This Week In Mets Quotes: No one wants to pitch in the Home Run Derby, Wheeler thinks he's lucky to be a Met

TRAID those three guys.

"We haven’t gone to bed before 2 o’clock in the last three or four nights. Right now we should have been sitting in the hotel in Milwaukee. We haven’t left here yet. They’re tired. There’s three guys that said their legs were gone about the 10th inning. You can certainly understand it in those conditions." -Terry Collins [ESPN]

Lots of credit goes to the ‘and stuff.'

"I thought the energy level has been raised when we got E.Y. [Eric Young Jr.] and called some guys up from the minor leagues. I think sending Ike [Davis] down got some people’s attention. I certainly think there has been a different atmosphere in the clubhouse. A lot of it starts with David [Wright], his leadership and stuff." -Terry Collins [ESPN]

Good thing Brian Sabean didn’t know Wheeler had a great arm.

"I thought today [Wheeler] was in control of himself, so I don’t think he was out there to show them, ‘Hey, look, I’ve got this great arm.’ I think he just pitched. And so I thought he kept his emotions in check." -Terry Collins [New York Post]

While a nice quote, I’m not sure if getting traded to our Mets can be considered lucky.

"I got drafted by the Giants, and obviously I wanted to pitch here. It’s definitely a pitcher-friendly park. I was lucky enough to get traded. I’m in a good situation now. I’m happy here where I’m at." Zack Wheeler [ESPN]

Well, that’s why he’s a pitcher.

"I stood in the box and looked down the right-field line and [right fielder Hunter] Pence was basically in center field. So I was like, ‘I’m going to try to yank this thing down the line.’ I tried but I was a little late and ended up burning the center fielder." Zack Wheeler [ESPN]

Another great job by the Vegas coaching staff.

"In spring training we were trying to make mechanical adjustments. We were trying to do a couple of things like move me farther to the left side of the rubber and move my front side up higher. And it just didn’t end up working. We got to Las Vegas and they said go back to whatever you were doing." -Carlos Torres [ESPN]

Slow news day for Joel Sherman.

"There is something in my sense of right and wrong in the sport that feels wrong the Mets will rig their rotation and likely shorten Harvey’s workload on Saturday to make sure he is on the mound for the first pitch Tuesday night of what ultimately is an exhibition game. This seems too close a cousin to Jose Reyes bunting for a hit and being removed from Game 162 to secure a batting title. It is not a sacrilege, certainly not illegal, but even as it makes a bunch of people feel great, it still plays wrong on some level to me." -Joel Sherman [New York Post]

Well if Dominic Smith makes the majors, he already penned Joel Sherman’s article about him.

"That’s what some scouts like about me; that’s what some scouts hate about me. They see me play and feel like I’m not giving 100 percent, like I’m too cool. But it’s how I play -- I try not to get caught up in the antics or the emotion. I don’t play the game with emotion. If you play with emotion, you make emotional mistakes." -Dominic Smith [New York Times]

Anthony Recker doesn’t get enough credit for being a former punter.

"I've always taken pride in just being able to block the plate. But, honestly, when the ball was coming in from Q, I knew we had a really good shot at him. And Q made a great throw. I didn't want to get the short hop, so I came up like one or two steps to catch it on the fly. It just kind of brought me into him as I just kept going. I probably gave him nowhere else to go, really. It was a good, hard-nosed play. Hopefully he's OK." -Anthony Recker [ESPN]

No love from the BABIP goddess for Gee.

"I just kind of lost the command as the game went on. I thought I was trying to be too fine. Along with the walks, which are obviously my fault, I felt like I was very unlucky too. I mean, five infield hits. It seemed like maybe after that I started to be different … and started falling behind everybody. I just kind of lost it." Dillon Gee [ESPN]

I guess Neely’s happy with how Harvey’s photos came out.

"This came very close to when we were about to go to press. I said, ‘I think this is something we need to make an exception for.’ … Definitely a good decision." -ESPN senior deputy editor Neely Lohmann [Newsday]

David Wright likes Cuddyer a lot.

"I did it as easy as I knew possible. At the time when they needed to know who I was picking, I took the National League home run leader. I took the guy that won the fan poll -- the guy who the fans really wanted to see in the Home Run Derby. So you have CarGo and Bryce Harper. And that left me with the 'Ryder Cup captain's pick.' I grew up with Michael [Cuddyer.] I think that he's one of the more underrated players in the game. And, obviously, the friendship had something to do with it. And his production had a lot to do with it. You're talking about a guy that's got 15 or 16 homers. He had a 27-game hitting streak. For me, that was my choice." -David Wright [ESPN]

Got to feel for Shaun.

"As the pitch count builds up, that's when I usually notice it and feel it. You can tell, too, because my velocity drops a little bit. I looked up at one point and I was 87, 88. And I looked up again and I was 83, 84. It's just something I'll deal with and try to find a way to get these guys out when it’s my turn to go. I've never really experienced this before. It's just something we'll try to figure out -- whether I have to make an arm slot adjustment where I don't get it. We'll figure it out and go from there." -Shaun Marcum [ESPN]

What’s Paul LoDuca up to?

"No one really wants to do [throw BP at the HR Derby.] They keep pawning it off on each other. There's a lot of pressure. There's probably more pressure throwing. I can't hit them unless they throw it where I want it." -David Wright [ESPN]

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