Confession: I didn’t see the game tonight, I only just saw the highlights. Not much to see, save for a dominating performance by a former Cy Young winner, Zach Greinke, and a rough night for Dillon Gee.
Then there was the top of the 7th. The struggling Rickie Weeks found the cure for his prolonged slump: Get an at-bat against alleged major league pitcher D.J. Carrasco. He hit a homer over the Great Wall of Flushing. The next batter, Ryan “Fed Ex” Braun, got plunked in the shoulder by Carrasco. Umpire Gary Darling promptly tossed Carrasco out of the game.
There were no warnings issued. Darling simply went all Paul Kersey and took matters into his own hands. Bad call by Darling, and terrible umpiring. One of the beauties of baseball is (or maybe, was) that players policed themselves.
Take the Cole Hamels/Bryce Harper incident. Hamels drilled Harper, then Hamels got drilled (Accountability – another argument against the DH), and the matter was settled. But on this night, Darling decided that centralized authority was the way to go, and he sent Carrasco to the showers (instead of AAA, where D.J. belongs).
Then, in an unorthodox move, Mets skipper Terry Collins lifted David Wright from the game, ostensibly to protect him from a retaliation to the noggin, Matt Cain style. Collins made the right move.
As Mets manager, Collins has been nothing if not unorthodox. Whether it’s removing his closer in the 9th inning, batting Daniel Murphy 5th, or encouraging Carlos Beltran to be an “RBI whore,” Collins thinks outside the box. Benching your star player to avoid retaliation is something this blogger has never seen before in his 41 years of baseball scrutiny. But he was right.
Why risk an injury to your best hitter in an 8-0 game, especially when said hitter suffered a concussion caused by a beanball a couple of years earlier? Besides, this offense would be lost without Wright, who’s hitting out of his Virginian mind right now (.408/.497/.608)
Anyone with grade-school level lip reading skills could tell you how Wright felt about the move. He thought it was…well, let’s just say he thought it was bovine excrement. His teammates heard the whole thing – Ike Davis looked like a .173 hitter in the headlights – and will respect him for it (as if they needed more reason to respect him). To Terry’s credit, he let David speak his piece.
The bottom line is, Darling was wrong to toss Carrasco without a warning. Collins was right to pull Wright. And Wright was right to show his verbal might.
This team isn’t perfect, but they’ve made it clear that they give an excrement.
43 comments
srt
5/16/2012-7:23am at 7:23 am (UTC -4)
I saw the entire game last night, including the post game interviews with Terry, Wright, Carrasco and Gee.
Terry is nothing, if not honest. Took a few folks by surprise, like Bobby O. Personally, I had no problem with either his decision or his honesty with the media. If he tried to gloss over it or around it, the media would have had a field day with it. And they don’t need any help with conspiracy theories.
Wright’s handling of the whole thing was fine as well. Got mad as he wanted to stay in, even though there was a chance he would be hit. Went off on Terry a bit, went back and talked to Terry afterwards and downplayed the entire ‘argument’ in his interview after.
DJ swore he wasn’t trying to hit him but you know, I’m not too sure there. I think it might have been intentional but didn’t pull a Hamels. If so, good for him. His pitching might be mediocre but he’s got the team’s back.
Some of the SNY crew after thought what Terry did was dumb as they believe it isn’t over now and the Brewers will go after him next time they meet. I don’t think they looked at the schedule b/c that won’t be until mid Sept. By then, several different things will likely replace this incident on the agenda, not the least which might be 1 or both teams fighting for a WC spot.
All in all, just another reason why I never turn off a NY Met game, even though it appears they were getting blown out. Never know what you might miss.
Stick
5/16/2012-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
But, why would they go after Wright? DJ, sure, but Wright did absolutely nothing here that should matter to them. hell, throw one into the dugout aiming at Terry if they want to get even!
Much ado about nothing at this point IMO.
And the problem I have with DJ is, it was dumb. So, a guy hit a HR. That means the next guy gets plunked? Did weeks violate some secret code somehow? So not sure why the back needed to be gotten here.
but mostly, he had just started pitching (albeit, quite poorly) but the pen has been worked hard, and his job was to mop up the rest of the game. Instead, they had to bring in a “real” pitcher, and put a lot of miles on Ramon. So from that standpoint, it was anti-team friendly.
trs86
5/16/2012-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
Braun has been hit 5 times in 5 games. I think he is trying to compensate for uh… something missing by standing on the plate and pitchers are trying to take that corner back from him.
srt
5/16/2012-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
Think Terry’s mindset was he believed it would be ‘an eye for an eye’ type thing.
We hit your star player, you’ll hit ours.
trs86
5/16/2012-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
Then so be it. Don’t hit the guy to start with and if you do then take the normal baseball repayment.
TLJNYM
5/16/2012-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
Because Wright is the Mets best player (and he also happened to be leading off the inning) and Braun is the Brewers best guy. The Nats drilled Hamels, but it seems like in recent years the trend has been more to drill a position player in retaliation and not the pitcher….and no guarantee DJ bats that game,
SaltyGary
5/16/2012-7:59am at 7:59 am (UTC -4)
Wrights reaction shows how truly locked in he is now. It’s 8-0 and he’s ticked that he got yanked? Think any of the players would of gotten made if something like that happened 08-10? I don’t think so. Since last season it is so apparent that there is a new attitude. Even at the end of last season where they had nothing left in the tank, they were still scratching and clawing.
