Friday, May 4, 2018

Matt Harvey's Ego Did Not Take Down The Dark Knight

The Mets are going to DFA Matt Harvey tomorrow morning and it will be the official end of an era. Matt Harvey was a superstar, a huge personality in a huge market, and for a little while he had the talent to back it up.

He was dominant when he made his Major League debut in 2012 and fought back from Tommy John surgery to dominate once again. Game 5 of the 2015 World Series was electric for 8 innings. My entire family and I'm sure most of section 131 can still hear "It's a Ha-vey day!" whenever anything remotely Matt Harvey-related pops up. Unfortunately, that game was the last time Harvey would truly be the Dark Knight.

Thoracic outlet syndrome has stolen what almost certainly would have been a long, lucrative career from Matt Harvey. Permanent nerve damage and a resulting lack of velocity, command, and general effectiveness are why he will no longer be a New York Met. It sucks. It sucks that a once promising career has been sabotaged by something out of everybody's control. It must have really sucked for then-26-year-old Matt Harvey to no longer have the ability he had just a few months prior.

To make something abundantly clear, partying and pouting did not steal Harvey's career. Athletes have done way worse things than partying and drinking at those parties and dating models and even showing up late. Harvey would still be on the Mets if he could pitch - whether or not he was engaging in such extracurricular activities.

Matt Harvey as we once knew him is never coming back. Now it is up to him (and his desire to work in the minors) whether any Matt Harvey steps on a Major League Baseball field again.

No comments: