This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did they make the wild-card game? Every sports franchise deals with injuries, but the 2016 season for the New York Mets was like Walter Hill’s The Warriors and Southern Comfort, films where a group of protagonists are up against insurmountable odds, and get picked off, one by one, until only a few survive. Aside from everyone getting hurt, Michael Conforto had a disappointing season, spending much of it in Triple-A. They also barely received any significant contributions from Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki at catcher. These setbacks and the following injured list show just how remarkable it is the Amazin’s made it to the postseason:
Lucas Duda- Missed most of the year.
David Wright- Done for the year in May.
Neil Walker- Done for the year in August.
Juan Lagares- Missed extended period of time.
Matt Harvey- Done for the year in July.
Jacob deGrom- Done for the year in September.
Steven Matz- Done for the year in August.
Wilmer Flores- Done for the year in September.
Travis d’Arnaud- Missed extended period of time.
Yoenis Cespedes-Missed extended period of time.
Asdrubal Cabrera- Missed extended period of time.
Jim Henderson- Missed extended period of time.
Jon Niese- Reacquired from Pirates on 8/1. Done for the year on 8/24.
Justin Ruggiano- Signed on 7/30. Put on 15-day disabled list 8/2. Activated on 8/18. Done for the year on 8/27.
Zack Wheeler- Hasn’t pitched since 2014.
The Groucho Marx/Phill Collins “Hello, I must be going” award goes to poor Justin Ruggiano. The outfielder signs with the Mets, and immediately joins the walking dead. He comes back for two seconds, then it happens again.
And yes, Jon Niese actually returned to the Mets for a few weeks, that wasn’t a bizarre dream. Their lavishly praised pitching depth got tested to the point that the man sometimes known as “the nose” was back in Flushing. Who saw that coming? Shortly after being traded to Pittsburgh for Neil Walker in the offseason, Niese made a comment about the Mets defense some perceived as traitorous snark. Consequently, the Mets online community reacted to his reacquisition about the same way you’d expect the crowd at a Black Sabbath concert to the request, “Will you please welcome to the stage, ADAM LEVINE!!!!” Of course, the reunion didn’t last too long, as even Niese went down for the count. It got so bad, their substitutes needed substitutes. Luckily for the Mets, their subs saved them.
You wouldn’t normally consider Bartolo Colon a sub or replacement, but it’s easy to forget he was keeping the number 5 slot in the starting rotation warm for Zack Wheeler, then move to the bullpen. Godot … excuse me … Wheeler, originally due to return in July, never came back. He last pitched for the Mets on September 25th, 2014. For some perspective on how long that’s been, Derek Jeter’s historic final game at Yankee Stadium was on the same date.
Meanwhile, the overweight 43-year-old Colon was among the most durable of Mets, winning 15 games, hitting his first career home run in his 20th season, and continuing to be, no exaggeration, one of the most beloved Mets in franchise history. Because of his appearance, he initially was regarded as a kitschy figure, even gaining the sarcastic nickname “big sexy.” However, Colon’s consistency, leadership, heart, and humor have made him a genuine folk hero in New York. Hopefully, he’ll resign for another year and perhaps pitch beyond that. The oldest player in the game, Colon was born two month’s before me. Once he retires, I’ll be older than everyone currently playing major league baseball. If that can be delayed as long as possible, it would be much appreciated.
Lucas Duda bears a strong resemblance to David Harbour as Chief Hopper in Stranger Things, yet disappeared like Will and Barb back in May. Out in El Paso, James Loney had vanished into oblivion, playing first base for the Chihuahuas, the Padre’s Triple-A affiliate. Apparently, it gets cold in San Diego, as despite being in last place at the time, (and eventually finishing at the bottom of the NL West with 94 loses), the Padres never saw fit to promote Loney. Instead, they dumped him to the Mets in exchange for the always humbling “cash considerations.”
For the majority of 2016, he stabilized first base, being his usual solid, unspectacular self. On October 1st, Loney, not known for his power, broke a 2-2 tie in Philadelphia with a two-run home run. The usually low-key Loney dropped the bat like Prince casually flinging his guitar after a particularly scorching performance, grinning toward the Mets dugout with arms raised in victory. The homer helped the Mets clinch home field advantage for the wild-card game, while also symbolizing how far he’d come since joining the team on Memorial Day weekend.
