CBS sportscast says New York Mets lost to Toronto Maple Leafs

It's pretty easy to get sports crossed up these days — especially with the NHL Finals running into what seems like the middle of the MLB season. And while the Mets don't get the sort of respect their cross-borough neighbors the Yankees get in their own city, it's even worse when you play a hockey team from Canada — and still lose!

On Thursday, a CBS New York sportscast botched a score between the local New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays.  And, despite a graphic the local station put on the TV screen, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not slapshot the Mets silly.

The "Ny" Mets are not our favourite squadron. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/5Ggusf4of8

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 19, 2015

Leave it to those humorous Canadians to respond with a Simpsons reference, eh?

Mets send fans 'loyalty letter' to boost attendance

Even when things are going pretty well for the New York Mets, the organization finds a way to blame someone else for their internal problems and muck up the good time feel.

Now, the Mets have interpreted the low attendance at Citi Field as a fan problem — not the five straight losing seasons — and this is what they are asking of them: a loyalty oath.

With the youthful, exciting Mets playing well 26 games into the season, the brass found a way to throw cold water on the early success by questioning the fans' allegiance to the team and using former stars from '69 and '86 to guilt them into coming to Citi Field with a pledge.

Over the last two days, the Mets have blasted letters to hundreds of thousands of people, over the signatures of some of the team’s greatest stars.

The passive-aggressive “To True New Yorkers” starts the letter signed and sent by Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Cleon Jones, Ed Charles, Jerry Koosman, and Doc Gooden:

Here's a quote that really lays the guilt on the long-suffering fans:

“As players, we can tell you that what happens in the clubhouse and what happens in the stands — players and fans together, believing in each other — makes a tremendous difference with what happens on the field.”

In other words: We’re finally winning but the stadium is still empty.

Attendance has dwindled every year since 2009, when the new ballpark maxed out season seating at around 3.4 million. 

The Mets still drew over 2.1 million people to Citi Field in 2013, to watch a team that didn’t spend a day in first place after April 4, didn’t spend a day over .500 after April 24, was never closer than 10 games out in the NL East after June 1.

Sounds like Mets fans are sending their own Dear John message.

Matt Harvey rehabs with model Asha Leo at Knicks game (PHOTO)

Maybe Matt Harvey does have this rehab stuff down pat.

The Mets ace — who said he intends to return to the mound this season after Tommy John surgery —was spotted at Sunday’s Knicks game alongside British fashion model Asha Leo, reported Page Six of The New York Post.

Although the Mets aren't taking any chances on Harvey pushing an early return, the All-Star believes he can come back in 2014.

But apparently, when it comes to healing from his recent breakup with model Anne V, there is no such time frame and Harvey took full advantage of that with a new lady on his valuable arm.

Next to Tracy Morgan and Phil Collins.

Harvey wasn’t in violation of his rehab agreement with general manager Sandy Alderson, according to a team spokesman.

Under that agreement, Harvey can rehab with the Mets when they are home, but must work out at their spring-training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., when the team is on the road. The Mets are six games into a nine-game road trip.

Even so, Sundays are off days for all rehabbing players and that's where his new flame pitched in. 

Harvey flew to New York after his Saturday workout, according to a source, and will resume rehabbing in Port St. Lucie on Monday.

Sundays just got a lot better for Harvey.

Ike Davis leads Mets to victory with pinch-hit grand slam (VIDEO)

Ike Davis belted a pinch-hit grand slam off J.J. Hoover in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Mets a 6-3 walk-off victory over the Reds Saturday.  The dramatic moment came just a day after manager Terry Collins announced Lucas Duda would start over him at first base.

“That’s basically going to be my role, so that’s going to be every game,” Davis said later of being ready to come off the bench. “I’m obviously not going to hit a home run every time, but I have to be ready for those big at-bats and hopefully I can take advantage of them.”

Deep down we all know what Davis was thinking — and he said it with his bat.

Eric Young robs Brandon Phillips of a home run with a great leaping catch (VIDEO)

The New York Mets needed something to get them started Friday night after three straight losses to open the season. Right away, in the top of the first,  Mets outfielder Eric Young did his part against the Cincinnati Reds.

