The Mets were back in action yesterday with a Spring
Training game against the Cardinals, Yoenis
Céspedes spoke to the media, and Mookie
Betts had his first at-bat as a Dodger.
In the game broadcast on SNY, the Cardinals and Mets played
to a 3-3 tie (Box).
Video
Highlights. Steven Matz
was the first of nine pitchers to throw for the Mets.
Steven Matz gave up a first inning home run on his second
pitch to Harrison Bader to lead off the game.
He then retired the next three batters including a strikeout of Paul
DeJong. 12UP.com
had video of the Home run.
Per
Tim Healey in Newsday: Steven Matz thinks he has fixed his first-inning
problems. Steven cited “his brief
bullpen stint last July. Instead of dancing around hitters in his first inning,
he learned to be more aggressive. It paid off, too, in the form of a 3.52 ERA
in the second half.”
Steven was followed by Jeurys
Familia, Robert
Gsellman, Brad Brach,
Tyler
Bashlor, Nick
Rumbelow, Stephen
Nogosek, Franklyn
Kilomé, and Harol
Gonzalez.
Great to see Franklyn Kilome pitching again after missing
all of last year to Tommy John surgery.
He started off the eighth inning a little rocky allowing a triple and a
home run to Edmundo Sosa which tied the game up at 3. He then retired the next three batters on a
ground out, fly out and call strike 3.
Jake
Marisnick hit a solo home run in the 2nd off Adam
Wainwright, SNY/TV
video here. Luis
Guillorme reached on a bunt single then scored on a double by Ryan
Cordell who later scored on a sacrifice fly for the other 2 Mets
runs.
SNY.TV
video: Steven Matz and Jake Marisnick put game into perspective.
More
Game Takeaways from SNY.TV: “Jeurys Familia came in for an inning after
Matz, and his stuff -- especially the signature splitter -- looked very good.
He allowed just one hit and one walk during the quick outing. …Tim
Tebow got the start out in left field, and saw some action early on with a
few fly-ball putouts. He had three plate appearances, walking twice and
striking out once.”
SNY.TV
Video: Mets' Jeurys Familia notices difference after first spring game: 'I
feel like a kid compared to last year'
SNY.TV
Video: Mets' Steven Matz talks rotation competition: 'I heard I'm coming in
as a starter'
SNY.TV
Video: J.D. Davis
says he was the quiet guy in the clubhouse before coming to the Mets.
Per
the NY Post: David Peterson, Michael Wacha and Noah Syndergaard are
scheduled to start the Mets’ next three exhibition games. Peterson, the team’s
top pick in the 2017 draft, will face the Nationals on Monday in West Palm
Beach. Wacha will get the 2 ½-hour bus ride to Lakeland on Tuesday to face the
Tigers before Syndergaard pitches at home Wednesday against the Astros.
Other Mets Links:
SNY.TV
had a deep dive on Mets Prospect Jake
Mangum. “While power is not a big part of his game, he has always been a
high-contact hitter with ability to spray the ball into the gaps…Defensively,
Mangum has above-average range and instincts and an above-average arm in center
field. I have very little doubt that he will be able to handle center field at
the big-league level.”
Per
Mike Puma in the NY Post: Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes ends media boycott
declaring Opening Day objective: “Asked about his motivation level, on a scale
from 1 to 10, Cespedes answered ‘12.’ The guaranteed portion of Cespedes’
salary would rise to $11 million once he’s activated — or if he’s sidelined by
an injury unrelated to his ankle or heels. The number is prorated based on when
he’s activated.”
Kevin
Kernan in the NY Post thinks the Yoenis Cespedes epiphany will create the perfect
Mets storm: “Sometimes athletes get so wrapped up in their self-importance
they forget what got them to The Show. For Cespedes, it is baseball, and you
could see that in his eyes Sunday morning. Baseball is again center stage.”
Also
per the NY Post: Robinson Cano “likely won’t appear in his first Grapefruit
League season until at least the weekend, according to manager Luis Rojas, to
ensure his legs are strong enough for continual action. Cano will start as the
DH before moving to second base, according to Rojas.”
