MLB looks to end on-field champagne celebrations: Report

Major League Baseball, seemingly taking a lead from that No Fun League, had a message to teams that carry their postseason champagne celebrations onto the field to spray fans: Don't pop that cork outside.

MLB, concerned that such celebratory interaction in the stands is getting out of control and poses potential danger for fans, especially young ones, claimed there could even be disciplinary action involved.

After the Mets clinched the NLCS in Game 4 on Wednesday night, officials stopped several players at the door of the visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley Field and asked them not to go onto the field carrying champagne bottles.

Some players were annoyed, but soon after, manager Terry Collins was on the field spraying a few dozen jubilant Mets fans — who seemed to love every spritz from the bottle.

Amazing video of Terry Collins spraying the Mets fans at Wrigley with champagne! @SNYtv pic.twitter.com/W9FYWGbPjR

— Matt Dunn (@MattDunnSNY) October 22, 2015

It was not clear whether Collins had any idea that MLB had been trying to curtail such behavior.

But Collins' celebration was shared widely on social media and further cemented his popularity among the Mets faithful.

Terry Collins sprays Mets fans with champagne after team sweeps Cubs (VIDEO)

A small group of Mets fans got to be part of an amazing celebration after their team beat the Cubs, 8-3, to clinch a World Series berth in Chicago Wednesday night.

To show his appreciation for their away game support, Mets manager Terry Collins made the loyal fans part of the team's celebration when he playfully sprayed them with champagne as they chanted, "Let's go Mets" behind their Wrigley Field dugout after the game.

Amazing video of Terry Collins spraying the Mets fans at Wrigley with champagne! @SNYtv pic.twitter.com/W9FYWGbPjR

— Matt Dunn (@MattDunnSNY) October 22, 2015

It's been 15 years since a Mets team won a pennant, so the fans also chanted the manager's name, "Terry Collins," in gratitude as well.

Terry Collins just doused Mets fans with champagne. They are chanting his name in gratitude.

— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) October 22, 2015

Matt Harvey ‘sore and swelled up,’ putting Game 5 in question: Report

Matt Harvey is still scheduled to pitch a potential Game 5 of the NLCS for the Mets, but there is still some concern about the right-hander’s availability.

Manager Terry Collins on Monday described Harvey as “sore and swelled up,” two days after the pitcher was hit by a line drive near his right shoulder in Game 1 of the NLCS, reported the New York Post.

“The big day will be (Tuesday),” Collins said, referring to Harvey’s scheduled throw day.

In the sixth inning of Saturday night’s game, Dexter Fowler hit a line drive that careened off Harvey between the elbow and the shoulder, bouncing high in the air before the pitcher completed the out.

If Harvey isn’t deemed fit to pitch a potential Game 5, the start could go to Bartolo Colon, according to Collins.

Random Mets fan kisses Terry Collins after Game 5 win and says 'I love you' (VIDEO)

It was a wild and crazy scene Thursday night when dozens of jubilant Mets fans hung out behind the visitors dugout after the Mets Game 5 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. But things got just a tad weird when one seemingly random Metsie grabbed manager Terry Collins and gave him a big kiss with an "I love you" to boot.

Come on dude. We know it's been a long time, but save it for the Kiss Cam at Citi Field.



And is that a Dodgers fan giving them the finger in the bottom right hand corner?

You're No. 1.

Matt Harvey too 'jacked up' to face Nationals in loss says Mets manager

Matt Harvey came out blazing against the Nationals Monday night — and maybe a little too much so.

After his first first pitch blew by Michael Taylor at 99 miles per hour, it looked like the Mets righthander's velocity was there. The command, however, was nowhere to be seen. 

And that was Harvey's undoing in the Mets 7-2 loss to the Nationals. 

Mets Manager Terry Collins had specifically lined up their pitching rotation to have their star throw in the first game against their division rivals, only to watch him lose control early and too often.

Harvey allowed five runs in seven innings, despite consistently throwing in the mid-90s, with four of them earned. He did not receive much help from the defense behind him but he also hurt himself too, walking four batters and striking out just three.

