John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 7/1/2020

Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Michael Wacha and Chris Flexen, Mets Summer Camp opens today, the Minor League Baseball season is officially cancelled, the Mets sign another veteran player and MLB approves 7 bidding groups for the Mets.

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

Mets Links:

MLB Trade Rumors: MLB Pre-Approves 7 Bidding Groups For Mets.  

Sportico.com: A-ROD, J.LO GROUP ARE AMONG SEVEN MLB-APPROVED METS BIDDERS. “Billionaire Josh Harris and Blackstone executive David Blitzer, owners of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, are also exploring a bid for the money-losing franchise.”

For those @Mets fans pining for Steve Cohen to buy the team, remember what I said -- That he wasn't on the current list of pre-approved bidders to begin due diligence. Of course, he's a minority owner and has already seen the numbers from his prior bid. He could engage any time.

— Scott Soshnick (@soshnick) June 30, 2020

Mets.com: Here are 5 Mets storylines heading into camp.  1. What can Yoenis Cespedes provide? 2. And what about Jed Lowrie? 3. Can Edwin Diaz hang onto the closer’s job? 4. What form will the rotation take? 5. How is Luis Rojas handling all this?

Mets.com: Mets agree to deal with reliever Hughes. "A veteran of nine seasons with the Pirates, Brewers, Reds and Phillies, Jared Hughes posted a 4.04 ERA last year over 72 appearances split between Cincinnati and Philadelphia. He is just two years removed from his best professional season in 2018, when he produced a 1.94 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .212 average over 78 2/3 innings. According to a source, Hughes will receive $700,000 pro-rated for 2020, which equates to about $260,000 over a 60-game season." 

MLB Trade Rumors:  “Last season was the first time Hughes was victimized by the home run ball over a large sample of work…Hughes’ ability to keep the ball out of the air has led to a 13.9 percent HR-to-FB rate and a quality 2.88 ERA, despite an underwhelming K/9 of 6.07.”

MLB Trade Rumors: The Mets are “extremely excited” about the progress reliever Dellin Betances has made, and they expect him to be a full participant in summer camp, according to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com).

NY Daily News: Mets lay off 25 employees, including some ticket-office workers with decade-plus of experience.

Faith and Fear in Flushing’s A Met for All seasons continues with Craig Swan in 1978.

Brian Joura Mets 360.com: Mets once again show their preference for washed-up veterans. While teenagers like Wander Franco and Jarred Kelenic were on the rosters for Tampa Bay and Seattle, Ronny Mauricio and Francisco Alvarez were nowhere to be seen on the Mets’ initial roster.

Sounds like the presence of a DH in the NL increased the Mets' interest in Melky Cabrera, who didn't get a minor league deal with any team over the winter. The Mets worked Cabrera out in March and signed him yesterday. Brodie Van Wagenen called him "a perfect fit for us."

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 30, 2020

Mike’s Mets had “Some Thoughts As Summer Training Looms.”

NY Post: Mets doubled down on risky draft strategy that could pay off.

NY Post: Mets’ Brodie Van Wagenen bracing for positive coronavirus tests. “Mets players arriving ahead of Wednesday’s official report date already have begun getting tested. The wait time for the results is 48 hours. Any player testing positive will be quarantined for two weeks, leaving it unlikely that the infected party would be ready for the start of the 60-game season on July 23 or 24.”

Newsday: Mets' aggressive drafting helps restock farm system.

NY Post: ‘Who the f–k is Brad34?’: How Mets were rocked by sports world’s first internet scandal. How “Whartongate” got started 20 years ago.

Reflections On Baseball: Mets 2020 Schedule Is Exactly What’s Needed – Treacherous And Difficult.

