John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 4/29/2020

Good morning, Happy Birthday to Ed Charles and Gary Cohen, MLB comes up with another plan to play this year, and we have links to live baseball from Taiwan starting at 6:30 AM.

Bob Nightengale USA Today: Major League Baseball officials have become cautiously optimistic this week that the season will start in late June, and no later than July 2, playing at least 100 regular-season games.

Joel Sherman NY Post: MLB season could start in July with Yankees, Mets in same division.

SNY.TV had the division alignment as follows:

East: Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Orioles, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays, Rays, Marlins;

West: Dodgers, Angels, Giants, Athletics, Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rangers, Astros, Mariners

Central: Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Cardinals, Royals, Reds, Indians, Twins, Braves, Tigers

SNY.TV: Sources: There are as many as 15 plans for MLB season, decision could come in weeks.

NY Times: Some Sports May Have to Skip This Year, Fauci Says.

Mike’s Mets discusses Baseball coming back in “Pining for the Fjords.”

METS LINKS:

Matt Mancuso Mets Minors: Right-Handed Relievers Lead My 5 Prospects That Missed Top 30. RHP Ryder Ryan, RHP Tylor Megill, LHP Franklin Parra, RHP Matt Blackham, C Andres Regnault. (Videos included).

Mike Puma NY Post: Brad Brach could be hidden gem in Mets’ questionable bullpen.

Mets.com: Mets’ Top 5 left fielders: DiComo's take.  1. Cleon Jones, 1963-75; 2. Kevin McReynolds, 1987-91, '94; 3. Yoenis Céspedes, 2015-present; 4. Dave Kingman, 1975-77, '81-83; 5. Bernard Gilkey, 1996-98.

Brian Joura Mets 360.com: The joy of Pete Alonso, the disappointment of Michael Conforto and other opinions on the 2020 Mets.

Faith and Fear in Flushing: “Cardboard Lessons”.  Jason Fry talks about collecting baseball cards starting in 1976.

Elite Sports NY: New York Mets pledge to pay employees, but will reduce salaries in June (Report).

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History (1984): Kooz Returns To Shea On Strawberry Sundae, April 29, 1984.

Centerfield Maz: "The Glider" Ed Charles: 1969 World Champion Mets Third Baseman (1967-1969).

Rising Apple: Mets have yet to get the best of the Phillies in any significant trade.

Rising Apple: Mets: Tom Seaver documentary “Seaver” is a touching tribute to Tom Terrific.

NJ.com: Why ex-Yankees reliever Dellin Betances could be a flop for the Mets. “I would be more concerned about the wear and tear on his arm,” a major league talent evaluator said. “They rode him hard with the Yankees, and that is probably why they didn’t commit to him on a multi-year deal. If I am the Mets I am more concerned about his shoulder than his Achilles."

Empire Sports Media: Dellin Betances Future With the Mets. Like many players who signed one-year deals in the offseason, Dellin Betances is going to have a limited chance to show the New York Mets he is still an All-Star.

Metsmerized Online: MMO Crossfire: Greatest Single-Game Offensive Performance In Mets History.  Brian Wright selects: Edgardo Alfonzo Goes 6-for-6! With 3 HRs Vs. Sal Manzo selects: Carlos Delgado Drives In Nine!

Empire Sports Media: Under Appreciated New York Mets: Darren Oliver.

The Mets Police: Best Mets By Number 29 Dave Magadan.

YouTube: New York Mets Videos - Flashing the Leather.  Triple Plays, the Chavez catch, the Bartolo Back flip and more.   

MLB LINKS:

Yahoo Sports: Vin Scully says he's feeling 'much better' after fall in special message.

CBS Sports: Orioles' Trey Mancini reveals colon cancer diagnosis, expects to miss all of 2020 season.

Mike Vaccaro NY Post: This strange MLB season could see asterisks galore.

ESPN: One wild record you probably didn't know for all 30 MLB teams. For the Mets they mention John Olerud’s .354 average (1998). 

Minor League links:

Syracuse.com: Syracuse Mets pitching in to raise money for Food Bank of Central New York.

Pawtuckettimes.com: PawSox unveal new T-shirts to benefit COVID-19 Relief Efforts.

Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Cardinals: ESPN insider doubts there will be Minor League Baseball this year.

MiLB.com: Best streams of 2019: Back-and-forth games.  They include the Syracuse Mets heartbreaking loss in the tie breaker game last year.  You can see that game here. 

MLB Trade Rumors:

Latest On Potential Realignment For 2020 Season. “For all of the recent talk of increased hope regarding a return to play…there’s still no indication as to how the league plans to proceed if/when a player or players test positive for the coronavirus. Perhaps MLB will look to how other leagues are handling such scenarios; the KBO will reportedly immediately quarantine any such player and shut down his team’s facility for a period of 48 hours for cleaning purposes.”

