John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 5/1/2020

Good morning, Happy Birthday Marcus Stroman, the Mets announce Ticket refund policy, and another potential Mets Buyer emerges.  

NY Post: Wayne Rothbaum emerges as potential Mets buyer for ‘fire sale only’. According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, biotech investor Wayne Rothbaum is still interested in buying the money-losing MLB franchise from the Wilpons, but without the team’s money-making cable network SNY included, Rothbaum would only pony up at an amazin’ discount. “I think he likes the idea of $1 billion,” one source told The Post. “

NY Post: Mets unveil ticket refund plan for games lost to coronavirus.  On Thursday the club announced that ticket holders for “impacted games” – those scheduled for March and April at Citi Field – can exchange those tickets for future dates, in 2020 or 2021, or submit a request online for a refund. Ticketholders requesting a refund can do so through their “My Mets Tickets” account online, beginning May 7 at 10 a.m. All ticket refunds will result in the forfeiture of bonus credit and priority ticket access.

Mike’s Mets talk about young prospects the Mets have traded in “The One That Got Away”.

NY Post: Yoenis Cespedes Mets ‘hope’ comes with expected MLB coronavirus change. “For most people I would say no, but I have actually thought about him and I think he would be the perfect guy to be their full-time DH,” a major league talent evaluator said Thursday.

NY Post: David Wright adds to the legend of Jacob deGrom with jersey-ripping episode.

Centerfield Maz: Marcus Stroman: 2019 Mets Pitcher (2019-2020).

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History: (1968) Ron Swoboda Slugs Seven April HRs.

Matt Musico Metsmerized Online: Mets’ Recent Wave of Homegrown Starters Have Already Made a Mark.  “Matt Harvey made a splash in the big leagues before going down and coming back from Tommy John surgery. Zack Wheeler showed flashes of what he was capable of prior to succumbing to the same ailment (he technically isn’t homegrown but he’s close enough). Jacob deGrom went from filling in for Rafael Montero to the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year. Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz rounded things out upon making their respective debuts in 2015 and having an immediate impact.”

NorthJersey.com: State of the Mets: Where does Wilson Ramos stand in a strange 2020?

Brian Joura Mets360.com: Mets 2020 projections: Wilson Ramos. 501 PA; .280/.350/.425; 16 HR; 70 RBIs.

The Mets Police: Best Mets By Number: 31 Mike Piazza.

ESPN.com: Is the Astros' title tarnished? Is Jeter overrated? We settle the biggest debate for all 30 MLB teams. For the Mets - Did the Mets ruin Johan Santana by letting him finish his no-hitter?

MLB.com: This is the biggest trash talker on every team.  For the Mets, they have Lefty Reliever Justin Wilson.  “He busts me all the time,” said fellow reliever Robert Gsellman.

Brian Wright Metsmerized.com: Reliving the 2000 Mets: Old Friends, New Enemy, And A Rocky Mountain High.

Rising Apple: Why the Mets should consider Michael Wacha as a long-term option.

MLB LINKS:

CBS Sports: MLB is optimistic about playing a 2020 season; here are five issues that need to be addressed first. 1. Testing, testing, testing; 2. Improved hygiene standards; 3. Contingency plans; 4. Union agreement; 5. Other logistics.

USA Today: MLB discussing plan to start season in late June, playing in home stadiums with realigned league.

USA Today: Day 50 without sports: Pondering baseball's COVID-19 pandemic workaround as a permanent solution.

MLB.com: 2020 LLWS, MLB Little League Classic canceled. It's the first time in the history of the Little League organization that the World Series has been canceled. The regional qualifying tournaments that lead up to the LLWS were also canceled. So was the 2020 MLB Little League Classic, which would have taken place between the Red Sox and Orioles on Aug. 23 in Williamsport.

USA Today: Want your money back for postponed MLB games? Refunds available, but you must ask. 

