and 1951-63, respectively; still,
Berra led the Yankees in RBIs for seven successive seasons beginning in 1949. He was among
the four leading MVP candidates each year from 1950 through '56, placing second twice. He
received MVP votes in 15 straight years.
Casey Stengel, who made his managerial mark with Berra's teams from 1949-60, often cited a
reluctance to go to war without the left-handed-hitting catcher he called "my assistant," whose
swing was so conducive to Yankee Stadium home runs. Moreover, Berra became a respected
receiver after being tutored by Dickey in the late '40s and into the '50s.
Not only was he skilled and knowledgeable, he was lucky as well. "If he fell in a sewer," Stengel
once said, "he'd come out with a gold watch."
Case in point: A foul tip off the bat of the Indians' Larry Raines shattered the bar of Berra's mask
in 1957 and injured his nose. "I got cut, and I think it broke," Berra said in 2011. "Good thing that
it happened. I had sinus trouble and migraine headaches my whole life until then. Everything
cleared up after I got hurt."
Good fortune followed the footprints Berra made. He was a particularly well-compensated coach
with the Mets in 1969 when they staged, arguably, the greatest upset in World Series history.
He returned to the Yankees in 1976, the year they won the pennant for the first time since he
managed them to the World Series in '64. The Astros won the National League West
championship in 1986, Berra's first season wearing their Crayola uniforms.
And Yankees owner George Steinbrenner kiddingly lamented not having had Berra, then a
Yankees coach, make the call on the coin flip that determined the site of the team's 1978 AL
East tiebreaker against the Red Sox. "Having him in the dugout worked, though," Steinbrenner
said following the Bucky Dent game.
Steinbrenner's image took a direct hit in late April 1985 when he dismissed Berra as manager
after merely 16 games, breaking his pledge to retain him through the season. The dismissal
prompted Berra to add the Yankees to his personal black list. He eliminated the Stadium from
his list of places to visit -- he didn't even attend the 1988 ceremonies when plaques honoring
him and Dickey were added to Monument Park -- until 1999, when Steinbrenner, prompted by
Suzyn Waldman of WFAN Radio, publicly apologized.
As his luck would have it, Berra's first day back at the Stadium -- it was Yogi Berra Day -coincided with David Cone pitching a perfect game for the Yankees, some 43 years after Berra
caught Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series, the last perfect game by a Yankees
pitcher.
Lawrence Peter Berra was born in St. Louis on May, 12, 1925, to parents who had immigrated
from Italy 16 years earlier. He was one of five children. Because his mother had trouble
pronouncing Larry, his first nickname was Lawdie. Joe Garagiola, later a big league catcher and
baseball announcer, was his across-the-street neighbor. Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck
later lived on Elizabeth Avenue, subsequently renamed Hall of Fame Place.
Bobby Hofman, a childhood friend who eventually played shortstop for the New York Giants and
worked for the Yankees, hung the nickname Yogi on him after noting Berra's resemblance to a
Hindu holy man the two had seen in a movie. In his early years with the Yankees, Berra was
most often called Larry.
He served in the Navy during World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion. Once he
established himself in the big leagues, Berra and teammate Phil Rizzuto settled in New Jersey
and became close friends, and, in the 1950s, business partners as co-owners of a bowling alley
in Clifton, N.J. The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, located on the campus of
Montclair State University, adjacent to Yogi Berra Stadium, opened in December 1998.
Because of his military service, his commitment to education and personality traits that
underscored his uncommon decency, Berra was nominated to receive the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 2015. A petition seeking to have the Obama administration bestow the prestigious
award on him was posted on the White House's official website on May 11, 2015. The petition
stated: "Yogi Berra should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A man of
unimpeachable integrity and respect, he befriended the first black and Latino baseball players in
Major League Baseball. He is currently an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights in sports.
"He enlisted in the U. S. Navy during World War II ... and continues to be an avid supporter of
our armed forces. Berra greatly values education. While with the Yankees, he created a
scholarship at Columbia University that is still active 50 years later. His namesake, the Museum
and Learning Center [at Montclair State University in New Jersey] serves 20,000 students
annually with character education programs and teaches the values of respect, sportsmanship
and inclusion that Berra has demonstrated throughout his life and career."
Berra is survived by sons Larry, Tim and Dale. Carmen, his wife of 65 years and the unofficial
leader of the Hall of Fame wives, died in March 2014 after she and her husband had left their
longtime home in Montclair to live in an assisted living facility in nearby West Caldwell. When
Yogi turned 90 in May, he had 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Tim played one season in the National Football League and Dale played 11 in the big leagues.
And, of the three sons, Larry, the oldest one, most resembles his father. He has the
mannerisms, phrasing and body type most like Yogi's.
No funeral arrangements have been announced.
*****
An irony developed during Berra's career. A man of relatively few words gained renown
because of what he said -- or purported to have said. Even the title of a book of "Yogi-isms" can
be questioned for its authenticity. Berra at one time denied having spoken the words that the
title attributes to him -- "I really didn't say everything I said" -- though others heard him speak the
phrase.
His remarks helped sculpt his image. And many made sense in convoluted ways:
• About a St. Louis restaurant: "No one goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
• About the effect of the sun in left field in the old Yankee Stadium during late-season games: "It
gets late early out there."
