Buck Showalter explains not retaliating amid Mets' HBP issues

Former New York Mets manager Buck Showalter spoke with WFAN hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata about why he didn't encourage retaliations when his players endured hit-by-pitch issues across his two seasons in charge. 

"Nobody was more frustrated about it than me," Showalter insisted during the interview, according to Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "You as a manager have to think about the reality of the situation…we talked about it all year the last two years in our pregame meetings. You have to look at things realistically. Was he intentionally trying to hit him? Then you reach a point, 'Does it matter anymore?' It had been happening so much." 

Mets legend Darryl Strawberry urged New York players in the spring of 2022 to "charge the mound" and "let teams know that if they throw at you, they’re going to pay a price." That was months before the Mets ultimately set an MLB single-season record for most hit batters. 

More recently, Mets All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso was hit by pitches a National League-high 21 times last season. Meanwhile, the Amazins ended the 2023 campaign with the second-most hit-by-pitch incidents (107) in all of the MLB. 

"You’re the one responsible," Showalter added about any perception that he didn't adequately protect his players over the past two years. "It’s a hard road to navigate for a manager. I don’t go up and tell somebody, 'I want you to hit this guy,' and then all of a sudden, he’s supposed to hit him in the calf or thigh, and it gets away from him and hits him in the head, and you’re the one responsible for it…you gotta think through it before you emotionally react."

Showalter's take is understandable, but the 2023 Mets were allegedly impacted by clubhouse issues amid what became a disappointing season for the organization. 

It's unknown how, if at all, Showalter's players would have responded had he reacted differently to the dozens upon dozens of plunkings he witnessed. 

What's done is done, and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns decided this past fall that his first big move in the role would be to part ways with Showalter. The Mets later hired New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as Showalter's replacement.