NEW YORK — With half of the MLB regular season in the rearview for the New York Mets, as 81 games have passed on by, there are 81 more to be played…
The Mets’ comeback to respectability in June was a happy story few saw coming. The Mets were eleven games under .500 in late May. After a rough series against the Dodgers at Citi Field, the Mets held a players meeting, and that sparked them. Yes, the Grimace character from McDonald’s appears to have been a good luck charm, as is infielder José Iglesias’s catchy bi-lingual tune, “OMG.”
José Iglesias and the Mets have a “postgame festival” at Citi Field following their 7-2 Friday win on the Astros – Image Credit: MLB
While the vibes in Flushing have markedly improved over the last thirty days, things are not entirely rosy. Two of the Mets’ best relief pitchers, Brooks Raley and Drew Smith, have endured season-ending injuries. The timing could not have come at a worse time as closer Edwin Díaz was suspended for ten games because he was accused of using illegal sticky stuff on his hands trying to wrap up a win against the Cubs in Chicago on June 23.
The problem for Major League Baseball is deciding what is allowable stickiness versus what crosses the line. Umpiring crews make the decision since there is not an objective test to make determinations. Some umps have even allowed pitchers to wash their hands, and then pitch.
I asked Mets manager Carlos Mendoza if the subjectivity of enforcement and punishment, which cost him his closer for ten games, should be scrutinized by Major League Baseball. Mendoza sided with the umpiring crew! That’s the equivalent of a tenant in a rent-stabilized apartment siding with the landlord to charge market rates.
New York’s bullpen has struggled since the Edwin Díaz suspension – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Edwin Díaz’s suspension would be less painful for the Mets if they could get more length out of their starters. Unfortunately, José Quintana loses it after four innings, while Tylor Megill must battle in his starts to get through five. This has put a big strain on the Mets bullpen. The Mets were not allowed to fill Díaz’s roster space as part of MLB’s penalty.
Edwin Díaz is set to return from suspension on July 6th – Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports
This has understandably put a big strain on relievers Reed Garrett, Jake Diekman, and Adam Ottavino. The fatigue caught up with the Mets on Saturday as they let an early 6-1 lead over the Houston Astros turn in to a 9-6 loss.
The Mets bullpen has been bolstered from an unexpected source. Mets general manager David Stearns obtained pitcher Adrian Houser from the Milwaukee Brewers over the winter with the expectation he would be the team’s fifth starter. Houser was hideous in his starts and was pulled from the rotation. He has, however, been solid in short inning spurts.
Mets co-CEO Alex Cohen has proven to be an attention-to-detail executive who understands the importance of public relations. A few weeks ago, she greeted the customers entering the rotunda at Citi Field and handed each a Mets “Pride” cap. I would have paid to watch Jeff Wilpon greet fans that way when his dad owned the Mets.
Michael Kay takes offense to SNY Advertisement
I had to chuckle how ESPN New York and YES Yankees play-by-play voice Michael Kay took offense at an ad SNY bought on his radio show touting the Mets broadcast booth as the best in baseball on the first day of the Subway Series. Kay would have been better off taking it in stride and thanking SNY for supporting his radio endeavors.
Last Comiskey out now
Front Cover of Last Comiskey – Image Credit: Eckhartz Press
Fans of old ballparks will enjoy reading “Last Comiskey” (Eckhartz Press) by Ken Smoller. The Chicago White Sox have always played second fiddle to the Cubs in the Windy City. Smoller is an enthusiastic White Sox fan, and he shares memories of Sox players over the generations. Smoller relives such memorable moments as “Disco Demolition Night,” and when former owner Bill Veeck made his players wear shorts for one game. The photos and text will bring back memories for baby boomer baseball fans especially.
2024 NBA Draft’s first round at Barclays Center
The first two players taken in the NBA Draft, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, both hail from France, as did last year’s top pick, Victor Wembanyama. Sarr is from the Bordeaux region but was a bit snippy when I asked him to recommend a good red wine from the region.