• About Dickey: "He learned me all his experience."
• "You can observe a lot by watching."
• "If people don't want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?"
• "We made too many wrong mistakes."
• "Pie a la mode, with ice cream."
• "I wish I had an answer to that, because I'm tired of answering that question."
• "You tell the stupidest questions."
• "Pair 'em up in threes."
• The recording heard on the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center's phone: "This message
won't be over 'til it's done."
• And No. 2 on his hit list: "It's deja vu all over again," words that many people doubt he ever
uttered.
The quotes, his successes in a major market and the way he was depicted early in his playing
career helped make Berra into a popular and effective pitch man for 60 years. He endorsed
Gillette razors in 1950, and his commercial for Aflac still was running in 2010. He also endorsed
Yoo-Hoo, Entenmann's, Stove Top Stuffing and dozens more products.
Moreover, his widely recognized name seemingly inspired the name of cartoon character Yogi
Bear in 1958, though the character's creators, Hanna-Barbera Productions, somehow -- and it
still seems preposterous -- denied the link.
Berra was referred to only as "Yogi" in the Aflac commercial and in others because additional
identification never was necessary. Baseball has had its share of Babes, Dukes, Leftys and
Whiteys, but the game has had only one Yogi. How many celebrities get by without mention of
their surnames -- Lucy, Elvis, Ike, Cher, Marilyn, LeBron, Dizzy, Madonna, Ringo?
Yogi was one of one, even though Yogi Pacheco pitched from 1991-93 in the Cubs' farm
system. Or as Wes Westrum, a New York catching contemporary of Berra's and also a master
of malapropisms, famously said, "When they made him, they threw away the molding."
Colon, Mets continue postseason push vs. Braves
JOE TREZZA, MLB.COM
The Mets' magic number will sit at six when New York and Atlanta conclude a three-game
series at Citi Field on Wednesday. With 11 games left to play, clinching their first National
League East crown since 2006 appears more of a "when" than an "if" at this point for New York.
With that in mind, much of the scoreboard watching around the Mets has shifted from
Washington to Los Angeles, towards New York's likely NL Division Series opponent. The Mets
remain a half-game back of the Dodgers in the race for home-field advantage, as the D-backs
defeated Los Angeles 8-0 on Tuesday.
The Mets look to leap into a tie in that category behind a starter that could be pitching his way
into their postseason plans. Bartolo Colon's 4.15 ERA just narrowly outpaces Jon Niese's (4.16)
for highest on the staff, yet Colon owns a 2.59 mark since Aug. 1. Braves starter Williams Perez
(6-6, 5.16) is 2-0 over his last three starts.
Three things you need to know about this game
• Perez owns a 4.84 ERA in three appearances against the Mets this season. He earned a win
June 20 with a six-inning, four-run effort. On June 13 he recorded the save against New York,
the only one of his career.
• Second baseman Daniel Murphy enters play in sole possession of second place on the Mets'
all-time two-baggers list. Murphy recorded the 226th double of his career on Tuesday, jumping
ahead of Ed Kranepool in the club's record books.
• New York has gotten more than it could have hoped for from Eric Young Jr., since promoting
the speedster to serve as a specialty runner. Young has scored eight runs in September without
a hit, one off the all-time mark for September-October. Allan Lewis scored nine for the A's in
1973.
Conforto won't start vs. lefties for rest of 2015
ANTHONY DICOMO, MLB.COM
NEW YORK -- There is little question that Mets outfielder Michael Conforto has succeeded this
summer beyond reasonable expectation. Barely a year removed from college, Conforto entered
Tuesday's play batting .285 with eight home runs and a .903 OPS in 157 plate appearances.
But almost all of that damage has come against right-handed pitchers. The Mets have shielded
Conforto almost entirely from lefties, who have faced him just 12 times.
Given Conforto's success, there has been a growing movement to begin starting him against
left-handed pitchers down the stretch and in the playoffs -- but the Mets have no plans to do so
until next season.
"I don't think at this particular moment, there's a lot he can do to change it," manager Terry
Collins said. "We kind of like everything that's happened here with the mixing and the matching.
It keeps everybody active, keeps everybody kind of sharp.
Against lefties, the Mets have benched Conforto regularly, typically shifting Yoenis Cespedes to
left field, starting Juan Lagares in center and either Curtis Granderson or Michael Cuddyer in
right. Collins also has the option of starting Cuddyer, Cespedes and Granderson from left to
right, or Cespedes, Lagares and Granderson with Cuddyer subbing for Lucas Duda at first base.
In the postseason, that isn't liable to change. Though Conforto had reasonable success against
lefties in the Minors, batting .256 with a .743 OPS versus same-sided pitchers this season, the
Mets feel their more experienced players provide better options down the stretch.
It could mean significantly reduced playing time in a potential National League Division Series
matchup against the Dodgers, who figure to use as many as four lefties in five games: Clayton
Kershaw twice, and Brett Anderson and Alex Wood once apiece.
Still, the Mets do not plan to reverse course with Conforto.
"There are some people here whose job is to hit left-handed pitching," Collins said. "Down the
road, this kid will be one of them, but right now I think we'll stick with what we've done."
