Harvey Suspended!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

G-Fafif wrote: New intrigue, featuring pajamas, from Jon Heyman. I don't think I've ever read a story with so much parenthetical caution sprinkled throughout. Even those close to Harvey understand his text (or text back) didn’t come until after the 3 p.m. cutoff for notice (the players are due on the field at 4), and that the Mets would have been within their rights to fine him. The issue is whether a suspension was warranted. Harvey apparently does not believe a suspension was called for, but that a fine would have been OK. People who have been in contact with the Mets suggest he’s been fined before (though it isn’t known for what and how many times), and that this was the time to draw the line. The position of Mets people, according to those who have spoken to them, is that he’s been late before (a few times, they say, including one time when he missed an off-day practice in the 2015 postseason when he also racked up innings and helped pitch the team into the World Series the year after his Tommy John surgery). And they say that it’s clear the policy is clear to report to trainer Ray Ramirez if you’re ill or injured and are going to be late, and not to a coach. Those people who’ve spoken to the club says Mets people cite an “accumulation” of slip-ups, and furthermore seem to believe other Mets players would have been upset by special treatment if they didn’t take a stand on a perceived punctuality issue (though that couldn’t immediately be corroborated).

Great stuff. I wonder if he was wearing his white robe. Popcorn!

[Guest cooby]

How about it!!! I didn't know guys still wore jammies

[Edgy MD]

Doesn't he have a buddy who will drive him to the park if he's sick (or if he's not) no questions asked, call the team if he's sick and sleeping, lie to his girlfriends, or bury a body for him?

[Guest themetfairy]

Edgy MD wrote: Doesn't he have a buddy who will drive him to the park if he's sick (or if he's not) no questions asked, call the team if he's sick and sleeping, lie to his girlfriends, or bury a body for him?

Isn't Scott Boras paid to do that stuff for him?

[Edgy MD]

Well, Scott Boras can't be everywhere, but yeah, I would've guessed the high-powered agents assign a personal toady to each of their clients.

[nymr83]

Ashie62 wrote: I want to see Harvey on the MSG Jumbotron.

I want to see him on the jumbotron at a regular season game in November with a ring on his finger. Otherwise, I don't care to see him at all outside the context of a Mets game.

[G-Fafif]

Page Six reports Harvey appreciates Mexican culture enough to have been out celebrating Cinco de Mayo until the wee hours of Seis de Mayo...and presumably the Mets' comeback victory over the Marlins.

Matt Harvey's "migraine" cover story may have just been blown. Page Six is reporting that the suspended Mets' right-hander was out partying at New York City club 1OAK until 4 a.m., Friday night, the night before he was suspended for skipping a game against the Miami Marlins. Harvey and some friends reportedly came to the club about 1 a.m., and sat at a private table drinking champagne, tequila and vodka with friends for about three hours. Harvey also apparently played golf Saturday morning, the day before he was scheduled to pitch, and then returned home with a migraine. From there, the "miscommunication" with the Mets began. He never made it to the ballpark and didn't follow protocol by alerting trainer Ray Ramirez that he was sick. Instead, he waited until pitching coach Dan Warthen reached out to him.

[Guest cooby]

Yowzers. No wonder he had a migraine

[MFS62]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Great stuff. I wonder if he was wearing his white robe. Popcorn!

Popcorn in a story about a baseball-playing schmuck? That reminds me of the Joe Pepitone/ popcorn story so vividly described by Jim Bouton in Ball Four.

But this also reminds me of another passage in that book. (I paraphrase, but its pretty close)
Mickey Mantle showed up at a game totally hung over, then went out and hit a game winning home run. When he came back to the dugout the fans were cheering, and he said "I wonder of they know how really hard that was".
Harvey should have shown up, especially since he wasn't scheduled to pitch.


