Lots of interesting, funny, idiotic, and insightful things were said by the Mets—and about them—recently. Here are some of our favorites.
Another reminder that baseball is just a game.
"I have not had my head in baseball for several days. Not since they called me from my house to tell me that my mom has cancer. It's a situation where you're trying to be strong, but you cannot. Everyone in the family is very worried, hoping the results come out negative. But when you hear the word cancer, you always think the worst. My mom is my best friend, my confidant. I talk to her every day, and the only thing that comforts me is that she has not lost her sense of humor. She is a very happy woman." —Bartolo Colon [ESPN]
If you thought the paternity discourse was fun last week, let’s talk about the first base situation.
"We made a decision. You don't have much credibility if you keep changing your mind every other day because somebody goes 2-for-4. We're not going to do that. I told Ike the other day he's going to play today. As a matter of fact, he came in to make sure he was in the lineup today. I said, 'Hey, I told you you're going to play. You're going to play.’" —Terry Collins [ESPN]
Got it, Duda will get 75 percent of the starts, unless there’s the starter is a lefty starter or the DH rule is in effect or Ike needs to be kept sharp.
"We're going to go to Anaheim. We've got two left-handed pitchers. I'm going to get Josh Satin a start. But, most likely, Lucas Duda will be the other first-base option out there. Saturday [against right-hander Jered Weaver] we'll make a decision on who DHs and who plays first. For the most part, Lucas, every four games, he's going to get three of them. But I just think it's important to keep Ike as sharp as we can because he'll be coming off the bench in big situations. So we need to get him at-bats." —Terry Collins [ESPN]
Selfish Starters pitching so deep into the game.
"It's very difficult because, No.1, we've pitched so well. Our starting pitchers have gotten us deep into games. So there's not a lot of double-switching going on. We haven't had many pinch-hitting opportunities, because it's not until late where the pitcher comes up for the third time, where you might have to hit for him. So it's been very hard. It's been tough to get those guys ample number of at-bats." —Terry Collins [ESPN]
That’s a pretty liberal use of the word ‘relatively.’
"I had relatively quick innings after that first one—other than the fifth. I was feeling good there for a little bit. I still was there in the fifth. They just strung together a few good hits—a lot of them singles. There’s nothing you can really do. You’ve just got to make your pitch, I guess, a little better." —Zack Wheeler [ESPN]
Is there anything this man can’t do…oh, right, no there’s lots of things.
"I don't know. I'm not a doctor." —David Wright on if his illness is the flu or something else [ESPN]
See, Valverde knew what he was doing.
"It’s a big fly. This is a big stadium. I have a good center fielder, [Juan] Lagares. He can catch everything." —Jose Valverde on Heyward’s near game-tying grand slam [ESPN]
Valverde on Colon being 40.
"Holy cow? 40." —Jose Valverde [ESPN]
Valverde on Farnsworth being 37.
"37!?" —Jose Valverde [ESPN]
Valverde on being 36.
"Me what? 34?" —Jose Valverde [ESPN]
And here I thought Alderson was being patient and letting the market develop to mazimize his return, turns out he’s just a coward.
"The Mets are afraid they are going to get burned on a Davis trade," a scout said at the game. "They can’t think like that. They have to have the courage of their convictions and make a trade." —Anonymous Scout [New York Post]
No, I think you pretty much nailed it.
"It’s tough to put into words how frustrating it is. You just want to break something at that point really." —Dillon Gee [ESPN]
So, that’s not the reason then?
"[Davis said that just being asked about possible reasons of the Mets home struggles] brings the thought process of, 'Oh, we're at home, so we suck.'" —Ike Davis [Wall Street Journal]
‘Stalling while your video guy reviews the play’ might beat ‘stalling while your RP quickly tries to warm’ as the least exciting play in baseball.
"You’ve got to go out. I went out and then [bench coach] Bob [Geren] was checking with Jim Kelly, who is our video guy, and got the thumbs up and took a chance." —Terry Collins [ESPN]
Indeed, ‘that would have sucked.’
"If you think about that, we would have been in a much different situation there last year had we not been able to use replay right there. That would have sucked. Let’s be blunt. It seemed to me like he was safe, so it was good to be able to get the right call." —Anthony Recker [ESPN]
Yeah, I’m going to go ahead and pass on this one.
"This one I got in the eyes. I couldn’t see very well for a while after it. But it tastes good." —Ike Davis [ESPN]
Californian Smack Talk.
"One was a changeup that was kind of up, and I was fortunate enough to barrel it. The next was just a fastball. Same thing." —Lucas Duda on his two home runs off of Mike Leake [ESPN]
AA Quote of the Week
"Are you trying to tell me the Braves DON'T hate America?" —psiogen