This Week in Mets Quotes: Max is mad at the umps and hanging sliders

Your 2023 New York Mets: We’ve all got to be better.

“We’ve all got to be better. If we’re going to be better, we’ve got to win as a team. Everybody’s got to do their part to win as a team.” -Max Scherzer [MLB]

“I want to say it’s just part of the season, but we’ve been saying that way too long. It’s time to turn the page. It’s time to be better. We’ve got to be better. Plain and simple, we have to be better. I have to be better.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Father time comes for all of us.

“This is simple: I struggled with my slider. Every time I was throwing my slider, it was hanging. I wasn’t executing it the way I needed to. I can’t believe I was hanging that many sliders in all those situations.” -Max Scherzer [MLB]

Currently, I don’t feel like the Mets are going to win games even when they have a lead.

“Once again, I felt like we were going to win the game. The whole entire game, I felt we were in it. We were going to win it. … At some point, we’re going to start winning more games.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Isn’t the only one on the team that hasn’t had a ‘hot streak’ this year yet.

“Honestly, I haven’t felt like I’ve had a ‘hot streak’ this year yet. I’m just trying to stay present and have the right attitude toward it all. … Just never say die.” -Mark Canha [MLB]

Buck on Pete Alonso going on the IL.

“It’s impactful. But what are we going to do?” -Buck Showalter [MLB]

With most of the team feeling down, Nimmo’s attitude is of course unwavering,

“Everything’s better when we win. When you win, you can look back and say, ‘OK, we’ll learn from [our mistakes].’ … When you lose, it’s not really thought of that way. And so everything’s better when you win.” -Brandon Nimmo [MLB]

Lindor is happy that Nimmo got the walk-off hit to take a finale against the Yankees.

“It happened to one of the best guys out there. That’s how the game works. He didn’t feel great about yesterday, and I’m sure he didn’t feel good about what happened earlier in the game today. He had his chance, and he didn’t let it go through. I love that.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Sounds like Buck used AI to sum up the win.

“We scored more runs than they did over the course of the game. It was a big win for us.” -Buck Showalter [MLB]

The Mets’ and Yanks’ two aces enjoyed pitching against each other.

“I gave [Cole] a little hat tip before the game when we were warming up. Just [out] of respect.” -Justin Verlander [MLB]

“It’s a pleasure to take the field with that caliber type of player. As far as the atmosphere tonight, it was electric, like playoff-type. Just fun, back and forth, crowd into it. So, it was just a great game to be part of.” -Gerrit Cole [MLB]

This might surprise you, but Max doesn’t agree with the umps tossing Drew Smith for sticky fingers.

“We’re all angry about this one. If you feel his hand, you don’t feel anything.” -Max Scherzer [MLB]

“My hands weren’t sticky. The process is so arbitrary. It can change from one crew to the other. I think that’s the main issue. It just sucks for the team not having a guy for 10 days.” -Drew Smith [MLB]

Matt Rudick get some love from the Mets’ Farm Director.

“Slowly, he’s opening everybody’s eyes as one of the better outfield prospects in our organization.” -Kevin Howard, Mets Farm Director [MLB]

In honor the 40th anniversary of the Keith Hernandez trade, MLB had a worthwile post.

“You didn’t realize sometimes how good a player he was until you watched him play every day. He just did something every day to not only help your team win, but something spectacular defensively or offensively that just separated him from anyone else that was in a Mets uniform.” -Ron Darling [MLB]

“It was such an upheaval. All I had known were the Cardinals. I grew up with them in the Minor Leagues. It was 8 ½ years in St. Louis. To get uprooted in the middle of the season, it’s just unsettling.” -Keith Hernandez [MLB]

“I came to New York in September and we flew in from St. Louis and got in late around 2 in the morning. [Cardinals Bench Coach George Kissell] tapped me on the shoulder and took me out. We were at New York Sheridan. He said, ‘Follow me.’ He took me out to the sidewalk. He pointed north toward Central Park and he said, ‘Don’t go there.’ Then he pointed south, ‘Don’t go down there.’ Then he pointed west and said, ‘Hell’s Kitchen, don’t go there.’ Then he kind of pointed a little northeast and said, ‘You can go to the Upper East Side if you want to go any place.’ I’m 20 years old and I have all the preconceived notions of New York being a dangerous place. … So I never really went out to New York when I was a Cardinal. I just went to the hotel bar. I ventured out one time.” -Keith Hernandez [MLB]

“The trade expanded my life with what Manhattan and New York had to offer,” Hernandez said. “I have three daughters who were exposed to New York and the arts. So, everybody in my entire family was enhanced by the move to New York.” -Keith Hernandez [MLB]