Matt Harvey appears to have lost the support of many of his New York Mets teammates, and it sounds like he has a lot to prove before he can earn it back.
Marc Carig of Newsday spoke with several Mets players and team sources, and the consensus is clearly that Harvey got what he deserved when he was suspended three games for not showing up to the ballpark on Saturday. Carig wrote that the suspension was “greeted with approval in the clubhouse,” and one Mets player criticized Harvey for the way the pitcher carries himself.
“He wants to be Derek Jeter,” one of Harvey’s teammates said. “To do that, you’ve got to show up.”
Another player said it was about time the team gave Harvey more than a slap on the wrist.
“Something had to happen,” the player told Carig. “There had to be a sense of accountability.”
Apparently this has been a recurring theme. One Mets player said Harvey has created a “sense of alienation” around himself. The 28-year-old was late to a workout during the 2015 playoffs and provided a very lame excuse. He also reportedly showed up late to an exhibition game in Las Vegas last year. Carig reports that Harvey was fined $500 for each instance and given the chance to have the fine erased with a strong performance, which he cashed in on.
Will the three-game suspension be enough of a reality check for Harvey? Some Mets players say the righthander had been carrying himself differently this season and making more of an effort to fit it, but the latest incident could set all of that back. Carig notes that Harvey did not even realize he had done anything wrong when he showed up to Citi Field on Sunday. And he still may not realize it, as a source close to Harvey told the New York Post that the pitcher is “unlikely” to apologize upon returning from his suspension on Tuesday.
It’s obvious that Harvey loves living a life of glamour, and his teammate’s comment about Jeter is interesting when you read what someone said about Harvey’s dating life a few years back. But Derek Jeter, he is not. Jeter was able to balance being a celebrity and Hall of Famer, and he kept his personal life as private as possible. Harvey has done anything but.
