Mack's Apples - 10-29-17 - T.J. Rivera, The Chiefs, Ray Knight, Wally Murphy., Supergiant,

Good morning.

Can T.J. Rivera Be the New York Mets’ Next Joe McEwing ?

-

Versatile players like T.J. Rivera don’t grow on trees, but they are important to a team’s chances of success, especially the New York Mets.

The “super sub.” Players who are talented enough to start but versatile enough to and mentally capable of taking their starts all over the field. The role has become more and more prominent as teams begin to see the benefit of having deployable players.

Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs is the most prominent example of this role, making starts at every position except for catcher and pitcher during his career. Despite not really having a player fill that role at the moment, it could be argued that Joe McEwing of the New York Mets was the first of this new wave of players.

It is my understanding that the Mets are going to kick the infield can down the road and renew Astrubel Cabrera’s contract for 2018.

An infield consists of six players… four basic starters and two utility players that can play two, three, or even four positions.

In my book, the four starters then would be Cabrera, Dominic Smith, Wilmer Flores, and Amed Rosario.

This leaves Rivera, Phillip Evans, Matt Reynolds, Jose Reyes, Gavin Cecchini. And (sic) David Wright to fight it out for the two last slots.

Scenario one would be if Wright returned as a starter. This would push Flores into one of the two utility roles.

Past that, your guess is as good as mine.

There seems to have been competition for the Syracuse Chiefs affiliate -

The process began in the summer of 2016, when Jeff Wilpon, COO of the Mets, contacted Robert Julian, chairman of the Chiefs board of directors. The cash-strapped Chiefs had long been pondering how to bring more capital into the team.

At roughly the same time, Julian received an inquiry from another major league team regarding possible purchase of the Chiefs. The proxy does not identify that second team. At a meeting on Aug. 24, 2016, the board agreed to pursue a deal with the Mets because members felt they were the more likely of the two suitors to keep the club in Syracuse.

You would like to think that the Mets won out because they shared coming from the same State.

 Ray Knight -

Former Mets infielder Ray Knight was arrested at 4 a.m. Sunday after an altercation with a 33-year-old at his Virginia home, FOX5 DC reported.

Knight, 64, and the younger man both suffered visible injuries and were taken to a hospital. Knight was charged with assault and battery.

            Knight is currently a broadcaster for the Nationals.

                        LOL… wanna bet?

Seven Life Lessons From The World's Greatest Baseball Fan,  John J. Adams –

In 44 years, John has only missed 44 games. Day in and day out, in the snow, sleet, rain and sunshine, Cleveland baseball fans can count on John to lead them in cheering on their favorite team. In that time, John has become the only fan to have a bobblehead created in his honor. And the locally-owned Great Lakes Brewery has even created a beer named after John, called Rally Drum Red Ale®.

We had a guy like this in Savannah named Wally Murphy. He used to write for Mack’s Mets and he never missed a home Sand Gnats game ever since they became a Mets affiliate in 2007. I think it actually went back further and continues now with the Savannah Bananas.

Baseball is no longer a supergiant -

                      

Baseball’s future will not be quite like its past, but it would be strange and worrying if it were. Before baseball can enjoy the renaissance that may indeed be just over the horizon, though, it will need to get right with what it actually means to be America’s National Pastime in 2017. There is an important truth in baseball’s understanding of itself as a chunk of prime Americana, but it’s not an easy one. In a real sense, baseball’s future tracks with America’s. In both cases, there’s some tough reckoning to be done.

                                   Reese will particularly like this one…