The New York Mets represented the National League in the World Series last season, and are currently second in the NL East this year, so it is not a surprise that they were well represented at the All-Star game. Despite being six games behind the Washington Nationals, the Mets still have one of best online MLB odds of making the playoffs.
At the All-Star game, the Mets players that were selected to represent the National League expected to get a lot of playing time because the manager of the National League team is Terry Collins, who manages the Mets.
However, the players left the game frustrated with their manager, whom they felt didn’t give them a lot of playing time. Some were so mad they declined to do interviews after the All-Star game was over, which is surprising because it is just an exhibition game.
The Mets players do have a couple of valid reasons to be upset. The first is the fact that the game was won by the American League, which gives the AL home field advantage in the World Series, something the Mets wished they had last year.
Another reason to be upset is the fact that the game was won by two Kansas City Royals, who hit two home runs on Tuesday, one a solo shot, the other a two run home run. Even ex-Mets player Daniel Murphy finished the game with two hits.
The third, which is also the most important, is the fact that none of the Mets selected to play in the game entered the game, which is strange considering Collins managed the National League team.
New York’s closer Jeurys Familia, who was making his first All-Star game appearance did not get to pitch, which has to be disappointing because it was his first time making the game and there are no guarantees that he will ever be selected again.
Bartolo Colon, a veteran pitcher that his enjoying a career insurgence would also have loved to play in the All-Star game, but Collins didn’t let him play either.
Yoenis Cespedes and Noah Syndergaard were the other two Mets players selected to play in the All-Star game, but their absence from the game was more understandable than the other two players.
Cespedes was dealing with a strained right quad and didn’t even make the trip to San Diego, and Syndergaard left his last start early with a fatigued arm, so it made sense to rest him.
By the time it was all said and done, the Mets players were the only ones on the National League team that didn’t play in the game.
When asked by reporters why his players did not participate in the game, Collins said he had planned on using Colon in case the game went extra innings because he didn’t want to run out of pitchers. As for Familia, Collins said he told his closer before the game that he would only put him in the game if the team needed him in a save situation in the ninth inning, which it didn’t.
Familia refused to speak to reporters after the game, but he eventually changed his mind after speaking with a Mets spokesperson. The closer said he wasn’t disappointed he didn’t play because Collins told him ahead of time he would only be used in a save situation.
1 Comment