John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 3/21/2020

Good morning.  Happy Birthday to Columbia second baseman Walter Rasquin, the Mets Andres Gimenez to Triple-A Syracuse, and there are all kinds of free classic MLB games to stream.

No baseball?  MLB.TV keeps expanding the number of free games that you can stream.  “The MLB.TV archives of the 2018 and '19 seasons are open and accessible for all, which means more than 4,800 games are available to stream for a limited time, postseason included.”  Radio broadcasts are also included.  You will probably need to set up an MLB.TV account if you already have one.  No blackouts.  I was able to see the last game of 2019 complete with Dominic Smith’s walkoff.

Yahoo Sports suggested some of the games: Shohei Ohtani flirts with perfection, April 2019; Cubs’ David Bote’s walk-off grand slam August 2018; Christian Yelich hits for the cycle August 2018.

Brian Wright of Metsmerized online suggested watching Mets Video Vault: 2000 NLDS Game 2.  Classic game where Armando Benitez gave up game tying home in the ninth but the Mets came back to take the lead in the tenth with John Franco striking out Barry Bonds to preserve the win.

The Mets posted this video yesterday: Drew Smith: Road to Recovery. “Drew Smith found out he had to have Tommy John surgery a year ago. Now a year later, he is well on his way. Smith joins Alyssa Rose to talk about his road back to the diamond both mentally and physically.”

MiLB.com: Mets option Giménez to Triple-A. Ali Sanchez and right-hander Tyler Bashlor also were assigned to Syracuse. In 14 spring games, Giménez went 6-for-28 (.214) with a homer, two doubles, two strikeouts and three walks. He could still end up starting the year in Binghamton as MiLB noted “Since 2020 represents his age-20 season, he would still be about three years younger than the average Eastern Leaguer, should he return to Double-A.”

Michael Mayer Mets Minors.net: Ty Kelly Part Of New Non-Profit Advocating for Minor Leaguers. A non-profit called Advocates for Minor Leaguers sent out a press release on Friday announcing they are dedicating to helping minor league baseball players improve their working conditions.

More on this from The NY Times: The group also included Garrett Broshuis, 38, a former minor league pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization who became a lawyer in St. Louis; Matt Pare, a former Giants minor league player who made a video series called “The Homeless Minor Leaguer”; Raul Jacobson, a former Mets minor league player who is in law school;

Kelly, 31, who slept on an air mattress and received money from his parents for groceries during off-seasons in his minor league days, said he hoped to make videos with Pare highlighting the struggles of minor leaguers. “We just want to be able to provide that voice for guys,” Kelly said, “and let them know that it’s OK to want to be able to live above the poverty line.”

USA Today: Marcus Stroman rallying Team USA for 'dream team' at 2021 WBC is what baseball needs.

John Harper SNY.TV: 10 best MLB players to cover from Mets and Yankees.  1. David Cone; 2. Keith Hernandez; 3. Alex Rodriguez; 4. Michael Conforto; 5. Gary Sheffield; 6. Wally Backman; 7. Pete Alonso; 8. Darryl Strawberry; 9. David Wright; 10. Bob Ojeda/Ron Darling.

Brian Joura Mets 360: The Mets’ all-time fWAR lineup, rotation and pen. A great list back with great stats that includes David Wright; John Olerud; Bernard Gilkey; Carlos Beltran; Edgardo Alfonzo; Jose Reyes; Tom Seaver; and more.

If you like Greatest of All Time lists, you are going to love Mack’s Mets in the next week.  Stay tuned.

Michael Mayer of Metsmerized Online interviewed Mets Pitching Prospect, David Peterson.

Andres Chavez Empire Sports Media: Delay in the start of the season will impact the New York Mets and the rest of the NL East.

Rising Apple: Best Mets players of the past and present to follow on Twitter. Pete Alonso, Noah Syndergaard, Ty Kelly, Marcus Stroman, and of course… Keith Hernandez.

