With the trade completed on Tuesday for Cincinnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco, the Matt Harvey era of the New York Mets officially came to an end. If there is comeback chapter to be written for Harvey it will be with the Reds or another team. Once again, the Mets fans are left with an unfulfilled dream. More likely, the final chapter will be the one I posted here nearly two years ago to the day…
Original post May 20, 2016. After Harvey’s disaster of a start against the Nats last night, I’ve joined the ranks of other Mets fans and the New York media and am officially in full panic mode. Will anyone be shocked if we see this on the T.V. schedule in the near future?
Tuesday night, an ESPN original series. ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 presents, “The Dark Night”, the story of pitcher, Matt Harvey, and his meteoric rise and fall as ace of the New York Mets.
SANDY ALDERSON (V.O. voice over)
He was like a rock star…the New York stage was his. Matt was viewed as the savior of our franchise.
ADAM RUBIN beat reporter (V.O)
His starts were must-see events. The fans and the local media believed Matt Harvey was the second coming of Seaver.
DAVID WRIGHT, Mets 3rd baseman 2004-2018
When Matt took the mound, our team expected to win. We knew we held the advantage.
ESPN announcer: What happened? What changed after that fateful 9th inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series?
EVAN ROBERTS, WFAN radio host (V.O.)
I think it all comes back to Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras. At what point did he get in his client’s head and make it about the big contract, the superstar lifestyle, and worrying about innings limits after Tommy John surgery? I think that’s when Harvey lost his edge, that aura of invincibility. The joy of pitching and competing, the game itself, became secondary.
It’s July 26, 2012 and Matt Harvey is making his major league debut at Chase Field in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Fresh off an abbreviated stint with the Mets AAA affiliate, and joined by Buffalo Bisons teammate, catcher Rob Johnson, for the special occasion, Harvey is amped. His fastball is hissing and popping into Johnson’s glove. The first batter he faces, Gerardo Parra, goes down swinging on a nasty slider. The Dark Knight has announced his arrival. Ten more batters will strike out, and Harvey will collect two hits, before the dream debut is complete after 5 1/3 innings.
TERRY COLLINS, Mets Manager 2011-2017
I haven’t seen 98 out of a starting pitcher in quite some time. He’s lived up to exactly what everybody’s talked about.
FADE IN
(high school team practicing on ball field)
Born in New London, and raised in nearby Mystic Connecticut, Matt Harvey is the only son and youngest of three children of Ed and Jackie Harvey, both teachers. Young Matt inherited his father’s athletic ability and competitive nature, and excelled at both basketball and baseball at Fitch Senior High School in Groton, Connecticut….
I’ve been wrong before, Sandy Alderson had me happily eating crow last year, but I pray I’m wrong this time.
Sadly, I think I was right…
Four Square Miles of Noise 
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