IT’S RAINING
Gsellman shows GM he cares in wet win
ROBERT Gsellman knows he is running out of time to prove himself. The Mets righthander has had a bad season, a step back from 2016 when he pitched his way into contention for a rotation spot this spring. He’d struggled on the field and put his foot in his mouth off it.
Still, when he was given another chance on Wednesday to salvage something of his 2017 season, he at least earned himself another shot.
In adverse conditions, the Mets saw a little bit of what they wanted from the 23-year-old Gsellman: He went out and fought for his spot. Pitching in consistent rain, Gsellman allowed three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out four in six innings work as the Mets beat the Phillies 6-3 in a rain-shortened game.
Gsellman got a third chance at his 2017 Wednesday night, when the Mets scrapped their ridiculous idea to pitch Matt Harvey, who was coming off the disabled list Saturday, on short rest.
He needed that third chance to prove himself. After he struggled on the field this season, the Mets left him in the minor leagues for an extended rehab when he was coming back from a strained hamstring. When asked when he would come back, Mets GM Sandy Alderson suggested Gsellman needed to earn it by pitching better.
Gsellman responded he didn’t care what his boss said. He later apologized and Wednesday he started to show he heard Alderson and valued his opinion.
“I know I haven’t pitched well, I know I have a lot to prove,” Gsellman said after Wednesday night’s game. “I still have a lot to prove, but if I get the chance I think I can prove it.”
That is what Terry Collins wanted to see and hear.
Wednesday, the Mets manager said it was the best command Gsellman had all season and he showed some grit getting through six in sloppy conditions.
Before this, Gsellman had been disappointing.
“Right now, he’s got to focus on going back and being a good pitcher. I hope his little time in the minor leagues, even though it was brief, got his attention a little bit,” Collins said. “I talked to him a little bit ago, he’s all fired up about pitching tonight. Hopefully we see the guy we saw last September.”
Collins said that Gsellman will get another chance down the stretch to pitch and prove himself.
Gsellman isn’t the only player the Mets need to see that fire from as this lost season winds down.
The last few weeks of the 2017 season may not have much meaning to the Flushing Faithful or the standings, but the young players in the Mets clubhouse need to play like they want to stay in the big leagues.
“I spent a long time in the minor leagues where I was a guy who felt that winning was important, even in the minor leagues. To teach guys how to win the game. When they get to the big leagues, they did the little things you needed them to do to win,” Collins said. “I know a lot of organizations that think winning is secondary, that the development is the only thing that’s important and that is get the players better. I have seen in my time guys who accept losing as ‘I got two hits today, I pitched two innings today and didn’t give up any runs, so it wasn’t my fault.’ So I just hope that they know that that is not acceptable here, that will never be acceptable here, not in this town not with this organization and this team.” sellman earned himself another shot this season and he knows he has to work to get back the same consideration going into 2018. “I am not happy with my season,” Gsellman said. “None of us are happy with this season. We all need to prove that we can end this year strong and come into next year looking to turn it around.”
Maybe the Mets saw one piece of their future begin his turnaround Wednesday night, but Gsellman knows he still has to prove he’s come full circle.
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