Mendoza’s action totally unacceptable
Schwarber and Harper join Gehrig and Lazzari
Good morning, all and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!
I am guessing Carlos Mendoza wants to be put out of his misery and fired as manager of the New York Mets. How else to describe why he left his starting pitcher, Freddy Peralta, out there to be used as a punching bag on national television by the Philadelphia Phillies last night in a 15-3 annihilation. There is no other explanation.
Peralta threw 80 pitches in 2 2/3 innings, an unacceptable number, whether you are the ace of the pitching staff - which Peralta is - or a rookie just called up from the minor leagues. Peralta gave up 10 runs on 10 hits, highlighted by Kyle Schwarber’s home run. It was one of two homers Schwarber hit in the inning - the other came off of Cionel Pérez - thus becoming the 66th player in MLB history to slug two home runs in one inning. (Schwarber ended with three homers in the game and Bryce Harper hit for the cycle. It marked only the second time in history two teammates have hit three homers and hit for the cycle in the same game. The Yankees Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri turned the feat in 1932.)
Peralta, whom the Mets gave up two prospects for to stabilize a shaky rotation, has not pitched like the ace New York thought it obtained. As it is, the Mets took a gamble, because Peralta is in his walk year, but the way he has pitched means it is unlikely New York will get much of value in a trade.
The story, however, is not Peralta, but Mendoza, who has been on the hot seat all season long. David Sterns, the Mets head of baseball operations, whose leadership of the franchise has been a bust, has had to repeatedly defend Mendoza, claiming the club’s last place standing is not his fault. Last night’s managerial disaster, however, should change that narrative.
We are nearing the midway point of the season and the Mets are eight games under .500 (34-42) and going nowhere. Picked by some to win the division - I predicted they would not even make the playoffs for how poorly constructed the roster was - they are not even in the wild card race at this stage. Last night’s embarrassment, before a national audience against the rival Phillies no less, should serve as the impetus to part ways with the manager.
By all accounts, Mendoza is a nice guy. Players and baseball people whose paths he has crossed have nothing but great things to say about him. Like all sports, however, baseball is a results oriented business. The roster construction may not be Mendoza’s fault, but leaving a pitcher in a game to absorb the punishment Peralta took last night is unacceptable. It’s time Mendoza be shown the door. The Mets will be doing him and their loyal fan base a favor.
Some other thoughts on the first day of summer:
So Wyndham Clark has a six-stroke lead entering the final round of the U.S. Open today. Strange things happen in the last round of a tournament, particularly on a U.S. Open course. Do not crown Clark champion yet. That said, he has put on quite a show of golf the first three rounds at Shinnecock Hills G.C.
Four golfers are tied for second at one-under-par, including Scottie Scheffler.
Incidentally, Shinnecock Hills, located in the Hamptons, is not the easiest location to get to, so the tournament has not been drawing big crowds for a major. The daily attendance has not exceeded 30,000, which will be way less than what the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, CT will draw, when the PGA Tour resumes this week.
Recalling Jim Bunning’s perfect game
While the Mets were being pummeled by the Phillies, it is a good time to look back 62 years. On this date in 1964, in Shea Stadium’s first year of existence, Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game against the Mets on Father’s Day. Here are the last three outs:
After his playing career, Bunning entered politics, serving in the Kentucky State Senate and later the U.S. Congress as a representative and senator.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. Enjoy your first day of summer and thank you for subscribing!
DAN