Rusty’s in-flight fright
Ex-Met has heart attack
Former Met Rusty Staub suffered a heart attack while on a flight from Ireland to JFK, a source close to the situation said Saturday. The team announced Staub had a “medical emergency.”
Le Grand Orange’s flight was rerouted back to Ireland. He is there resting comfortably in a hospital, and the prognosis is good, according to the Mets. Staub is 71.
“Rusty and his family ask that we respect his privacy during this period,” the Mets said in a statement. “He is in the thoughts and prayers of the Mets organization.”
A man named Stephen Marro, who claims to be a close family friend of Staub’s, started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Staub’s flight back to the States. Marro wrote in a post that Staub will need to take a medical plane costing $60,000. As of Saturday afternoon, the page had raised $4,405.
Staub, a right fielder and first baseman, played for the Mets in nine of his 23 seasons in the majors, first from 1972-75 and again from 19811985. His best season with the Mets came in 1975, when he clubbed 19 homers, drove in 105 runs and finished 14th in MVP voting.
HOPE FOR MATZ
Steven Matz received an injection on Friday in his troublesome upper back in an attempt the rookie lefty hopes will make him available for the NLDS next week against the Dodgers.
“We’ll see how he is today. That seems like that might be something that kind of relaxes him a little bit, relaxes those muscles back there,” Terry Collins said before Saturday’s day-night doubleheader against Washington. “I haven’t talked to him today yet, but hopefully that helps him a lot.”
The Mets want Matz, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 24 due to tightness behind his right shoulder blade, to throw 90 to 100 pitches in an Instructional League game in Florida on Wednesday to be ready for a potential Game 4 start against L.A.
INDECISION AT SS
Collins said Saturday the team hasn’t decided who will start at shortstop in the playoffs — Wilmer Flores or Ruben Tejada. Flores has dealt with back stiffness since Wednesday and is currently battling a case of strep throat. Tejada, meanwhile, hit .340 in September and has impressed Collins all season after losing the starting job to Flores in spring training. “He’s had a very, very good year offensively, (and) we all know he has great hands,” Collins said of Tejada.
CHOKING UP
Bryce Harper and the Mets fans continued their tense relationship Saturday at Citi Field. But Harper said it’s all in good taste.
After making an inning-ending catch, Harper faked like he was throwing the ball into the outfield stands only to hang onto it. And Mets fans returned the favor by chanting “Pap-el-bon!” at the lefty slugger while he was at the plate, mocking his recent dugout fight with now-suspended Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon.
“I respect their fans. It’s a lot of fun. I love the way they are,” Harper said. “I love that they have pride for their city, have pride for their team. You like to see that.”