20 Baseball Contracts Over $200MM.  #12 Robinson Cano - $240 Million.

Offseason In Review: Kansas City Royals.

Phillies third base prospect Alec Bohm has changed representation and is now a client of the Boras Corporation.

Latest On 2020 MLB Draft. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the draft is still slated to occur June 10 – the date it was supposed to start in the first place – though it will be held virtually.

MLB Will Permit Teams To Develop Ticket Refund Policies.

Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony Likely To Be Postponed Until 2021. 

Asian Baseball:

Yonhap News: Ex-major leaguer Kang Jung-ho eyeing return to S. Korean league.

Yesterday in The CPBL the Justin Nicolino and the Rakuten Monkeys’ over the Fubon Guardians beating  RHP Bryan Woodall. 3-0. (Line Score).  Highlights: CPBL va twitter: Yang, Chin-Hao and Lan, Yin-Lun both make all-out effort to win. What a play! CPBL via twitter Infielder Lee, Tsung-Hsien's debut as a center fielder for Fubon makes a nice catch.

Here are today’s Games:

2020/04/29 #GuardiansLive vs. @RakutenMonkeys

The Guardians look to split a weekday two-game set with the Monkeys as they send 22-year-old lefty #81 Shih-Peng Chen to the mound! Broadcast begins 6:28 PM (GMT +8) right here!#ItsTime @ElevenSportsTW https://t.co/gl3O2q0l4I

— Fubon Guardians (@FubonGuardians) April 29, 2020

⚾| 2020/4/29 18:30(GMT+8) From #Taiwan #Tainan Baseball Stadium, we the classic match-up #CTBCBrothers vs #UniLions, Watch here for the 2020 #CPBL regular season in ENGLISH!!! @CTBC_Brothers@CPBL#ForTheFans #ELEVENSPORTS https://t.co/5wll5vIzZs

— ELEVEN SPORTS TAIWAN (@ElevenSportsTW) April 29, 2020

Yesterday at Mack’s Mets:

Tom Brennan: THE METS’ BEST HITTER OF THE 1960'S DECADE.  Cleon Jones. 

Tony Plate Decision for Season to Begin.

Columbia Fireflies Join Minor League Baseball’s CommUNITY First Campaign.

Mack’s Blast from the Past comes from 4/29/13 – Mets Minor League Report April 29.  Herb G had the results from the previous days games featuring Luis Cessa, Robert Gsellman, and T. J. Rivera.  

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Ed Charles (1933)
• Bob McClure (1952)
• Gary Cohen (1958)
• Wes Gardner (1961)
• Tony Armas (1978)
• Kelly Shoppach (1980)
• Omir Santos (1981)
• Yeizo Campos (1996)

Transactions:

New York Mets signed free agent Endy Chavez on April 29, 1996.

National Pastime.com:

1962	During the seven-run fourth inning at the Polo Grounds, Frank Thomas ties a major league mark by being hit twice with a pitch in one inning. Art Mahaffey and Frank Sullivan plunk the Mets outfielder in the Phillies' 8-0 loss.
1984	On Strawberry Sunday, former World Series hero Jerry Koosman is greeted warmly by the Mets' faithful in his first start at Shea Stadium since 1978 when he faces his old team for the first time. Prior to the 6-2 victory over Philadelphia, fans are treated to strawberry sundaes provided by Carvel in honor of Darryl Strawberry, last season's National League Rookie of the Year.

1996	John Franco becomes the first left-hander to record 300 saves, allowing just a hit and no runs in the top of the ninth inning in the Mets' 3-2 victory over Montreal at Shea Stadium. The southpaw recorded his first save exactly 12 years ago on this date wearing a Reds' uniform.

Baseball Reference:

2013: The Marlins earn a rare victory, 4 - 3, over the Mets with a two-run rally in the bottom of the 15th inning. Ruben Tejada gives the Mets a 3 - 2 lead with an infield single off Jon Rauch in the top of the 15th, but the Fish come back on Rob Brantly's single and Nick Green's sacrifice fly against Shaun Marcum, the Mets' ninth pitcher of the night. It is the first time Miami wins back-to-back games this year, but the win is costly as the team's best hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, pulls a hamstring running out a ground ball in the 10th and is immediately placed on the disabled list.

2016 - The Mets score a team record 12 runs in the 3rd inning in defeating the Giants, 13 - 1. Yoenis Cespedes collects 6 RBIs in the frame with a two-run single off Jake Peavy and a grand slam off Mike Broadway. Steven Matz is the winner.

You can watch the entire game here.  

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