Tavirus III
5/16/2012-8:14am at 8:14 am (UTC -4)
What is not to love about this Mets team? Besides a weak bullpen, which is a problem at least half the teams in the Majors also have, this team is a joy to watch…finally. David Wright getting pissed about getting pulled while batting .400 is a story line I am happy to be talking about while 4 games over .500 in the middle of May. They get on base, they hit with 2 outs, they don’t quit, and they seem to really like eachother. No clear signs of drama, other than Ike talking to himself over every failed at bat. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to every game to see who steps up next, and how long David stays at .400 as he approaches a gaudy .500 on base percentage.
SaltyGary
5/16/2012-8:54am at 8:54 am (UTC -4)
Is that you Virus? Welcome man! If you ever want to get a pic just go to gravatar.com
trs86
5/16/2012-8:47am at 8:47 am (UTC -4)
Sorry I just don’t like the move. You can’t stop baseball being baseball.
SaltyGary
5/16/2012-8:54am at 8:54 am (UTC -4)
It would definitely of been more interesting if they played the Brewers again today to see if retaliation would occur. They will meet again, to be continued.
Old scholl mentality it was definitely a wussy move. Big picture thinking, who knows what could have happened. The team cannot lose Wright right now.
trs86
5/16/2012-8:59am at 8:59 am (UTC -4)
Then don’t hit Braun to start with.
SaltyGary
5/16/2012-9:05am at 9:05 am (UTC -4)
Maybe the pitch just got away from him. It is Carrasco…
Or do you think Carrasco was trying to fit in and be the tough guy?
trs86
5/16/2012-9:19am at 9:19 am (UTC -4)
I am not sure but honestly does it even matter? If the Brewers are dumb enough to retaliate on something they aren’t even sure about then let them deal with it. To me this makes it look like it was intentional and you did a hit and run.
TLJNYM
5/16/2012-11:27am at 11:27 am (UTC -4)
But its not like Wright or TC was the one who hit Braun. It was the scrub pitcher who did something stupid (though it may not have been intentional)…no need to put Wright at risk in a blowout game for something DJ did
srt
5/16/2012-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
Agree here. This is all DJ’s fault for giving up the HR to start with and then plunking Braun. If not for his poor pitching out of the gate, this would not have even been an issue.
gategem
5/16/2012-4:05pm at 4:05 pm (UTC -4)
They should take a page from the NHL. Braun should go out to the mound and whip Carrasco’s butt. Anybody joining the fray would be third man in and not only be thrown out of the game but suspended for a game. After the children tire out the umps can come in and break it up.
Prismo
5/16/2012-9:29am at 9:29 am (UTC -4)
Yes, I’m with you on this one, and anyone who was trolling Twitter last night knows that. Amazingly about 90% of fans thought Terry made the right move. I completely disagree, it was weak, showed no accountability, and set a bad precedent. I think Wright’s anger over being pulled really says it all.
In the end, it didn’t affect the outcome of the game, and Wright has probably already moved on. Hopefully the Brewers don’t aim for Wright in September though…
trs86
5/16/2012-9:34am at 9:34 am (UTC -4)
To me Terry made a big deal and a bad situation out of basically nothing. Players get hit all the time. No need to hit and run.
Prismo
5/16/2012-9:41am at 9:41 am (UTC -4)
I looked it up last night – if I recall correctly somewhere around 1500 batters were hit last season. Over 300 already this year.
People were FREAKING OUT like this was a huge injury risk. How many of those 1500 were injured? And we all know that Wright KNEW there was a possibility of a stray pitch, which would lessen the chances of his getting hit in a bad spot even more!
trs86
5/16/2012-9:50am at 9:50 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. Terry made a small deal into a large deal and most likely in return gets Wright hit for sure in September.
srt
5/16/2012-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
Long time to hold a grudge…September. LOL.
Fine. We might need that base runner in mid Sep.
gategem
5/16/2012-4:08pm at 4:08 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve also seen a number of potentially HOF players have their career ruined after being hit in the head.
Stick
5/16/2012-10:06am at 10:06 am (UTC -4)
Thing is, the pitcher wasn’t going to go near his head. that is certainly taboo in the unwritten rules. Worst thing that would have happened is he would have gotten hit in the body, and probably not all that hard.
trs86
5/16/2012-10:37am at 10:37 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. Get it over with.
srt
5/16/2012-10:52am at 10:52 am (UTC -4)
No, don’t think he would have gone after his head either.
But maybe he misses with his unintentional/intentional pitching inside and gets him on the wrist – possibly breaking it? He’s already dealing with a fractured pinkie.
I’ll go on record as saying I didn’t have a problem with Wright being removed. Managers often do that in late games on a blow out anyway. Only reason it was even a controversy was b/c of how it played out.
DJ did hit Braun, Terry did admit he pulled Wright fearing they would retaliate.