Bobby Bonilla will make $1,193,248.20 tomorrow

— Emily Nyman (@EmSheDoesIt) June 30, 2020

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! If you were to to fly the same path the 3B/OF took in his career, here's the itinerary w/ the cheapest flights selected:

CHW-PIT-NYM-BAL-FLA-LAD-NYM-ATL-STL

Total: $1,582

With Bonilla's annual paycheck of $1,193,248.20, he can book that trip 754 times. pic.twitter.com/H6sUrwcJbG

— Jake Marsh (@PMTsportsbiz) July 1, 2020

“Jerry Grote was quiet off the field; put the uniform on him and he’d turn into an animal. He was a tough player. Grote scared me to death when I’d pitch. If I bounced the ball with nobody on base he was just as liable to knock me off the mound.” - Jon Matlack on Jerry Grote pic.twitter.com/iJGt97hhNB

— Mets Rewind (@metsrewind) June 30, 2020

MLB LINKS:

AP News: Teams not able to disclose who goes on IL due to virus.

NY Post: MLB, union still discussing whether to disclose players’ coronavirus cases. “In negotiations with MLB, the union has historically accentuated players’ right to privacy. Thus, it is possible that players who are on the COVID List will just be announced as being on the Injured List and it will be up to individual players whether to disclose the reason.”

MLB.com: The top Summer Camp storyline for every team.

MLB Trade Rumors: Athletics To Trade Jorge Mateo To Padres.

NY Post: Reggie Jackson seeing hope for change in baseball. ““Finally more are understanding what I’ve felt for the past 60 years. And they’re with me. Made me smile, gave me hope.”

AP News: Tigers give $8.4M deal to Torkelson, who joins player pool. “No. 1 overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a minor league contract on Tuesday, and the team said the infielder will join its player pool for this abbreviated season.”

USA Today: 'A dark past': MLB stars say time to pull Kenesaw Mountain Landis name off plaques.

USA Today: 'He really needs help': Family seeks help for Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles, who is homeless and hospitalized.

Yahoo Sports: Turn and face the strange: Why MLB's gimmicky extra-innings rule could be a good thing.

Yahoo Sports: Derek Jeter on MLB restart talks: 'There is no trust' between players, owners.

Yahoo Sports: Elliott: Dodgers, Angels ought to cultivate young fans by starting games earlier this season.

ESPN.com: Rockies GM supports Ian Desmond's decision to skip 2020 season.

ESPN.com: Shohei Ohtani returning to 2-way role with Los Angeles Angels this season.

NBC Bay Area: A's Fans Can Buy Cardboard Cutout of Themselves to Display at Games.

Minor League Baseball:

AP News: Baseball’s minor leagues cancel 2020 seasons.

pic.twitter.com/XEDFmfHTmI

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 30, 2020

Syracuse.com: Syracuse Mets should be OK despite loss of season, but minors overall need a ‘lifeline'. “Syracuse’s baseball franchise was purchased by the New York Mets in 2017, a development that [Syracuse Mets general manager Jason] Smorol said puts the team in much better shape to withstand the money pinch…’They’ve been fantastic to work with,’ Smorol said of the Mets. ‘We’re going to be OK. It’s tough for businesses to withstand. It’s going to be difficult for us. But we have the Mets to help us through this. We’re just in a much better economic position to withstand this.’”

Syracuse.com: Syracuse Mets, Auburn Doubledays seasons canceled amid coronavirus wreckage.

Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin: Minor League Baseball cancels 2020 season, possibly ending Binghamton Rumble Ponies era.

I’m getting a lot of questions about the future of the @RumblePoniesBB.

The silver lining according to Hughes - with the official 2020 MiLB season cancellation, the attention can now shift back to PBA negotiations. #MiLB pic.twitter.com/uc6EEpvnOX

— Nicole Menner (@NicoleMenner) June 30, 2020

Troy Record: ADIOS GATOS: Minor League Baseball cancels 2020 season; ValleyCats to not play this summer. “It would be extremely difficult to try and move forward with games without fans,” said [ValleyCats General Manager Matt] Callahan. “At the major league level, it’s a different animal given that there are TV rights, broadcast opportunities, and things like that. For us, at the minor league level, the experience and the business model is about having fans in the stands.”

Asian Baseball:

Yesterday in Japan:

The Yakult Swallows game was rained out. 

Nori Aoki is back in LF for today’s game (Box Score).

Yonhap News: Baseball fans required to sit apart, no outside food permitted when stadiums open.

Yesterday in the KBO:

Lotte Giants 10 NC Dinos 8  Aaron Altherr 2 for 4, 1BB, 2 runs, 2 RBIs (Box Score). 