Young robbed Brandon Phillips of a home run with a great leaping catch at the left-field fence and the Mets went on to their first victory of the season.

Overcast with temperatures hovering around 40-degrees at Citifield, the weather never cleared up and the grounds crew had to keep drying out the infield and mound. The announced attendance was 35,845, but empty seats were everywhere and it appeared fewer than 10,000 fans actually showed up.

So for all you Metsies who stayed away, here's Young's spectacular play.

NYC broadcasters blast Daniel Murphy's paternity leave: 'They should have had a C-section!' (VIDEO)

Right before Mike Francesa blasted Daniel Murphy for missing the first two games of the season while on paternity leave, two other New York sports radio hosts were criticizing the New York Mets second baseman for staying with his wife for the birth of their first child.

WFAN morning host Boomer Esiason said Murphy should have forced his wife to have a C-section before the season to help him avoid missing the first few games.

The team has not publicly complained about Murphy missing time, but Esiason's co-host Craig Carton insisted the infielder "get [his] ass back... [to] play baseball."

Yesterday afternoon WFAN host Francesa called paternity leave a "scam" and a "gimmick."

Murphy is allowed one to three days off, according to a provision in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement between owners and the player’s union – much less than the two weeks guaranteed by the federal government.

Esiason, himself a former NFL quarterback, argued Murphy should have told his wife to ‘have a C-section before the season starts’ because he needs "to be at Opening Day."

Carton agreed with the former Jets signal caller, saying "assuming the birth went well, the wife is fine, the baby is fine, 24 hours and then you get your ass back to your team and you play baseball."

"That’s my take on it," Carton continued. "There’s nothing you can do anyway, you’re not breastfeeding the kid."

Esiasion summed up his ranting by saying "[men] don’t have the plumbing to take care of what needs to be taken care of."

Anger over the 29-year-old Murphy's time away kept boiling over into the afternoon.

"One day I understand. And in the old days they didn’t do that. But one day, go see the baby be born and come back," said Francesa later in the day.

"You’re a Major League Baseball player. You can hire a nurse to take care of the baby if your wife needs help," he continued.

The hosts made sure to clarify that were speaking only of situations where there were no medical complications, but the point was already made.

Daniel and Victoria Murphy, married since 2012, welcomed baby Noah into their lives March 31. 

The five year veteran was in Florida for the birth while his team opened the season in New York against the Washington Nationals.

Murphy is expected to suit up for Thursday’s game, the third of the season, against the Nationals – he has not publicly commented on the issue.

Mets fans boo New York mayor as he throws opening day first pitch (VIDEO)

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was booed at Citi Field on Monday, even before he had a chance to throw out the first pitch.

The lanky, 6-foot-5 right-hander was greeted by Bronx cheers as soon as his name was announced during the Mets opening-day festivities in Flushing.

De Blasio — a noted Boston Red Sox fan, wore a Mets cap and jersey with a No. 6 on it in honor of 1960s-era Red Sox player Rico Petrocelli — tossed a strike to Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud, and flashed a relieved grin after his pitch reached the plate.

The rookie mayor — in office for only 90 days — played off the boos, suggesting that his supporters might have been too cold to cheer.

Yeah right.

But it was the Mets' bullpen that deserved the jeers after blowing an eighth inning lead before losing to Washington Nationals 9-7.

R.A. Dickey's life story will be made into a movie: Report

R.A. Dickey has seen more valleys and peaks during his 39 years than most people see in a lifetime — both literally and figuratively — and now it looks like the well-travelled knuckleballer's autobiography will be made into a movie.

And all the low points from Dickey's 2012 memoir Wherever I Wind Up will be there — including  Dickey's revelation that he suffered sexual abuse as a child — among several other hardships — to his frustrating 14 year stint in the minors and struggles with suicidal thoughts as an adult. 

On the upside, Dickey climbed Mount Kilimanjaro before going out and winning the 2012 NL Cy Young award — becoming the first knuckleballer ever to accomplish the feat. He even put his 2012 salary on the line in order to climb the mountain while raising awareness for human trafficking in India.

