John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 6/15/2020

Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Dominic Smith, Tony Clark, Brett Butler, Eduardo Nunez, and Jose Peroza, it’s the anniversary of the Midnight Massacre when Tom Seaver and Dave Kingman were traded and Mets' Dominic Smith pens statement on racial injustice: 'Silence Kills'.

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, Minor League Links, Asian Baseball Links, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links:

Mets.com: Mets’ Dom Smith: Racism ‘happens every day’. "As a black man in America you encounter racism on every level. Your parents prep you for it. They prep you for routine police stops. They prep you on how to talk to people with respect. When you have one strike against you [your skin color] you have to make the people you come across like you, and you do it with respect, with a smile, with love."

Brian Joura Mets 360.com: Peter Crow-Armstrong and the Mets’ top 100 picks of the last 11 years. Bran makes a great observation about Sandy Alderson’s draft strategy vs. recent years: “The Mets decided to go cheap early in order to have money available for later rounds. It seemed backwards at the time and history hasn’t validated the approach; either, at least not for the Mets. Alderson did this again in 2013 and then went with a more neutral approach. Van Wagenen has done the exact opposite, going overslot early. My preference is for the latter approach, spending money to get premium guys in the first few rounds, rather than round 11 and later. Hopefully, Allan, Ginn and others will justify Van Wagenen’s financial commitment.”

Mike’s Mets: When Money Is All That Matters.

Violeta Pietonico Metsmerized Online: 2021 Mets Free Agent Targets: Center Field. 1) George Springer; 2) Mookie Betts; 3) Starling Marte; 4) Jackie Bradley Jr.;

Rising Apple: Pete Alonso is a lock for the franchise home run record, right?

Rising Apple: Good NY Mets players best known for one real bad moment. Carlos Beltran’s Looking at Strike 3 and Jeurys Familia quick pitch Home Run are included.

Rising Apple: Mets continued lack of speed is something they need to address.

June 14, 1980: The Magic is Back ... If Only For a Night. Read one fan's story of Steve Henderson's dramatic 9th inning HR off Allen Ripley to give the @Mets a 7-6 win: https://t.co/KMoKVQSq8C #LGM #MetsRewind pic.twitter.com/085Y7mMKer

— Mets Rewind (@metsrewind) June 14, 2020

“It was both the worst day and the best day as I look back on it now. The team was being run into the ground. If I had stayed, would I have won 300 games? It would have been nice to be a Met my whole career, but I’m eternally grateful to have experienced all I did.” - Tom Seaver pic.twitter.com/T6JHUgBCxT

— Mets Rewind (@metsrewind) June 15, 2020

MLB LINKS:

The Mets have not yet signed any un-drafted Free Agent players.  Here is Baseball America’s on-going list of signees.

Ken Davidoff NY Post: It’s decision time for Rob Manfred after MLBPA issues ultimatum. After weeks of fruitless, ugly negotiations between the players and owners, the PA announced Saturday night that it would not counter MLB’s latest proposal, which called for a 72-game season and guaranteed the players 70 percent of their prorated salaries. Instead, PA executive director Tony Clark declared, “It is time to get back to work. Tell us where and when.”

MLB Trade Rumors: “A New York district court judge has ordered MLB and the Yankees to unseal a 2017 letter sent by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to Yankees GM Brian Cashman regarding rules violations that occurred in 2015-16, as first reported by Evan Drellich of the Athletic. As Drellich suggested, the Yankees are likely to appeal the ruling, hear Greg Joyce and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The suit, brought by a collection of daily fantasy players against MLB, the Astros, and the Red Sox, was dismissed in April and is pending appeal to the Second Circuit. The Yankees are not a party in the action.”

Yahoo Sports: Report: MLB, Turner Sports reach billion-dollar agreement to continue postseason package.

MLB.com: Which state is best at baseball? All 50 ranked.  1) California: 2,311 players, 11,519.2 WAR; 2) New York: 1,216 players, 5,893.7 WAR; 3) Pennsylvania: 1,434 players, 5,853.3 WAR.

MLB.com: Each team's best season by a player over 40. Mets -- Bartolo Colon, age 43, 2016

Yahoo Sports: Scandal, shame and the roller coaster ride that followed Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's magical summer.

Yahoo Sports: The Cardinals have welcomed back Mark McGwire, will the Cubs ever do the same with Sammy Sosa?

Yahoo Sports: After weeks of ugliness, labor warfare is back in baseball.

MLB.com: These teams traded future Hall of Famers.  Video of Seaver is included.

Minor League Baseball:

Burlington Free Press: Lake Monsters' 2020 season delayed indefinitely.

Asian Baseball:

Korea Herald: KBO's Hanwha Eagles snap record-tying losing streak at 18.

Yonhap News: Hanwha Eagles lose 18th straight to tie all-time KBO record.

NC Dinos 9 Kiwoon Heros 5 (Box Score). Aaron Altherr 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Through 35 games Aaron’s stats were .294/.378/.605 - .983 OPS, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 34K, 11BB.

Aaron Altherr / 알테어 / has just hit a #DinoDinger coming in at 410 ft.

