New York Mets

New York Mets star Pete Alonso talked about being tackled during a brawl with the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday:

"I'm a big, strong guy. If I wanted to put someone in the hospital, I easily could, but I was just out there trying to protect my guys."

Pete Alonso on Cardinals coach Stubby Clapp taking him down during the incident: pic.twitter.com/JxpcvaaTX6

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 27, 2022

The benches cleared in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game after a high pitch against Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. St. Louis first-base coach Stubby Clapp was seen taking down Alonso during the scuffle (0:25):

Benches and bullpens clear in St. Louis after a pitch went up-and-in to Nolan Arenado 😳

(via @BallySportsMW) pic.twitter.com/BEdT8KnOsI

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) April 27, 2022

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said after the game he had "no issue" with his coach's actions.

Tensions were already high in the series after Alonso was hit in the head during Tuesday's game:

Pete Alonso is hit on the helmet and the Mets are not happy one bit. pic.twitter.com/Kh88hgCuKJ

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 27, 2022

Though there wasn't a scuffle, several players went onto the field while words were exchanged.

A player for each team was hit by a pitch earlier in Wednesday's game, with J.D. Davis forced to leave in the top of the eighth inning after being hit in the leg.

It continues a trend for the Mets, who have been hit by 19 total pitches in 2022. Alonso has been hit by four pitches, including another one in the head earlier this year against the Washington Nationals.

It seems the tempers are starting to boil over with the latest situation.    

Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer will make his New York Mets debut Friday against the Washington Nationals, he told reporters Thursday. 

Scherzer said he "was able to pass all the tests" on his sore right hamstring in order to take the mound for the second game of the series. 

"You've just got to get in a game and manage the game," Scherzer told reporters. "I can't tell you how many pitches I'm going to throw. You just manage what you got, give it everything that you got, and go out there and compete and try to win."

Friday's start will be Scherzer's first against the Nationals since they traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers midway through the 2021 season. The 37-year-old spent six-and-a-half seasons with Washington, helping the club capture a World Series title in 2019. 

His former teammates are excited to face him, too, with All-Star slugger Juan Soto telling reporters he'll try his best not to strikeout against the veteran hurler. 

Juan Soto on hitting against Max Scherzer: “It’s going to be fun.” #Nationals #Mets pic.twitter.com/xqLUfyQZnP

— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) April 6, 2022

Scherzer made 30 starts in 2021, 19 with the Nationals and 11 with the Dodgers. He went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 236 strikeouts across 179.1 innings. The right-hander then signed a three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets in November. 

Scherzer's return will be a welcome sight for a Mets rotation that is missing ace Jacob deGrom, who will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks with a stress reaction in his right scapula. 

With injuries to deGrom and Scherzer, Mets manager Buck Showalter tabbed Tylor Megill as his Opening Day starter. The 26-year-old went 4-6 in 2021 with a 4.52 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 89.2 innings across 18 starts. 

In the event Scherzer struggles with his hamstring Friday, New York has Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker to hold down the rotation. 

New York Mets ace Max Scherzer might miss Opening Day after experiencing right hamstring tightness ahead of a simulated game Saturday.

🎥 Max Scherzer says his right hamstring issue is minor. He's not ruling out Opening Day or the first week of the season, but also isn't committing to it: pic.twitter.com/c89p0MKVwI

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 2, 2022

Tim Healey of Newsday Sports noted Scherzer said he is day-to-day.

Giving Francisco Lindor a 10-year, $340 million extension ahead of the 2021 season was a way for team owner Steven Cohen to differentiate himself from his predecessors.

Cohen flexed his financial muscle again this offseason when New York signed Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million contract.

The three-time Cy Young winner was the best pitcher on the board. Between his time with the Washington Nationals, he went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA and a 2.97 FIP in 30 starts. His 6.0 WAR was fourth-highest among all pitchers on Baseball Reference.

For a team that seemed to be poised for championship contention, the Mets never got going in 2021 en route to winning 77 games and finishing third in the National League East. Signing Scherzer, Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar was a signal of intent.

Durability has been a hallmark of Scherzer's career. Excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he has failed to make 30 starts just twice since hitting the bigs in 2008.

The fact he's now battling an injury might lead fans to wonder whether the Mets are cursed, especially with this coming on the heels of news about a serious shoulder issue for Jacob deGrom.

New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom is dealing with right shoulder tightness and will miss his spring training start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported.

Manager Buck Showalter told reporters it was possible deGrom would be scratched. 

deGrom will undergo an MRI on his shoulder, Showalter said, according to Tim Healey of Newsday. With Opening Day right around the corner, it's not a good sign. 