"The fact that there's been a lot made about this road trip," Collins said later about the big series. "I think he was kind of jacked up and overthrew a little bit."

Washington scored twice in the first inning, with a hit by Danny Espinosa and a walk by Bryce Harper followed by an RBI single by Yunel Escobar. Then Harvey bounced a pitch in the dirt with Harper on second. Catcher Anthony Recker threw to second and while Escobar was tagged out in a rundown, Harper wheeled around to give Washington a 2-0 lead.

In the third inning, the Mets shoddy play continued. After Espinosa and Harper again singled and walked, Clint Robinson doubled to score both.

Then Daniel Murphy threw away a ground ball by Ian Desmond so Robinson scored too. It was his second error of the game.

After the game, the fact that Harvey retired the final 14 batters he faced after falling behind seemed a moot point.

"I couldn't really find a rhythm and find a zone," he said. "It's tough against a team like that. If you can't find, maybe you try a little bit too hard to find it right away instead of toning it down."

He added: "Unfortunately it's a big series and I needed to find it earlier and I wasn't able to do that."

Mets botch suicide squeeze play in laughable fashion (VIDEO)

Terry Collins is trying almost anything these days in a desperate attempt to help the New York Mets push across a run.

And the way things played out for the Mets in their eighth inning against the Cubs in their 2-0, 11 inning loss, it might be a long time coming. 

The Mets hadn't scored in nearly 17 innings at that point and were in dire need of a run to break a 0-0 tie against the Cubs.

So, with Daniel Murphy on second and Ruben Tejada on third, Collins called for Darrell Ceciliani to lay down a suicide squeeze bunt.

Mets fans might want to avert their eyes from this clip:

Mets botch a suicide squeeze play, two Mets players end up on 3rd base. Both Mets players are called out #LOLMets pic.twitter.com/hzTbZeuQHy

— Mets fans Can't Spel (@MetsKevin11) July 2, 2015

There was some confusion as to whether a double play could have been called on both dumbfounded players standing there at third, but only Tejada was ruled out.

"We're going to do something we haven't done all year and have him try to squeeze," Collins later explained. "We didn't have anything to lose except try to score a run. So that's why we did it. We just didn't execute it."

Desperation.

Bartolo Colon gets Mets' Opening Day nod ahead of Harvey, deGrom: Report

The New York Mets have spent most of the offseason hyping up fans with all of their talk about their young pitching. But, despite being blessed with that abundance of young arms, the team’s Opening Day starter will be a man north of age 40.

On Monday, Terry Collins made the announcement that Bartolo Colon will start on Opening Day in Washington against the Nationals’ Max Scherzer. And the young studs, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey will follow.

Beyond Scherzer, Washington has not announced its rotation, but deGrom will likely face Jordan Zimmermann, and Harvey will likely oppose Stephen Strasburg in games two and three.

Colon, at 41 years, 317 days, will be the oldest Opening Day starter in franchise history, topping Tom Glavine (41 years, 7 days) for the dubious honor. This will be the 281-pound Round Mound on the Mound's seventh career Opening Day start.

If it all sounds a little strange — even in the bizarro world of Mets baseball — for the fourth best starter in a rotation to open the season — logic says that the Mets will increase attendance for the second game at Citi Field by starting Harvey, the team's ace, because the Flushing home opener will be a big draw regardless of the starter.

Harvey, the 2013 National League All-Star starting pitcher did not appear last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the Opening Day start is usually awarded for a pitcher's recent body of work.

Last year, Colon was 15-13 with a 4.09 earned run average. He contributed 202 innings, his first 200-inning season since 2005, when he won the American League Cy Young Award.

“(Harvey) didn’t pitch last year,” Collins said. “It’s not a big deal. You’ve still got to pitch. If we get Matt Harvey his 30-some starts, I like our chances. ... That’s no disrespect to Matt at all. He is our ace, we know it, he knows it, I told him that he’s going to pitch a lot of big games this summer.