Though the last two events aren't in the book — it had already been written — it seems like two things that would make a rousing end to Dickey's long odyssey in the movie.

Actors Ben McKenzie and Logan Marshall-Green (both from "The O.C.") have joined forces to launch the production company A Thing Or Two Productions and get the ball floating. Tom Rothman's TriStar Pictures has made a deal on the baseball memoir which the duo will produce with Michael De Luca.  Buzz Bissinger — of "Friday Night Lights" fame —has been set to write the script.

Dickey was a subject in the 2012 documentary "Knuckleball." Now it's time to see who'll play him in the Hollywood version of his life. 

Infamous Clemens-Piazza broken World Series bat gets $47,800 at auction

The broken bat that Roger Clemens infamously threw in the direction of Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series was auctioned this weekend for $47,800.

The winning bidder asked to remain anonymous, a Heritage Auctions spokesman said Sunday. The auction house initially expected the bat to go for around $10,000, reports Newsday.

Former Yankees strength coach Jeff Mangold, who sold the Subway Series bat, said in an interview this month that he noticed immediately after that World Series Game 2 ended that Piazza's broken bat was headed for the trash and thought it was too meaningful to be thrown away.

So Mangold said he took it home and quietly displayed it in his office for 13 years.

He said the broken barrel of Piazza's Mizuno Pro bat still has the old Yankee Stadium dirt stuck in its end because, after Clemens threw it toward Piazza, the bat took a few bounces before getting stuck in the grass.

"I've had it for 13 years, mainly in the office here at the house," said Mangold of the memento. "It's time for it to move on."

Mangold was the strength coach for the Yankees from 1984-88 and again from 1998-2006, and for the Mets from 1993-96. He said he's done Google searches over the years to see if anyone ever wondered about the bat's whereabouts.

"There was no mention of it, just no mention of it at all," Mangold said of the symbolic piece of wood. "Just a handful of friends of mine know about it. I wasn't out to show it off or anything. It was just something that was known among our family. Very strange, for all these years, nobody ever mentioned. The Hall of Fame never inquired about it. No one did."

Amazing.

David Wright feels 'jealousy' and an 'urgency' looking at Jeter's success

Believe it or not, there is one thing almost every major leaguer has in common with David Wright. Excluding million dollar paychecks, superb athletic ability and a supermodel wife, they can take comfort knowing the Mets third baseman is 'jealous' of Derek Jeter's success.

Even if some won't admit it, the 31-year-old Wright outright confessed that Jeter's five World Championship rings, postseason play and consistency have led to an 'urgency' in achieving some of the same accomplishments that Jeter has during his Hall of Fame career.

When asked Thursday if he is getting impatient, Wright said:

“Of course. Impatient is an understatement. You look at what he has accomplished. The type of player that [Jeter] is, the type of person that he is is something that I’ve looked up to at a very young age and I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve gotten to grow up seeing one of the best to ever do it, seeing it firsthand.

 “I am envious, jealous of what he has accomplished in his career — the winning,’’ Wright said with passion. “Not even so much what he has accomplished numbers-wise, but I think what he has been able to accomplish with that team as a leader, the winning. It’s something that every young player, every player in general kind of strides to be.’’

It sounded like the Mets five straight losing seasons have Wright contemplating his own legacy. By age 31, Jeter already had six World Series under his belt — and four championship rings on his fingers.

Like Jeter, Wright is beloved by New York fans but, unlike the Captain, has just one postseason appearance and no World Series experience.

“I feel like I blink and I’m 10 years into a major league career,’’ Wright said. “I’d like to win before I get to the point where I feel I can’t do it at a high level anymore. You feel that urgency [to win] when you feel like just yesterday you were 21 years old and now, all of a sudden you’re 31. I still feel like I got a lot in the tank, but at the same time, I know how fast this 10 years went by and I hope these next seven don’t go by as nearly as fast.’’

Over the course of his magnificent career, Jeter has played in 158 postseason games with 650 at-bats, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .308 average. He has appeared in 38 World Series games and is a lifetime .321 hitter. Jeter has played in 33 postseason series. Wright has played in two.