Collins honored by NL Manager of the Year talk
ANTHONY DICOMO, MLB.COM
NEW YORK -- Rightly or wrongly, the Baseball Writers' Association of America tends to give its
Manager of the Year awards to the team leaders that best outperformed mass-media
expectations -- Pittsburgh's Clint Hurdle in 2013, for example, Cleveland's Terry Francona that
same year or Arizona's Kirk Gibson in 2012.
Count Terry Collins among this year's candidates, then, for guiding a club widely considered to
finish in second or third place to the brink of its first National League East title since 2006.
"I will tell you, it's always nice to get an award," Collins said when asked about his potential to
win. "It always is. But those kinds of things, it's all about the players, believe me. I've talked to a
lot of great managers in the game that have won this award hundreds and hundreds of times,
and I will tell you what: very few of them have ever said, 'Boy, I managed my butt off.' They put
the right names in the lineups is what they've done, and let them go play."
For Collins, things began improving rapidly after the team acquired Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe
and Yoenis Cespedes at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. And to be fair, Collins still
receives regular criticism for his bullpen management and lineup decisions, even if they have
largely been successful.
But Collins has also led the Mets to their first winning season since 2008, steering them around
plenty of controversies -- Matt Harvey, anyone? -- along the way. No matter what happens in
October, he is almost certain to receive NL Manager of the Year votes for his efforts.
"It's nice to be mentioned because you know why? Our players are playing good, and that
makes me happier than anything else," Collins said. "And if we can finish this off, nothing can
top that. With what we've gone through here for five years, nothing can top the fact that we've
finally given this organization and our fan base something to cheer about."
Mets have a kryptonite going into playoffs and against
Los Angeles Dodgers
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK — As good as the Mets' offense has been over the last two months — best in the
National League in the second half — there has been one problem that they haven't quite been
able to solve. And it might be an issue in the playoffs too.
While the Mets entered Monday leading the N.L. in runs, home runs and OPS over the second
half, they've had issues against left-handed pitchers. Terry Collins has had the latitude and
options to juggle his lineup around to hide the weakness, stocking it with right-handed hitters to
mitigate the worries and put up the 11th best slugging percentage against left-handers in the
second half, according to baseballsavant.com.
But in the playoffs, Collins won't have that opportunity. And with the Mets likely to face the
Dodgers — hello Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood —
"We're not gonna have that kind of a roster to be that strict," he said Tuesday.
In Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda he has vital parts of the order that can't
be benched and will play no matter the pitcher. It could prove troublesome.
Granderson has been among the worst everyday players against left-handed pitchers this
season. Of all players with at least 100 plate appearances against lefties this season,
Granderson entered Tuesday with the 10th lowest OPS (.520) — nearly 400 points lower than
against right-handed pitchers.
Murphy has been barely better. He entered Tuesday hitting .239 with a .597 OPS against lefthanded pitchers.
Duda — who entered this year a mess vs. lefties, then mastered them, and is now a worry again
— is also a question-mark. While he's actually socked lefties better than righties this year, he's
been miserable against them in the second half, hitting .219 against them with a .344 slugging
percentage and striking out 11 times in 34 at-bats, according to baseballsavant.com. Twice in
the previous four games, Collins has lifted Duda in important spots for a pinch-hitter against a
left-handed pitcher.
The matchup issue will also lower the profile of Michael Conforto. The rookie has been one of
the best hitters in baseball over the last month — with the 20th-highest OPS (.994) of any hitter
with at least 70 plate appearances in that time entering Tuesday — but hasn't been able to
solve left-handed pitchers or gotten much opportunity to.
He's hitting .182 in 12 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season with the Mets
and is unlikely to be in the starting lineup the rest of the season when a lefty is on the mound.
"His opportunities to face left-handed pitching is going to be pretty thin," Collins said. "And again
we've kind of liked what's happened here with the mixing and the matching we've done, it keeps
everybody active, it keeps everybody kind of sharp. Again, there's some people here whose job
it is to hit left handed pitching. Down the road this kid will be one of them but right now i think
we'll stick with what we've done."
The question will be how much they can adhere to it in the postseason.
Mets don't have Juan Uribe and why is Travis
d'Arnaud sitting?
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK -- The Mets will likely be without Juan Uribe Tuesday night. The infielder is still
unavailable after suffering a deep bruise in his chest cavity Sunday night.
Uribe underwent an MRI that came back negative after he made a diving play against the
Yankees that left him to slow to get up. He was taken out of the game a few innings later.
The Mets also won't have Travis d'Arnaud in the lineup against the Braves. He received a day
off after playing in four consecutive games and struggling at the plate. He is without a hit in his
last 18 plate appearances.
"Right now it's going to be one day," manager Terry Collins said. "He's played four in a row so
we're gonna give him a blow today and I would probably...It would be a safe bet to see him back
in there tomorrow."
The 1 team Mets GM Sandy Alderson doesn't want to
see in the playoffs
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK -- You gotta give it to Sandy Alderson, the guy has a knack for comedic timing.
The Mets are in the thick of a postseason chase. Some of their fanbase -- for rational reasons or
not -- is still worried about a 2007-like collapse. And the Mets general manager diffuses some
tension with a joke.