Per
12UP.com: Mets manager Luis Rojas said (Jed Lowrie) isn't ready to
appear in Spring Training games just yet, because he has to get accustomed to
wearing a large brace on his left leg.
213
Miles from Shea did a 2020 Mets Conglomerate Projections: Jake
Marisnick– 326.5 Plate Appearances, 296.5 At Bats, 12 HR, .218 BA.,
.678 OPS.
213
Miles from Shea reviewed 2019 Baseball America’s #2 Top Prospect, Pete Alonso,
projection vs. performance.
Rob
Piersall of Metsmerized.com said: Andres
Gimenez Should Be on Mets’ Radar For 2020.
Other MLB Links:
Per
AP Sports: Mookie Betts draws big cheer, drives in run during Dodgers debut.
Per
AP Sports: Mike Fiers draws cheers, perfect in 1st game since Astros reveal.
Per 12UP.com: The Marlins 2-0 Spring Training start has made them masters of the universe.”
Per
that Ball’s Outta Here: Jean Segura looks shaky in Phillies 3B debut.
Per
Yahoo Sports: Phillies ace Aaron Nola made his first start of the spring
Sunday while their new No. 2, Zack Wheeler, is slated to debut Saturday in
Dunedin against the Blue Jays.
Per AP Sports: Madison Bumgarner has been competing in rodeo events under the alias Mason Saunders and even won $26,560 in a team-roping competition in December.
James
Wagner in the NY Times: “Can Players’ Bosses Control Cheating in Baseball?
‘It’s Tough’.” Wagner noted the unpopularity of Rob Manfred’s “granting
immunity from punishment to Astros players in exchange for their cooperation
with Major League Baseball’s investigation…But the guideline for whom to punish
was established in a 2017 memorandum about illegal electronic sign-stealing
that Manfred sent to teams. It stated that club management, and not players,
would be held accountable for any such cheating.”
Per
the Morning Call: Phillie Phanatic struts his new, bigger look.
Mariners
Sign Ex-Syracuse Met Rymer Liriano.
In 2019 with Syracuse he hit .209 BA/.346 OBP/.403 SLG with ten home
runs in 247 plate appearances.
Mack’s
Blast From the Past comes from 2-24-13: Mack looked at Jordany
Valdespin, Zack
Wheeler, Cory
Mazzoni, Collin
Cowgill, Darin
Gorski.
Born on this date:
- Eddie Murray (1956)
- Gustavo Molina (1982)
New York Mets traded George Stone to the Texas Rangers for Bill Hands on February 24, 1976.
New York Mets signed free agent Rod Barajas of the Toronto Blue Jays on February 24, 2010.
|
1966
|
The Braves sign the University of Southern California hurler Tom
Seaver, but Commissioner William Eckert nullifies the contract due to rules
that govern the signing of college players. The right-hander, who is declared
ineligible by USC, will become available to any team, except Atlanta, willing
to match the original contract in a lottery, which the Mets will win that
also included bids by the Indians and the Phillies.
|
Want more?
Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news.
Nice article on Jake Mangum. If he adds a little more power (McNeil did, so why not), Mangum could be a Mets outfielder in 2021.
ReplyDeleteKernan is on the Cespedes train - mostly. Figures he won't be ready Opening Day - probably so - keep him in warm Florida until mid-April, then turn him loose. He could be a wild boar in the Mets' line up.
Kilome found out that you can't groove fastballs to big league hitters without paying for it.
Good points Tom.
ReplyDeleteI also should have mentioned how Quinn Brody threw a runner out at home from RF to preserve the tie in the ninth and how David Rodriguez threw out a runner trying to steal.
Plus Tomas Nido stole a base for the Mets.
Just saw that Keith Law has his Top-100 out over at The Athletic. Some names of interest are Kelenic at #8, but I saw this kid live last year and I don’t understand the hype. He’s a good player and all, but didn’t even come close to Forrest Whitley curve and struck out twice rather easily. Oh well. Further is Law’s admission that he hates my favorite team, which we already knew: Godfather of #LOLMets.
ReplyDeleteOther kernels of corn include Ronny Mauricio at #17! Yea, Ronny!