I find it interesting that nowhere did I see anything about Murphy being pulled either. Wasn’t even mentioned.
trs86
5/16/2012-11:01am at 11:01 am (UTC -4)
I just think Terry made sure that they would hit Wright later. Honestly if I were the Brewers I would have picked out a kid and hit him instead. Showing them you gonna pull Wright then we are going after the kid.
kingman 26
5/16/2012-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
Totally disagree on the ump–of course DJ deliberately plunked Braun; whether it was due to the HR preceding him or Braun being a cheater who got away with it, of course the HBP was deliberate.
The rest of it? Not sure what I think about Terry–it’s not like the Brewers will never face Wright again. Strange move.
But Wright’s reaction was pretty cool.
I suppose it’s one of those incidents which can bring the team together, but it also is much ado about very little.
But DJ is an idiot for beaning Braun; I am frankly surprised his control was good enough to hit him.
TLJNYM
5/16/2012-11:30am at 11:30 am (UTC -4)
I don’t know if it was definitely on purpose or not. It wouldn’t shock me if it was, but it might not have been. It’s not like he has perfect control…and it was his first (or one of his first) appearances on the season, I don’t know if he’d want to risk getting kicked out so quickly when his position on the team is somewhat perilous. Though maybe he just reacted out of anger and didn’t think.
If it was intentional it was definitely stupid. It both put one of his teammates at risk for getting drilled/hurt and compromised the bullpen a bit, making them use an extra pitcher
trs86
5/16/2012-11:34am at 11:34 am (UTC -4)
I agree with SRT on this one that if it wasn’t intentional Terry sure made it sound like it was.
TLJNYM
5/16/2012-12:02pm at 12:02 pm (UTC -4)
I could see that maybe. Though I don’t know about him making it “sound” like it was…just maybe made it seem like that during the game. But I think TC was pretty clear in his explanation…that he didn’t think it was intentional, but that if he was on the other side he could see how after giving up a HR it looks bad…and that if it was his star hit…he wouldn’t be happy.
I think positives can come out of this…I like what both Wright and TC did. And as an aside, given TC’s rant about how he’d be upset if one of his guys was drilled…I hope that means that the Mets do start offering some “payback” if it does happen that one of their players gets thrown at or drilled under suspicious circumstances. It seems like even going back to the Piazza years the Mets pitchers have never really seemed to do much to stand up for their ‘mates.
srt
5/16/2012-11:36am at 11:36 am (UTC -4)
He Stick….Worley to the DL with ‘elbow soreness’.
Philly fans on that ledge now.
Prismo
5/16/2012-11:53am at 11:53 am (UTC -4)
Wow. Isn’t that what Pelfrey originally “had”…..
trs86
5/16/2012-11:57am at 11:57 am (UTC -4)
Elbow is NEVER good. It’s just a matter of time now. He might just have tendinitis or something but we all know where that road leads.
Stick
5/16/2012-12:33pm at 12:33 pm (UTC -4)
tonight, it leads to kendrick back in the rotation. So a plus for the Mets!
when I was wondering about the injury bug finally catching up to the SPs there, I wasn’t expecting it to be the youngest one! Hamels with an elbow issue? more likely, since he has had some issues before 9and had a procedure on it before this season).
Too bad Blanton seems to have remembered how to pitch finally, but that probably won’t last.
srt
5/16/2012-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
Sure is. Anytime I hear ‘elbow soreness’, and reading now it’s elbow inflammation – I immediately think TJ surgery.
They’re going down faster then bowling pins down the Turnpike. Just goes to show that age has no prejudice. I believe Worley is the youngest in their starting rotation.
trs86
5/16/2012-12:00pm at 12:00 pm (UTC -4)
As they said about us, it couldn’t happen to a nicer group of guys… LOL.
Prismo
5/16/2012-12:02pm at 12:02 pm (UTC -4)
Total karma.
srt
5/16/2012-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
Ha! Not that I wish injury on any player but y’all know how I feel about the Phillies and their fans.
I hope they stay in last place all season.
Wondering if the night after night sell out crowds will soon come to an end.
Last year this time I was reading about Philly fans discussing their post season roster. This year? I’m reading Season = Over.
Stick
5/16/2012-12:35pm at 12:35 pm (UTC -4)
they had there once in a century run. Now they deserve a healthy dose of reality dumped on them.
and based on my experience, they will handle it with typical philly class, but whining, moaning, and booing.
trs86
5/16/2012-12:39pm at 12:39 pm (UTC -4)
From reading Mets blogs that doesn’t sound that much different than Mets fans…. LOL.
Prismo
5/16/2012-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
Great read from Ted Berg, you should all check this out if you haven’t yet: http://www.tedquarters.net/2012/05/15/saves-are-stupid/
gategem
5/16/2012-3:58pm at 3:58 pm (UTC -4)
Thank you for providing the link.
Back in the prehistoric days of the 1950’s a starter, if pitching effectively, would remain in the game until tiring at which point someone would be called from the bullpen to complete the game if he could. Usually it would be someone effective in that role as well as being a spot starter. Back then pitchers relegated to the bullpen did not receive too many accolades.