While making an appearance at the St. Albans Community Living Center Monday to visit with
veterans, Alderson was asked which team he did not want the Mets facing in the postseason.
"Which team do I not want to see in the playoffs? The Nationals," he said with a laugh.
[rim shot]
Then the Mets went out and won that night. It's easier to joke when that happens.
How Michael Conforto helped Mets prospect Dominic
Smith this season
MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
NEW YORK — For the first two months of this season, Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith
were teammates while playing for High-A St. Lucie of the Florida State League. At the time, the
two were both considered highly touted prospects within the Mets' organization.
The 20-year-old Smith was gearing up for his third year with the Mets and his second full
season of professional baseball after being selected in the first round of the 2013 draft out of
high school. Despite being two years older than Smith, Conforto was preparing to begin his first
pro season after being drafted with the club's 2014 first-round pick out of Oregon State.
Smith, who was named the Florida State League's Most Outstanding Player after batting .305
with a league-leading 79 RBI and 33 doubles this year, said being teammates with Conforto for
that short period of time proved to be an extremely valuable experience. In fact, Smith credited
Conforto with helping him grow and develop as a player.
"Playing with Michael really opened my eyes," Smith said Monday after being honored by the
Mets with a 2015 Sterling Award. "He taught me a lot. He's a polished college player, so I
picked his brain a lot day in and day out and watched him hit and play the game. He helped me
to get to this point as well. To see the things he did in the minor leagues and then come up
here, he's a great player and he was also a great person."
While Smith said it was exciting to see Conforto ascend through the Mets' farm system so
quickly, he added that he doesn't necessarily expect to be put on a similar accelerated path to
the big leagues. Instead, the first baseman is focused on developing at his own pace.
"Different players move at different speeds," Smith said. "It did open my eyes that everything is
possible. At the same time it didn't make me rush or think, 'Oh well, maybe I can come up
faster.' It was pretty fun for me to see that. Obviously for him I'm sure he's on a whirlwind right
now and he's really enjoying himself. It couldn't happen to a better person."
With two full professional seasons under his belt, Smith said he feels he's now better prepared
to handle slumps and the physical and mental baseball grind.
"Obviously getting that first full season under your belt really helps you the next year, so that
really did help me a lot," Smith said. "This'll be my third year with the Mets, my second full
season and going through that last year really did help me prepare myself mentally for the grind
day in and day out and physically as well. It helped me prepare each day and not really stress
about a bad day or not really stress if you get into a little bit of a funk because it's a long season,
so going through it last year really helped my game this year and helped me not stress over a
little rough patch."
Tuesdays with Brownie: Blame for Mets' situation falls
on one man
TIM BROWN, YAHOO SPORTS
This isn’t Matt Harvey’s fault. This isn’t the fault of his team or his agent or the doctor who fixed
Harvey’s elbow.
It’s Terry Collins’ fault.
Collins, after all, has managed the New York Mets to the brink of their first NL East title in nine
years, and none of this would have come up had the Mets been irrelevant like they were
supposed to be. It’s the Washington Nationals’ fault too, a little.
The 185-inning limit on Harvey, according to sources, was hard and fast and not to be strayed
from. Everyone involved agreed. The only way it would become an issue was if the Mets – haha – were somehow to scrape together all this young pitching and make do without David
Wright and have Curtis Granderson become good again and then have the front office hit it rich
at the trading deadline.
Then the Nationals would have to tank, and at some point the Mets would have to take
advantage of that and believe in all of this.
Ta-da.
I don’t know if another man would have led the Mets to the same outcome – the verge of the
same outcome – that Collins did. What I know is that Collins was the only guy on this particular
top step, juggling six-man rotations, six-foot egos, a desperate fan base leaning over his
shoulder, a front office that didn’t always seem to know exactly what it wanted, and about a
thousand other things spread over six months.
Collins was hired almost five years ago to replace Jerry Manuel and ostensibly to get the
franchise, when it was ready to win, to the next guy. It became awkward only because the
players arrived and were ready to be good at this, and also because Collins gathered them up
and herded them in a healthy, productive direction.
Collins is 66 years old. He’s lost games and won them. He’s lost clubhouses and won them.
He’s walked all the roads and done all the jobs. It’s what makes him authentic and likely more
effective as a leader than he’s ever been. He fits in New York, where the first requirement is – or
should be – honesty. He fits in that clubhouse for the same reason. I’m not sure Collins has the
time or patience for phony anymore.
In a league of Joe Maddon, Clint Hurdle, Mike Matheny and Don Mattingly, who’ve won their
games and will get their Manager of the Year votes, nobody’s done more and put up with more
and bled more freely than Collins. For a summer, he’s been the best of any of them.
Not that it’s over. He’ll still have to walk to the mound at some point and request the ball from a
rested and effective and bull-headed Harvey, who’ll have developed a temporary case of
amnesia. But that’ll be part of it, part of the whole Harvey mess.
But Collins only brought it on himself … by winning all these games.
No easy way for Matt Harvey
That said, Matt Harvey’s got to pick a lane.
