Reyes: I went a little bit crazy
He’s right. It is…
Original Post at 7:30 am:
The Mets trailed 2-1 in the 8th inning last night. Jose Reyes then hit a ball to the gap in left-center, he rounded second, hustled for third base, he beat the throw, slide head first, Jerry Hairston laid down the tag, kept on Reyes, and the third base ump called Jose out, claiming his hand left the base as his momentum pulled him left. Reyes went wild, left his feet, slammed his helmet to the ground…
…and had to be restrained by Chip Hale.
It was awesome. I hope you watched it live. I think I might have pulled a muscle behind my knee, stomping on the ground as I stood up yelling at the television. Then, immediately after, Daniel Murphy tied the game on a home run. It was an unbelievably fun and exhilarating five minutes.
According to the New York Times, when he got to the dugout, “Reyes overturned a water cooler that spilled on Bay and pitcher Dillon Gee, then took out more of his frustration on an electric fan in the dugout, Bay said.”
The Mets eventually took the lead, then let it get away, only to score four runs in the top of the ninth to lock in the win.
“I went a little bit crazy,” Reyes said after the game, looking quite proud of his actions and the team’s effort. “You know, my hand never came off the base. That was an important point in the game, down, 2-1. But we won the game, so that’s the best part. It was a huge win for us.”
Reyes continued talking with reporters, and basically said:
- This may have been the first time he’s expressed that kind of emotion on the field and he’s never been that angry before during a game.
- The umpire never gave Reyes an explanation as to why he called him out.
- He thinks his reaction to the call may have had an impact on the team’s play and sparked the eventual game-winning rally.
- Daniel Murphy’s home run that immediately followed was a huge turning point.
- Jerry Hairston, Jr. told Hudson “he came off the base,” and Hairston’s comment ultimately influenced the call.
According to David Lennon of Newsday, Bay called it “epic,” while R.A. Dickey labeled it as “justified.”
“This so far is the biggest win of the year,” Terry Collins said after the game, while giving credit to Reyes. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.”