Francisco Alvarez at #48! Good job Franky!
Matthew Allen at #92! Already!? Cool!
Brett Baty at #95! Nice! He feels Baty will be moving to first base, while my less professional opinion is Left Field because he’s athletic and has a good arm... Keith forgot to ask me.
Great info Gus. Thanks. I will be sure to ask you.
ReplyDeleteThey can't put Cano or Lowrie in until next week because they don't want their legs to get tired??? Yikes! This infield could use a lot more back-up in AAA.
ReplyDeleteBob, did you get a load of that full leg harness Lowrie CAME TO CAMP in? This guy is a quack and If I were BVW’s boss, I’d hold these two transactions against him. To the point if possibly not renewing or extending him.
ReplyDeleteTexas Gus, what I'd like to know about Lowrie is two things: 1) was he hurt when the Mets signed him? 20 Why didn't he get knee surgery last year?
ReplyDeleteTebow yet to hit the ball - 2 walks, 2 Ks. Love that .500 OBP.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing Blackham pitch a scoreless inning.
ReplyDeletePitching always dominates early ST games with this team.
Today's starting lineup: McNeil 3B, Nimmo CF, Alonso 1B, Conforto RF, Ramos C, Smith 1B, Nunez 2B, Guillorme SS, Fargas LF.
ReplyDeleteWhalen listed as one of the relief pitchers.
ReplyDeleteFor some comic relief, there is this from The Onion. I will forgive the Juan Lagares reference at the end.
ReplyDeletehttps://sports.theonion.com/pete-alonso-asks-teammates-whether-they-d-all-rather-si-1841839285
Texas Gus. Yes, I did see it. I'm not sure if he's still wearing it (he must be). How do you run out a ground ball in that thing, even if all you do is pinch hit for an entire season? He can't hit every ball out of the park.
ReplyDeleteCano is a bigger blunder, IMO. The Mets are going to be paying this guy over $100 million for the next FOUR/FIVE seasons, and he has to be coddled like this in the first two weeks of the season so he doesn't fall apart? I'd have kept Bruce and Swarzak. The Mariners managed to get rid of them without taking on a big contract in return. Why not the Mets?
Bob W. One thought was to trade him for David Price as they both are due the same $ and Cano can DH in the AL but that did not happen.
ReplyDeleteHow many more years before the Mets release him? I think two more when Brodie's contract is up.
John:
ReplyDeleteDepends on if Steve Cohen get control of the team soon. He has deep enough pockets that he might just release Cano and eat the cost.
Stuff-ing
ReplyDeleteLike I tried to tell you all here just last week, JD Davis has one of the very best batting averages currently in camp. The boy hits and often for power too. No surprise here. I think he was a big reason why the Mets blossomed second half of 2019.
A lot of "predictionalists" mouthing their nonsense lately about players and standings. I disregard entirely and wait for the games to actually begin. That's what counts not "piehole pooh bears" and ego struts around the couch.
Watched E. Nunez for a couple of years in Beantown while there. He can play well at times, but was never really all that consistent with Boston. Guillorme is probably a better all round player.
Liking (a lot) this new lefty starter David Peterson. Excellent first outing. Look out Stevie "Wonder" Matz. Maybe Boston bound? (Hmmm)
I tried to watch Jeurys Familia pitch the other day, but he has lost so much weight that I could not find him anywhere on my 50" TV screen. Only his foot prints.
For me, the backup catcher job is all David Rodriques to lose. Best one out there so far. But still really early on.
Coronavirus news.
I believe the CDC has now named it COVID19. Evidently, it has been around since like the 1960's I think that I recently read online. I was wondering if say a person had it 35 years ago, if it would still somehow show up in that person's blood test?
If yes, then I would imagine that person would have built up enough natural resistance to it.
Staying healthy if exposed to this virus, would mean either getting the exercise, sleep, and nutrition that you need to stay well. If you have strong genetics in your family gene pool, that is excellent too.
I think that maybe we have not been told everything on this Coronavirus, and that the countries now infected with it (like the U.S.) will be learning on the fly how to save lives and get patients healthy again.