He is a grown man, 26 years old, facing a difficult decision, one that could run his career – his
life, even – in so many directions. Harvey, who has thrown 176 2/3 innings with 12 games left in
the Mets' schedule, is surrounded by strong adult figures with strong opinions, people with his
best interests in their hearts but also their own to abide by. They’ve gotten him this far, too, to
where he perhaps hasn’t had to make too many consequential decisions, beyond fastball or
changeup.
So here he is, to pitch and help the Mets and win the hearts of Mets fans, or to part-time pitch
and help the Mets a little and possibly hurt them and risk the ire of Mets fans. And all for a hazy
concept of elbow preservation that may or may not be real, along with – let’s be honest – a
quarter of a billion dollars that may or may not be waiting.
It’s a lot to consider. Harvey is not a bad person, or a soft person, or a greedy person, for
hesitating. He has one pitching arm. One career. The Mets will have many seasons of baseball.
It is, however, time to make that decision, and then to defend it. He cannot act the victim, not as
a 26-year-old, as a grown man, as the one in charge of what happens from here. When Terry
Collins removes him from a game, Collins owes him no explanation. When Collins explains
himself as a courtesy, Harvey should look him in the eye and thank him for his time and
concern.
When reporters ask him if he is on board with the club’s decision to limit his innings and
therefore put itself at risk for games such as Sunday night’s, Harvey must be accountable for his
part in that. The plan, after all, is his. The agent works for him. The doctor is merely guessing.
The team has its own agenda.
Matt Harvey is in the middle. That’s why he has to decide. More, he has to own it, whatever it is
and whatever becomes of that. He may as well get used to it, because he has a whole life of the
same ahead.
A truly lame situation
Eleven days have passed since reports surfaced that Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus
would be fired in 24 days. The Tigers have responded by winning some of their games. The
bullpen has responded by being worse than ever. (Anymore, it’s unclear if box scores are listing
Tigers relievers’ ERAs or their hat sizes. It’s close.) Additionally, David Price hasn’t won a single
game for the Tigers since, and Yoenis Cespedes does not have a single hit for them since.
Makes it kind of hard to win, but the Tigers have hung in there in spite of these obvious flaws.
Ten days have passed since general manager Al Avila, on the job for just more than a month,
issued a statement that said, in essence, “Well, hey, that’s not necessarily true but it might be.
I’ll get back to you, K?”
Which is all kinds of crappy for Brad Ausmus, who, given the man he is and the public nature of
his teetering job status, deserves better than to spend these weeks in humiliating limbo.
There is nothing to learn here about Ausmus. He manages a team that was flawed before it was
picked over at the trading deadline. He manages it in September, from 15 or 16 games behind
in the AL Central, with a bullpen only slightly more stable than Curt Schilling’s Twitter account.
By now, he is qualified to be your manager or not. The notion he will be reviewed in October,
after being measured in September, is insulting to a man who deserves better. Presumably
Avila and Mike Ilitch know this and would not so corner Ausmus, which would be beneath the
organization. So we’d expect word Ausmus will be back any day now.
A potential ace rounding into form
The Arizona Diamondbacks, like most, have stuff to fix this winter, their second under Tony La
Russa and Dave Stewart, seeing as they’re mediocre again and the Dodgers aren’t getting any
poorer.
They’re sliding into their fourth consecutive dark October, and their seventh in eight seasons,
yet there is reasonably good news as far as making up ground on the Dodgers and,
presumably, an even-year Giants team. That is, they hit all year, they defended, the bullpen
held up, and it looks like they’ll be adding an ace.
His name is Patrick Corbin.
When we last left Corbin, the left-hander was tiptoeing into his comeback season, some 16
months after Tommy John surgery, unhurried in a division in which the Diamondbacks were left
behind months ago. His July 4 start was his first since September 2013, and the eight that
followed revealed a pitcher seeking reassurance from his elbow, along with any other body
parts that lagged behind.
The five since: 31 1/3 innings, 1.44 ERA, 25 strikeouts, two walks. Both walks came in the first
of those five starts, Aug. 26 against the Cardinals, so Corbin has not walked a batter in his last
25 1/3 innings. The velocity is better than it was pre-surgery. The slider is sharp, especially so
across seven shutout innings Saturday in San Francisco.
This was the pitcher who was developing into a No. 1 before the elbow pain, the MRI, the
examination, the surgery and the rehab. You know the story.
“My arm is catching up,” he told reporters afterward. “My body is getting used to doing this
again.”
The Diamondbacks, then, are a couple starting pitchers from being legit. Not that that’s easy, or
cheap, but at least it’s obvious.
Brewers going with youth movement
David Stearns graduated from Harvard (eight years ago), worked under the likes of Dave
Littlefield, Omar Minaya, Dan Halem, Chris Antonetti, Mark Shapiro and Jeff Luhnow, grew up in
New York a Mets fan, wears a nice suit and practical watch, is 30 years old, looks it, and on
Monday became the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.
What we know is he is bright (he briefly considered and rejected a career in journalism),
respected and quite likely the right man to take a shot at reviving the Brewers. What we don’t
know yet is how, beyond the usual references to drafting smart, developing wisely and sorting
the good players from the average. He did speak Monday of being fond of manager Craig
Counsell, whose record since replacing Ron Roenicke is 56-69, so it would seem there’ll be no
change there.
