Why the Mets’ video tribute to Matt Harvey was warranted
By Matt O'Leary
In his first return to Citi Field after being traded, the New York Mets welcomed back Matt Harvey with a video tribute, which despite some griping to the contrary, was justifiable.
If you watched the Mets from 2009-2012, you know how dark the era was. Outside of Johan Sanatana throwing a no-hitter, ruining his career in the process, and an outlier season from a 37-year-old knuckleballer, there was nothing worthwhile to note.
That all changed in 2013. After 10 starts in 2012, Matt Harvey made the team out of spring training and got off to a dominant start. He won his first four starts of the year while posting a 0.93 ERA.
The Dark Knight was born. Harvey came out throwing gas every single night blowing hitters away with his fastball that topped out in the high ’90s. Harvey was on top of the world, and even started the All-Star game which was held at the Mets’ home park.
His final start of the year came before the season closed, on Aug. 24, and he finished with a 9-5 season and a 2.27 ERA. According to advanced analytics, Harvey’s 2.01 FIP was the third best pitching season in Mets history, behind only Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden.
Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery was needed and Harvey missed the entire 2014 season. Luckily for the Mets, Jacob deGrom burst onto the scene that year, but Harvey was still the ace waiting in the wings for a return.
On April 9, 2015, Harvey came back strong in his first start of the year with six innings, nine strikeouts and no runs allowed. Harvey would go on to a 13-8 record with a 2.71 ERA and 188 strikeouts. Due to Harvey, and the strong Mets rotation, the team found itself back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
In the playoffs, Matt defied the advice from his agent and blew past the innings limit that was set for him, and he was brilliant. Harvey finished with a 2-0 record in the playoffs and a 3.04 ERA.
Down three games to one in the World Series, Harvey took the ball and was phenomenal in Game 5. Through eight innings, he had nine strikeouts and no runs. He went back out for the ninth, talking himself back into the game, and we all know how that ended.
Despite the poor ending to that game, it was one of the gutsiest performances from a pitcher in Mets history.
Things began to fall apart after that for Matt. Injuries and ineffectiveness derailed his career in 2016, 2017 and the start of 2018 before he was traded away for Devin Mesaroco. It ended poorly for Harvey, and he made a ton of mistakes along the way, but he received, and deservedly so, a video tribute in his return tonight.
Thank you, Matt. pic.twitter.com/J5PFDmFYbp
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 6, 2018
Some fans loved the move, while other fans loathed the idea of celebrating a player whose Mets career ended with such hostility. Like it or not, for a two-year stretch, he was one of the top five most dominant pitchers in Mets history.
He was one of the more frustrating guys to root for at times, but to acknowledge his success with the Mets wasn’t only the right thing to do, it was necessary. The Mets wouldn’t have made the World Series in 2015 without Harvey, and he gave his right arm and career for this franchise.
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The trade was sad because it signified the end of an era that ended with a missed opportunity with a great pitching staff, but the Mets don’t have a ton of success in their 56-year history. To acknowledge a player who was a part of a pennant-winning team in his first game back in New York isn’t a big deal, and it’s something that should be celebrated.