Asked if he felt the Mets could have done a Yankee-size overhaul to make the team better this offseason, Wright said, “I’m probably kind of like the fans, where you want to go out there and sign every player but at the end of the day, it’s easy to give away somebody else’s money and say, ‘I want to sign every good free agent there is.’ ’’

See. It's nice to be David Wright, but better to be Derek Jeter.

Jay Z secretly shopping Robinson Cano to Mets: Report

While the notion of Robinson Cano leaving the New York Yankees has Bomber fans clutching their chests, it remains a good possibility. Especially since the two parties are about $140 million apart in their preliminary talks. But the real heartbreak might come if this year's most sought after free agent took his skills cross-borough from the Bronx over to Queens?

There's no question that Cano is looking to cash in with Jay Z as his new hands-on agent and staying in pinstripes is a top priority, but the N.Y. Post is reporting that the rap mogul had a secret meeting Monday night shopping the All-Star to the rival Mets.

The hip-hop impresario joined Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, general manager Sandy Alderson and assistant general manager John Ricco for dinner at a posh Manhattan hotel to discuss Cano’s free agency, two sources familiar with the situation told The Post. Cano’s group, which also featured agents Brodie Van Wagenen and Juan Perez, initiated the meeting; Cano himself didn’t attend.

While Alderson stated last week to say he couldn’t envision the Mets taking on another player with a contract as big as Cano's projected deal, that doesn't mean he can't kick the tires of the best free agent on the market. 

Cano's reps asked the Yankees for a 10-year, $310 million contract, and the Yankees countered with a seven-year offer for between $161 and $168 million. Those are expensive Michelins.

The Yankees have not held extensive talks with Cano’s representatives since free agency began, and they’re unlikely to be shaken by this meeting, given the Mets’ stated salary-commitment intentions and their payroll-slashing of the last three years. Besides, the Mets have a capable second baseman in Daniel Murphy. Not that the tradable Murphy would stand in the Mets' way of getting a player of Cano's caliber.

Cano going to the Mets is definitely a long shot. But the Mets simply had little to lose by agreeing to this meeting. And, in fact, will probably get a little respect from their fans in doing so.    

Jay Z has made it clear his representation of Cano is about marketing as well as baseball, and staying in New York with the Mets would give still Cano as many marketing opportunities as he had with the Yankees — maybe more.

Matt Harvey declares himself 'ahead of schedule' after Tommy John surgery

Matt Harvey made his first pubic comments since having arm surgery six days ago and, with a robotic brace on his right arm and his easier-on-the-eyes girlfriend, Anne Vyalitsyna, clutching his left, declared himself "ahead of schedule" after undergoing the Tommy John procedure.

The couple walked down the "blue carpet" outside the renovated Madison Square Garden Monday night for the New York Rangers home opener. But the Mets righthander knew the spotlight was focused on his valuable arm.

“I am just doing range of motion stuff now, but today was the first day I could take the bandages off and I was at (Hospital for Special Surgery) working and everybody thinks I am ahead of schedule," Harvey told the N.Y. Daily News.

 “We were able to straighten it today and I think they were surprised I could do that, already.“So the rehab is ahead of schedule,” said Harvey, a big Rangers fan and a regular at the Blueshirts games.

That is the first good news from Harvey since Aug. 24, when he was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. The pitcher took his time exploring his options before committing to surgery, which generally takes a year to recover from. After talking to other pitchers who had suffered similar injuries, most notably Roy Halladay, he began a program to strengthen the muscles around the tendon to try and throw with the partial tear.

He never got as far as the throwing portion of the program before he decided on having the surgery. Harvey admitted Monday night it was a “tough” situation for him.

“Before I decided to go with surgery, I wanted to make sure I was mentally prepared, just fully committed in my decision,” Harvey said. “My mom was down there during the surgery. The last time I was in the hospital was when I was born. This was definitely a tough decision and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.”

But Mets fans should not get their hopes up for Harvey's return next season. Team sources have said they are not prepared to let their ace pitch in 2014. But last night's optimism is a good sign for 2015.