Later

Edited May 9, 2017 by Guest

[metirish]

Will he make himself available to the media later today?, does he have to?, should he ?, intrigue to say the least. I would imagine he is feeling rather sheepish right about now , likely working on a plan with Boras and family....or me might not give a fiddlers fuck

[Fman99]

Edgy MD wrote: Well, Scott Boras can't be everywhere, but yeah, I would've guessed the high-powered agents assign a personal toady to each of their clients.

I got this one, Matt, you go sleep it off, I'll email the coaches for you. Smashed that puss last night? Way to be.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So he is okay with playing on short rest.

I don't play regularly, but I kindasorta get golf-appeal. Play with a severe, burgeoning hangover, though? Good God, why? It's recreation. There WILL be other tee times.

Also, like Metsdradamus pointed out, being an asshole is forgivable. Being a shit teammate-- the piker who begs out of workouts and team meetings-- isn't.

Also also... he's 28. He hasn't figured out how to hangover-proof his late-nights yet? Maybe, like the small-time who keeps getting collared he should rethink his habit... because he's no good at it.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Will he make himself available to the media later today?, does he have to?, should he ?, intrigue to say the least. I would imagine he is feeling rather sheepish right about now , likely working on a plan with Boras and family....or me might not give a fiddlers fuck

Oh he'll have to talk at some point.
It could be formal or not, to individual writers or en masse, but he's not going to be able to hide behind his pending grievance while acting like the victim here and clam up in order to send a message of
'Fuck Terry' and 'Fuck Sandy'*, and the reason he can't do that is because if he doesn't talk then the press goes after his teammates for their thoughts on all things Harvey and they're not going to
put up with that.





* it just occurred to me that 'Fuck Terry' and 'Fuck Sandy' were what Springsteen was trying to do in 'BACKSTREETS' and in '4th of JULY, ASBURY PARK'

[Guest 41Forever]

Frayed Knot wrote: metirish wrote: Will he make himself available to the media later today?, does he have to?, should he ?, intrigue to say the least. I would imagine he is feeling rather sheepish right about now , likely working on a plan with Boras and family....or me might not give a fiddlers fuck Oh he'll have to talk at some point. It could be formal or not, to individual writers or en masse, but he's not going to be able to hide behind his pending grievance while acting like the victim here and clam up in order to send a message of 'Fuck Terry' and 'Fuck Sandy'*, and the reason he can't do that is because if he doesn't talk then the press goes after his teammates for their thoughts on all things Harvey and they're not going to put up with that.

He needs to do two things from a PR standpoint, and I'd bet Boras' team is working on this.

1) Apologize to his teammates.

2) Hold a press conference to a humbly apologize to the team and the fans, saying how he let them down and that this will never happen again. And then never let it happen again. Answer every reasonable question. Acknowledge that he has a problem -- even if that problem is being a douche -- and say he's working hard to address it.

Fans are forgiving when people ask for it. It's defiant, defensive jerks who incur the wrath.

[Edgy MD]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Also, like Metsdradamus pointed out, being an asshole is forgivable. Being a shit teammate-- the piker who begs out of workouts and team meetings-- isn't.

I enjoyed the Metstradamus post, but I tend to think that is what being an asshole is.

It's what folks tell their daughters, right? If he's nice to you but mean to the waiter?

[Centerfield]

This shit is crazy.

So basically Harvey goes out drinking all night. Then goes golfing first thing in the morning, then drives home.

Then he gets a headache. Big fucking surprise. Going out drinking all night then head straight to golf.

Gets home, falls asleep, doesn't call in sick. Responds only to Warthen's text message, then passes out and doesn't respond again.

The Mets send a crew to check on him, partly out of concern, mostly out of suspicion.

What a fucking mess.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Also, like Metsdradamus pointed out, being an asshole is forgivable. Being a shit teammate-- the piker who begs out of workouts and team meetings-- isn't. I enjoyed the Metstradamus post, but I tend to think that is what being an asshole is. It's what folks tell their daughters, right? If he's nice to you but mean to the waiter?