In today’s game Aaron Altherr is back in CF and so far 0 for 1 (Box Score).

Here is KBO’s Scoreboard.

CPBL Stats: Uni-Lions to Part Ways With Ryan Feierabend. “According to the team, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Feierabend asked to be let go so he can return to the United States to be with his family. The 34-year-old left-hander will pitch out of the bullpen until the end of June.”

Yesterday at Mack’s Mets:

Tom Brennan - WOW, WHAT A 2020 METS LINEUP.

Tony Plate Tebow - Left Off 60 Man Summer Roster.

Mack’s Blast from the Past AM Report 7/1/13: Sunday starters –  Luis Cessa – Gnats – 6.2ip, 7h, 1r, 1er, 1-bb, 3k (3.14); Noah Syndergaard – B-Mets - 5.0ip, 4h, 1r, 1er, 2bb, 9k, (2.45); Robert Gsellman –Clones – 8.0ip, 4h, 0r, 0er, 0bb, 4k, (0.00); Chris Flexen – K-Port – 4.0ip, 7-h, 5r, 5er, 2bb, 3k (5.63); Matt Fox – Vegas – 6.0ip, 3h, 0r, 0er, 1bb, 6k, (4.68); Rainy Lara – Lucy – 5.0ip, 6h, 3r, 2er, 1bb, 4k (2.31).

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Craig Anderson (1938)
• Michael Wacha (1991)
• Chris Flexen (1994)

Transactions:

New York Mets traded Charlie Neal and Sammy Taylor to the Cincinnati Reds for Jesse Gonder on July 1, 1963.

New York Mets released Al Weis on July 1, 1971.

New York Mets signed free agent Alex Escobar on July 1, 1995.

New York Mets traded Roberto Alomar to the Chicago White Sox for Royce Ring, Edwin Almonte and Andrew Salvo on July 1, 2003.

National Pastime.com: 

1943

Although the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League will not have an official All-Star Game until 1946, two teams, one composed of South Bend Blue Sox and Rockford Peaches players and the other made up of players from the Kenosha Comets and Racine Belles, put on an exhibition game under the lights at Wrigley Field. The AAGPBL contest is the first night game ever played in the historic Chicago ballpark.

1966

Woody Fryman faces the minimum 27 batters in the Pirates' 12-0 rout of the Mets at Shea Stadium. New York leadoff hitter Ron Hunt singles to center to start the bottom of the first, but is tagged out trying to swipe second base.

2013	Before the game at Citi Field, the Mets and Diamondbacks honor the 19 firefighters killed while battling a wildfire in Yarnell, Arizona with a moment of silence. Additionally, each team hangs a jersey with the word Yarnell stitched on the back above the number 19 in their respective dugouts.

Baseball Reference:

1973: At Wrigley Field, the Mets edge the Cubs, 6 - 5, in the first game of a doubleheader. Then it is the Cubs' turn, as Randy Hundley bangs a 9th inning 3-run homer to give Chicago the 6 - 5 edge. Ron Santo has seven hits for the afternoon, five in the nitecap.

1998 - Trailing the Mets, 8 - 7, in the bottom of the 8th inning, Toronto comes up with eight runs. New York fights back with two in their half of the 9th, but the Blue Jays hold on for a 15 - 10 triumph.

2009: Is the era of high scoring over ? For the first time since September 1, 1976, three National League games end in 1 - 0 scores on the same day. All of the shutouts are combined efforts: Mike Pelfrey of the Mets beats Milwaukee, Johnny Cueto leads the Reds over Arizona, and the Dodgers defeat Colorado with an 8th-inning run.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History: (7/1/2000) Al Leiter Strikes Out 12 Braves

Centerfield Maz: Chris Flexen: Former Mets Pitcher (2017-2018).

You tube:

7/1/13: Josh Satin tied the game in the ninth inning, then Andrew Brown ripped a walk-off single in extras as the Mets win, 5-4.

7/1/15: Cubs break through in 11th to blank Mets.

7/1/16: Mets mash five homers in big win over Cubs.

7/1/17: Cabrera's two-run homer leads Mets to 7-6 win.

7/1/18: Matz, Cabrera propel the Mets to victory.

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