There have been many crazy headlines about the New York Mets in 2024, but this might just take the cake.
Just recently, a WFAN caller sharpening knives called into the station to warn Chris McMonigle about Jeff McNeil allegedly getting attacked by Yellow Jackets. Yes, that’s something that actually happened, and no, we’re not burying the lede here.
Well, if we want to take the caller, ‘Brandon in West Virginia’ at his word here, he was sharpening knives after 1 a.m. to make more money for Game 3 of the National League Division Series tickets. That part seems a little too far-fetched to be making up, but it looks like he was embellishing when it came to New York’s injured All-Star second baseman.
McNeil wasn’t with the team in Milwaukee and Philadelphia as he and his wife, Tatiana, welcomed their second child, Serena Bee McNeil, just two days prior. McNeil is currently sidelined with a fractured right wrist, which will cost him four to six weeks, but he’s eying a return to the roster if New York can make a run to the NLCS.
So, between rehabbing his injured wrist and tending to his pregnant wife, we aren’t exactly sure when McNeil, a California native, would’ve had time to be attacked by Yellow Jackets on a West Virginia golf course. But then again, nothing about ‘Brandon’ and his call into McMonigle’s hour(s) really made any sense.
“Hey, Chris, sorry about that, brother,” said Brandon. “I’m sharpening some knives for a neighbor. I’m trying to pick up some extra cash so I can try to make it to Game 3, you know?”
We don’t, actually.
“This whole McNeil thing, you see him talking about him coming back; I don’t know about that,” he continued. “So, he’s a big golfer. We have some beautiful golf courses out here in Wheeling, West Virginia. My brother-in-law’s a scratch golfer, my nephew’s got scholarships — and I do some groundskeeping on the side, too. I don’t know if you follow McNeil’s Twitter or you know, he got attacked by some Yellow Jackets today.”
McNeil hasn’t tweeted since 2022.
“Speaking from experience, you know, sometimes that does take a couple of days to recover. So, I don’t see him being ready to play right away,” said Brandon.
At this point, McMonigle had to get Brandon off the line, thanking him for his call but not being able to resist a parting shot.
“I would never begrudge anybody trying to make an extra buck, but I find it hard to believe…If you’re in your garage at 1 o’clock in the morning sharpening knives, your intentions aren’t good,” McMonigle said. “Or, something’s up…I didn’t see that (McNeil had a child). I’m sure he wasn’t attacked by Yellow Jackets. Maybe he was; I have no idea. I don’t think he’ll be back.
“And I’ll tell you this, I think it would be a mistake if they bring him back…I doubt he’s playing golf with a broken wrist, first off. And, yeah, the baby, too. Just the idea that he got — I don’t know, is that from a movie? Did Caddyshack have a bee scene? I’m trying to think of like there’s anything where that guy is coming from with that.”
If you find yourself sharpening knives after midnight, perhaps there’s a different number you should be calling than WFAN.
[WFAN]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.