Matt Harvey: 'I was holding back tears' during Citi Field ovation
Matt Harvey made his return to Citi Field on Wednesday and got a warm welcome from the New York Mets faithful - even though he was pitching for the opposing Baltimore Orioles.
"There was a lot of excitement, a lot of memories," Harvey said when asked about his outing and the ovation he received. "Obviously, there's been so many ups and downs here at this ballpark and with this organization that I didn't really know what to expect."
Matt Harvey said he was holding back tears on the mound, but he seems pretty emotional during his postgame press conference, too. It’s clear how special this afternoon was for the former Mets ace. pic.twitter.com/ODxgZTrZmL
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) May 12, 2021
"And what the fans gave me out there was pretty incredible," the former All-Star continued. "I was holding back tears. ... It was pretty hard holding them back. It reminded me of a lot of the good memories. ... It was very special to me, (it's) something I'll never forget."
As the 32-year-old took the mound for his first start at Citi Field since 2018, a large number of fans honored the right-hander with a standing ovation. Some spectators also brought signs to commemorate "Harvey Day."
Matt Harvey receives a standing ovation from the Citi Field crowd. pic.twitter.com/TEBmi0i7bV
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 12, 2021
Since his tenure with the Mets ended in 2018, Harvey has started for the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Orioles. He owns a 3-2 record with a 4.81 ERA and 3.61 FIP over eight starts this season following Wednesday's outing.
Upon breaking into the majors in 2012, Harvey was quickly seen as a key piece of a Mets franchise with championship aspirations. He played an integral role in the team's 2015 World Series berth and pitched in the decisive Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
Harvey was later diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, lost effectiveness on the mound, and wound up being traded to the Reds early in the 2018 campaign.