LaTroy Hawkins helps restrain irate passenger aboard flight to Chile

LaTroy Hawkins hasn't worn a New York Mets uniform in weeks, but that didn't stop the closer from making a save. And at 40,000 feet in the air.

Hawkins was  on American Airlines Flight 945, where he and two friends restrained an irate passenger who wrestled with a flight attendant because he was upset with his seat assignment.

"I saw that this guy kept coming up to the front, but I didn't think anything of it," Hawkins said from Argentina, where he is on a dove-hunting trip.

According to Hawkins, he and his traveling party were 2 1/2 hours into a flight from Dallas to Santiago, Chile, early Monday morning when the passenger began a physical altercation with a flight attendant.

"They get to tussling and land in my lap," Hawkins said. "Knocked over my ice cream sundae, knocked over the wine, everything all over me. I jump up, we grab his arm, I had one arm in the air and my knee in his back trying to keep him down because he keeps trying to move."

Hawkins used zip ties to restrain the passenger's hands and feet. But sometime later, with most of the cabin asleep, Hawkins said the man got free from the restraints and caused another disturbance.

This time Hawkins' friends intervened first. Rodney Carter and Leonard Whittenberg subdued the passenger. Hawkins helped to again apply zip ties and tape. The second incident prompted a 4:16 a.m. emergency landing in Lima, Peru, where the troublesome passenger was taken into custody.

Hawkins tweeted about the incident:

These 2 studs had to subdue a guy on our flight from DFW to Santiago Chile.. Escorted him of the plane… http://t.co/8g9knvQVqJ
— LaTroy Hawkins (@LaTroyHawkins32) October 28, 2013

According to American Airlines, Flight 945 was grounded for two hours before it proceeded to Santiago. Hawkins and his party missed a connecting flight to Argentina, which cost them a day of their planned hunting trip.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

Man arrested for making Twitter threats to Mets and Citi Field

A Connecticut man was arrested Wednesday and charged with making threats against the New York Mets on Twitter. He also made 140-characters-or-less threats to poison the food at Citi Field and blow up the clubhouse, according to a team source.

West Haven police took 42-year-old Aryn Leroux into custody Wednesday, and he was charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace, according to the Connecticut State’s attorney’s office. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Leroux, a resident of West Haven, is alleged to have threatened Mets players, coaches, executives and in one case, a girlfriend of a player, using the handle @danXtanna via Twitter.

The threatening tweets come a day after New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs and his family were menaced with death threats by another man on Twitter.

The user @danXtanna had long been known as a disgruntled fan to Mets players. Two players said that they were warned about that Twitter user in spring training. Throughout the season, @danXtanna had Twitter disputes with several players, including veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

Much of Leroux’s thumb-bluster was dismissed by the players as that of an overzealous, disgruntled fan and a few, such as reliever David Aardsma, simply blocked him on the social media site.

Last month, however, the threats escalated. The Mets and MLB security investigated what a team source said were “terroristic threats,” and security turned Leroux’s Twitter handle over to Queens police.

On Sept. 13, @danXtanna suggested Mets fans should act like slasher Jason Voorhees from the horror film series “Friday the 13th” mentioning the Mets’ manager, owner and general manager. Also, later in the month, he allegedly threatened to blow up the Mets clubhouse and poison the food at Citi Field, said the source.

Several fans on Twitter, seeing the threats, contacted the Mets and Twitter to alert them. 

Via @danXtanna, Leroux had threatened not only Hawkins, but utility infielder Justin Turner and Turner’s girlfriend, according to a team source. Hawkins and Turner are two active Mets on Twitter.

Hawkins confirmed he had some interaction with the @danXtanna account that he considered threatening.

“It’s good,” Hawkins said of the arrest. “You can’t go around making threats on Twitter and hide. I understand fans being upset, but you cannot threaten people’s lives.”

Hawkins said he enjoys the interaction with fans on Twitter. He said 90% of it is positive, 10% is negative, but Leroux’s tweets stood out for their intensity.

“He threatened to blow us up, he had a whole elaborate scheme,” Hawkins said. “I know fans invest a lot in sports, they put their faith in the players and their teams, but you cannot threaten people’s lives over it.”

