Mack Ade – AM Report – 9-25-13 – Jenrry Mejia, Dominic Smith, Casey Stengel, Donations, Montreal

 

Likely NL Playoff Team Payrolls: -  Dodgers $216,753,286, STL: $116,790,787, Cincy: $106,855,533, ATL: $90,039,583, Pitt: $66,805,000

 

TTF –

                Jenrry Mejia, SP – Jenrry Mejia has been a well-regarded prospect for some time, though he’s still very young. His trajectory has been a bit jagged, struggling with his control at times and battling through arm troubles that culminated in a recent surgery to remove bone spurs from his throwing elbow. Yet despite pitching through considerable discomfort, Mejia turned a corner in 2013. His command improved, and he learned to sequence his pitches to keep hitters off balance even when he didn’t have his best stuff. He battled through tough innings, and showed increased confidence and composure. His air of calm on the mound belies his years, and with that kind of composure he can harness his high-level stuff to be a top-rotation pitcher. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/six-players-new-york-mets-foundation-should-build-around/37844#5bRzF5XGxi3HdM88.99

 

 

MLB Prospect Guide – Top GCL Hitting Prospects - 2. Dominic Smith, 1B, Mets, projects to be a middle of the order bat. His glove is an asset at first base but the money is in the bat. He could handle a corner OF spot but he would be below average at either spot. - http://www.mlbprospectguide.com/2013/09/top-gulf-coast-league-hitting-prospects.html?spref=tw

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Izzy Hechkoff (New York): What are the future grades on (Dominic) Smith's Hit and Power tools?

Ben Badler: Could be plus bat, plus power. Throw in plus defense at first base too and you have a potential all-star and about as well-rounded of a player as you'll find out of a first baseman.

 

Top 10 All Time Managers –

1. 1.       Casey Stengel (1890-1975). “The Old Perfessor” is unmistakably the cornerstone of baseball managers. He is the only manager to win five consecutive championships (1949-1953), and then won again in 1956 and 1958. You know, because he could. No one in baseball is quoted as much as the man behind “Stengelese,” unless you count the man name Yogi, whom Stengel managed behind the plate of his army of right-handed and left-handed pitchers (a first in baseball). Stengel managed Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and future dust-kicker Billy Martin. In the 12 years Casey Stengel managed the Yankees, he set MLB records – most years as a championship manager (10), the most consecutive first-place finishes (five), the most World Series games managed (63), and the most World Series wins (37). And Pat Riley can suck it. Five-peat anyone? That, too, is a record, and like Connie Mack’s longevity, that track record of success will never be matched. To quote “Dutch” about baseball, how about this: “Without losers, where would all the winners be?” See, he was great and optimistic, too. Read more at http://throughthefencebaseball.com/hit-list-top-10-baseball-managers-time/37887#f2bzfcx7pPiyGKH8.99

Mack – I was 15-years old when the Mets played their first season. Before that, Stengel never existed in my world. I lived in Queens, the Yankees were in another world called the Bronx, and I barely knew anything about a few of their players like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra.

I do remember being confused when I first read (and saw) some of Stengel’s interviews. He really didn’t make any sense and I considered (even at 15-years old) that the whole addition of him to the Mets 1962 team was just a public relations move.

To this day I don’t know why everyone keeps saying he was the greatest manager of all time. He might have had the greatest players, but I just don’t remember his decision making process being the difference between winning or losing, either as a Yankees or Mets manager.

 

My fall donations drive has hit $190… leaving $310 to go before the end of the year. We do this twice a year, seeking $500 a shot. In the spring, it got me the money needed to upgrade my laptop. This $500 would be used for a new wireless printer/scanner and cover the cost for month I pay for the server rental. As usually, all donations are anonymous and I ask that those who participated last spring refrain from donating here. You have done your part, my friend. If 31 of you give $10 each, we can get back to slamming the off-season J.

As always, my paypal address is:macksmets@gmail.com.

Home address is: Mack Ade, 1855 Abbey Glen Way, Hardeevillle, SC 29927.

 

I also need your direction advice. What would you like me to target on in this off-season? I really have no control on what my writers write about (and I like it that way) nor do I expect much frequency in the off-season. What should we do as we wait for the spring to come around?

The site has never been more successful and it’s all because of you, the readers and participating writers. I am so proud of what we do here.

 

Lastly, write down these dates… 3/28 – 3/29/14 – These are the two days that the Mets will play exhibition games against the Toronto Mets Bluejays… in the city of Montreal. The city has had a long history with the sport of baseball. There was the MLB Expos that ran from 1969-2004, but baseball there actually goes back as far as 1897 when the Montreal Royals began a 20-year run at the A and AA-minor league level (they were also a ‘Class B’ affiliate in something called the Eastern Canadian League from 1922-1924). The Royals returns in 1928 and became the Brooklyn Dodger’s AAA affiliate in 1938 (which lasted through the 1960 season). This might be an introduction look-see to a possible future AAA-affiliate home for the Mets once the Las Vegas deal runs out of air at the end of the 2014 season. Yes, it would be cold here in April, but maybe most of those early games could be scheduled on the road at ‘warmer’ towns like Syracuse. Baseball would have to do some changes here, but, one could dream about a team playing normal baseball, can’t I?

 

Legendary L.A. Dodgers radio broadcaster Vin Scully has already committed to calling games for a 65th season next year, but the playoffs come first. The team says he’ll be there too. Scully will announce all but the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, leaving those to Charley Steiner and Rick Monday. Scully, who started with the team in 1950, has called playoff games in 22 seasons, most recently in 2009. The Dodgers Radio Network is based at “AM 570 Fox Sports” KLAC. The Spanish-language radio broadcasts on Univision’s KTNQ (1020) will be led by Jaime Jarrín who’s no newcomer himself. He’s been calling Dodgers games for 55 years – https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/14151b286d3ae5fd

 

The thing that makes Lucas Duda so dangerous is that he’s capable of hitting the ball up the middle and to the left side when needed, making him more than a one-dimensional threat. He’s also got a good eye at the plate, and is willing to take walks, which means he’s not a guy you can strike out with waste pitches. His defense as first is decidedly middling, but he’s capable of the occasional game-saving scoop and he isn’t a liability. Most importantly, when he plays first base, he hits. Not everyone is a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ you can just plug in anywhere, and it can’t be held against Duda that he has a hard time in the outfield. Put him where he’s comfortable, let him relax and stop trying so hard to make up for his defense, and he has a chance of being a dangerous, situationally sound cleanup hitter. With a bit of lineup protection, and hitting behind David Wright, I think Duda can hit .275-.280 with 20 home runs and a good number of doubles–think of the season Marlon Byrd just gave us, with a bit more home run power. If the Mets can land a big bat for some protection, Duda will flourish - http://throughthefencebaseball.com/six-players-new-york-mets-foundation-should-build-around/37844#5bRzF5XGxi3HdM88.99

 

Marlon Byrd, Pirates: He hasn't re-produced his magic as a Met, but with a .277 batting average, and .742 OPS, he's been solid (and a major improvement over whet they'd been getting previously in right field). John Buck (.300 in 20 at-bats Pittsburgh) is an extremely solid backup and good enough to start in several other places. The Mets aren't displeased to have added youngsters Dilson Herrera, an infielder, and Vic Black, a reliever, so that trade worked for everyone. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyman/23820930/soriano-peavy-nolasco-iglesias-among-best-mlb-inseason-pickups