Former New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey enjoyed his first outing with the Cincinnati Reds while more locker room backlash has been revealed.
Of course Matt Harvey, the struggling starting right-handed pitcher now employed by the Cincinnati Reds, would go out in Los Angeles and shut out the Dodgers in his first game with the oldest baseball franchise.
After having been traded by the New York Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco, Harvey threw 55 pitches in four innings, surrendering no runs, no walks and just one hit while striking out two batters.
He exited as his team held a firm 3-0 lead and also hit a season-high velocity of 96 m.p.h. on the gun.
The new guy gets right to work. ???#RedsCountry pic.twitter.com/4QZUUxfrGq
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 12, 2018
Matt Harvey's Reds' debut is over after four innings. He allowed just one hit to the Dodgers, and it was a fly ball that got lost in the lights https://t.co/IPspYfd9GK pic.twitter.com/CEhKcaoljV
— SI MLB (@si_mlb) May 12, 2018
Matt Harvey's rewriting the script in Hollywood. pic.twitter.com/h5LiXXzEqQ
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 12, 2018
Suffice to say, Harvey’s Friday night in Hollywood is going quite swimmingly. That doesn’t mean his Friday afternoon was all that solid.
As per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, an interesting tidbit came about concerning how former Mets teammates dealt with the one-time Mets ace.
There’s a “funny” story about Harvey: With him struggling on the mound but a day off coming, he once asked Terry Collins to stay behind for a night in Miami, and when he rejoined the team the next day he bragged in the clubhouse nonstop about his exploits the night before with some beautiful woman. Well, one veteran Met, tiring of his lack of focus and his emphasis on extracurriculars, shot across the clubhouse, saying something to the effect of: “That’s great Matt, but has she seen you pitch?”
The blatant lack of respect within one’s locker room is obvious for those who’ve been there. There aren’t hiding many secrets in such an environment and for a party man like Mr. Harvey, priorities are oftentimes cloudy as it pertains to perception.
Heyman’s “funny” story wasn’t crucial in understanding how his Mets career unfolded and eventually crashed, but does offer unique insight into certain specifics (i.e. actually asking manager Terry Collins to stay behind one day).
But that was then and this is now. Matt Harvey is in Cincy and is already off to a hot start.