Any injury to the right-hander is sure to cause concern after he missed significant time in 2021 with an elbow injury. His final start of the campaign came in July.

When healthy, deGrom is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He enters the 2022 campaign with a resume that includes two Cy Youngs, a Rookie of the Year, an ERA title and four All-Star Game selections.

Even with the injury concerns, he posted a 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 146 strikeouts across 92 innings in 15 starts last year. He appeared well on his way to what could have been the third Cy Young of his career before the setback.

While the Mets cannot reasonably expect anyone to replicate deGrom's impact, they do have other options to lead the way in the starting rotation, should he miss any time this year, in Max Scherzer and Taijuan Walker.      

The New York Mets have reportedly hired Elizabeth Benn to serve as the team's director of major league operations, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, making her the highest-ranked female executive in franchise history.

Benn previously worked in the MLB league office.

She interned at the league office starting in 2017, working her way to a senior coordinator of baseball operations position with Major League Baseball.

"I never considered working in baseball when I was younger—aside from when I thought I was going to be the first female pitcher in the major leagues," Benn told Rustin Dodd of The Athletic in 2019. "I didn't really know that working in baseball was an option. We see the people who are on the field. But we often don't see the people in the front office or in the commissioner's office."

New York also hired Gretchen Aucoin to a minor league role in January, making her the first female coach in organizational history.

While there have been strides toward having more female representation across baseball in coaching and executive positions, stories like Benn's remain more of the exception than the rule.

In November 2020, Kim Ng was named the general manager of the Miami Marlins, making her the first woman ever to hold the position in MLB history or in the history of the four major sporting leagues in the United States, including the NFL, NBA and NHL.

"The idea that it has affected this many people is just extraordinary," Ng said at her introductory press conference. "I thought it would be a big deal, but this is beyond my expectations—and I think beyond many people's expectation."

As ESPN's Joon Lee reported in April 2021, the number of women in baseball operations roles rose from 106 in 2016 to 225 in 2020. The number of baseball operations jobs in general rose from 4,442 to 4,951, however, with just 23.8 percent of those new jobs going to women.

"Kim's hiring is progress, but there's a lot of work to be done," a female baseball operations employee for a National League team told Lee at the time.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman said he was called a racist slur and subjected to death threats during his tenure with the New York Mets.

"Endless death threats, being called a n----r often, hearing black lives don't matter, and playing for a front office who didn't care about any of that," Stroman tweeted Wednesday in response to a fan question about his time with the Mets. "I will speak on this topic on my time and on my podcast at some point. Still dealt on the mound through all of that!"

Stroman pitched 44 games for the Mets after coming over via midseason trade in 2019, going 14-15 with underlying numbers that were far superior to his record.

While Stroman did not detail specific examples, he said "the amount of racial/bias hate I received was truly disgusting" in response to another fan.

He previously detailed racism he faced from fans by posting a DM sent to him featuring a racist slur and also called out Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly for making comments with "racist undertones" in a game last season. Brenly made a quip about the do-rag Stroman was wearing on the mound and later apologized.

It was clear Stroman, who signed a three-year contract with the Cubs this offseason, was not happy during his time with the Mets. He said he was "very thankful to be out of there for several reasons" and ripped general manager Billy Eppler in a now-deleted tweet posted Tuesday.

"Just look at who the Mets hired as their GM...that tells you enough," Stroman wrote. "His lack of awareness in his previous position is being exposed to the public now. I'm beyond thankful I'm gone from that organization. God got me!"

The New York Mets had clear intentions of bolstering their starting rotation prior to the MLB lockout. But one big-name pitcher who reportedly was not on their radar was Clayton Kershaw.

Andy Martino of SNY reported Wednesday that the Mets had no contact with the former Los Angeles Dodgers ace this offseason.

"So we asked a person who would definitely know if there had been any contact between Kershaw’s camp and the Mets before the MLB lockout began on Dec. 1," Martino wrote. "'None,' was the answer."

Last week, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer ranked the best potential landing spots for Kershaw in free agency, and he listed the Mets as the second-best fit for the three-time Cy Young Award winner. Rymer cited the amount of money Kershaw would be able to make in New York as the reason why the Mets are so high on the list.

A return to the Dodgers was ranked as the top landing spot for Kershaw.

The Mets made a major splash this offseason by signing Max Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million contract with an average of $43.3 million per year, which sets the record for the largest MLB contract ever. Scherzer, who has also won the Cy Young Award three times, joins a rotation that includes ace Jacob deGrom and Carlos Carrasco.

