John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 4/11/2020

Good morning on the anniversary the Mets played their first game in 1962, Pete Alonso talks about playing the season in Arizona and Happy Birthday to Wally Whitehurst and Bret Saberhagen.

Mets.com: A year ago today: Alonso hits 118.3-mph HR.  Video included.

Jake Mangum has his own YouTube show!  This week’s Guest Pete Alonso. 

Reporting on the show, Newsday said that Pete Alonso was in favor of all-Arizona MLB season. “I feel like that’s pretty realistic,” Alonso said of the loose plan to effectively sequester hundreds of players, coaches and staff members in their hotels, buses and ballparks and have them play every game in the Phoenix area, mostly at Cactus League spring training facilities with no fans in the stands. “But also I’m not a member of the CDC. At the end of the day, they’re the people that have to give the thumbs-up or the green light.”

CBS Sports: Pete also told the Athletic his concern about the plan: You're ripping guys away from their wives and kids and significant others. I think that would be very, very difficult to do if everyone had to stay in a hotel.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History (1971) Jerry Grote Hits A Walk Off HR. Jerry Grote hit it on Easter Sunday April 11, 1971.

Brian Joura Mets 360.com: Mets 2020 projections: J.D. Davis. 375 Plate Appearances, .270/.335/.470; 23 HR, 74 RBIs. 

Mike’s Mets: The Goats of 2005: Kaz Matsui.

Danny Abriano SNY.TV: The 5 most underappreciated Mets of the last 20 years, including Matt Harvey, Lucas Duda, Brandon Nimmo, Carlos Beltran, Rick Reed.

Mets.com: Here are the future closers of the NL East. For the Mets: RHP Ryley Gilliam who they note: “In his two-year Minor League career, Gilliam has struck out an average of 14 batters per nine innings. This spring, Gilliam earned his first invitation to big league camp, appearing in four games. He could be a bullpen option for the Mets late this season, and if he finds success at the highest level, a closing option for years to come.”

MLB.com: Beginning Friday, 30 players will put their virtual talents to the test in the first “MLB The Show” online league.  Jeff McNeil will be the Mets representative.

Empire Writes Back: New York Mets: Per Forbes, team’s value way below Wilpon’s selling price. While they valued the New York Mets at $2.4B. That number is hundreds of millions below what the Wilpon family wants to sell the club.

Ken Davidoff NY Post: Robert Kraft would be perfect owner to lead Mets into new era. Ken noted that “Kraft arranged for the purchase of 1.4 million N95 masks for his home state of Massachusetts and then another 300,000 for New York…Yes, Kraft should ride his wave of New York love all the way to serious discussions with the Wilpons, whose efforts to sell the Mets to Steve Cohen unraveled worse than Rich Kotite’s tenure as Jets head coach.”

Amazing Avenue: This year’s season raises more questions than answers for the Mets’ minor league system.

Metsmerized Online: Revisiting David Wright’s Incredible Finish in 2007.  Matt Musico notes that David “Wright slashed .325/.416/.546 with 30 home runs, 107 RBI, 113 runs scored, and 34 stolen bases.”

Tim Boyle Rising Apple: Mets History Simulated: Playing the ugly 1962 season all over again.

Tim Boyle Rising Apple: Mets catcher Wilson Ramos is the first player to make me feel old.

USA Today: MLB considering radical realignment for 2020 season: Grapefruit and Cactus leagues:  “The plan would have all 30 teams returning to their spring training sites in Florida and Arizona, playing regular-season games only in those two states and without fans in an effort to reduce travel and minimize risks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic…The DH would likely be universally implemented as well.  Here is the breakdown of the leagues and divisions:

GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE

• NORTH: New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• SOUTH: Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles.
• EAST: Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins.

CACTUS LEAGUE

• NORTHEAST: Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics.
• WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels.
• NORTHWEST: Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals.”

SNY.TV: Gary Cohen weighs in on MLB's Arizona plan for 2020 season.

ESPN.com: 'Too much to iron out': What players have to say about MLB's Arizona plan.

NY Post: CC Sabathia helping provide coronavirus meals to Boys & Girls Clubs.

