Matt Harvey Needs to Shut Up
If Matt Harvey is not going to keep pitching, he needs to stop talking.
After coming out of last night’s game after five pre-determined innings of shutout, one-hit ball against the Yankees, he said this:
More than anything, I want to be out there. I want to be out there more than anything. I know where I want to be, and that’s on a mound, pitching for the Mets.
So be out there! Nobody is stopping Matt Harvey from pitching except Matt Harvey. He is the one who wants to limit his innings so he can preserve his arm for future paydays.
It is understandable that Harvey wants to protect his interests, even if it is at the expense of his teammates and the fans. But then he should keep his mouth shut about how much he wants to be “on a mound.”
With every statement like this, Harvey is cementing his reputation as a hypocrite who says one thing and then does another. Either pitch, or stop saying how much you want to pitch. You can’t have it both ways.
Yeah. But it IS both ways. Times have changed. In the 60s and 70s, the extra money from winning a championship was enough incentive for players to lay it all on the table. But with average salaries for players who last well over $1,000,000 a year, there’s every incentive to prolong one’s career at the expense of sacrificing one’s body for a near term championship pay day that is small in comparison. Follow the money.
I agree that for the benefit of the team and the fans, he should shut up and pitch.
There is no guarantee that the Mets and Harvey will be back with a chance at the postseason anytime soon. You only need to look at the Nationals and the potential run at a world series that was lost when they left Strausberg off the postseason roster. Any regrets? I grew up in the Seaver, Gibson era, none of this would have ever been a thought back then. Harvey needs to put it on the line for the team or he needs to be traded, it’s that simple.