Well, yeah, but he worked HARD to afford this restaurant and his Lotus, so eat up, honey. Did he mention he drove a Lotus? It had to be special ordered, and he had to spend some time on the wait list, but you do that for something this cherry.

F'real, though? You can be a dick to your teammates. You can drive them to distraction, to drink, to borderline suicide (see: some of the worst Michael Jordan anecdotes). But not actually putting in the work means you don't have their respect. Their stupid, boys-club, dickswinging respect... which, frankly, is what counts in terms of running the team, isn't it?

[TransMonk]

Looks like he might make his next start on Friday in Milwaukee. I'll be there...within shouting distance of the dugout.

I don't think I've ever yelled at a player to pull his head out of his ass in person, but this may need to be the first time.

I've always wanted to give Matt the benefit of the doubt. Still, at this point in his career he should have more respect for his craft, for his teammates and for the fans.

[Guest cooby]

Go TransMonk!

[seawolf17]

41Forever wrote: Fans are forgiving when people ask for it. It's defiant, defensive jerks who incur the wrath.

Definitely, this. Look at the difference between Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.

[Guest cooby]

Although....maybe finding him in his jammies ready for bed at 10:30 the night before a start is not a bad thing...

[Farmer Ted]

Lo Duca (credible source!) on Meenan's podcast this morning...

[paraphrasing]

Harvey wasn't drinking until 4 am. The Post story is trash.

Harvey's been coddled since he got here. Not by Terry, not by Sandy, but by the not-named upstairs people.

Kevin Brown's contract in LA had him taking private jets and doing his own thing during the season. Lo Duca had not problem with that because Brown was winning 20 games, in the dugout every night cheering his team on, and working his ass off in-between starts. He sees none of that from Harvey.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Situation upgraded to a kerfuffle according to multiple sources.

[ashie62]

I'd like to be coddled.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'd like a few bottles of Armand de Brignac.

[HahnSolo]

Gut feeling / Hawt Take:

Harvey does not pitch another game for the Mets.

Sometime between now and Friday either a mystery injury or an extension of the suspension will happen, leading to his eventual departure from the team.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't know, a mystery injury doesn't help anyone -- and if Harvey's going to challenge this mini-suspension he's shirley going to fight a non-injury hoax.
An additional suspension would have to be the result of a whopper between now and Friday that I can't even imagine.
Which leaves the only scenario left as a trade although, as stated before, if that's going to happen it seems much more likely to be in late July or in November than now.


The real drama is going to be in his next home start (that they're delaying his start for the first game of the next road trip is the least surprising thing on the planet other than a stupid late night Donald tweet) but that'll be nearly two weeks from now and only after, as Sam once said to Ilsa, "a lotta water under da bridge".

[Edgy MD]

There's national media covering this suggesting that Mets fans should be embarrassed. But hey, the team has won seven of 10 (even if two of the losses were awful), we get some comedy and some gossip thrown in with the drama, the organization is attempting to take the high ground, and I never liked Harvey anyhow.

It was always going to be a year of transition, and with good planning and a lot of luck, the transition can take place during the season while the team fights enough to remain in contention, and by August we have a super-team—where players returning from injury, their young and handsome in-season replacements, and bitter vets that have been shuffled to the bench are all well rested and fighting for playing time. And April's sordid tales of a starting pitcher's lost weekend and a backup catcher's sexual deviancy will all be dimly remembered goofy footnotes.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It is strange how the team has a "falling apart" vibe despite the fact that they've been winning.

They're 5.5 games out of first place. Two games out of the wild card. And a lot of baseball left to play.

And why exactly should Mets fans be embarrassed? I wasn't the one playing naked golf with Matt Harvey at 4 a.m., or whatever he was doing.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I wasn't the one playing naked golf with Matt Harvey at 4 a.m.

I've read tweets to the contrary, but I'm not here to pick nits.