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I care about Dom Smith.
”You kind of want to have a short memory because we have games every day, but we’re still human at the end of the day. I still care. I care about the team, I care about the fans and I don’t want to let anybody down and I just want to play hard.” -Dom Smith [MLB]
Preach.
”It’s so close with deGrom, [Max] Scherzer and [Aaron] Nola, too, but if I had a [Cy Young] vote, [deGrom is] probably where I’d go with it. I know we get the wins and losses by our name, but you’re not winning games without the help of your team. You can lose them [yourself]. But the whole deal is a team effort. I don’t think there is any one answer to it. It’s not always your fault. In his case, I don’t think [the record] should affect his candidacy at all. If anybody disagrees with that, they clearly aren’t watching the games. I don’t think it should, but there is no doubt that it will cost him.” -Madison Bumgarner [MLB]
Don’t give insight to your approach, rook—seriously, always love when a player is honest about their thought process.
“I was looking out over the plate. I faced him yesterday and he threw me three sliders so I’ve seen that pitch. I got a hit off it yesterday, so yeah I was kind of expecting a fastball there and I got it.” -Jeff McNeil [New York Post]
The view from one side…
”I feel horrible, but you can’t do anything about it anymore. All I can do is come back tomorrow and just keep working my butt off and that’s pretty much it. It sucks, especially the way this year has been going, but there’s nothing I can do about it now but just turn the page and continue to work and just get better.” -Dom Smith [MLB]
... and the view from the other.
”Everybody’s eyes were about as big as the big-eyed emoji on your phone. It was pretty crazy. Everybody was pretty stunned.” -Andrew McCutchen [MLB]
Nimmo is taking his injury exactly how you’d predict.
“We really dodged a bullet and that’s what I’ve been told by two doctors. Not sure how, but it’s not broken and that’s great, so that would have been season-ending pretty much. Now, it just might be 10 days. And honestly, that’s way better than season-ending [so] best case scenario here.” -Brandon Nimmo [New York Post]
Personally, I really enjoyed the Little League Classic as the players seemed to as well.
”I thought it was a great atmosphere. It’s definitely an unusual one, something different, something you can kind of look forward to.” -Jason Vargas [MLB]
”To me, this feels like the purest form of baseball.” -Michael Conforto [MLB]
”I wanted to get back here as soon as possible. It just brought back a lot of good memories. I was up early so we got after it, me and the kids. I wanted to show my kids and family what their father did back in 1998.” -Todd Frazier [MLB]
”I went up to [Big Al]. I saw him and I think it’s kind of cool that he’s become a known person overnight. I’m sure he’s enjoying it. I just wanted to be a part of it, I guess, and make him feel a little special, take a picture. He was just really appreciative, and enjoying his time, and just trying to have fun. He was in awe of meeting all of us. A couple of the guys, he had mentioned that he wanted to [come to Citi Field.] We’ll make sure that somebody reaches out and if it’s possible, try to take care of him.” -Jose Bautista [MLB]
What Little League was Kevin Plawecki playing in that parks like the LLWS?
”I remember playing when I was 10 and 12 years old in similar parks, and it just brings back a lot of really good memories. It was a busy day today, but to be able to come out there and perform the way we did, and walk out with a win is definitely special.” –Kevin Plawecki [MLB]
New PA announcer Marysol Castro learned the general feeling of being a Mets fan right off the bat.
“Those first 11 games were great. Then the rest happened. I still have to show up and be the voice, right?” -Marysol Castro [New York Times]
After re-watching Shallow Hal, I can confirm that Ron Darling was cute for a bit there.
“In the early 80s [in The Bronx] it was all Yankees all the time but obviously in 1986, when I was in sixth grade, everybody loved the Mets. Ron Darling, he’s so cute. Keith Hernandez, he’s so hot, he’s so great. Now I pass those guys in the hallway.” -Marysol Castro [New York Times]
This is great…
“[She introduced Asdrubal Cabrera…with a Spanish pronunciation] No one had ever heard it come out of the loudspeaker like that. The radio guys would say, ‘Never heard it like that before, but we guess that’s how it’s pronounced.’ [She also introduced Adrian Gonzalez, the first baseman whom the Mets released last month, after checking with him. He said,] ‘Yeah, that would be really cool, folks in Mexico would be happy.’” -Marysol Castro [New York Times]
…who wouldn’t be impressed with a trailblazing woman in a male dominated industry?
“The 9-year-old went, ‘Really, it couldn’t be the Yankees?’” -Marysol Castro [New York Times]
“[Her 12-year-old said], “There aren’t many women who have that job.” [He went to the computer and he said,] ‘You’re the second woman to do this. Holy smokes.’ Then he said, ‘Is it taco Tuesday? Because I’m hungry.” -Marysol Castro [New York Times]