A few impressions that remain from another late night in San Diego absorbed via the television in New York:
• The San Diego Padres of this century, no matter their episodic success, always come off as extras in a not particularly believable baseball movie. “Why couldn’t they use a real team? Padres? What the hell are those?” This current edition of Padres, who excelled on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, may grow into a roving band of West Coast marauders, but I stand by my sense that they don’t really exist.
• Steven Matz will be the subject of next week’s ABC Afterschool Special, “The Lefty Who Lost His Way,” set on Long Island, but filmed in Vancouver for budgetary reasons. He said that despite his sickly looking performances of late that he’s feeling fine, so I assume something is terribly wrong. Based on how he’s pitched, something is terribly wrong. Whether it’s physical, per se, or just, you know, something wrong…well, something’s wrong.
• Randy Jones was a welcome middle-innings guest on SNY. He’s doing better than he was a few months ago and doing better than Matz, by all indications. The Padres’ premiere lefty of days gone by is in possession of Jerry Koosman’s 1976 National League Cy Young Award, but we won’t hold that against him. Nor will we dwell on his Mickey Lolich Lite tenure as a Met in 1981 and 1982. Some guys pass through your premises, some guys have legacies somewhere else. Keep throwing that soft stuff, Mr. Jones, and getting ’em out San Diego way. You were a helluva pitcher. (Maybe have a word with our Steven if you can spare it.)
• Chris Flexen starts tonight for the Mets. Clean slate. Fill it with outs, young feller.
• We’ll be rockin’ in Rockville Centre Friday night at 7:00, talkin’ Piazza and all that good ’90s Mets stuff. Come on over to where I’ll be speaking of the ex-Padre and eternal Met. The place has books and wine and, for a spell, me. Would love to see you. Thanks.
Well…, TC says Matz keeps throwing the ball over the middle of the plate. “You can’t do that in the big leagues.” Quoth TC.
No doubt Dan Warthen is diligently analyzing all this middle of the plate business. But meanwhile…,
Why not get it over with ? Put Matz on the 10 day DL and start Tyler Pill in his place? Has anybody seen Tommy Milone?
Millone was just sighted somewhere on the Gulf Coast. Something about starting a rehab assignment.
So there’s that.
In the Ramirez-era Mets it’s always better to figure/pretend nothing’s wrong, put the guy out there while something’s (likely) wrong physically – and at some point (possibly) before said player has lost all confidence, he’ll get even more hurt and finally see serious shut-down time.
Is this a failure of diagnostics or just a dogged desire to have guys “fight through” injury?
Well, it’s not like they’d ever put someone on a long flight after a concussion…
Yeah Greg, I agree… something’s wrong.
Already getting bad vibes on this Flexen guy. His name sounds like a reason to be on the DL.
Becoming a Met is a reason to be on the DL.
We know that Matz pitched really really badly because the opposing team teed off on him early, then the soft underbelly of the bullpen proceeded to give up 1 hit and 1 walk for the rest of game.
Hopefully, he’s just suffering from a correctable mechanical breakdown in his delivery, a la deGrom.
wow, duda to rays…
smith to head to seattle for weekend i hope?
Greg/Jason-
Saw Matz in 2015 @ Dodger Stadium-sat about 20 rows just to 1st base side of Home plate. Saw the action/break/movement on his pitches close up. FYI–Pal & wife spent $75 for ticket-I stopped going to Dodger Stadium after 2006. I had been to every Met Game here since 1976–including both Kong’s & C.Washington’s 3 HR games that drove Lasorda nuts.
In 2015 Matz was sharp-shut out Dodgers 6-0.
Matz now looks lost on the mound-maybe more arm problems…OY!
I agree with you about the Padres, Greg. No accident that they were the team in that intriguing, but ultimately poorly executed TV series “Pitch”. That show managed to use all real things and yet not be particularly believable. I’m still a little disappointed the canceled it though.