Jacob deGrom might be confused when he arrives at his locker on August 25 and sees a different name over the number on the back of his road uniform. August 25 to 27, when the Mets are in Washington, is MLB Players Weekend, a three-day period when players can, in the name of fun or something like it, wear their nicknames on their jerseys. The Mets have several players who, should they be on the trip, have obvious choices. Noah Syndergaard would be THOR. Matt Harvey would be DARK KNIGHT. Zack Wheeler would be THEY DL ME TOO.
DeGrom? If he filed for one, it was probably JAKE or JdG or perhaps deGROMINATOR. Yet all will be rejected, whether Jacob is informed in advance or not, in favor of the people’s choice.
Fuckin’ A.
Or, as it will appear on fabric, FUCKIN A 48.
This assumes that whoever at MLB headquarters is responsible for nickname compilation was up late Monday night listening to the repeated satisfaction-laced exhortations of Mets fans like myself as deGrom threw his usual superb start in San Diego.
Jacob strikes out the side in the first?
FUCKIN A
Jacob throws a double play ball to escape the second?
FUCKIN A
Jacob leaves single runners on in the third and fourth?
FUCKIN A
Jacob retires seven in a row to get through six with a 4-0 lead?
FUCKIN A
Jacob strikes out the side in the seventh after surrendering a solo home run to Hunter Renfroe?
FUCKIN A
Jacob leaves after eight innings, having given up only two runs, is in line for his eighth consecutive victory in eight starts, perseveres through nagging foot discomfort, remains in command throughout, asserts himself like few pitchers in the league and no other pitcher on the Mets?
FUCKIN A
Addison Reed nearly gives back what was a seemingly secure 5-2 lead, allowing another leadoff home run to Renfroe and getting very lucky when Jabari Blash comes within inches of Jabari-blasting a three-run shot to right that goes ever so slightly foul, before holding on for a 5-3 final over the pesky Padres?
OH FOR CRISSAKE
MLB probably won’t need to ship the Mets an OH FOR CRISSAKE 43 jersey to hang in Reed’s locker come August 25. Chances are he’ll be traded by then.
I respectfully refer you to a horridly underrated 80s movie, released in the US under the title Spike of Bensonhurst, and in some other countries as The Mafia Kid, the title character of which (Sasha Mitchell, vaguely remembered for a pool boy role on Dallas some years earlier) instructs the multicultural community of Brooklyn (as it then was) on the subject of your post (the relevant part of this clip starts at 0:34, but the whole scene, and indeed the whole movie, are worth a watch- I’ll bring a region free copy with me to Citi Field next game if you will be there):
https://youtu.be/hv78NAfMrvw?t=34s
A is for Ace, of course.
That was awesome!
If I remember correctly the booth was talking about how high Reed’s trade value was when all of the sudden the game was hanging in the balance and a bomb down the line, as you wrote, sailed just inches foul. I invoked a line I liked from Homer Simpson – “SAVE US JEBUS!” I don’t think that would fit on Reeds jersey, whatever team it may be.
deGrom looking awfully good. Two bullpen sessions seem to be working in his favor.
Blash’s ball hooking foul was angels in the outfield stuff. It sure looked like a HR.
While Reed was getting hit hard last night, I was thinking that he was making Alderson tap the ‘page down’ button on prospective trading partners’ top prospects lists. Maybe knowing he’s being scouted is making Reed nervous and tighten up. But if he needs more rest in between appearances, he should get it – I want better prospects.
Apparently, the routine is helping deGrom keep a mechanical tic under control, where if he loses control of it, he almost invariably throws a flat pitch down the middle of the plate that turns into at least a ringing double and likely a tape-measure home run.
My sister in law, Lynn, roots for players based on what they look like. Back in the day it was Carter and Hernandez. Now it’s Michael Conforto. It matters not that she has a daughter the same age as Michael and a son who is 5 years older. I would love to see young Mr. Conforto wearing Lynn’s nickname for him on his back…EYE CANDY 30.
[…] after seven and the Mets edged only to within 3-2 after nine. So not only no W for deGrom (a.k.a. FUCKIN A), but also his first L in nearly two months — since the last time he got mixed up with an […]