Reflection on Baseball looked back on Dwight Gooden’s no hitter on May 14, 1996.

MLB.com: Pine tar, 'Winning Ugly' and ... birds? '83 was weird.  Video included of the Pine Tar incident.

Las Vegas Review Journal: Real-life Crash Davis still preaching what he practiced.

Yesterday at Mack’s Mets:

Reese Kaplan -- Mets History, Catcher Edition.

Mack – FWIW – Coronavirus Edition - Daily Thoughts 4-9.

Mack’s Blast From The Past comes from April 11, 2012.  Jarod looked at Johan Santana’s return to the mound in “And the arm is still attached…”

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Wally Whitehurst (1964)
• Bret Saberhagen (1964)
• Bobby Jones (1972)
• Trot Nixon (1974)
• Alejandro De Aza (1984)

Transactions:

New York Mets signed free agent Brett Butler on April 11, 1995.

New York Mets signed free agent Claudio Vargas on April 11, 2008.

National Pastime.com:

1962	After being rained out the previous night and with some players getting stuck in an elevator, the Mets make their National League debut in St. Louis, losing to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 11-4. The defeat will be the first of a record-setting 120 losses the New York expansion team will suffer this season.
1971	Jerry Grote hits a walk-off homer in the 11th inning off Wayne Granger at Shea Stadium. The New York catcher's game-ending round-tripper accounts for the only run scored in the Mets' 1-0 victory over Cincinnati.
2003	In the first of its 'home' games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Expos rout David Cone and the Mets, 10-0. The Montreal franchise, which is now owned by major league baseball, will play 22 games in the commonwealth this season as a new venue is sought for the poorly-attended Canadian team.
2006	At the home opener at RFK Stadium prior to the hometown team's 7-1 loss to the Mets, Dick Cheney, wearing a red-and-blue Nationals jacket, becomes the eighth sitting vice president to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. After the the veep is greeted with a chorus of loud boos, he bounces the pitch in front of home plate, throwing the ball from directly in front of the pitching mound.

Baseball Reference:

1962 - The New York Mets play their first game and lose, 11 - 4, to the Cardinals in St. Louis. Gil Hodges and Charlie Neal provide bright spots for the Mets, hitting the first two home runs in the new franchise's history.

1963 - Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves becomes the all-time winningest left-handed pitcher in major league history. Spahn's 6 - 1 victory over the New York Mets gives him 328 career wins, moving him ahead of Eddie Plank as the all-time winningest left-hander. Except for Duke Snider's home run, no Mets get past second base.

2001 - Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves is almost flawless for seven innings, combining with a pair of relievers to pitch a one-hitter in a 2 - 0 victory over the New York Mets. The Mets wind up with only one runner against Maddux, Mike Remlinger and John Rocker, when Todd Zeile lines a single about a foot beyond second baseman Quilvio Veras's glove with one out in the 2nd inning.

2006: Minor league pitchers Waner Mateo (Mets), Ryan Rafferty (Royals), Ramón Ramirez and Justin Mallett (Reds), are suspended 50 games each by the Commissioner's office for violating baseball's minor league drug program, the first penalties since the sport toughened its rules during the offseason.

2012: Two anniversaries clash in New York, as the Mets celebrate a half century of existence, and Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg the second anniversary of his professional debut. Strasburg has the upper hand, pitching 6 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the year, 4 - 0. His opponent Johan Santana, also coming back from arm surgery, gives up a single run in 5 innings when Mark DeRosa scores on a wild pitch in the 2nd, but it's enough to saddle him with the loss.

2015: Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia is the latest major league player to be suspended for testing positive for a steroid as he is handed an 80-game penalty. He is the fourth pitcher to incur the penalty in a two-week span, following Ervin Santana, David Rollins and Arodys Vizcaino.

2017 - Yoenis Cespedes hits three home runs to lead the Mets to a 14 - 4 win over the Phillies. He is the first player in team history with two three-homer games. His effort is part of a seven-homer night as Lucas Duda goes deep twice, and Asdrubal Cabrera and Travis d'Arnaud hit one out each.

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