“You go back, and you look at what Bart did all season long, and you know what? He’s earned it,” Collins said.

Mets' Jenrry Mejia moonwalks off mound after strikeout (GIF)

Jenrry Mejia was bumped from the Mets starting rotation to the bullpen Monday after a string of bad starts.  But that demotion apparently didn't have anything to do with his dance moves.

The righthander played a crucial part in Monday night's Subway Series opener when Manager Terry Collins asked him to first keep the game close in the seventh and then protect a two-run lead in the eighth. 

Mejia's final pitch was an inning-ending called strike three to Brett Gardner, and he celebrated by moonwalking off the mound:

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.

Matt Harvey clears up Derek comparison: 'I wanted to be like Jeter in good ways'

Matt Harvey unintentionally opened up a real can of worms when excerpts from a Men's Journal article yesterday quoted the Mets pitcher saying — even with his own movie star looks and beautiful girlfriend — he admired Derek Jeter and wanted to be more like the Yankees star, among other pronouncements.

“That guy is the model,” Harvey said in the article. “I mean, first off, let’s just look at the women he’s dated. Obviously, he goes out – he’s meeting these girls somewhere – but you never hear about it. That’s where I want to be.”

Well, something about that did not sit well with Harvey — and probably not with his steady girlfriend Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Anne V either — and today, the New York Mets All-Star pitcher tweeted, “It really sucks how words get used and completely taken out of context.”

It really sucks how words get used and completely taken out of context.
— Matt Harvey (@MattHarvey33) July 18, 2013

Harvey tried to clarify his words.

“I said I wanted to be like Jeter in good ways," he told The New York Daily News. "I used an example of how he probably goes out, but you never hear anything bad.

“I love watching Jeter because he played hard every single night and was a winner. When I moved to NYC, the respect for him grew, because I realized what the media was like.  And for him, he always stayed out of the bad media, making him a leader on and off the field.”

 And it's bad to be like Jeter in what ways?

So apparently it's not all about handing out morning-after autographed, swag bags to a conga-line of beautiful models and actresses that Harvey wants to emulate — it’s the winning play, and ability to handle the media spotlight in New York.

There really doesn’t seem to be any need to worry about Harvey’s focus says Mets manager Terry Collins. 

Collins loves the young man’s focus and drive, and sees nothing different about his rising star in recent months.  As the world has asked more of Harvey, he has enjoyed the spotlight, but not at the expense of his job.

“No,” he said, quick and definitive, when asked this week if he was worried about Harvey’s focus.  “He’s a great kid.”

Again. It's bad to be like Jeter in what ways?

Valdespin called manager Collins a 'c---sucker' after demotion to minors: Report

It sounds like Jordany Valdespin wasn't to happy to hear that he will have to watch the All-Star Game from Las Vegas instead of New York this week and reportedly flipped out and called Mets manager Terry Collins a" c---sucker" when he got the news that he was being demoted to the minors.

After Collins informed Valdespin that the Mets had decided to option him to Triple-A Las Vegas Saturday night, the emotional ballplayer went off in the visitors clubhouse at PNC Park, yelling furiously while his startled teammates looked on, according to two people who witnessed the episode.

The witnesses requested anonymity to speak freely on the matter.

Bullpen coach Ricky Bones had to calm the 25-year-old down, according to one of the sources.

"He’s not helping himself," one person said of Valdespin. "Everyone gets upset when that happens, but you just need to shut up and pack your bags."

Valdespin had a similar incident last season as a rookie, when he became furious after teammates played a prank on him in San Francisco.

In May, the troublesome Valdespin attracted more negative attention when he flipped his bat and admired a home run he hit against the Pirates while the Mets were getting routed.

He was beaned by a pitch later in the series.

"He still doesn’t get it," another witness of Saturday night’s outburst said.

Valdespin, who was demoted to make room for reliever Scott Atchison, saw his playing time dwindle in recent weeks. When he did play, he struggled. He registered just two hits over his final 36 at-bats to drop his batting average to .188. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage stood at .566.