USA Today: MLB expects to use home ballparks for spring training if plans to play season proceed.

AP News: Woman hit in face by ball at Wrigley sues Cubs, MLB.

NJ.com: Ex-Yankees manager Buck Showalter: Fanless MLB games amid coronavirus would be a mistake.

Minor League Links:

Times News.net: K-Mets helped launch Gooden's career.

Baseball Prospectus: Too Far From Town: Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

York Dispatch: Atlantic League intends to play season when allowed, but won't play without fans at games.

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Reliant on revenue from fans, Minor League Baseball teams may be forced to cancel season.

  

MLB Trade Rumors:

MLB Seeking Pay Reduction For Umpires.

Ryan Zimmerman On Playing Beyond 2020.

Justin Verlander Provides Rehab Update.

The Phillies’ Upside Scenario.

Who’s The Top 2020-21 Free Agent Starter?

Rizzo & The Rest: 2021-22 Free Agent First Basemen.

J.D. Martinez, Alex Bregman … Jordan Luplow? The three best hitters against left-handed pitching included  “Jordan Luplow, who put up a jaw-dropping 198 wRC+ and slashed .320/.439/.742 in 155 plate appearances versus southpaws.”

Asian Baseball:

CPBL Stats: Taiwan’s Fubon Financial Eyeing New York Mets? On April 27, Forbes published an article and hinted that Taiwanese billionaire Richard Tsai might enter a joint venture to purchase the New York Mets. When asked upon by the Taiwanese media, the Fubon representative declined to comments on this matter.

CPBL Stats: Uni-Lions Sign Logan Darnell. Logan Darnell joined the Minnesota Twins organisation in 2010 and made his MLB debut in 2014. In his short stint in the big league, he posted a 7.50 ERA, 1.62 across 24 innings of work with the Twins.

Yesterday in the CPBL

Uni Lions 12 Chinatrust Brothers 6 (Line Score).

Today's Games in the #CPBL

18:35 GMT+8, 6:35 ET@CTBC_Brothers (5-7) vs @RakutenMonkeys (9-2)
SP: Ariel Miranda (2-0, 1.50 ERA) vs Lisalverto Bonilla (1-0, 4.70 ERA)@FubonGuardians (4-8) vs #UniLions (6-7)
SP: Henry Sosa (1-1, 3.15 ERA) CHIANG CHEN-YEN (0-2, 9.00 ERA)

— CPBL 中華職棒 (@CPBL) May 1, 2020

We have double header today.
⚾| 2020/5/1 18:30(GMT+8) #Guardians vs #UniLions. Watch here! Brought to you by MOMO TV. @FubonGuardians
*Excluding Taiwan https://t.co/ZJAF7iTq0t

— ELEVEN SPORTS TAIWAN (@ElevenSportsTW) May 1, 2020

Yesterday at Mack’s Mets:

John From Albany – Matthew Allan, Brett Baty, Andres Regnault, the Columbia Fireflies 2020 Roster Projection.

Tom Brennan - MAKING THE HALL OF FAME IS REALLY HARD.

Mack’s Blast from the Past comes from 5/1/13 – Mack looked at the 2013 Draft prospects Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier, and others. 

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• M. Donald Grant (1904)
• Roy Lee Jackson (1954)
• Ray Searage (1955)
• Charlie O'Brien (1960)
• Armando Reynoso (1966)
• Joe Hietpas (1979)
• Manny Acosta (1981)
• Marcus Stroman (1991)
• Tanner Murphy (1998)

Transactions:

New York Mets released Clem Labine on May 1, 1962.

New York Mets released Joe Ginsberg on May 1, 1962.

New York Yankees signed Casey Fossum of the New York Mets as a free agent on May 1, 2009.

