This Week in Mets Quotes: Yost and Hernandez on Syndergaard's sliders, Mets Minority Owner calls Bryce Harper names

Fresh off a World Series appearance, I'm glad we can put #LOLMets behind us.

"I’m very disappointed with the situation regarding my game jersey from September 21st, 2001. I’ve expressed my feelings to Jeff [Wilpon] and the Mets. And while it never should have left Citi Field, they have assured me that contact with the seller has been made and they are making a concerted effort to get the jersey back. I’m hopeful that an agreement can be reached and we can give back to the fans and all New Yorkers a piece of that evening that was more than just a game." -Mike Piazza [New York Post]

Big deal, I bet Keith could’ve hit them.

"[Noah Syndergaard] threw 95-93-93 sliders to (Morales) that there’s not a man on earth I think could have hit those pitches. I even asked George (Brett) if he could have fouled those off and he said no. I thought his stuff was spectacular." -Ned Yost [New York Daily News]

Or not.

"Some of those sliders…I couldn’t hit ‘em." -Keith Hernandez [New York Daily News]

Veteran Presents.

"I think it’s pretty cool that the belt has continued. Every team is different, but last year the guys rallied around it and it brought everybody a little closer together." -Michael Cuddyer [New York Post]

I think the plan is to have Wright present the belt roughly 120 games this season with a combination of Flores, Cabrera and Campbell presenting the belt for the remainder.

"To see David [Wright] continue it makes me believe the chemistry is still there. I think David is the perfect guy to present because of the respect he carries in that clubhouse, and he will look at all facets of the particular game to pick the guy he thinks should win it. Mostly, it’s fun to celebrate after a win." -Michael Cuddyer [New York Post]

And the first recipient of the belt would like to share it with a Mets starting pitcher.

"I’ve heard a lot about [the belt] -- the mystique of it that comes along. That was a really cool moment to get it today. But I don’t know if I completely deserve it. You saw what Noah [Syndergaard] did today. I think we’ll split it." -Neil Walker [ESPN]

I think the last part of his statement is shared by all Mets fans.

"There’s a couple of words that I really can’t say on public radio that I think apply to him, but next to them I see a picture of Bryce Harper. He’s a douchebag. He looks like a douchebag. I just don’t like him…In a few more years, I think Bryce Harper will mature. When you’re that good and that young, you’re going to be a dick…Of course, if he was a Met, I’d love him. I could learn to love Bryce Harper." -Mets Minority Owner Bill Maher [New York Post]

If you thought the opening week schedule was tough for you, think about how it must of felt for the players.

"It will be nice to get home, get settled into everybody's places to live, go to a workout on Thursday and then get ready to play and take care of business at home. That's what we did such a nice job of last year. We played well at home. We played well in the division. That's both this weekend." -David Wright [ESPN]

"I think we're all looking forward to getting settled in. We've gone from Florida to Vegas to here, with lots of off-days in between. As baseball players, you're kind of excited about getting into a routine and the continuity of the baseball season. These next two days leading into Friday for us are going to feel like an eternity. But we're going to be ready to go. Citi Field is going to be rocking on Friday, and we're excited for it." -Neil Walker [ESPN]

Something I still have to continue to remind myself after going pro in accounting.

"You’ve just got to have fun. That’s what a lot of professional baseball players lose when playing every day. They stop having fun, and it becomes more of a job." -Dom Smith [Pressconnects]

Doesn’t show up in the stat line, but Dom Smith is great at giving candid interviews.

"I’d be lying to you if I said I don’t think about [hitting home runs]. Of course you think about it. I mean, who doesn’t want to hit home runs, especially as a first baseman? Yeah, I do think about it. They really preach to me, ‘Just learn how to hit.’ I’m strong enough to hit the ball out the park line-to-line. Once I keep developing my swing, the loft will come naturally with it." -Dom Smith [Pressconnects]

Love the Mets. Love the Alderson.

"You don't see that very often, a guy going to be president and then come back to the GM role. [Sandy Alderson] got back into it to see if he could recapture, do what he had done. I think that is probably the feeling above everything else -- the satisfaction that, 'Hey, you know what? I was able to put a pretty good team together once again.' I think there's a lot of pride there for him. I think he showed himself, showed the game that he hasn't lost his touch." -John Ricco [Mets]

No jokes, stomach issues suck, hope all gastro related problems are behind Harvey.

"I’ve been struggling pretty much my whole life with a lot of stomach issues, energy levels and things like that. I always thought it was just me. My dad always says his side of family always had stomach issues. This and that, things you really don’t want to discuss with people. I’ve had bad stomach issues from when I was a kid. I went gluten-free one time, but that didn’t really work. It came back that I had a severe allergy to eggs. And that was something that I was eating pretty much every day that was basically poisoning my body. [Harvey since has dropped eggs from the diet and he noticed] big-time changes in my energy level, in my sleep. I don’t feel bloated all the time. I was constantly feeling bad and I kind of got used to it over the years. But now that I’ve been off of eggs, now I know how feeling good feels." -Matt Harvey [Observer]

Umpire: Okay, let's go over the ground rules. You can't leave first until you chug a beer. Any man scoring has to chug a beer. You have to chug a beer at the top of all odd-numbered innings. Oh, and the fourth inning is the beer inning.

Wiggum: Hey, we know how to play softball!

"You'd see guys toward the end of a game, maybe getting ready for their final at-bat, double-back into the locker room to chug a beer to 're-kick the bean' so they could step to the plate completely wired and focused and dialed in. They had it down to a science, with precision timing. They'd do that thing where you poke a hole in the can so the beer would flow shotgun-style. They'd time it so that they were due to hit third or fourth that inning, and in their minds that rush of beer would kind of jump-start the amphetamines and get back to how they were feeling early on in the game -- pumped, jacked, good to go." -Ron Darling [Wall Street Journal]

SiteBot FacePalm of the Week

"He non-chalanted it. Look, this guy has talent, but his lack of hustle isn’t restricted to plays he doesn’t make in the outfield. He doesn’t run out grounders. On a couple of occasions he hasn’t run at all when the catch dropped strike 3. He’s have to hit a ton to make up for all the things he should do but doesn’t. What kind of example does he set for the younger players? By the way, after he dropped that fly last night he managed to bobble the ball when he picked it up. Does he have a no-trade clause?" -Maglie42

AA Quote of the Week

"THERE IS NO BOOK!!!!!!….oh wait…." –SamNY commenting on a review of Ron Darling’s new book