Harold Reynolds, who will be a part of the MLB Network’s 14 hours of All-Star coverage, talks Matt Harvey, the Yankees second half and the Dodgers resurgence with The Post’s Justin Terranova.
Q: Yes, it’s at Citi Field. But has Matt Harvey simply earned the All-Star start?
A: He’s earned it on merit. Every time he gets the ball he goes out and dominates. People understand he doesn’t get a lot of run support, but as far as dominating lineups he’s right there with the best. Everyone is talking about him.
Q: All-Star Game ratings have dropped through the years. Is there anything that can be done to change that?
A: The teams should be decided 100 percent by the fans, because at the end of the day, it’s an exhibition. Mariano Rivera is having a great year, but even if he wasn’t, I want to see Mo in the All-Star Game in his last year. That’s what we have to do in baseball. You have to put your stars in the game. The point of the game is to have guys in there people want to watch.
Q: How much do you think the Yankees can expect to get out of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez in the second half?
A: You want to see each guy back, but do you think you are getting Derek Jeter back for seven games a week? You are not. That’s the reality of the club. Fortunately, no one’s run away from the Yankees. There’s no doubt the impact of Derek is going to be a major upgrade. I am still skeptical of what A-Rod is going to be able to provide if he is able to get back on the field.
Q: So, do the Yankees have to be aggressive at the trade deadline?
A: They do. I think they are still short. If the Yankees want to make a run at winning this thing, they still need some pitching depth, more offense. There are some changes that they have to make, no doubt.
Q: The Dodgers have turned their season around. Is Yasiel Puig getting too much credit or not enough?
A: There’s no doubt Puig’s impact changed the mind-set of the team, but Hanley Ramirez has returned to the All-Star form that made him one of the top five players in baseball. And the pitching is there. I remember taking to [Dodgers manager] Donnie [Mattingly] in early May when they were struggling, and he felt if they could just hold on, they were going to get their horses back. We are talking about some of the best ballplayers in baseball.