After expressing a desire to return to the big leagues earlier this year, Matt Harvey has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.
Harvey, the Mets’ polarizing ace who put together some of the most memorable starts in recent memory for the franchise, announced the news on his Instagram Friday morning, starting by looking back to a memorable night in Queens in what was the beginning of his lone All-Star season.
“April 19, 2013: A game I will always remember,” Harvey wrote. “I haven’t gone back to really feel or relive some of the highest moments pitching in the big league, especially for the New York Mets. But this particular game hits me extremely hard, making this a very difficult thing to write.
“That day will forever stay in my dreams. I know I pitched well and we were on our way to a win, and as I'm sitting in the dugout, all I hear is the chants overtaking Citi Field. ‘Harvey’s better.’ Even with aspirations to be great, or even the best, a moment like that hits your soul. It was a moment of success. I never wanted it to end.”
The game was one where Harvey dominated the Nationals for seven innings, and Mets fans serenaded Washington pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg with the chants of “Harvey’s better” after New York took Strasburg deep twice to build a 4-0 lead. Harvey went on to post a 2.27 ERA that season, and two years later, pitched to a 2.71 ERA and helped lead the Mets to their first World Series appearance in 15 years.
“I pitched to win,” Harvey wrote. “To fire up my team, and more importantly, to fire up the fans in a city that I’ve always loved.”
Harvey pitched six seasons in New York, pitching to a 3.66 ERA over 639.1 innings of work. He would pitch for four other teams across four seasons, but in his thank you message, he kept his focus on the Mets.
“To the fans, most importantly the NY Mets fans: You made a dream come true for me,” Harvey wrote. “You are forever embedded in my heart. Goodbye, baseball. And thank you.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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