Mets players like Jose Quintana, Jesse Winker and Sean Manaea sported the number 40 for their eye black ahead of Game 3 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why that specific number? It belongs to Mets pitcher Luis Severino, who was slated to start Game 3 on the mound for New York.
This is a really cool way for Mets players to honor their teammates. It won’t be shocking to see Severino play well with this kind of encouragement behind him in the dugout.
Jose Quintana, Jesse Winker & Sean Manaea rock #40 eye black for Luis Severino before NLCS Game 3 🫡 pic.twitter.com/J5OFlhzKX8
If you are watching the New York Mets, you are likely going to see a sign in their locker room that reads “OMG” and you may not know why.
If you are watching the New York Mets, you are likely going to see a sign in their locker room that reads “OMG” and you may not know why.
First and foremost: The Mets are a team that uniquely experiences significant humor, whimsy, and joy. Nowhere is that more apparent than when they use a sign that reads “OMG” as part of a celebration. But what does it all mean and where it come from?
The story is quirky and silly and surprising and also makes all of the sense in the word for a team like the Mets.
Veteran infielder José Iglesias is the reason
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Walk with us and let’s take you back earlier this season in New York. It was May 31 and the Mets were 24-33 (.438) and at a very low point in the MLB season for the organization. It looked like a rebuilding year.
Iglesias, a 34-year-old infielder who signed a minor league deal with the Mets, was called up to join the majors and made his debut with the team. While it did not seem like a big deal at the time, it was a turning point for the franchise.
They started winning and heading from spring into summer, the vibes were getting better for the team. Iglesias was playing well but as it turned out, he was also working behind the scenes on his side career as a musician.
“OMG” debuted at Citi Field
(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Now it was June 28 and the Mets were suddenly one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Iglesias, who was still playing well, was also getting closer to releasing a song under his moniker Candelita. As it turned out, Iglesias also moonlights as a musician star because of course the Mets had a minor league who is also a Latin Pop star.
It was based on a shirt that Alex Cohen, wife of Mets owner Steve Cohen, posted on her Instagram. McCroy gave the sign to Alex, who passed it along to someone who could put it in the locker room.
The Mets use it to celebrate in the dugout whenever they hit a home run. The celebration is often led by Mets pitcher Luis Severino, who has become one of the more reliable arms in the rotation for New York.
Iglesias is playing fantastic baseball as well and is currently enjoying a 20-game hit streak at the time of this publication. He is planning to soon release a remix, perhaps even featuring music icon Bad Bunny.
Well, this was certainly an attempt by Kyle Tucker.
Luis Severino was not going to be fooled by Kyle Tucker here.
On Thursday, the New York Yankees were facing the Houston Astros down 2-0 in the bottom of the third. With two runners on in scoring position and two outs, the Yankees needed a big stop or the Astros were set to pile on more runs.
Thankfully, pitcher Severino got the Yankees out of the bind by… seemingly fooling Tucker into stealing home while the man on the mound was adjusting the PitchCom device in his ear. Yeah, we’ve never seen this one before.
With Severino occupied, Tucker tried to get the jump on the Yankees by stealing home. Severino, however, had other plans, as he was able to throw out Tucker in his brazen attempt to steal home!
Kyle Tucker tries to pull a bush league move by stealing home while Luis Severino was fixing his PitchCom device and he gets thrown out pic.twitter.com/yjNPC0K6OS
Tucker certainly tried there and to be fair, it was pretty close. Stealing home, however, is hard to do, and Severino showcased exactly why on this play.
What I’m Hearing: While the Yankees brass said they plan to replace Luis Severino internally for now, our very own Bob Nightengale offers up a few trade options New York could target later this season.
What I’m Hearing: While the Yankees brass said they plan to replace Luis Severino internally for now, our very own Bob Nightengale offers up a few trade options New York could target later this season.
The Yankees will be without pitcher Luis Severino in 2020.
The New York Yankees will be without starting pitcher Luis Severino for the entirety of the upcoming 2020 season, after GM Brian Cashman announced Tuesday that the 26-year-old needs Tommy John surgery. Severino, who signed a four-year contract extension last February, was limited to just five starts in 2019 due to shoulder injuries, and experienced forearm soreness after his last start in the ALCS against Houston. With the upcoming year ruled out, Severino will have been limited to just 20.1 innings pitched over a two-year span, after going 19-8 and earning his second consecutive All-Star selection in 2018.
The Yankees landed ace Gerrit Cole in the offseason to lead their starting rotation, but losing Severino for the entire year – and potentially for part of the 2021 season – is a massive blow for a team expected to contend for a World Series. Yankees fans wished Severino well on social media after the news broke.
After hearing about Paxton and now, Severino today, I’d be cool if we keep Gerrit Cole like this for the rest of the offseason. pic.twitter.com/6tpg2yP8Up
Luis Severino was the first big prospect out of this core group of Sanchez, Judge, and Gleyber to come up and make an impact. If we win the World Series this season it’ll hurt knowing he didn’t get to contribute to it.
I have no doubt in my mind that the Yankees will fill out the hole that losing Luis Severino leaves.
I’m just really sad for Sevy. I think of TJ horror stories like Todd Coffey where the guy kept trying to come back and he just couldn’t. Ughhh. pic.twitter.com/wWfjQUJGue
— Joe Randazzo (Bronx Pinstripes crew) (@deflategator) February 25, 2020
