Morning Report – 4-3-14 – The Savannah Sand Gnats, St. Lucie Roster, Chris Flexen

1908 New York City 

Coming Up –

        10 am –  d'Whit  -  Jenrry Should Close

         12 noon –  MLB Draft and International Spending Allotment

          2 pm –   Assigned Pick Values For First 10 Rounds of 2014 Draft

         6 pm -   Touki Toussaint, Nick Gordon, Michael Gettys, Michael Chavis, Raphael Ramirez

         8 pm  -  OF - Michael Conforto - Oregon State

Adam Rubin ‏@AdamRubinESPN  50m

Elias says 31 Ks are most by a pitching staff in 1st 2 games of a season in modern history. So apparently not just a Mets franchise record.

I had the pleasure of attending the annual Media Day luncheon for the Savannah Sand Gnats, this year held at one of my old hauts, Coach’s Corner, on Victory Drive. I have to tell you right of the top that this was one of the warmest, most respectful group of young men ever sent to this city to wear the Sand Gnats uniform.

I had scheduled some face time with opening day pitcher Robert Gsellman and Chris Flexen, so I spent most of lunch just eating the hot wings and shooting the shit with 2B LJ Mazzilli, SS Gavin Cecchini, 1B Dominic Smith, and projected 3B Jeff ‘McHit’ McNeal (some ‘unnamed source (other player) asked me to throw in that nickname).I was particularly happy to see that McNeil was being targeted to 3B by manager Luis Rojas (who still looks around 19-years old).Last year, he only got in 47 games, 45 of which were on second base (.329). This year, he will be given the opportunity to win the starting third baseman.

Mazzilli and I talked about his special relationship with his father and we made plans to sit down on the next home stand to talk about a bunch of things. He vividly remembered the interview I did with him when he was a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, which impressed the hell out of me. This is a young man that will either be a successful second baseman or a State Senator in his home state. He has that kind of electric personality and intelligent both for the game and life in general.

Dom Smith was there with his brother (youngest?) D’Andre and father, Clay Smith. Dom wanted to thank all the Mack’s Mets writers for their very professional approach to the interview we conducted via email. He enjoyed the process very much which eliminated any chance for misquoting.

Cecchini was especially happy to be in the town of Savannah and he was definitely turning up the temperate at the ‘young ladies’ playing canasta during early lunch. There’s no reason he’s going to have to spend any time with the cougar-world here in the Coastal Empire. As they say, he’s going to do ‘all right’ once he learns the direction to the College of Arts and Design (SCAD).

And should I mention that fact that John Mincone fogot to put his spikes on for the team picture, had to go back to the clubhouse to get them, and received a round of applause from the team when he returned? No, I’ll pass on bringing that up.

The festivities ended with a somber note when new pitching coach, Marc Valdes, asked for a moment of silence for Frank Viola who will have open heart surgery later this week.

Valdes also named Robert Msellman as the opening day starter on Thursday.

Before we move on to the interviews, none of us still have a hint at the St. Lucie roster. We go through this every year and the Mets ought to be ashamed of how they treat the media here. Alex Kushner joined the team a couple of years ago and was a big help in an organization that for years offered none. Now, he’s been let go and, it’s my understanding, they aren’t even going to broadcast the games. I now have to call up the play-by-play announcers of teams they play against and ask them to email me a copy of the St. Lucie roster. This team operates as if they come out of the 19^th century and an ‘O&O’ team should be ashamed and chastised for operating this way.

I sent these comments to Jay Horwitz, VP of Mets Media Relations; however, to date, I have received no comment in return.

Back to the Gnats.

My first interview was with a breath of fresh air named Chris Flexen. Flexen was one of the high school kids that Matt Addy/PG  told me made the Mets 2012 draft one of the most successful ones he had seen in years.

Flexen was signed as a 17-year old out of Newark Memorial (CA) high school He got his feet wet fighting the grind that season for Kingsport (7-G, 6-starts, 1-3, 5.63) but went back there last season and dominated as an 18-yr old (second youngest player in the league):11-starts, 8-1, 2.09, 0.94.

Strangely, both Oliver (2-3, 5.73) and Steamer (0-0, 5.16) do not project him well for 2014.

We talked on the field after lunch:

Mack – Chris, how do you fell about being in such a pitching rich organization which might lead to you being packaged in a trade someday because of a projected lack of an opportunity to start for the Mets?

Chris – Well, I guess that sometimes is just part of the process. I can’t worry about trades or things like that. I’m young and the Mets are giving me the opportunity to pitch for them now. I must capitalize on that opportunity now.

Mack – You didn’t get drafted until the 14^th round because the word was that you were projected to go around the 5^th-6^th range, but you were asking for 2^nd round money. When did you start becoming a little concerned?

Chris – When the morning of day two rolled around and my name wasn’t called out. My phones didn’t ring, so I called my agent and we adjusted a few things and then I heard the Mets draft me.

Mack – And that would have been the $374,000 signing bonus which you scooped up. Did that take away the sting?

Chris – There wasn’t a sting, but yes, the offer did give me the opportunity to do what I have dreamed all my life to do.

Mack – I ask this of all the ‘bonus babies’… what was the first thing you bought when you cashed the check?

Chris – (paused, smiling) A car. A Jeep Cherokee 2013.

Mack – For the record, number one answer is ‘truck’… just checking… I have you with a four pitch arsenal… 90-92-94 fastball, slider, curve, change. Is that correct?

Chris – yes

Mack – Any additional clicks on the fastball?

Chris – (shrugged his head and shoulders ‘no’)

Mack – Early scouts had you with mechanical problems. Did you work on anything in this off-season to work on your tempo?

Chris – Big time. I and the pitching coaches worked on the location of my hands  so they didn’t seem to stick to the ball.

Mack – Lastly, did you do anything to prepare yourself for the chance of pitching in the Africa-like hot humid weather in Grayson Stadium in the summer?

Chris – Well, I was committed to a school in Arizona so I am used to the heat. My saying is ‘overcome adversity’, and that’s how I’ll handle that here.

Summary – Flexen is a young man who’s head is on very tight and extremely straight. He fully understands the opportunity he is being given to pitch at this level at such a young age and he intends on staying focused throughout the season. I expect there will be some adjustments as there always is when a player jumps a level. Flexen is jumping two. He’s also competing on a team with, count them, eight starters. I’m looking forward to his first outing which might come Saturday at the game I’m attending.