Watch: Mets announcer blasts Buck Showalter over Joe Musgrove substance check
Arguably the lowlight for the New York Mets in their season-ending 6-0 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday night involved Mets manager Buck Showalter calling for the umpires to check San Diego starter Joe Musgrove for illegal foreign substances.
None were found, and at least one person closely associated with the Mets has since blasted Showalter for the decision he made in the bottom of the sixth inning of Sunday's defeat that featured the Amazins notching just a single hit.
SNY's Gary Cohen, the television play-by-play announcer for the Mets who is part of one of the most respected booths in all of MLB, offered heavy criticism of Showalter following Sunday's contest.
"Let me phrase this the right way," Cohen explained on the SNY postgame program, per Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post. "Buck Showalter is completely in his rights to ask the umpires to check a pitcher for foreign substances. It’s up to umpires then to decide whether it’s an appropriate thing to do.
"I thought that considering the circumstances, 4-0, sixth inning, season on the line, it smacked of desperation and it was fairly embarrassing I thought for Buck to do that in that spot. It was not necessary. As it turned out, Musgrove was not cheating. If you’re going to pull a stunt like that, you better be right and Buck wasn’t right."
AJ Cassavell noted for the league's website that Musgrove’s spin rate was higher than normal on Sunday and that his average fastball speed was increased by roughly one MPH. The Athletic's Rustin Dodd pointed out that both Showalter and star shortstop Francisco Lindor defended the substance check after Sunday's matchup.
"When you see something that jumps out at you … I get a lot of information in the dugout," Showalter remarked. "We certainly weren’t having much luck the way it was going. That’s for sure. But I’m charged with doing what’s best for the New York Mets. And however it might make me look or whatever, I’m gonna do that every time."
Lindor added that "there were some talks in the dugout" that something might be amiss.
"Buck made the decision to go check him," Lindor continued. "I respect that. I respect his decision. At the end of the day, hats off to Musgrove. He flat-out beat us."
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