Police said Leroux posted $2,500 bail. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday. It was not clear if he has a lawyer, and a phone listing for him was disconnected.

The Mets have not commented on the arrest.

Mets rookies dress up as bride and bridal party

It was Rookie Dress Up Day for many MLB teams Sunday and, with LaTroy Hawkins in charge as the designated best man, the Mets rookies had to dress up as a bridal party in purple dresses for the trip to Cincinnati. Zack Wheeler earned the honor of being the bride.

Bridezillas beware.

The bride for #Mets 2013 Rookie dress up. @Wheelerpro45 pic.twitter.com/s5VohN8KOZ
— LaTroy Hawkins (@LaTroyHawkins32) September 22, 2013

Jerry Seinfeld joins Mets broadcast booth (VIDEO)

If you don't already get enough of "Seinfeld " reruns airing non-stop on television these days, maybe you were lucky enough to catch real-life Jerry calling the Mets game at Citi Field Tuesday night.

The star of the iconic TV sitcom and die-hard Mets fan joined old friend Keith "Pretty Boy" Hernandez, Ron Darling and Gary Cohen in the SNY broadcast booth during the game against the Giants.

The comedian brought his usual sense of of the absurd to the quartet and offered a few What's the deal with takes on things bothering Mets fans (maybe not) these days. Seinfeld suggested padding the outfield walls with sofa cushions to make them safer and getting complimentary surgery for mentioning Dr. James Andrews on the air. He even touched on Hernandez's make-out scene with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the classic hour-long 1992 episode "The Boyfriend." Hernandez sounded joyful recalling they did the scene in "eight takes."

As hopefully expected, it was a broadcast segment about nothing. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Mets fan makes nice barehanded catch, then friend swipes ball (VIDEO)

A New York Mets fan made an impressive barehanded catch of a screaming line drive off the bat of Travis d'Araud and didn't even get to keep the ball.  After snagging the Citi Field souvenir — and saving a few people seated behind him — the dude's buddy yanked the ball from his blistered hands and put it in his pocket.

Bet that high-five hurt just a little too.

Yonder Alonso misses bag in strange play at first base (VIDEO)

Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso has trouble finding the bag after receiving the throw from Eric Stults, allowing Mets batter Juan Lagares to reach safely on Sunday.

The odd-looking play came after Alonso had already been called for being off the bag earlier in this series when he wasn't, but this time the first baseman looked like he was purposely stepping away from making the tag.

Mets announcer Keith Hernandez — a pretty good first baseman during his playing days — couldn't believe Alonso's sluggish gaffe.

"[His teammates should] have a cup of black coffee for him when he comes back [to the dugout]," he suggested. "It's ninety feet, not ninety-three."

LaTroy Hawkins takes comebacker to the... you know where

You think you had a bad day at work? Check out what happened to Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins. That's right, it hit him exactly where you think it did. And to make matters worse, Hawkins gave up a game-tying, two-run homer after taking the “direct hit” on a comebacker to his groin.

The veteran righthander said he was not wearing a protective cup and said it felt like he was “kicked by a mule” when the Dodgers' Jerry Hairston Jr. one-hopped the ball to his boys. Three pitches later, pinch-hitter Andre Ethier hit an opposite-field blast to tie the game at 4.

Hawkins got out of the inning, but limped off the field and was in severe pain after the game.

At least the fans in the background felt his pain.

Young Dodgers fan tags out Juan Uribe during photo op

Juan Uribe has been taking a lot of ribbing since falling for the old hidden ball trick the other day against the Rays. After the third baseman got caught napping and called out for taking his foot off the bag, his teammates gave him a shoe taped to a base as a gag.

Last night even a young Dodgers fan got in on the action.

The kid was taking a photo with Uribe before Tuesday's game against the Mets when, before walking away, touches him on the arm with the ball to recreate Evan Longoria's tag during Uribe's embarrassing gaffe.

At first, an astonished Uribe glares at the boy before realizing his teammates put the little prankster up to the comical task.

It's pretty funny now but ... if they had lost.