Valdespin’s demotion seemed inevitable: Collins said he expects Justin Turner to join the team Friday. Turner has been on the disabled list with an intercostal strain. He likely would’ve replaced Valdespin.

Collins said the opportunity to play every day should help Valdespin, who will report to Triple-A Las Vegas.

"We've talked about this many times: It's hard for a young player who has pretty much spent his whole career as an everyday player to come up and play, maybe, once a week and then come off the bench and hit," Collins said. "It's very difficult. So he's got to go get some playing time. He's got to go get his swing back -- certainly get back in the lineup. If he's going to come back, at least he's got to get some at-bats."

It sounds like he's got to take life like a man too.

Mets backup catcher makes pitching debut in blowout loss

New York Mets backup catcher Anthony Recker had only one regret after his major-league debut on the mound Sunday.

"I wish I could have gotten ahead of somebody so I could have thrown some off-speed stuff," said Recker, who allowed two runs in the final inning of the Mets' 13-2 loss to the Washington Nationals.

Recker stuck with fastballs, topping out at 88 mph, after being asked to mop up for the bullpen with the Mets hopelessly behind in the ninth inning. The Nationals scored six runs off Brandon Lyon in the eighth to blow the game open.

SEE VIDEO

That prompted manager Terry Collins to make Recker the first Mets position player to pitch since Rob Johnson on May 18, 2012.

"It was just funny," said Recker, who gave up a two-run homer to Ian Desmond before retiring the next three batters on flyouts. "I mean, it's different. I just tried to have fun with it basically. There's nothing else you can do."

Recker last pitched at Alvernia College (Reading, Pa.), where he experimented with a knuckleball. He didn't use it in the game but threw one in warm-ups, and it moved so much that it nearly struck catcher John Buck in the chin.

Buck said he's had plenty of experience catching position players. "Yeah, I played for the Royals, man," he said. "It was not my first blowout."

Recker would finish the game with three straight flyball outs and an 18.00 ERA.

Mets' Duda tells Harvey he's sorry for messing up no-hit bid

Lucas Duda took all the blame for the mix-up at first base which, at the time, cost starter Matt Harvey a chance at getting a no-hitter yesterday.

Duda sought out Harvey after Tuesday afternoon’s game and apologized for the seventh-inning gaffe. Playing first base for the second straight game, but only the second time this season, Duda felt his misplay denied the young Mets pitcher a no-no.

“It’s absolutely, 100% my fault,” Duda said after Harvey ended up giving up three runs and three hits. 

“I take full responsibility right there. I shouldn’t have left the bag, it’s my fault. I should have read it better, should have been an out. I’ll take all responsibility for that.”

Jason Heyward’s high chopper up the first base line to lead off the seventh caused confusion between the pitcher and Duda, who charged the ball. When Harvey grabbed the ball, Duda was next to him and no one was covering first base.

“Matt had a pretty good jump on it, I didn’t read it very well, and we gave up that hit,” Duda said. “That hit’s on me.”

Manager Terry Collins got Duda off the hook. “On an in-betweener like that, he can’t assume the pitcher’s going to get it,” he said.

Harvey also said the ball had a weird spin on it, bouncing a bit backward toward home plate, which he felt prevented him from being able to run the ball to first base. He also did not think he could have tagged Heyward as he ran by.

The Mets held on for a 4-3 victory for Harvey's sixth win of the season.

Mets Closer Frank Francisco goes off on umpire

New York Mets closer Frank Francisco has blown a lot of games this season but yesterday he blew his top and it may have cost him his job.

Francisco didn't even retire a batter in the top of the ninth against the Miami Marlins before he was pulled from the game, walked towards home plate and started to unload a barrage of expletives at home plate umpire Todd Tichenor.

With the Mets leading 4-2, Francisco allowed a leadoff triple to Emilio Bonafacio and walked John Buck on four pitches before Doug Dobbs had an RBI single.  Mets coach Terry Collins removed his combustible closer and had to separate Francisco from the umpire as he marched towards home plate screaming obscenities at Tichenor before being ejected.

