New York State of Mind: The Grimace Era has Arrived for the Mets

Whoever wrote the script for the 2024 New York Mets season and inserted Grimace into the plot deserves a raise.

The Mets have turned around what was originally looking like a long season into something much more interesting. Enter the Grimace Era.

The madness started earlier this month in the Big Apple when the iconic McDonald’s character threw out the ceremonial first pitch. After that, the Mets woke up and ran off seven straight wins. Grimace then became the unofficial mascot for the 2024 Mets. The fans embraced it and baseball appears to be fun again in Queens.

After the win over the Chicago Cubs on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the Mets improved to a MLB-best 13-6 in the month of June. They are still two games under .500 this season and sitting in fourth place in the NL East, a division that the Philadelphia Phillies might be on the verge of running away with. However, the Amazins’ are hanging around the Wild Card chat.

Yet, in true Mets fashion, there was more drama on Sunday night as closer Edwin Diaz was ejected in the ninth inning before even throwing a pitch. The umpires tossed him after finding foreign substance on his hand. Chances are it’s not from a Grimace shake. Diaz is likely facing an automatic 10-game suspension from MLB over the matter, the norm for sticky stuff convictions.

I’m now officially convinced the Mets are a sideshow that Larry David is writing for MLB this season.

Hit or Miss: World Baseball Classic Catching Heat After Diaz Injury

Some interesting discussions are happening right now on whether the World Baseball Classic is a good idea after all.

Things got hot after New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Diaz was injured during a celebration following Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal win over the Dominican Republic. Diaz has reportedly torn the patellar tendon in his right knee and will undergo surgery. He’s expected to miss the 2023 season. Diaz had to be taken off the field in a wheelchair.

The Mets had World Series aspirations this season. Fans were excited. There may have even been some parade routes being planned for November in Queens. All of that just got flipped upside down and the WBC is catching heat for it.

The case being made in defense of the WBC is how it’s good for baseball all over the world. There’s a heavy push behind it. The crowds and excitement are definitely there, no denying that. For some countries, this is as close to a World Series as you can get.

In fact, defenders are pointing out the crowds and ratings are better for the WBC than the World Series. That’s a tricky argument, especially since the World Series is not really a World Series because it only involves American teams. But keep in mind, there are players from all over the world on those American teams.

I think there’s another point to consider. How many people can name past WBC winners without Google? World Series winners are remembered and brought up all the time. Things that make you go “hhhmmm.”

The Diaz injury is now being used as a reason why this shouldn’t be happening. Mets fans are currently in a glass case of emotions. No Timmy Trumpet playing in the ninth inning this season. The Mets organization is now faced with finding a way to replace their All-Star closer. Keep in mind, the season hasn’t officially started yet. All of this is happening during spring training.

The real question may now center around how MLB teams will now approach the WBC in the future. There’s a truckload of money invested in the players, so do you want them put in a position that could cost the organization in the long term? Don’t be surprised if some teams start pushing for their star players to bypass the WBC and focus on what they’re being paid to do in order to avoid a situation like this.

Let the debate roll on, because it will.