During the sixth inning of Sunday’s game between the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets, manager Buck Showalter decided to have umpires check Joe Musgrove‘s ear for foreign substances.
Musgrove was dealing on the mound and the Mets had no answer to his stuff, but it was pointed out to Showalter that there may have been some sticky substances on the pitcher’s ear.
Umpires found nothing, and the game went on: Musgrove ended up pitching seven scoreless innings with just one hit allowed, and his spin rates were higher than regular season averages.
In the end, Showalter explained his decision.
He didn’t mean to offend anyone: he was just doing his job, which is to protect the Mets’ best interests.
“Buck Showalter talks about having the umpires check Jose Musgrove for substances: ‘I’m charged with doing what’s best for the New York Mets. However it might make me look, I’m going to do that every time and live with the consequences,'” SNY tweeted with the quotes of the skipper.
Buck Showalter talks about having the umpires check Jose Musgrove for substances:
"I'm charged with doing what's best for the New York Mets. However it might make me look, I'm going to do that every time and live with the consequences." pic.twitter.com/CzjSz9b8Qm
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 10, 2022
The Mets Won 101 Games But Their Season Ended In A Heartbreaking Way
The loss ended the Mets’ season in disappointing fashion: after winning 101 games during the regular season, they will now have to watch the rest of the postseason on TV.
They lost the NL East on the final weekend of the season against the Atlanta Braves, and had to play in the Wild Card Series as a result.
All things considered, and taking into account the huge preseason expectations tied to the additions of Max Scherzer, Starling Marte and other star players, Mets fans definitely wanted more.
They did have a good time supporting the team in 2022 and have the peace of mind that comes with the franchise being in good shape.
NEXT: Mets Insider Comments On A Regular Season Debacle