The past 13 months haven’t been the best for the Brewers, an otherwise competent franchise
that led the NL Central in mid-August of last season and has played .400 ball since. They’re
trending poorly and are in a bad division for mediocre.
So along comes Stearns, who just finished having a hand in the Houston Astros’ rebuild, and he
said exactly what you think he would: “I would not have come here if I did not believe it was
possible to win a World Series in Milwaukee.”
He’ll have to climb over the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals just to
start. It could take some time, energy and patience. But, hey, he’s young, and no one who
knows him is betting against it.
Harvey Danger
JOE POSNANSKI, NBC SPORTS
The thing people miss about this bizarre free-for-all over Matt Harvey’s innings between Harvey,
the Mets, Scott Boras and Sandy Alderson is that it isn’t really about the pitcher’s health. Oh,
sure, on the surface the whole mess is about how to keep pitchers healthy in 2015, but the
trouble is: When it comes to health, everybody’s guessing. Nobody knows.
Harvey’s agent, Boras, citing doctors, says that because Harvey is coming off Tommy John
surgery, he absolutely should not pitch more than 178 innings he pitched in 2013 or he will be
putting his arm in very real danger.
Might be true. But they don’t know if that’s true.
The Mets’ GM, Alderson, believes that the Mets can find a way to manipulate the number of
innings Harvey pitches the rest of the season and allow him to be healthy for years to come.
Might be true. But he doesn’t know if that’s true either.
Sure, everybody has an opinion of what will or won’t endanger Matt Harvey’s future, and
everybody has an opinion about what Matt Harvey’s responsibility is to a Mets team that has
shocked everyone and is in position to make the postseason. But this is exactly the issue: All of
these are opinions, some based on data, some based on common sense, some based on what
people value most (loyalty or immediate success or long-term success). But they’re still
opinions. All of it is based in that dreamy world of the unknown.
Here’s what we DO know: The Harvey thing is about money. And, more than money, it’s about a
baseball salary structure that really defies common sense and, at some point, might just
crumble and fall.
Here, in very, very general terms, is how baseball works these days: A player comes up and, for
his first three or so years, gets paid whatever the team wants to pay him (within reason). In the
fourth year, the player can begin to use an outside arbitrator to help determine his true worth to
the team, and this is also true in the fifth and sixth years. There are other factors that can move
the checkpoints for when a player gains eligibility for arbitration and free agency up a year.
Regardless, at this point, the player becomes a free agent, and he is free to go to the highest
bidder. This is when he can make his true market value and, often enough, much more than his
true market value.
Here, in very, very general terms, is how baseball pitchers’ careers go: They generally peak at
about age 27, stay pretty close to their peak for three or four years, start to decline, slowly at
first, and then they begin a steady and sometimes precipitous fall. This means that a pitcher’s
prime years will generally be between ages 26 and 30. This is also true for everyday players.
So here’s what happens:
— Young baseball players are some of the most underpaid people in American professional
sports.
— Old baseball players are some of the most overpaid people in American professional sports.
You can see this in action: The Website Fangraphs gives an estimate, based on a players Wins
Above Replacement value, how much a player is worth in actual dollars (figures through
Monday).
Young player: Bryce Harper
fWAR: 9.7
Worth: $77.2
Paid: $2.5 million
Old player: Ryan Howard
fWAR: -0.5
Worth: ($3.7 million)*
Paid: $25 million
*Fangraphs actually has Howard worth a negative value because he’s below replacement level.
Young player: Kevin Kiermaier
fWAR: 4.9
Worth: $39.3
Paid: $513,800
Old player: Albert Pujols
fWAR: 1.2
Worth: $9.9 million
Paid: $24 million (with $165 million still to come)
Young player: Gerrit Cole
fWAR: 5.2
Worth: $41.5 million
Paid: $531,000
Old player: CC Sabathia
fWAR: 1.2
Worth: $9.8 million
Paid: $23 million, with another year left on the contract and vesting option for 2017
The system is so familiar, we don’t even think about it anymore. The concept is that it all evens
out. And it does all even out in some cases, like, say, Justin Verlander. In Verlander’s first four
full years, he was paid about $6 million, though he was worth more than $100 million to the
Tigers.
But Verlander, now age 32, still has $120 million left on his deal and, unless his career arc
makes an unlikely shift, he’s not likely to be worth anywhere near that. It’s like deferred
payments. Pitch great now, get paid later.
This is the system baseball sort of fell into after the 25-year labor war. Albert Pujols is another
great example. In his first 11 years in St. Louis, he was paid about $100 million, a huge sum of
money. But just in baseball performance, he was probably worth closer to $400 million. Add in
what he did for the Cardinals’ success, and what he did off the field, he was an astonishing
bargain.
Now, he will make $250 or so million from the Los Angeles Angels over 10 years. He almost
certainly won’t be worth even half that. So it all evens out — except it doesn’t. The Cardinals got
a steal. The Angels got the bill. This is what repeatedly happens. And we all accept it.
But the Harvey conundrum brings up a powerful question: How long can the system thrive when
players and teams are working at odds with each other? Matt Harvey is no kid — he’s 26 years
old. He doesn’t become a free agent until 2019. He is getting paid $614,125 when Fangraphs
estimates he’s been worth more than $30 million to the Mets, even if he stopped right now.
