Author Archives: Freddy Vasquez
For the Mets, There is Only Next Year…Again
Noah Syndergaard pitched a gem last night. There is nothing more any Mets fan could have asked for. Bumgarner was able to keep his pitch count low, and that was the only difference. He only needed 21 pitches to get through the first three innings – simply remarkable. Though it’s easy to sit there and give Bumgarner all the credit in the world for finishing off the game, Syndergaard was pretty damn great himself.
Another season has come and gone, and even though the Mets were playing with house money, the pain of losing two years in a row still exists. Numerous injuries plagued the clubhouse in 2016, so being able to take the top Wild Card spot in the National League was a miracle in itself. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t ease the pain of another season ending on a low note.
Vin Scully Wants Gil Hodges in the Hall of Fame
The immortal Vin Scully has been the voice of the Dodgers for more than six decades. He has seen their best days, and worst, but more importantly he was there for their days in Brooklyn.
Though he had many favorites on the team notably called the Boys of Summer, he is still miffed by the fact that Gil Hodges is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. What is even more unfortunate is those who played with the first baseman are slowly leaving us and his chances of ever becoming a member are fading.
The Night Johan Santana Threw the First No-Hitter in Mets History
The game is on, windows are open, and the fresh cool air was blowing off of Lake Ostego and into our small little room. Howie Rose’s voice filled the air and nervousness finally set in. The eighth inning had just begun and I was trying not to get too excited. You can’t help but wonder how you will react, how you plan on celebrating, how this could be one of the best nights of your life as a Mets fan. Three outs are made and the Mets are up to bat.
I turned on my Twitter app and started to read all of my fellow Mets fans’ tweets. The excitement was more than building, it was exploding! I love the fan loyalty, there really is no better fan base than ours. Point blank, no question, I dare you to challenge me. The feed wouldn’t stop refreshing but it didn’t matter – it was all Johan.
Howie comes back on the air and you never wanted a Mets inning to end so quickly. I was literally just hoping for three outs – I wanted the top of the ninth to start as soon as possible. The only thing I really remember at this moment was the cheering for Johan as he walked up to bat. They were even louder after he finally struck out and went back to the dugout. Andres Torres quickly made the third out and our dreams were to come true three outs later.
Noah Syndergaard Never Forgets, but MLB Does
Last night after throwing behind Chase Utley, Syndergaard solidified his place in Mets lore as one of the most demagogue players to wear orange and blue. I’d like to think that if this were 1986, this Texas native could have easily donned a t-shirt that read, “Don’t F— With Me” and fit right in to the brash and ego driven team that eventually won the World Series.
Months after that fateful night in October, when Utley was a complete tool and broke Tejada’s leg, Noah Syndergaard sent a message that he will never forget any action taken against his fellow teammates. After much discussion in the media and amongst fans on Twitter, Syndergaard set the record straight and his message was sent loud and clear. Unfortunately for the Mets, he was promptly ejected by young 33 year old umpire Adam Hamari for a pitch that was clearly behind Utley and in no way going to harm the Dodgers second baseman.
Ray Knight Wanted to Stay with the Mets
Ray Knight is known to have wanted a two year deal after the 1986 season, and the Mets were only offering one. One of the most beloved players to wear the orange and blue, and the 1986 World Series MVP never wanted to leave New York, but 11th hour negotiations never worked out – and who know what could have been.
Knight would only play two more years in the major leagues, and though his numbers did not reflect his contributions while playing for the Mets, different environments create different results.
It’s crazy to hear Knight talk with Howie Rose about how he wanted to be part of the Mets again, most likely ending his career in Queens, yet in the 11th hour nothing could be done. He told his agent to accept the Mets offer and let’s get back to baseball, but the call never came and Ray would end up playing ball in Baltimore come 1987.
Keith Hernandez Says 1986 Mets Best Ever in Franchise History
This weekend the New York Mets are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1986 World Championship team by having a reunion tomorrow night, as well as great fan giveaways tonight and Sunday night.
Part of the celebration included a re-broadcast of the infamous game 6 last night on WOR 710, which included great interviews with past players, including Keith Hernandez.
One of the best quotes form Keith during the interview spoke a lot to his character as a ballplayer, and how he truly does respect the game:
We never realized or felt going in that (if) we won 108 games, that we were destined to win the thing, we had to go out and win it.
ATTN: Daniel Murphy No Longer Plays for the New York Mets
Daniel Murphy agreed to a three-year deal worth $37.5 million on Christmas Eve 2015 with the Washington Nationals. He was introduced as their new second baseman on January 7th, 2016 and his tenure with the New York Mets was officially over. In fact, the last time Daniel Murphy wore a Mets jersey was November 1st, 2015, so you could say it was over then.
It’s time to let it go. No more Murph. No more #ImWith28. No more errors at second base.
I will admit that when the season started, I followed everything he did. Home runs, RBI’s, .400+ Batting Average – and errors. I wanted to say the Mets made a mistake by letting him walk, but that new guy they got, what’s his name, Neil Walker? Yeah, he never allowed me to talk smack about the move.
Howie Rose Believes Syndergaard is Close to Dr. K Status
Howie Rose, New York Mets radio broadcaster, was asked if he believed the hype surrounding Noah Syndergaard and if he was as electric as Dwight Gooden. Here is what he had to say:
We got there in 2013 with Harvey. That was the closest thing we’d seen to Doc. It was not only what we saw on the field, it’s the electricity that he produced not only in the stands, but in the city. What Syndergaard is doing now is just about there. I think the hype is just about for Noah where it was for Matt 3 years ago, and hopefully he has a little more linear path to success without the interruption that so many of these kids seem to have.
Anthony Scaramucci Talks About Purchasing the Mike Piazza 9/11 Jersey
Anthony Scaramucci, Tony Lauto, Jim McCann of 1-800-Flowers and an anonymous female business partner agreed to pay $365,000 for the jersey worn by Mike Piazza on the night of September 21st, 2001. It is one of, if not the greatest home run ever to be hit in the city of New York, and one of the greatest moment in sports history.
When asked about why he wanted to take the jersey off the market and keep it in New York, Scaramucci had the following to say:
The jersey represent getting knocked down, stepping into the batter’s box and hitting home runs again, which all of us have to do no matter what unspeakable acts happen in our lives. It’s a great representation of what the Mets are about.
David Wright Deserves Everyone’s Respect
David Wright has played only a single game in 2016 and already the media and certain members of a regularly loyal fanbase have written his obituary. Wright went 0 for 4 on Sunday night and was visibly flat on the field. Though it was not the season debut I was hoping for, I have all the faith in the world in David Wright and expect The Captain to be a meaningful contributor to the Mets in 2016.
Back in October, I had the pleasure of attending my first World Series. I met up with a buddy of mine who works in the medical field, and of course I asked him about Wright’s diagnosis. He told me there were varying degrees of spinal stenosis, and with some physical therapy Wright should be able to play.
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