National Pastime.com:

1965

Yogi Berra, appearing in his first game since 1963, grounds out to first base unassisted when he pinch-hits in the eighth inning of the Mets' 9-2 loss to the Reds at Crosley Field. The former Yankees icon, who became a player-coach for the crosstown rivals after being fired as the Bronx Bombers' manager last fall, will play in four National League contests, collecting two hits in nine at-bats before retiring as a player.

1974

Tom Seaver strikes out 16 Dodgers, giving up only three hits in twelve innings of work, but gets a no-decision when the Mets lose the Chavez Ravine contest in 14 innings, 2-1. Steve Garvey strokes a walk-off single to center field off Harry Parker, scoring Billy Buckner with the winning run.

1980

The Mets are fined by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn as the result of disparaging remarks made against the Yankees by Jerry Della Femina, the president of the team's advertising agency. The high-powered ad man, who is being paid $400,000 to develop a campaign to bolster the sagging attendance at Shea Stadium, made sarcastic comments about crosstown rival players Reggie Jackson and Bucky Dent and was quoted to say their Bronx ballpark was in an unsafe neighborhood.

1980

Mets starter Pete Falcone sets a franchise record when he strikes out the first six batters he faces, a group that includes Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt among the half dozen batters, in the team's 2-1 loss to the Phillies at Shea Stadium. The southpaw's mark remains intact for 34 years until Jacob deGrom, who will become the National League's Rookie of the Year, fans eight Miami batters from the start of a 2014 game to tie Jim Deshaies’ major league record.

1984	Dwight Gooden becomes the first teenager to strike out at least ten players since Bert Blyleven accomplished the feat in 1970. The Mets' 19 year-old phenom, who will break Herb Score's rookie record with 276 Ks this season, will have a total of 15 double-digit strikeout games this year.
2000	San Francisco's left fielder Barry Bonds becomes the first player to hit a ball into San Francisco Bay, aka McCovey's Cove. The first 'splashdown' home run at Pacific Bell Park helps the Giants to beat the Mets, 10-3.
2011	The Phillies fans attending the ESPN Sunday Night Game against the Mets start chanting "USA, USA" when word spreads of the death of Osama Bin Laden. The reaction of the sellout crowd comes as a surprise to the players on the field, who are unaware of the historic event.

Baseball Reference:

1966 - In the course of Pittsburgh's 8 - 0 shellacking of the lowly New York Mets, in which the latter's total of 4 hits is equaled by Roberto Clemente, the Pirate right fielder hits one ball, leading off the 4th, that the young Ron Swoboda, playing left field for the Mets that day, will recall, some thirty years later, as "the hardest ball I ever saw hit." Bucs beat writer Les Biederman concurs: "The first hit by Clemente was one to remember. It started out on a line toward the right-center fence and came within inches of clearing the wall at the 436-foot sign. It bounced off the wall right back into rookie Billy Murphy's hands." "The ball got there so fast, and bounced back to Murphy so hard," notes Dick Young of the New York Daily News, "that the speedy Roberto got only two bases." "But," adds Biederman, "the blast caused a rumble through the stands and no doubt unnerved Jack Fisher."

2010: Roy Halladay throws his second shutout in three starts when the Phillies stop the Mets' winning streak at 8 games with a 10 - 0 win. Mets starter Mike Pelfrey's scoreless innings streak is stopped at 27 as he is charged with his first loss of the season.

2011: C Ronny Paulino collects a career high 5 hits in 7 at-bats in his first start for the Mets after serving out a 50-game suspension begun last season, and then spending time on the disabled list with anemia. His 14th-inning double drives in the go-ahead run in a 2 - 1 win over the Phillies. The win is overshadowed by chanting in the stands at Citizens Bank Park as media outlets announce the death of terrorist Osama bin Laden during the 9th inning. Starter Chris Young gives the Mets seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball, but Cliff Lee only gives up one run in 7 for the Phils, who tie the game with a run scored without the benefit of a hit in the 8th. Taylor Buchholz is the winner for the Mets in the marathon game, beating Kyle Kendrick.

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