Both the Mets and Harvey, technically, want the same things:
A. Both want Harvey to pitch in the Mets run to the postseason , then to pitch in October and
lead the team to the World Series.
B. Both want Harvey to stay healthy and have a long and fruitful career.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the Mets and Harvey each want Options A and B. But … they
don’t want them with the same fervor. For the Mets, naturally, Option A is more important. For
Harvey, just as obviously, Option B is more important.
So there’s your conflict. Then you throw in the natural fact that that nobody really knows exactly
how to keep pitchers healthy — nobody even knows for sure if reducing innings or spreading
out starts is a key to pitcher health — and you have general mayhem.
Sure, Mets fans want Harvey to pitch now. How could they not? Nobody knows when or if the
Mets will be in this position again. The Nationals did not pitch Stephen Strasburg in the 2012
playoffs on the premise that his long-term health mattered more and that there would be plenty
more chances. Three years later, it looks like there might not be many more chances at all, and
Strasburg has not been a picture of healthy this year. To them the whole things seems silly.
Sure, Harvey and Boras want to make absolutely sure they are doing everything in their power
to keep him healthy … and get him to that payday that is three or four years off. Nobody knows
if a few extra innings could increase the injury chances. And look at Mark Prior. In 2003, he was
the probably the best pitcher in the National League. He carried the Cubs to the postseason. He
got paid $1.45 million — he was worth roughly $60 million in today’s dollars. But, hey, the idea
was that he would get his money later. He got hurt. And he never got the big payday.
It’s a difficult one, no question. But here’s the thing that gets me: I don’t get why Harvey is
expected by anyone to accept all the risk himself. If the Mets want him to pitch, why don’t they
take on some of that risk themselves? Why don’t they pay him close to his true value? Why
don’t they offer him guaranteed money in case he does get hurt? Why do they expect him to go
against doctor’s recommendations and potentially gamble his future? For love of team? Will the
team love him if he blows out his arm in the process?
Of course, that’s the system. Maybe it changes at some point because I don’t think Matt Harvey
is going to be the last pitcher demanding all sorts of precautions in the early years when the
players’ salaries are controlled. Maybe it changes at some point because I just don’t see how
teams will continue to spend insane money on 30-something players who have no chance of
being the players they once were. Maybe it changes because the system isn’t too logical.
Or … maybe it doesn’t change. Someone next year will give a huge contract to a 30-something
player who is freefalling, and someone this year will pay around the league minimum for one of
the league’s best players. And it will happen again the year after that. And it will happen the
year after that. And the year after that, maybe Matt Harvey will get paid what he earned this
year — if only he can stay healthy.
Ballparks Attract Foodies with Distinctive Offerings
ANNELIESE KLAINBAUM, SPECIALTY FOOD
f the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” were written today, the lyrics would change from
“buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks” to “buy me some nachos and garlic fries,” according
to Bennett Jacobstein.
“Those seem to be the two mainstay snacks,” said Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark
Food. “They’ve become a ballpark standard.”
Nachos, in particular, have taken on creative spins that push them far beyond queso and salsa.
Some offerings are topped with brisket and others use potato chips in place of tortilla chips.
Other snacks like specialty jerky and gourmet potato chips are on the rise as well, as are nuts
roasted onsite and freshly made popcorn, either flavored or coated in caramel.
Jacobstein toured each of the major league stadiums—and many of the minor league spots—to
investigate the latest in ballpark food and discovered that stadium food continues to evolve
today, with ballparks expanding space for concessions and partnering with top chefs to curate a
family-friendly, foodie-focused experience.
Here’s what Jacobstein found:
Super-Sized Foods
“The biggest trend of this year is to serve large items—outlandishly big items,” said Jacobstein.
Ballpark food is becoming notoriously outrageous and oversized, and it’s these game-day
indulgences that are drawing in new spectators. Eight-pound hamburgers, potato chip-topped
patties, deep-fried nachos on a stick, and many more items are the latest buzz among fans at
both major and minor league stadiums.
In fact, said Jacobstein, minor league stadiums are emphasizing this trend.
“It’s all about family entertainment,” he said of the lower-key environment.
The baseball food aficionado says kebabs are gaining in popularity, too, with items like the berry
kabob, chocolate-drizzled bananas and berries, offered at Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field.
Here are just a few kebabs, mash-ups, and super-sized treats being served this season:
Bacon Cotton Candy. A sweet and savory offering from the new Just Bacon stand at Texas
Rangers’ Globe Life Park
Churro Dog. Chocolate-glazed doughnut bun for a fried churro, with frozen yogurt and chocolate
sauce at Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field
Inside the Park Nachos. Nachos on a stick at Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park
Fried S’mOreo. Skewered, charred marshmallows and fried Oreos at Texas Rangers’ Globe Life
Park
Kaboom Kabob. A 2-foot long chicken and veggie kabob at Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park
Moby Dick Fish Sandwich. A 3-pound fish sandwich at The Lake County Captains’ Classic Park
in Cleveland
Pulled Pork Parfait. A layered, savory parfait of mashed potatoes and pulled pork The
Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park
Sausage Sundae. A savory treat with smoked sausage, brisket, mac-n-cheese, and mashed
potatoes at Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park
StrausBurger. The infamous 8-pound burger at Washington Nationals’ National Park
Teddy Roosevelt Cupcake. Creative creations like presidential cupcakes from Fluffy Thoughts
Bakery at Washington Nationals’ National Park
Triple Triple Burger. A nine-patty burger from Wayback Burgers at Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizen
Bank Park
Chef-Inspired Eats
Chefs are gaining an bigger presence than ever before at concessions, bringing an authentic
local flavor to ballpark eats—along with beloved food and restaurant brands—through
partnerships with well-known culinary personalities, said Jacobstein.