Not only did it score 3 runs giving the #NCDinos a 9-4 lead over the #KiwoomHeroes but it produced some of the best reactions you'll see in the #KBO pic.twitter.com/zjfjupGr8Y

— NC Dinos UK (@NCDinosUK) June 14, 2020

Other Ex-Mets in the KBO:

Chris Flexen: In 6 games this year Chris is 2-0, 2.92 ERA, 37 innings, 31 hits, 12 earned runs, 13 BB, 30 Ks.

Drew Gagnon: 7 games this year Drew is 3-3, 3.57 ERA, 40.1 innings, 34 hits, 16 earned runs, 9 BB, 45 Ks.

Here is KBO’s Scoreboard.

This past weekend at Mack’s Mets:

Reese Kaplan -- So How Did The Mets With Their #1?

Tom Brennan - ADRIAN GONZALEZ & DOMINIC SMITH.

Mack - My Observations on the 2020 Mets Draft.

Mack - Players Left Undrafted in the 2020 Draft.

Mike's Mets - Dreaming of a Fertile Farm.

Mack’s Blast from Past: 6/15/2012: Dave Rubin -  35 Years Later: Reliving the "Midnight Massacre"...or "Dr. Hate-monger & How I Learned to Despise Dick Young"

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Ken Henderson (1946)
• Brett Butler (1957)
• Dave Liddell (1966)
• Tony Clark (1972)
• Jeremy Reed (1981)
• Dominic Smith (1995)
• Eduardo Nunez (1987)
• Jose Peroza (2000)

Died on this date:

• Larry Foss (2019)

Transactions:

New York Mets purchased Gene Woodling from the Washington Senators on June 15, 1962.

New York Mets purchased Bob Friend from the New York Yankees on June 15, 1966.

New York Mets traded Kevin Collins, Steve Renko, Jay Carden and Dave Colon to the Montreal Expos for Donn Clendenon on June 15, 1969.

New York Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Pat Zachry and Dan Norman on June 15, 1977.

New York Mets traded Dave Kingman to the San Diego Padres for Bobby Valentine and Paul Siebert on June 15, 1977.

New York Mets traded Mike Phillips to the St. Louis Cardinals for Joel Youngblood on June 15, 1977.

New York Mets purchased Andy Hassler from the Boston Red Sox on June 15, 1979.

New York Mets traded Bob Myrick and Mike Bruhert to the Texas Rangers for Dock Ellis on June 15, 1979.

New York Mets traded Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey to the St. Louis Cardinals for Keith Hernandez on June 15, 1983.

New York Mets sold Mike Jorgensen to the Atlanta Braves on June 15, 1983.

New York Mets traded Jay Tibbs, Eddie Williams and Matt Bullinger to the Cincinnati Reds for Bruce Berenyi on June 15, 1984.

New York Mets released Gary Matthews on June 15, 2010.

New York Mets purchased Brooks Pounders from the Cleveland Indians on June 15, 2019.

 National Pastime.com: 

1969	The Mets acquire Donn Clendenon from the Expos in exchange for right-hander Steve Renko, infielder Kevin Collins along with two minor league prospects. The 33 year-old first baseman, who will be named the MVP of this season's Fall Classic, plays a pivotal role, both on the field and in the clubhouse, in the team's world championship.
1977	The Mets trade the 'Franchise,' Tom Seaver, to the Reds for pitcher Pat Zachary, second baseman Doug Flynn, and minor leaguers Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. New York also trades Dave Kingman to the Angels for Bobby Valentine and a minor league player.
1983	The Cardinals trade former MVP Keith Hernandez to the Mets for a pair of right-handed hurlers, Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. The righties will compile a 21-22 record for the Redbirds, and the Gold Glove first baseman will spend seven seasons in New York, batting .297, playing an instrumental role in the club's World Championship in 1986.

Baseball Reference:

2007 - Julio Franco comes to bat against Roger Clemens. Their combined age is 93 years, 246 days, the oldest pitcher-batter matchup in the major leagues since Rube Walberg and Nick Altrock on October 1, 1933. Franco and Clemens had first faced off on May 15, 1984, 19 months before the Mets' starting left fielder in this game, Carlos Gomez, was even born.

2015: The Mets snap the Blue Jays' 11-game winning streak with a two-run rally in the bottom of the 11th that gives them a 4 - 3 win. Jose Bautista homers twice for Toronto, including a game-tying shot in the top of the 9th, and the Jays take the lead on Dioner Navarro's sacrifice fly in the 11th, but RBI singles by Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores in the bottom of the inning give the game to the Mets.

You Tube:

6/15/19: Mets hold off Cards' late surge for 8-7 win.

6/15/16: Mets' offense explodes as Thor dominates.

Metsmerized Online: June 15, 1977: A Date Which Will Live In (Mets) Infamy.

Amazing Avenue: This Date in Mets History: June 15 — Mets wave goodbye to Seaver, hello to Hernandez.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering "The Midnight Massacre" - The Tom Seaver Trade 1977.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History (1983) Looking Back At How The Mets Got Keith Hernandez.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History: (6/15/2015) Thor K's 11 In An Exciting Walk Off Win.

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