Francisco claimed all four balls he threw to Buck were strikes and blamed Tichenor for squeezing the strike zone.

After Giancarlo Stanton's walk-off grand slam against Manny Acosta gave the Marlins an 8-4 victory at Miami Park, it was reported that Francisco vacantly stared at his locker while the other players dressed.

Francisco is 1-3 with an 8.56 ERA and probably wouldn't be surprised to find himself demoted.

Collins told The New York Post he wouldn't address the problem right now.

"The emotions are running a little high tonight," said Collins.  "And that's not a good time to make a decision."

Bobby Valentine gets radio show in Yankees Universe

It didn't take long for Bobby Valentine to get under the skin of New York Yankees fans— once he became the manager of the Boston Red Sox— and now, he'll be buzzing in their ears as well.

ESPN-1050 has signed the outspoken Valentine to do a weekly manager's segment on "The Michael Kay Show."  This will pit Kay— the voice of the YES Network's voice of the Yankees— against the controversial manager of the hated Sox.

If the station hopes to stir things up between the two rivals, they couldn't have picked a better catalyst.  Valentine has already taken shots at a couple of the Yankee players including the face of the Yankees— Derek Jeter.

There may be a segment of the Yankees Universe that will not accept listening to Valentine as a matter of principle.  The Red Sox are despised by New York fans and Valentine's mouthing off, even before managing a single game from the Fenway Park dugout, has made him Bronx Enemy No. 1.

ESPN is hoping— by invading their air space— some of those fans tune in to hear the man they love to hate.

Valentine's arrival at ESPN New York is the first time a manager from other than the Yankees or Mets has signed a contract to make regular appearances on a local sportstalk station.

We'll have to wait and listen to find out if it's a bases-loaded strike or a grand slam for ESPN.  The station does not have radio rights for either the Yankees or the Mets and doesn't  have any well-known baseball personalities under contract.  This hiring changes all that.

Both local managers— the Yankees' Joe Girardi and Terry Collins of the Mets— are signed to WFAN, so ESPN reached out to Valentine as an option.

"The idea of getting Bobby intrigued them," said a source. "And since he already worked for ESPN ("Sunday Night Baseball") a relationship was already established."

The knowledgeable Valentine makes his debut today and some Yankees fans may want to cover their ears when he gives his weekly opinions, but it should make for some good radio.

That first Yankees-Red Sox series could be a doozy.

Reyes Pulled After Getting Hit To Preserve Batting Title Chances

Jose Reyes celebrated a lead-off bunt-single in the first inning-- lifting his batting average to a National League-leading .337  (technically, almost three points higher than Milwaukee's Ryan Braun's .335) in the New York Mets season finale this afternoon-- before Mets manager Terry Collins promptly removed his shortstop for a pinch-runner.

When Collins pulled Reyes, the home-crowd cheers at CitiField broke out into resounding boos.

While the manager's move almost guarantees Reyes the batting title, it didn't evoke any memories of Ted Williams's dignified pursuit of .400 when the Red Sox legend finished playing both games of a double-header after he already reached the milestone on the final day of the season 70 years ago.

Collins had hinted that he would lift his shortstop once Reyes had a higher average than his competition, but the move disappointed a lot of the fans who came to see their free-agent-to-be do it more legitimately.

Get the asterisks ready.

In what could be Reye's last at-bat in a Mets uniform, it was kind of an anti-climatic end to the player's amazing season and who was possibly the lone bright spot during the team's dismal year. 

Reyes admitted last week that he was striving to become the first Mets player to win a batting title and was routinely reminded about it.

He said he was being overwhelmed with text messages telling him what Braun did and what Braun was doing.

Braun must now go 3-for-4 in Wednesday night's game vs. Pittsburgh to pass Reyes for the title.

If Braun goes 3-for-4 and has another at-bat, do you think he'll be pulled from the game?