"He looked like horse's rear end" - Sports radio personality Chris Russo mocked New York Mets' manager Buck Showalter for requesting a substance check on Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove

Baseball analyst Chris Russo did not hold back with his words after New York Mets manager Buck Showalter requested a substance check on San Diego Padres' Joe Musgrove.

In Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Padres, Showalter asked umpire Alfonso Marquez to check Musgrove for illegalities in his spin rate. However, his request was withdrawn with Musgrove continuing in the game.

Speaking on MLB Network’s “High Heat,” Russo hit out at Showalter:

“I love Buck and I hate to say this. But what the 24-year-old kid with the data processing board who tells someone in the front office to tell Buck that Joe Musgrove’s spin rate is higher than it normally is so he can go moan and groan. … That was a horrific look for Showalter and the organization.”

He continued:

“I don’t care about what Buck said about doing what’s good for the organization. That’s bogus. If you’re gonna do it, you better find something. It’s as simple as that.

"If you’re gonna dress down the pitcher on national television, when you’re losing 4-0, you better get it right, and he didn’t. So he looks like a horse’s rear end.”

Buck Showalter reflects on playoff elimination after stunning regular-season form

The Mets had 101 wins in the regular season and were expected to make a deep run in the postseason. The New York Mets led the NL East for most of the season, but were overtaken by the Atlanta Braves toward the end of the season.

Showalter was shocked after the sudden dip in form and his postgame comments reflected that:

"It’s cruel. It really is"

Buck Showalter was appointed by the Mets in December 2021.

The manager will be livid with the Mets' collapse in the postseason. Additionally, with stars like Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso moving into free agency, the Mets could lose significant firepower in the coming season.

With an early elimination, Buck Showalter will head back to the drawing board with an important offseason in store. Mets owner Steve Cohen has heavily invested in the side since joining the franchise in 2020, and will look to start afresh after a disappointing end to the campaign.