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The Mets are the perfect illustration of the distortion rate in which professional sports evolve and where credit expires almost immediately.
Their trip to the World Series in 2015 could as well have been in 1915, for all its power. . Instead of being the foundation of an era of excellence, this season has quickly become an oasis in the expansive desert of desperation through which the franchise is doomed to wander.
One by one, they went down or went elsewhere. Only seven players – Wilmer Flores, Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Jeurys Familia, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, starting pitcher and loser Saturday – had survived the attrition and purge and remained on the active list losing 7-6. Yankees at the stadium
Now he is six.
The Mets began unpacking their exhausted veteran wardrobe 10 days before the July 31 deadline for non-waiver by sending Familia, the closest thing to a big time Queens since Billy Wagner to a dozen years before him, in Oakland for some mediocre prospects and a handful of international slot
Trading Familia, still available to take the ball, but never as reliable as his jumps could indicate, was inevitable. There is no unnecessary appendix on a bad baseball team. And while it may be unfair to suggest that the headless front office has settled down in what the club has got in exchange for the free agent waiting for 28 years, it does not seem like it's too late. a bonus arrives this way.
We would be delighted to tell you what the management reaction was, but none other than manager Mickey Callaway was available to talk to the media. There are three heads – John Ricco, JP Ricciardi and Omar Minaya – in charge of the operation, but no voice to answer this question or the emerging question regarding Cespedes' health.
When people talk about Mets Way, it's probably what they mean. Oh, wait. Nobody ever talks about Mets Way. That's probably why.
Callaway gave Familia, whose 123 career stops place him third on the all-time list of the franchise behind Armando Benitez (160) and John Franco (276), his due in his postgame briefing. The A's are lucky to have a quality guy and a pitcher like Familia, "said the manager." He has done a great job for this organization, but I understand that it is necessary at this point to Try to strengthen the team for the future. "
Familia had her warts.He served a 15-match sentence in early 2017 for violating MLB's Violence Policy This leaves an indelible mark on his record, but in the clubhouse he was always a friendly face, and on the mound he was the cherry on the Matt Harvey-deGrom-Syndergaard-Matz sundae which was so good while it lasted, but melted too fast.
He was a key contributor on the turn of the dizziness to the series and then, a year later, set a franchise record and 51 saves in the lead of the league while the Mets have earned a wildcard pbad with a late charge During this sunny season, Familia converted 52 consecutive backup opportunities from late July 2015 to mid-July 2016. Regular season backup opportunities, ie
Because even as integral part of the team's success, Familia blew Alex Series, at the end of the ninth inning of a match lost by the Mets in 14. Then, undermined by a sleeve of Daniel Murphy at second base, he blew up an opportunity to save Match 4, unable to take a 3-2 lead in the eighth of the final 5-3 defeat.
Match 5, finally, another, but if Lucas Duda had just made an accurate shot from the first base to the plate in the ninth inning, maybe the fate of the franchise would have changed. But no. Familia was unable to retain the precarious lead he inherited from Harvey and the Mets finally fell off the ledge in 12 innings
Happenstance
That happens.
But it happened to Familia again the next playoffs. Entered the wild-card game against the Giants to start the ninth inning with the score 0-0, Familia gave up a three-point run to fellow countryman named Conor Gillaspie and that's all. The Mets were made; made for the season and made for the foreseeable future.
Familia has reached some heights here. It was a big part for Terry Collins. But with his business in Oakland, he embodies what the Mets were and are:
So close, so far, and now gone.
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