Rising Apple: The Tim Tebow saga is no longer the inspirational story it once was.

NY Post.com: Boston Red Sox lawyer denies team stole signs in a court hearing Friday morning. Lawyer Lauren Moskowitz, who is representing the team in a class-action suit brought by an online bettor, said they were not prepared to admit they violated sign-stealing rules when asked by a Manhattan federal judge in the telephone conference.

Mike Oz Yahoo Sports: Minor league baseball team starts a drive-thru for stadium food during coronavirus shutdown. “The Pensacola Blue Wahoos — yep, that’s a real team and, no, this isn’t The Onion — will start selling their concessions items via drive-thru on Monday. They join thousands of food-oriented businesses around the U.S. that are having to find new ways to get their products to customers whose daily routines have become zapped into solitude.”

Tim Brown Yahoo Sports: Then what? Even if contained, coronavirus creates uncomfortable scenarios for MLB. “So, the season begins. Stadiums in safer cities go back into business…Then an outfielder in, say, Chicago tests positive for the virus…Is there room for Then what? Can a team or two or three quarantine for two weeks while the rest of the league plays? Will the landscape change enough by then?

AP News: Twin bill? Doubleheaders may be possibility to make up games. Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black would be down for doubleheaders. Maybe even a couple a week.

Phuture Phillies.com: Rockies manager was in favor of more double headers (2 per week, he said).  Well, that’s really cool of him since he doesn’t have to play them.

VIDEO: Cubs' Willson Contreras and Brother Figure Out Perfect Quarantine BP Setup.

MLB Trade Rumors:

Blue Jays Option Anthony Kay, Sean Reid-Foley. “Kay, 25 today, came over in the Marcus Stroman trade. The southpaw had a few ups and downs but mostly logged good results last year in the upper minors. In 133 2/3 total frames, he worked to a 2.96 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.

Pirates Option Cole Tucker, Six Others.

Mariners Option 4 Players To Triple-A.

Yesterday at Mack’s Mets:

Reese Kaplan -- Improving Your Baseball Skills Alone.

Blast From The Past - 2010 Third Base Projections.

Mack’s Blast From The Past comes from 3-21-12 – Mack’s interview with Mets DSL 1 OF - Eris Peguero.

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Arthur Richman (1926)
• Tommy Davis (1939)
• Shawon Dunston (1963)
• Bobby Wahl (1992)
• Anthony Kay (1995)
• Walter Rasquin (1996)

Died on this date:

• Larry Miller (2018)

Transactions:

New York Mets traded Bill Almon to the Philadelphia Phillies for Shawn Barton and Vladimir Perez on March 21, 1988.

New York Mets released Oliver Perez on March 21, 2011.

National Pastime.com:

1965	In an exhibition game, Gary Kroll and Gordie Richardson combine to keep Pittsburgh hitless for nine innings in the Mets' 6-0 win in St. Petersburg. The first no-hitter thrown during the regular season in franchise history won't occur until 2012 when Johan Santana accomplishes the feat against St. Louis.
1973	In an exhibition game against the Mets, Fritz Peterson appears in his first game since going public about swapping families with Yankee teammate Mike Kekich. Many of the 4,320 fans at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg roundly boo the 31 year-old southpaw, but he goes the first five innings, picking up the win in the Bronx Bombers' 6-2 victory over their crosstown rivals.

2011

Citing a lack of velocity and command, Mets GM Sandy Alderson announces the release of 29 year-old southpaw Oliver Perez, who is still owed $12 million on his deal. The roster move marks the second time in four days that the team has cut a player having a considerable contract, with second baseman Luis Castillo being asked to leave despite his $6 million price tag.

2013

David Wright is named the captain of the Mets, joining John Franco, Keith Hernandez, and Gary Carter as the fourth player to be honored by the franchise. The 30 year-old third baseman, who signed an eight-year, $138 million contract in November, will be one of the current three major leaguers, along with Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter and White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, to have the title with their club.

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