If someone said before this season the Mets would make the postseason with Rene Rivera as their primary catcher, the average response would’ve been, “Who?!” followed by, “Uh-oh.” Once again, d’Arnaud got hurt. The difference this time was his surprising unproductivity when healthy. And yet again, Plawecki didn’t make the most of his opportunity, ultimately being sent down when d’Arnaud came back in June. Rivera didn’t conjure up ghosts of catchers past like Piazza, Carter, or even d’Arnaud from last year. But he solidified a position that had gone from surplus to void in record time.
The Bronx’s T.J. Rivera just kept hitting all year, mainly in Triple-A. At one point during the summer, the Mets treated him like a yo-yo, having him go back and forth from Queens to Vegas. After Wilmer Flores’ headfirst suicide slide sidelined him in September, Rivera’s playing time increased, and he made the most of it, batting .333 in 33 games. With Neil Walker a free agent, Rivera could be the 2017 opening day second baseman.
Good news: Last month, Gabriel Ynoa struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings in his first major league start. Bad news: it was against the Twins, who lost 103 games. Still, a very impressive beginning. And then there’s that last name, which sounds like it’s from Michael Jackson’s “Bad.” Presumably, the Mets will soon have prospects coming up with the surnames “Jamone,” “Shamone,” and “Eeee–heee.”
While we’re on the subject of rookie pitchers with odd surnames, how about Robert Gsellman? His last name could be one of those German sounding nonsense words Jerry Lewis randomly shouts. There’s also Gsellman’s long hair and tattoos, making him appear more rock’n’roll than most current rock bands. Plus, it’s difficult not to respect anyone whose entrance song is Billy Squier’s “The Stroke.” Most importantly, he stepped up and became a huge factor in the Mets successful wild-card drive.
The phrase “thrown into the fire” was invented for situations like Gsellman’s major league debut in St. Louis. Think about how demoralizing it was seeing Jon Niese limp off the field, four batters into the game. On top of everything else the Mets had to deal with, “the nose” got snipped. You felt bad for him, while also coldly thinking that he hadn’t really been missed in the first place. The problem was, they were running out of pitchers.
This was one of the key moments of 2016. After Niese departed for the season, the Mets could’ve done the same. Instead, they called on Gsellman, who proceeded to shut down one of the best offenses in baseball, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings for his first big-league win. He then takes over what would’ve been Niese’s slot in the starting rotation, and pitched like such an old pro down the stretch, it’s hard to fathom he was born the year Pearl Jam’s Vs. came out (’93). Not bad for someone pitching in Double-A as recently as June 5th.
Yet another rookie pitcher that came to the rescue was Seth Lugo. His hairstyle brought to mind Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber, but it was highly paid professional major league hitters who looked stupid attempting to hit Lugo’s curveball. Statcast measured one of his curves at 3,498 rpm, the highest spin curve ever tracked. They’ve only been around since 2015, but this is noteworthy. Out of all the exceptional pitchers currently in MLB, a 2011 34th-round pick who went under the radar of most Mets fans, and on a team celebrated for their pitching, set the record. Great as that is, the most crucial part of Lugo’s stellar underdog tale is becoming one of the Mets most dependable contributors during the season’s second half. Without Lugo and Gsellman shoring up their battered starting rotation, the year ends in August.
The homecoming of Jose Reyes has been described as a “feel good” story. He added some much needed speed and vitality at the top of the lineup, while taking over for David Wright at third base. His arrest for alleged domestic violence and subsequent 53 game suspension, however, is what made him available to begin with. Feel nauseous?
Some claim the Mets benefited from an easy schedule in September. While true, it doesn’t detract from what they accomplished. The 2016 Mets displayed the kind of grit and fortitude worthy of a Thin Lizzy song. In fact, “Fighting My Way Back” should’ve been blasting throughout the summer at Citi Field.
Despite the World Series in full swing and Halloween approaching, you can still take pleasure in the promise of a new baseball season. The Mets have many questions for 2017, yet if the pitching is completely healthy and Colon comes back, they’ve got Syndergaard, deGrom, Harvey, Matz, Wheeler, Colon, Lugo, GSELLMAN!, and Ynoa (ya know it, shamone!) as nine potential starters. If we’re being generous, let’s include eternal prospect Rafael Montero to make it an even ten. Most teams can’t match that quality/quantity.
Here’s to next year. Let’s go Mets!
Matt Leinwohl