Former Mets manager Terry Collins once teased Matt Harvey that he needed the former All-Star’s social security number after repeated visits to Collins’ office for pep talks, warnings and other expressions of concern.
“I’ve had you in my office more than anyone I’ve ever had,” Collins said to Harvey. “And I’m writing you off my taxes this year as a dependent.”
Back then, Harvey was the Mets’ young phenom, seemingly destined to become the franchise’s next star while fan-favorite David Wright’s sparkling career neared an end. But after a stellar 2015 season that saw New York reach the World Series, Harvey’s resume to become the next big athlete in New York City began to show holes. From missing games after late nights out to now-admitted cocaine use during his time with the Mets, it became apparent to Collins that one of his brightest young stars needed help.
“You can’t accuse him if anything. Back then, there was no testing,” Collins told Carton and Roberts on Tuesday. “There was only testing for steroids and amphetamines. But the rumors and some of the things we saw, I talked to Matt about making sure everything was OK and to try and get some help if he needed it.
“These guys are like my kids. Matt Harvey, I met him the day he signed. Loved him, saw the struggles, some of the depression he went through at times, but to hear the testimony…I’m a little upset, but not surprised, because those are some of the things we heard.”
Collins told the New York Post that Harvey had told him “I should just kill myself,” another concerning piece of evidence that he needed help. But his late nights and tardiness to workouts and games continued, and Collins believes Harvey’s rapid rise to New York stardom contributed to his sudden downfall.
“After he became this mega-star - when he was a rookie, nobody came to the big leagues and acted like he was supposed to better than Matt Harvey - then he became the toast of the town, and once in a while you saw some issues,” Collins said. “He was late to the park a couple times, stuff you deal with in-house.
“You couldn’t sit him down except for saying ‘Hey Matt, if you need some help, you have to tell us.’”
Collins told Craig and Evan that Harvey’s teammates were initially receptive to Harvey and his struggles, but that quickly wore thin, as did Harvey’s performance on the mound.
“I think in the beginning it was sympathetic,” Collins said. “There’s only so many times you can say ‘I’m sorry’ before that doesn’t work anymore. I think that’s what happened in matt’s case. He missed a game, then he was late to a game, then he missed a game…and all of a sudden, they said ‘We don’t want to hear it anymore.’
“I called David [Wright] in one night, and he gave the best presentation you could possibly give to a young player…Matt was told all about this stuff. David told him ‘You gotta stay off Page Six.’ Once in a while though, you’ve got to let him look in the mirror…you’ve got to be accountable for your actions.”
Harvey’s late-night escapades and drastic career dropoff has been well documented, but Tuesday’s testimony shed much more light on his drug use and his involvement with Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who died of an overdose in 2019. Harvey said under oath that he received Percocet from a hockey player, and shared them with Skaggs in 2019. It was his lone year with the Angels, another stop on a path that looked nothing like what many expected when he was mowing down opposing hitters with the Mets in 2013. Collins says he will remember those times, specifically his heroic 2015 World Series performance in game five, but knows what is most important now is that he stay on a path towards a better life off the field.
“That look of ‘this is my game,’ that’s the stuff I remember,” Collins said. “Now, there were some other things that went on where I saw some depression and stuff that made you very concerned about his mental health that popped up…I turned it over to the appropriate people, and after that, you don’t know what else you can do.
“I just hope he’s in a good place, he’s in a better place, and his life continues on. This guy was destined to be a star.”
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