Lots to get to, let’s hit the links:
Today is the 100th Anniversary of the founding of
the Negro Leagues. Here
is a historical article on the founding of the league from the National Baseball
Hall of Fame.
Per
AP News: The Kansas City Star reports that the Negro Leagues Museum has
announced the festivities will begin Feb. 13, 2020. That’s the anniversary of a
meeting of interested owners that was led by Andrew “Rube” Foster at the Paseo
YMCA.
Per
Kansas City.com: “The anniversary celebration opens on Feb. 13, 2020 with a
centennial art exhibition, a visual history of the Negro Leagues.”
The
National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee aims to honor an
important but underappreciated part of baseball history...to create
bobbleheads commemorating 10 Negro League baseball teams.
Per
MLB.com: This may be the best club ever … and it’ll shock you. The story of
the 1931 Homestead Grays.
Joel
Sherman of the NY Post detailed the Mets pursuit of Mookie
Betts and Francisco
Lindor. In regards to Betts, apparently
the Red Sox wanted Jeff McNeil. “The Mets offered packages centered around Brandon
Nimmo or J.D. Davis and one of their top infield prospects, Andres Gimenez
or Ronny Mauricio. But that did not muster enough traction, especially because
to make any deal work the Mets were going to have to counteract Betts’ $27
million 2020 salary by likely including Yoenis
Cespedes and Jed Lowrie.”
Per
the NY Post: Mets’ Drew Smith
on comeback trail from Tommy John surgery.
Per
Mike Puma in the NY Post: Mets’ Luis Rojas: Dominic Smith already making
strides in left.
SNY.TV
had the video from Luis Rojas’ Press conference on Wednesday.
SNY.TV
had video of Jacob
deGrom discussing desire for a third Cy Young award.
Joel
Sherman in the NY Post also said: Mets are desperate for Edwin Diaz
resurrection.
Per
John Sheridan in Metsmerized.com: “Mets Farm System Ranked 25th in MLB by
Baseball America”. Thanks to Reese for
sending the link.
Per
USA Today: “Entering another spring training with Mets, Tim
Tebow 'won't give up' on baseball dream.”
Yahoo
Sports said: “MLB's postseason ideas should aim to improve the 162 games
that come first.”
Per
NBC Sports Philadelphia: Phillies reliever David Robertson blasts cheating
Houston Astros.
Mets.com
broke down all the rule changes for the 2020 season. Three batter minimum, 26 man roster, etc.
Metstradamus
weighed in on the new facilities in St. Lucie: “I hope that the city of
Port St. Lucie realizes that part of the money they were squeezed out of was
used to construct a major league class clubhouse that will only be used six weeks
out of the year so that the team can play mind games with its minor league
players who they can’t pay a decent living wage to. Oh, but Brodie can get a
locker so that he can pretend he’s a player just like Jeffy does.”
213
Miles from Shea said: “Get To Know A Non-Roster Invitee: Stephen Nogosek.”
The Sporting News graded every team's postseason. The Mets got a B.
Mack’s
Blast From the Past comes from February 13, 2012 – Mack looked at
the Mets first spring training, and had a prospect report on Jordany Valdespin.
Born on this date:
- Brian Rose (1976)
- Mike Nickeas (1983)
New York Mets signed free agent David Cone on February 13, 2003.
Atlanta Braves signed Eric Young of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 13, 2015.
Want more?
Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news.
Hobie and I went to a few Negro League games back in the day.
ReplyDeleteHobie even commented on your blast from 2012. Would have loved to read your blogs from the negro leagues.
DeleteJohn:
ReplyDeleteFrom the comments yesterday, I didn't see anyone steal first in the Atlantic League games I went to last year. Don't know if they will keep the same rules.
I didn't notice the mound being moved back. The larger bases were noticeable. The automated strike zone was pretty seamless too. You wouldn't know the home plate umpire was using it if you didn't know they had it.
The only thing I saw that I didn't like was starting an extra inning with a runner at second. It becomes a matter of which team can lay down a sac bunt with their first batter. Kind of a letdown after you watch a hard fought nine innings.
Bob
Bob, saw the man on second rule in the minors and, believe it or not, liked it. It forced teams to play small ball for once. I think it will be in MLB in a few years.
ReplyDeleteMack and Hobie met Josh Gibson personally, just as Josh was starting out.
ReplyDeleteI think the man-on-second rule is wrong. I would leave it alone for the 10th inning, giving both teams one more inning to duke it out, and then do the man on 2nd in the 11th.
I think we met Josh on second.
ReplyDeleteMack,
ReplyDeleteWhile I cannot claim to have seen Josh Gibson in his prime, my dad did. He traveled the midwest as a hosiery wholesaler (buyer, actually) before enlisting in the Navy (1942) and saw many a Negro League game (the Homestead Grays played any number of games at Forbes Field when the Pirates were away evidently).
He also told of watching barnstorming black teams play against local white teams in some of the smaller midwestern towns. I wish I had pumped more of those stories out of him. I do remember him saying that some places had segregated seating but not all.
Great comment. Thanks Hobie.
ReplyDeleteJohn, put this at the top of your report tomorrow. Beltran deserves to not be left on an island, like he was a ogre that forced everyone to want to win.
ReplyDeletehttps://elitesportsny.com/2020/02/13/new-york-mets-video-carlos-correa-calls-bs-on-carlos-beltran-bullying/
Will do Gus. Thanks.
ReplyDelete