Memories of Steven Matz

[G-Fafif]

He was from Long Island, I'm pretty sure.

[kcmets]

His first game was memorable, if my memory serves me correctly.

[G-Fafif]

The Mets trusted him quite a lot based on a slight track record, giving him a postseason rotation slot over Colon and Niese. He didn't suck at the time.



I attended his one shutout, vs Pittsburgh in 2019. Felt really good for him.



Always liked him as a person; really wanted him traded.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Yeah memories of Steven will always include grandad Matz. What a debut.



He possesses all the skills and when he would strikeout nine dudes you'd think it should always happen. But alas he had trouble harnessing it, and his expressions bore the frustrations we all felt. Good luck, dude.

[Edgy MD]

One of those rare weirdos who throws lefty and bats righty.



Not a guy who ever seemed particularly happy or comfortable in his skin. I hope he and Canada get along great.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Last remnant by a longshot from the first Omar era. Omar and the Wilpons seemed to really love him, and never dared to move him even though he was wildly inconsistent and often not right physically. Had great moments like his debut but also struck me very odd. Married a religious Southern country singer, never convinced me he actually liked the Mets, took forever to arrive.



I've been mad at him ever since he blew a 4-0 lead to the White Sox on a beautiful Saturday afternoon game early in his career. Probably his second season after an injury stopped his first. Just that kinda guy. (Edit.. the details are not as I remember them). Still



Beat it, Matz!!!

[Fman99]

Had a good debut. After that, more Mehtz than Matz.

[MFS62]

Frustrating.

He teased us early and then regressed.



Later

[smg58]

In 2015 it looked like our rotation was all aces for years to come. If anything, Matz was the most frustrating of the bunch. Harvey and Syndergaard were held back by major injuries, but Matz just seemed to stop being all that good.

[Benjamin Grimm]

One-time Schaefer award winner. April 2019.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/cards/StevenMatz1972.jpg>

[Edgy MD]

Talk about uncomfortable in his own skin. He couldn't even enjoy a Schaefer Award along with some time traveling back to old Shea.

[LWFS]

Dude has Resting CheneyFace. Whatcha gonna do?



He was big into first responders and vets' groups... and gave a bunch to https://www.mlb.com/news/steven-matz-donation-nyc-coronavirus-first-responderslocal COVID relief this year. So, he's kinda like our Dolly Parton, except in no other way whatsoever is he like Dolly Parton.

Edgy MD wrote: One of those rare weirdos who throws lefty and bats righty.

The Carreon Club!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think of it as the Cleon Club, but I'm almost sixty.

[Edgy MD]

Only five non-pitchers since 1900 have played 1,000 games batting right-handed and throwing left-handed: Rickey Henderson, Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross, Cleon Jones, and Hal Chase. If you lower the standard to 500 games, the club still only grows to six, Mark Carreon being the additional member.



While that's an interesting bunch of guys, if the group is going to be name after anybody, it's certainly got to be Rickey: The Henderson Horde or The Henderson Herd, though it's hard to call a group a herd when they are small enough to commute to work in a single car.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'd like to see those six guys squeezed into a VW. Umpossible.

[LWFS]

The Rickey Retinue?



The problem with naming something after Rickey is, there's a LOT of quirks with Rickey. You'd have to remind someone you're telling about this that you're not talking about his legendary trash talk, or talking about himself, or weird-ass work habits. (Or, y'know, the basestealing and best-leadoff-hitter-ever things.)

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: Only five non-pitchers since 1900 have played 1,000 games batting right-handed and throwing left-handed: Rickey Henderson, Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross, Cleon Jones, and Hal Chase. If you lower the standard to 500 games, the club still only grows to six, Mark Carreon being the additional member. While that's an interesting bunch of guys, if the group is going to be name after anybody, it's certainly got to be Rickey: The Henderson Horde or The Henderson Herd, though it's hard to call a group a herd when they are small enough to commute to work in a single car.

Wow! Some small group, even at the 500 game level. And half of them were Mets.

[Benjamin Grimm]

While I acknowledge Rickey's incredible credentials, the loyalty of my inner eight-year-old goes to Cleon Jones.



https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/71/71-527Fr.jpg>

[Edgy MD]

Also, Ryan Ludwick and Cody Ross kind of feel like they were Mets at some point, perhaps on the Trot Nixon Plan.

[G-Fafif]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: While I acknowledge Rickey's incredible credentials, the loyalty of my inner eight-year-old goes to Cleon Jones. https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/71/71-527Fr.jpg>

Indeed. When I see a gathering like this...

...my instinct is to think of it as Cleon Jones and others.

[batmagadanleadoff]

[FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48781589858_2c888886d0_c.jpg[/FIMG]

[MFS62]

Matz was unpredictable.

He was up and down like the unicorn on a carousel.



Later

Edited January 28, 2021 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

So is that Schoendeinst on the far left?

Then Matty Alou, Glenn Beckert?, Aaron & McCovey are obvious, Santo, Cleon, Bench, Rico Carty?

[Benjamin Grimm]

My guess for the leftmost Cub is Don Kessinger.

[batmagadanleadoff]

It's gotta be Kessinger instead of Beckert, which it is. Also, because Felix Millan (far right) is the second baseman. Conspicuously absent - Willie Mays. But the fans didn't vote for the ASG starters in 1969.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Guest

[Lefty Specialist]

=smg58 post_id=55002 time=1611840544 user_id=62]
In 2015 it looked like our rotation was all aces for years to come. If anything, Matz was the most frustrating of the bunch. Harvey and Syndergaard were held back by major injuries, but Matz just seemed to stop being all that good.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I dread the part about clearing salary more than anything else. I mean, WTF, Mr-30th-wealthiest-guy-in-the-whole-wide-world?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Lefty Specialist wrote: I dread the thought that this is clearing salary space for Bauer.

It might be. But that would be kind of like not eating a grape because you want to save room for a cantaloupe.

[G-Fafif]

My guess for the leftmost Cub is Don Kessinger.

A chunk of my early baseball headspace was given over to resentment of Don Kessinger getting the attention due Bud Harrelson, an inequity resolved by 1971.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

I got that impression that Matz beat himself too. He was like young Ron Darling in that way. When things were bad, his face and his body language went straight downhill.



The fifth starter on the depth chart is Joey Lucchesi. Seth Lugo, also, has not been formally returned to the bullpen.