Mack’s Apple’s – Michael Conforto, Gary Carter, Steven Matz, Jack Morris, Baseball Collector

Good morning.

 Michael Conforto: We can win without big-name additions –

"I think we have a great team, I think we have great players," Conforto said. "I think last year, without making excuses, it's tough to have a great year with all of the injuries that we had. That's on us for not being healthy. I think if we do stay healthy we'll be just fine."

            Conforto and I are on the same page here.

I would love a big bat, or two, but (as I have said over and over) if you build this team around quality, healthy pitching that can produce an ERA under 3.50… and quality defensive in the middle of the field… you will win anywhere from 15-20 more games than you did in 2017.

The Mets made a trade with the  Expos  in 1984 that changed the franchise forever –

On Dec. 10, 1984 -- 33 years ago today – Gary Carter began the next phase of his career when Montreal traded him to the Mets for a quartet of players (Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, Herm Winningham and Floyd Youmans). It was a big get for the Mets, who leapt from 68 wins in 1983 to 90 in 1984 behind a couple of young studs named Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. Now New York had its eyes on the postseason, and picking up a star like Carter was a big step toward making that happen.

You could say that the addition of a sluggers (Cespedes), to join a couple of young studs (deGrom, Syndergaard) began the emergence of a new World Series bound Mets… until the injuries set in.

The Crew needs to call the Mets for Matz -

                   

    It is not completely unrealistic to think Matz will be on the move. The Mets are stacked in the position, but there is a chance they don’t want to part with a lefty. Regardless, it is worth going after.

Looking forward, the Crew will only be getting better as the years pass. Having Matz for years to come will be a great anchor to the rotation. It will be nice not having to worry about finding a solid lefty to solidify the rotation.

            Here’s the deal…

Counting 2018, Matz has four more team controlled years. I want the same in return, thus, my target player would be:

2B/3B Hernan Perez – 26/yrs – 2017/MLB: 432/AB, .259. 14-HR

They already have 3B/1B Travis Shaw (.273, 31-HR, 101-RBI)

 Jack Morris becomes BYU's most unlikely Hall of Fame athlete –

                  

     Jack Morris’ Hall of Fame election Sunday via the the Modern Baseball Era committee’s vote ended a long wait. The honor makes Morris the most unlikely Cougar athlete to go into a professional sports hall of fame, judging strictly by his college statistics. Basketball’s Kresimir Cosic, football’s Steve Young and golf’s Johnny Miller were big-time stars for BYU.

                                   Jack and I follow each other on Twitter. I’m thrilled for him.

Joyful Collector Recovers His Long-Lost Baseball

Autograph Albums And Boyhood –

                

       Al Mead was beaming at a recent JP baseball card show in White Plains, NY because Christmas came early. A few days before, a cousin in Florida had called to tell him that at the bottom of a box he had discovered three small notebooks with Al’s name inscribed on the front. “These must be yours,” the cousin said. “I want to return them.”

Mead was stunned. “I almost fell out of my chair,” he told me. “I thought these things had disappeared 55 years ago.”