Martino noted that New York is still hoping to add another starter this offseason. He stated that the team pursued Kevin Gausman and Steven Matz before they signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.

Kershaw is looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2021 season. He dealt with left forearm inflammation and arm pain, which eventually caused him to be shut down for the season. He finished the year with a 10-8 record and 3.55 ERA, the highest since his rookie season.

The New York Mets plan on honoring one of their all-time great players during the 2022 season.

The team announced on Monday that Keith Hernandez will have his No. 17 jersey retired on July 9 before its game against the Miami Marlins. Hernandez will be the fourth player in team history to have his number retired.

Hernandez will join Tom Seaver (No. 41), Mike Piazza (No. 31) and Jerry Koosman (No. 36) as players to be honored by the Mets. New York has also retired No. 14 and No. 37 for former managers Gil Hodges and Casey Stengel.

Hernandez ranks second in franchise history with a batting average of .297. He won six Gold Glove awards during his time with New York, the most of any player in team history. Hernandez, who currently works as a broadcaster for Mets games, was named to the team's Hall of Fame in 1997.

"I’m thrilled,” Hernandez said in a press release “This is truly a special honor that lasts beyond a lifetime. I can’t thank Steve and Alex Cohen and the Mets Hall of Fame Committee enough. I was very emotional when Steve called to let me know about the number retirement. This is the highest honor an organization can bestow upon a player."

The Mets acquired Hernandez in a trade in 1983. He helped lead the team to victory in the 1986 World Series. The following season, Hernandez was voted by his teammates as the first captain in franchise history.

Hernandez, who also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland during his career, was an 11-time Gold Glove winner, five-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger. He was named National League MVP in 1979 when he was with the Cardinals.

Buck Showalter has been given the task of turning the New York Mets around.

Mets owner Steve Cohen announced the hire Saturday:

I’m pleased to announce Buck Showalter as the new manager of the New York Mets

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) December 18, 2021

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported Showalter signed a three-year contract.

For a franchise looking for a quick turnaround, Showalter is one of the best people to hire as manager. 

The Mets will be the fifth different team Showalter has managed in his career. The Texas Rangers are the only organization that the 65-year-old didn't make the playoffs with (2003-06). 

Showalter oversaw the development of the New York Yankees in the early-1990s before they became a dynasty under Joe Torre. He led the Arizona Diamondbacks to 100 wins and an NL West title in their second year of existence in 1999. 

Perhaps the most impressive feat of Showalter's career was leading the franchise resurgence for the Baltimore Orioles. He helped them to five consecutive seasons finishing at least .500 and made the playoffs three times in a five-year period from 2012 to 2016. 

Prior to Showalter's hiring in July 2010, the Orioles hadn't made the postseason since 1997.

With the Mets coming off a disappointing 77-85 record in 2021, manager Luis Rojas' option for next season was declined. 

Showalter becomes the fourth Mets manager since Terry Collins retired after the 2017 season. Mickey Callaway was in the role for two years before being sacked at the end of 2019. 

Former Mets star Carlos Beltran was hired to replace Callaway in November 2019. Two months later, Major League Baseball released a report about the Houston Astros' cheating scandal from the 2017 season when Beltran was on the roster. 

Beltran was the only Astros player named in MLB's report. He resigned his position with the Mets on January 16, 2020 before managing a game with the team.

Rojas was hired to replace the nine-time All-Star in the role. He ultimately finished 103-119 in two seasons. 

Expectations for the Mets in 2021 were off the charts. They acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco in an offseason trade from Cleveland to improve a core that already featured Pete Alonso, Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil. 

Lindor had a brutal start to the season with a .698 OPS in the first half. DeGrom was on track to have a historic season with a 0.56 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 64 innings over his first 10 starts, but a forearm injury kept him out of the season after July 7. 

Those were only two of the myriad problems that plagued the Mets en route to a 77-85 record. They missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year and have had just one winning season since 2017. 

Things even got so bad that at one point some players, including Lindor and Javier Baez, used a "thumbs down" gesture to mock Mets fans who booed them during a difficult stretch in August. 

“[It’s] to let [fans] know when we don’t have success we are going to get booed, so they are going to get booed when we have success,” Baez, who was acquired in July from the Chicago Cubs, told reporters about the gesture. 

Lindor and Baez later apologized to Mets fans for their actions. 

This offseason has given Mets fans a new sense of hope, though. Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar were all brought in as free agents. 

A new season will give the Mets a fresh start in their quest to compete for a playoff spot in the National League. Showalter will be tasked with leading the organization's turnaround on the field. 

There's a tremendous amount of talent already in place, so the Mets could be a sleeping giant in 2022.