This year, the New York Mets partnered with Josh Capon, the chef behind Manhattan’s Lure
Fishbar, B&B Winepub, and Bowery Meat Company to add to a roster of top-notch gourmet
bites that include those from vendors Shake Shack and Pat LaFrieda. At Pressed, Capon’s
fancy grilled cheese stand, baseball fans can find a slow-braised shortrib grilled cheese.
On-trend cauliflower sandwiches are available at the Washington Nationals’ National Park, and
Minnesota Twins’ Target Field has even brought the farm-to-table craze to the ballpark by
partnering with community gardens through the Roots for the Home Team program to provide
produce to the stadium.
At Seattle Mariners’ Safeco Field, local chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell helped turn the
stadium into one of the foremost sports-food destinations earlier this year with creative new food
concepts like Hamburg+Frites, where diners can find dogs and burgers served Seattle-style:
topped with cream cheese.
General manager Steve Dominguez said the stadium's relationship with the chef has enabled
them to connect to local providers creating fantastic artisanal and small-batch products for
restaurants and retailers in the area.
“We do a lot of field research and when we find an item we think would be a good fit, we bring in
Ethan to work with our culinary team to develop the recipes, essentially translating restaurant
feel and flavor to the highly specialized skill of high volume concession style food items,” he
explained. “We focus on simple dishes that feature two to three signature ingredients that are
fresh and deliverable in a fast-pace sports environment, while keeping up with the consumer
demands.”
The stadium’s Dungeness crab sandwich and bacon-wrapped hot dog are simple builds that
pack in great flavor, high quality ingredients, and consumer appeal. Dominguez says that
bacon, sriracha, garlic and beer-infused items are seeing the most demand, and so the stadium
has developed a number of sriracha-specific items—from milk shakes to mac-n-cheese balls
featuring product from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.
Signature Dogs
“Even though all sorts of other foods have come in to ballparks, hot dogs are still the staple,”
said Jacobstein.
But today’s top dogs are anything but average. “There’s much more variety,” explained
Jacobstein.
“Now, a lot of ballparks have 10 or 15 types and all sorts of specialty sausages, too,” he said.
“They try to regionalize them.”
Dogs have become decidedly modern, sporting everything from vegetarian tempeh links to
gluten-free buns, to a variety of meats ranging from elk to sausage and bison, but decadence
still reigns at the ballpark. Here are just a few ballpark hot dog specialties you can find at
stadiums this year:
Bengal Brat. Bratwurst topped with pineapple, pico de gallo and chipotle mayo at Lakeland
Flying Tigers’s Stadium (training home of Detroit Tigers)
The Boomstick. A 2-foot-long hot dog with chili, nacho cheese and grilled onions at The Texas
Rangers’ Globe Life Park
Catalina Dog. Dog wrapped in a tortilla with black beans, roasted corn, and guacamole at
Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park
Cuban Pretzel Hot Dog. A pretzel hoagie roll with ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, Dijon and
pickles at Pittsburg Pirates’ PNC Park
D-Bat Dog. An 18-inch corn dog stuffed with cheddar cheese, jalapenos and bacon at Arizona
Diamondbacks’ Chase Field
Funnel Dog. A traditional dog coated in funnel cake at Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ Arvest
Ballpark
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Hot Dog. With bacon and raspberry jelly at The Wilmington Blue Rocks’
Frawley Stadium
Pastrami Dog. A Nathan’s hot dog topped with pastrami at New York Mets’ Citi Field
Poutine Dog. Topped with the Canadian favorite at Detroit Tigers’ Comerica Park
South Philly Dog. With broccoli rabe, provalone and red peppers at Philadelphia Phillies’
Citizens Bank Park
The Thomentaor. A 10-inch dog topped with sauerkraut, onions and pierogi at Cleveland
Indians’ Progressive Field
Stadium Snacks 2.0
At the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park, tater tot nachos called Hollad Hot Tot’chos are
available, while at Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yard, nachos made with kettle chips, lump crab
meat, and Old Bay seasoning are on the menu.
At the Giants’ AT&T Park in San Francisco, there's garlic fries sprinkled with parsley.
At the Box Frites stand in New York Mets’ Citi Field, a partnership with Chef Danny Meyer and
Union Square Hospitality Group, Belgian-style fries are served with gourmet dipping sauces and
topped with crazy, must-try toppings like mac-n-cheese, and at Wrigley Field, they’re flavored
with an Italian-style seasoning.
At Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dodger Stadium, they’re loaded up with Mexican-style carne asada
and cheese sauce, and at Seattle Mariners’ Safeco Field, tater tots feature garlic, locallysourced cheese, pickled peppers, and a drizzle of Ballard Bee honey.