University of Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard was chosen by the Houston Rockets who had the third pick. Sheppard was a guest of the Mets at Citi Field the day before the Draft at Barclays Center. The Mets presented him with a customized City Connect uniform. I asked him if he would now be a Mets fan after he was selected by the Rockets. “I think I will become on Astros fun now!” he said with a smile as a nod to his new city of employment.
Sheppard, and his fellow guard, Stephon Castle, who were drafted by the San Antonio Spurs right after him, were both unaware Texas does not have a state income tax. They were happy to learn that economic nugget.
Donovan Mitchell and Reed Sheppard catch up prior to the Subway Series at Citi Field – Image Credit: Latino Sports
NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who grew up a Mets fan in Westchester, was also at the Subway Series. He wore an old Robin Ventura #4 jersey. His dad is a longtime Mets executive.
A Personal Encounter with Baseball Legend Orlando Cepeda
I was saddened to learn of Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda on Saturday. I remember attending a Cardinals-Mets game with my dad, and Cepeda tossed me a baseball when I called his name. For a ten-year-old kid, which was the equivalent of receiving gold bullion.
When I saw Cepeda many years later, he obviously did not remember his good deed, but he was happy to hear how much it meant to me.
Image Credit: MLB
July 4th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
It will be interesting to see how George Shea, the emcee of the July 4th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, will deal with the absence of perennial champion Joey Chestnut. As most know, Chestnut was booted out of this year’s competition for the yellow mustard belt, the most prestigious championship in sports, because he signed an endorsement deal with a plant-based frankfurter company. This is a big chance for perennial Nathan’s bridesmaid, Geoffrey Esper, to finally win the contest. Joey Chestnut will meet his old rival, Takeru Kobayashi, in a one-on-one wiener competition on Labor Day which will be shown on Netflix.
Summer Fancy Food Show takes place at Javits Center
The annual Summer Fancy Food Show held last week at Javits Center had a significant sports aspect to it. Former Mets infielder Justin Turner launched Snackmates, a line of low-sugar, healthy munchies. Tennis star Novak Djokovic is the face of Waterdrops, a dissolvable cube containing electrolytes which you put in any bottle of water to get flavor and energy. Life Cider and Nirvana Super were two sports drink exhibitors whose products reduce inflammation and cramping, have NFL star QB Dak Prescott and Steph Curry, as investors.
Old World Provisions, which provides the pastrami at Citi Field, had a booth, as did the Carnegie Deli. A representative for the Carnegie Deli told me the company has opened a concession space at Saratoga Racetrack, and still has two locations at Madison Square Garden.
Image Credit: Grocery Business Magazine
If you enjoy kosher snacks while you are watching sporting events, Manischewitz has expanded its brand into cocktail franks, knishes, blintzes, rugalach, and babka. Long Beach-based Mike’s Philly Fluff brings some needed taste to the normally bland world of pound cake.
Queens was represented at the world’s largest food trade show by Maspeth’s large kosher food distributor, Alle Processing, Sunnyside Asian sauce manufacturer Mama Lam, Long Island City’s White Coffee Company, and Astoria-based Italian pasta importer, La Rosa Azzurra.
Remembering and Paying Tribute to Martin Mull
The world lost an immense talent with the passing of actor/comedian/musician Martin Mull. I first learned of Mull watching “Fernwood 2-Night,” in which he played smarmy talk show host Barth Gimble. His sidekick, Jerry Hubbard, was played by another comedy legend, the late Fred Willard. It was the first spoof ever of talk shows and watching Mull and Willard interview both real celebrities and the locals of mythical Fernwood, in which they often ad-libbed, was always hysterical.
Image Credit: AP
It was a thrill to meet Martin Mull at an event in Los Angeles a few years ago. He appreciated my observation that the show was ahead of its time in countless ways. One bit, Mull did on the show was called “Buy some time.” This was well before brokered television half-hour commercial programming became common.
Mull also told me he was hoping a DVD collection of “Fernwood 2-Night” shows would one day be produced. It remains unavailable. That should be corrected.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
