FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 12, 2019
METS, MARLINS SELECTED TO PLAY THREE-GAME SERIES AT HIRAM BITHORN STADIUM IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO ON APRIL 28th-30th, 2020
Major League Games Return to the Island for Second Time in Three Seasons;
Mets, Marlins Square Off After Last Playing in Puerto Rico in 2010
The New York Mets and Miami Marlins will play a three-game series in San Juan, Puerto Rico from April 28th-30th, 2020, as announced by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association today. The three-game set will serve as home games for the Marlins.
The 2020 series marks the fourth trip to the island for each of the Clubs. The two teams played a three-game series in Puerto Rico in 2010 and both played at Hiram Bithorn during the Montreal Expos’ partial residency in 2003 and 2004.
“It is an honor for the Marlins to represent Major League Baseball in this special series against the Mets,” said Derek Jeter, Miami Marlins Chief Executive Officer. “Miami serves as the gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, and we are grateful for the chance to showcase the new Miami Marlins organization to our neighbors in Puerto Rico. We are looking forward to the opportunity of celebrating Puerto Rico’s rich baseball heritage and passion for the game and continue our mission to grow the game of baseball in our community while fostering the shared love for our National Pastime.”
“Puerto Rico has a rich baseball history and passionate baseball fans,” said Mets COO Jeff Wilpon. “We are honored to represent the Mets, and Major League Baseball, and are looking forward to returning to Puerto Rico to play the Marlins in 2020.”
The Mets have participated in several historic global games, including the first-ever MLB regular season games played internationally in Monterrey, Mexico in 1996 against the San Diego Padres, and the first-ever regular season games played outside of North America for the season opener in 2000 in Tokyo, Japan against the Chicago Cubs.
MLB’s history continues to grow in Puerto Rico. MLB last held regular season games on the island in 2018 when the Minnesota Twins hosted the Cleveland Indians for a two-game series. Hiram Bithorn was home to the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays for the 2001 season opener, and for a total of 43 games for the Montreal Expos during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. San Juan also played host to the first and second rounds of the 2006 World Baseball Classic and the first rounds of the 2009 and 2013 WBC.
What a great place to sweep the Marlenes.
ReplyDeleteThey should have big crowds, because the people there are good baseball fans
ReplyDeleteOn Andres Gimenez' batting average and such, check the number of at bats in AA to better understand perhaps.
ReplyDeleteOn Edwin Diaz' supposed pitching struggles, it happens to many and can/will be worked out. No one player or pitcher is ever 100% on for an entire season. Each one has highs and then lows as well. Sure, sometimes the lows persist on longer than anyone (including that player) would like, but unfortunately it is part of the game of sports.
Braves game observations from last night. The Mets looked too tight and tentative, normally really good players included here.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend that the players relax and try to carry over the fun that they have been having since the All Star Break.
No one expects the Mets to go to the World Series, so there really is nothing riding on these games that should make any player tight and tentative. This team's strengths are its unity/chemistry and their exuberance. Allow this go on now. Play bold, play like champions no matter what happens out there.
Winning is an attitude.
Last night's game batting observations.
ReplyDeleteThe players who kind of struggled at the plate were sort of pressing and offering swings where they had not been before in the prior three weeks of Mets fan bliss. The days of diamonds and roses.
Good rules of thumb here for any batter is to know your preferred strikezone wheelhouse. Be patient for, it will happen most times up usually. Don't automatically rule out that pitch coming in on the first pitch offering either. If a pitcher has a record of first pitch strikes, be ready for that. It could be the best pitch that pitcher throws you, so why watch it go by for a strike?
Understand that each batter has to be aware of how MLB opposing pitchers will be looking to try and strike them out. Stats rule now since Al Gore invented the Internet. In other words here, every batter has what I call a "sucker pitch" that other team's pitchers know of from their stat sheet and will use it to accomplish this amazing feat.
Discipline yourself towards your own "out pitch" because normally this pitch is not always within the strikezone. Ask JD Martinez on Boston, he knows because he has seen that pitch three times every game he has played in 2019.
If you are bending over at the plate and trying to hit a low outside pitch (not even over the outside corner) obviously try to catch yourself before you totally commit to that pitch. It may be your dreaded out pitch. Know that it may be coming. The key here may be instead trying to hit one of the first two strike pitches you face, and then not letting it get to a two strike count that can ring you up.
The big inning (last night) for the Mets was a good lesson I think. The big bat players hit stinging singles mainly, they set the table and didn't try to do too much. Each one knew that they needed several runs to tie. It came very close there.
With the younger batters all across MLB, I see too many of them trying to hit the ball out with a two strike count on, swinging and missing for strike three. Even the great Red Sox (9) Ted Williams employed a common sense approach with two strikes counts on and hit only to make solid contact for singles. It's time tested.
The trick is never waste an at bat. If everyone just hit singles, runs still will be scored and games won in this way. Set the table for the big bats (walks/singles), build and they will come.
I thought several players played really well last night for this Mets team, and the Mets bullpen is shaping up just fine I think for a Playoff spot. New game tonight, Mets on! LGM
Anonymous -
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try and communicate ONE LAST TIME. Past this, I will not bother to anymore.
1. NO ONE IS READING YOU.
2. You can't continue to leave your comments about something that either happened LAST NIGHT... or your thoughts on post posted YESTERDAY OR TODAY... by leaving your comments on a post as old as the one's you choose.
3. NO ONE goes back that far, thus, those posts are dead on the site.
Anon... you have great thoughts to share with use.
I only wish you would join the community by doing this correctly.
Mack
Anonymous, I am with Mack - your comments are good, and welcomed - but if you post to the wrong article, almost no one will read them. Post to the right article and join the fray.
ReplyDeleteMe too if I could figure out how.
ReplyDeleteSynopsis:
1. Team needs to relax more, play like it is the Marlins they face.
2. Maybe with the injuries to Cano and McNeil, it is "Tejada Time" after all.
3. The bullpen is coming along nicely now. Like the new BB right-hander.
4. Every Mets player needs to become aware of their own unique "out/sucker pitch" that stats indicate to every pitcher on every team.
5. Hit for singles with two strike count.
6. I actually am a computer generating these comments. Sorry.
LGM