Just Mets

The beauty of the game of baseball is that everyday brings the chance to see something that has never happened before.

And on Sunday, Kirk Nieuwenhuis did something about as unexpected as anyone could have imagined and remarkably historical – in a positive way – at the same time.

It was just a week earlier Nieuwenhuis found himself in a dead end at Triple-A Las Vegas, not on a 40-man roster for the first time in years and mired in a 2-for-22 skid under the watchful eyes of Wally Backman.

In other words, he was a full fledged minor leaguer with other people surrounding him having 40-man roster spots and much more likely to get the next call to the big leagues.

But it was his name which was selected by Sandy Alderson to replace Darrell Ceciliani – who was just 2-for-his-last-27 with 13 strikeouts in his last 16 games – ahead of the opener of a three-game series against the Giants in San Francisco last Monday.

He was back, and back with a team who just a few weeks earlier designated him for assignment and sold him to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and shortly thereafter bought the rights for him right back.

“I guess if you were to tell me this was going to happen during the spring, I probably wouldn’t have believed you,” Nieuwenhuis said before Monday’s game.

Nieuwenhuis made an immediate impact, setting the table for a late inning rally with a double in the ninth inning. He would ultimately score on a Johnny Monell double to cap a 3-0 win over the defending World Champion Giants.

But it was Sunday when Nieuwenhuis was really able to put his stamp on the 2015 Mets, and make some history in the process.

Nieuwenhuis homered in his first three at-bats on Sunday, driving in four and sending the Mets on their way to a 5-3 win and a series sweep over the Diamondbacks. He became just the tenth Met ever to hit three home runs in a game and the first Met ever to hit three home runs in a game at home, in either the Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium or Citi Field.

“This is why it’s a great game,” Terry Collins said afterwards. “You have no answers for it. [Nieuwenhuis is] a tremendous kid and to have him have a day like today, everyone is very fired up for him.”

Here’s some more perspective on Nieuwenhuis’ magical day.

He was 3-for-38 on the year when the Mets sold him to the Angels, and was 7-for-66 on the year in the big leagues when he returned to the Mets last Monday. He matched that total from his first stint with the Mets with his three home runs on Sunday, and already has one more in five games since having his contract purchased from the 51s on Monday.

“It’s been a wild ride, for sure,” Nieuwenhuis said smiling at his locker. “Today was a lot of fun.”

Nieuwenhuis had wondered if he had played in his final big league game during this turbulent season, although he said he never actually thought about quitting the game.

“There’s more to life than baseball. Sometimes that’s really hard to realize as players, as competitive as we are,” Nieuwenhuis explained. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell yourself, but it’s reality.

“Anytime something like that happens or you get injured, it crosses your mind,” he continued. “But never to quit, no.”

He had himself the greatest day of his career. There’s no question about it. Anytime a player – no matter who it is – comes up and hits three home runs in a game at any level, it’s memorable and always one for the record books.

But while he had himself a day, it came at a very critical time for the Mets. It’s one thing if he comes up and hits three balls out in the middle of September and the club is 15 games out.

But it’s another for it to have both a purpose and significance.

On a day when the Mets needed a sweep, needed to keep pace with the Nationals and Cubs in the races and go into the All-Star break with as much momentum as they possibly can have, Nieuwenhuis’ history had both that purpose and a huge significance in a team win.

But in cases like this, when one individual has had a trying year, lost his job and roster spot, been bought and sold by one club, it’s ok for the player to relish and take it all in.

Nieuwenhuis did just that on Sunday, and soaked in something which has never happened in the history of the franchise.

“That was something I won’t forget for a really long time,” Nieuwenhuis said. “Murph was telling me to get out there, but I knew what it was. I’ve watched enough TV.”