Interesting POV by Rich Kubatko on MASN Sports.

Harvey is lined up to face the Blue Jays in the second game of the series while a segment of the fan base – impossible to measure because the loudest dissenters tend to post more regularly on social media – wonder why he’s still in the rotation. Or the organization.

Here’s my latest take on Harvey:

He still isn’t blocking anyone who’s viewed within the organization as ready and deserving of a rotation spot.

The popular rant that a replacement “couldn’t do any worse” isn’t a solution. Replacing one problem with another isn’t a solution, or very smart if it has a negative impact on a young pitcher.

Give me better than “couldn’t do any worse.”

Rich then breaks down the situation of some Orioles minor leaguers and I will quickly summarize that they aren’t ready yet.

Rich adds…

The Orioles truly wish that Harvey’s ineffective starts were the biggest issue and came with a simple solution.

They are not. They do not.

So as I have been joking on here, someone has to start, might as well be Matt Harvey.

I was listening to Howie last night and I heard him say – paraphrasing here – that the excitement of deGrom starts has surpassed those of Dwight Gooden circa 1985.

No.

Absolutely not.

I couldn’t believe HOWIE of all people said this.  Had Wayne said it, I’d be like well Wayne is young and doesn’t know better.  Howie definitely knows better.  But it sounds like he believed it, and I don’t see how that’s possible.

When Gooden pitched, the stadium rocked.  Like actually physically rocked.  Gooden owned this town in a way that very few have….maybe Jeter did circa the flip play…..and there’s one other individual I can think of and that was…

HARVEY DAY.

I am aware most of the fanbase doesn’t remember 1986 now, but you guys DO remember Harvey Day, right?

As great as deGrom is, as possible as it is that he’s the second greatest Met of them all, as probable as it is that he’s the second best Mets pitcher of all time, as lovable as he is, as low key as he is….ask yourself, do you feel HARVEY DAY excitement on deGrom day?  The answer is of course no.

And now trust your elder that maybe one time Matt touched the excitement that Gooden did every 5 days for a few years there.

So I am not sure what Howie was thinking.   Many things have changed…the stadium design, the crowds are smaller, the splintering of everyone’s attention across modern media, baseball not mattering the way it once did…all those may be true, and none of that has anything to do with deGrom’s greatness.  deGrom just does not command the attention of the city that Gooden did, or even Matt Harvey did.

deGrom Day more exciting that Gooden in his Prime?  No way Howie.

And before I get misconstrued, a reminder that I am the one that coined the phrase The One True Ace, so let’s not act like I don’t like deGrom or think he’s great.   It’s David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar.  I can like all the songs, but the band rocked louder with Dave.

UPDATE:  Howie responded via twitter:

Who said surpassed? Were you at the game? We’re talking about the vibe in the ballpark from the people who were there. From the ovation he received when his name was announced in the starting lineup to the buzz with every pitch it was every bit the event.

— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) June 22, 2021

As I wrote back, perhaps I misunderstood what Howie said, and no I was not in the park last night.

deGrom is totally healthy and today’s start is not at all reckless, so there’s no reason Steve should fire Sandy, Z. Michael Scott and Rojas later today. deGrom is fiiiiiine.  Don’t you sometimes feel things in your shoulder or your arm or your elbow?  Don’t you sometimes want an extra day off or to leave work early?

Pete Alonso has one HR at home.  Check your calendar.

INF Jeff McNeil has been reinstated from the 10-Day IL. Luis Rojas, who somehow missed an 8 team playoff, says McNeil will not start game 1 but could start game 2, because that makes sense.  You need McNeil to watch baseball for two additional hours to make sure he’s truly healthy.

RHP Robert Gsellman has been placed on the 10-Day IL, retroactive to June 20, with a right lat strain.

LHP Stephen Tarpley has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse as the team’s 27th man…He will wear #46.  This will be Media Goon’s 1000th jersey purchase, congratulations to Media Goon!

The nice folks at Media Goon have some information about the Willets Point Redevelopment.  Looks like the construction of the affordable housing has sort of started!  I look forward to the new public school and the highway ramp and all the other things that were discussed!

 

Happy Harvey Day everyone.

At this point, Harvey Day is like an aging movie franchise.  There are some beats that every movie is going to hit, and we all know how it’s going to end…but we watch anyway.  Today’s Harvey Day was Very Harvey Day like that.

Harvey Day starts with the traditional reading of the numbers and the famous line “Harvey Days is filmed in front of a live studio audience.” (As Nick mentions here, I went to the beach. Never waste a nice sunny day on baseball.)

Now maybe those numbers are hard to see, so let me summarize: THEY ARE BAD.

Let’s get a close up of our hero, wearing a Father’s Day Orioles Cap of uninspired design but if you say that out loud then you support cancer.

Fans of Harvey Day know that Harvey Day starts out fine, and today is no different as TDK gets two quick outs.  But then…a pesky single…

…and how does Matt react when someone is on base?  He lets more people on base.  Another single!  Then a walk!  And now our protagonist is in trouble.

Uh oh, bases loaded and a 3-2 count and…

SIT DOWN SON!!!!

And one of our Harvey Day must-scenes is the shot of Matt walking off the mound.

Then the Harvey Day Formula goes like this.  The Orioles give him a lead – and sure enough they did – and we’re on to the 2nd and Matt is up 1-0.

Another must have scene is Matt’s “How far did that one go?” Face.   Matt gets the first two guys out in the second before giving this one up…

But don’t worry Matt, this one is just a double.   Matt strikes out the next guy to get out of it, and we’re onto the third.

The next beat on Harvey Day is the good inning.  This is where the announcers talk about how Matt has made adjustments and he’s better and all that.  It’s a 1-2-3 third.

In the fourth, Matt does his 1-2-double-3 thing again but he’s through four and up 1-0.

And now, like any long running franchise, you know how it ends.  On to the 5th…

Look at where this pitch is…

It’s Reese McGuire’s second double of the day!

Semien flies out but then….

Bichette singles to drive in the run.  Then Guerrero walks and Orioles Manager Bruce Hyde should know better at this point.  Look at the body language.

But Bruce Hyde never learns, and this is the part of Harvey Day where we leave Matt in too long.

Oscar Hernandez doubles.  O’s trail 2-1, runners on second and third.  What do you think is about to happen?

And it’s 3-1.  Will Bruce Hyde learn? No.  Because we haven’t yet had the scene with Orioles Clown Show Defense.  Matt gets a bloop to left and…

And now Bruce has seen enough, and kids, we always take a long look as it could be the last time we ever see The Next Seaver on the mound, and when you take your children to Cooperstown to see his plaque, you will want to tell them that you saw the great Matt Harvey pitch 4 and a third on Father’s Day in 2021.

Soak it all in kids, you may never see this again…