Lots of interesting, funny, idiotic, and insightful things were said by the Mets—and about them—recently. Here are some of our favorites.
NOT THE TIM COONEY.
"[d’Arnaud has hit] in other ballparks, too. So it's not just Vegas. And off some decent pitching. [Tim] Cooney pitched [Saturday] night. So you can't totally discount it." —Sandy Alderson [ESPN]
Teams gags are always cool but can’t everyone grow beards or something better.
"We started thinking about [twirling towels], and it popped right from my memory of the Bulls and their three-peat championship -- Cliff Levingston or Stacey King out there waving a towel all the time. It just popped in my head, and we’ll do that when we get a hit. We started doing it and then a couple other guys did it and now we just needed the guy on the base to do it back. Then it got a little bigger. Now we’ve seen the guys in the bullpen doing it and some of the fans in the stands are doing it." —Curtis Granderson [ESPN]
Isn’t it more the Steelers thing?
"[Even] the bullpen is doing it now. I guess every team needs some sort of gimmick now. And I guess that’s ours."— David Wright [ESPN]
Indeed, it was good.
"We kind of hit them hard and hit them early. It was good." —Jon Niese [ESPN]
Sandy continued, ‘no thanks.’
"A corner outfielder with power?" —Sandy Alderson on if the Mets would be interested in pursuing Yasmani Tomas [New York Post]
Bad job by the equipment guy.
"I don't know which ones they are [regarding two game balls for deGrom’s first win, one being the last pitch of the game.] They were ones that were in the game, because they've got the sticker on them. That's fine with me." —Jacob deGrom [ESPN]
Oh, I get it now.
"[Umpire Gary Cederstrom] laughed because I called him by the wrong name, and I’ve known him for 40 years. I called him Jerry and not Gary and he laughed. I saw the replay 10 times. And he’s safe. When I first went out there [after the unsuccessful replay review], I said, ‘I know you’ve got to toss me.’" —Terry Collins [ESPN]
Look at Hollywood Harvey try to be humble and not cite himself as the prime example.
"It's unfortunate. He's so exciting to watch and so competitive. Those are the guys that make you want to be better. It's really unfortunate the amount of guys who are out right now who could have a big impact on Major League Baseball, him being the prime example." —Matt Harvey [ESPN]
Oh good, so problem solved and back to being our future all star catcher.
"It was all mental. Just focusing in on every at-bat like it’s my last at-bat. Not thinking about a hundred different things. Just focusing on one thing and keeping a solid approach on each and every pitch. I kind of went away from that (before the demotion). ... I feel like my concentration is up and I’m able to focus in easier. I feel good. I’m in a good place." —Travis d’Arnaud [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
He deserves to blow his arm out if need be.
"[Wheeler] showed you tonight exactly what we’ve been talking about all along. ... It was his night. That’s why I just said, ‘I’m going to run him back out there. I don’t care what his pitch count is. He deserves it. He’s earned it.’" —Terry Collins [ESPN]
But if they know you ‘just have to throw fastballs’ won’t they know it’s coming.
"He’s got the stuff. With him, it’s just a matter of pounding the strike zone, throwing all of his pitches for strikes, not falling behind and just having to throw fastballs. Because I don’t care how hard you throw in this league, it’s going to get hit if they know it’s coming, if they know you can’t throw other pitches for strikes." —David Wright [ESPN]
Sorry Chris, but it might not be the gaps in between at-bats, but that father time has come for you.
"It's a little similar with the playing time and with the gaps in between at-bats that I've had from time to time. Throughout my career I could probably think of one season where I started off hot. And the rest of the seasons I've had slow starts. I've had to work my way out of them throughout the year, and I was able to do that. The past couple of years the slow start is really a big disadvantage for me because you're on a shorter line [with a new club]. And when you start off slow, you don't have as much time given to you to be able to work out of it. So you need to find ways to make that transition happen faster. That's what I'm trying to do right now." —Chris Young [ESPN]
Don’t forget to add that he carried that heavy bat while running down to first twice.
"He’s 41 years old. It’s 115 degrees on the field. Even though it’s only 85 pitches, he’s had to run the bases. He’s come off the mound [to field balls]. He ran down to first twice. How far are we going to push it? He did a great job." —Terry Collins [ESPN]
I’m going to guess that last sentence wasn't a direct translation.
"I could have finished the game, but I was aware of the heat and the way T.C. and everybody runs the game, just to be careful in a situation like that. The situation of the game dictated being removed." —Bartolo Colon [ESPN]
Laughter: The final piece for our Chamption run.
"[Colon’s double] made everyone laugh. I can say that much. Sometimes laughter gets everything going and we start having fun playing baseball." —Eric Young Jr. [ESPN]
Can’t tell if this is TC or Wally.
"We've got to start winning. We don't have time to develop players right at the moment... You can't just say, 'Hey, look, I'm going to sacrifice three or four games as we try to get some of these young guys who haven't been in the lineup going offensively.'" —Terry Collins [ESPN]
Duda and Murph are both straight shooters with quotes.
"I didn't catch it." —Daniel Murphy on his error [ESPN]
TC might be getting paid by the hour.
"It took me an hour and 15 today [to fill out the lineup card.] The names are all the same. I finally said, 'This still looks the best of all that I've written. I'm going to go with it.'" —Terry Collins [ESPN]
Hoping Darryl the best.
"It was like I was completely out of my mind, sittin' there for four or five days, smokin' crack. Doesn't matter if you Darryl Strawberry or, you know, you the richest man on earth. When -- if you're addicted, it will take you to places that you could never imagine." —Darryl Strawyberry [ESPN]
"The clothes are just hanging off of his body [when she first met Darryl]. He's sitting in a chair and he's like part of the fabric in the chair. He looks like the walking dead. He told me not to get involved with him. ‘Girl, you have no idea what you're gettin' yourself into.’ He said, ‘You stay with me and I'm gonna take you through.’ There were several times where he would go out to use and he would call me on the phone and just say, ‘I’m done. I can't do it anymore. I can't get well. I just -- there's no hope for a person like me. I’m tryin’ everything. Nothin’s enough. Love is not enough.’ He said, ‘I’m gonna use tonight until I die.’ I’m running out and I’m banging down crack-house doors and I’m pulling him outta places that I used to be in…I call them halfway into the drive, ‘Mom and Dad, I'm coming home.’ And they're ecstatic. They're happy. They're crying. And, ‘By the way … I’m bringing Darryl Strawberry with me.’" —Tracy Strawberry [ESPN]