8/7/20

John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 8/7/2020

Good Morning. Happy Birthday Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Tyler Yates.  The Mets Option Ali Sanchez to Brooklyn, and lots of talk about Andres Gimenez.

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links:

SNY.TV: On the rise of Andres Gimenez and what his Mets future could hold. The future of Gimenez could have an impact on Amed Rosario, Ronny Mauricio, and others.  “Andres Gimenez, 21, was widely viewed as one of the best-fielding infielders in all of the minors…Gimenez had a bit of an offensive breakthrough in the Arizona Fall League last season, which seems to have carried over to 2020.”

Mets360.com: Andres Gimenez stakes claim to remain in the starting lineup. “He’s provided a little bit of everything. Yes, he looks very good defensively – regardless if he’s playing 2B, 3B or SS. Gimenez is making contact, with only a 7.7 K%, which is kind of hard to believe, given his struggles early last year in Double-A. And while the hits are falling in for him right now, the fact that MLB pitchers are not knocking the bat out of his hands is a very good thing. And on top of it all, Gimenez also has two steals.”


Anthony DiComo Mets.com: Inbox: Who plays SS when Rosario returns? “No doubt, Giménez has played extremely well the past few days. He’s batting .320 and making difficult defensive plays look easy. But let’s get one thing straight: Rosario is the starting shortstop here, and if the Mets have their way, he’ll continue to be the starting shortstop for years to come.”

You Tube: Andrés Giménez Shines in First Week in the Bigs.



Mike Phillips Sports Daily.com: 13 Observations about the 2020 New York Mets.  #1 - Andres Gimenez has impressed; #2. Jacob deGrom has impressed; # 3. The Rest of the Rotation has been spotty; #4. David Peterson has stepped up.

Mike’s Mets – Happy Baseball. “Injuries basically forced the Mets into fielding a good defensive team and, at least for one day, they reaped the rewards from it. They still left a zillion guys on base, and the game was a nail biter all the way through, but they won the game in a manner that was actually fun to watch despite the continued struggles plating baserunners.”

Jason Fry Faith and Fear in Flushing: Who were those slick-fielding ballplayers on display in blue and orange Wednesday night, and what have they done with the New York Mets? "The Mets’ current incarnation is not heavy on “leather guys,” to use Davey Johnson‘s mildly disparaging phrase — the strategy in recent years has been to limit enemy runs with good, strikeout-heavy starting pitching and then outhit what they give away in the bullpen and on defense."

NY Post: Mets vow to end struggles with runners in scoring position. “Start with an on-base percentage of .350 that ranked second in the major leagues…and .261 batting average (third in the majors)...the Mets were averaging just 3.92 runs per game, placing them 19th in the major leagues…the MLB-leading 8.92 runners per game left on base by the Mets.”

SNY.TV: A deep dive into why Mets' Pete Alonso has struggled at the plate to start 2020 season. Analytics and the ol' eye test from Todd Zeile tells us Alonso isn't using his normal approach.

CBS Sports: Mets' Jacob deGrom might be better than ever now that he is baseball's hardest throwing starting pitcher.

NY Post: Dwight Gooden on if 1986 Mets could have handled MLB coronavirus rules. “We probably would’ve all opted-out before it started,” Gooden joked.

Joel Sherman NY Post: The only Mets goal that matters is there for the taking. “But remember that with expanded playoffs, eight clubs in each league make the playoffs and the top two in each division are guaranteed entry. So, like every team, the Mets want to finish first. But assuming MLB has a postseason — a huge assumption during a pandemic — second place will assure October games.”

NY Post: How ex-Met Bret Saberhagen became part of baseball’s uplifting virtual choir.

Rising Apple: Mets players who could earn bigger roles for next year’s team. David Peterson, Andres Gimenez, and Drew Smith.

Ernest Dove Sports Report Blog writes about the journey for minor league baseball players.

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History (8/5/2019): Mets Hit 3 HRs in Inning to Sweep Twin Bill & Get Over .500.

Centerfield Maz: Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 2015 NL Champion Mets Reserve Outfielder (2012-2015).



MLB Links:

Phillies 5 Yankees 4 (Box Score).


Braves 4 Blue Jays 3 Nick Markakis with a Walk Off HR off Wilmer Font (Box Score)

Marlins 8 Orioles 7 (Box Score) AP News: Marlins’ 6-1 start is reminiscent of the 1899 Perfectos. “The Marlins are in first place in August, a first for the franchise. In fact, at 6-1 they have the best record in baseball, staging a one-year turnaround not seen since the 1899 St. Louis Perfectos.”


Brewers 8 White Sox 3 (Box Score)

AP News: Angels’ Ohtani homers in 1st at-bat since pitching shutdown. Angels 6 Mariners 1 (Box Score)

Here is the full MLB Scoreboard from yesterday. 

AP News: Phils-Marlins set for 7 games in 5 days in new MLB schedule.

CBS Sports: MLB, MLBPA reportedly agree to new COVID-19 safety protocols; rule breakers face season-long suspension.

MLB.com: 1 possible Deadline upgrade for every team. For the Mets – Starting Pitching.

Yahoo Sports: Who's good? Who's faking it? Sorting all 30 teams two weeks into the season. Mets are put in the “Not Great” category – “New York Mets (5-8): There are moments when the Mets look like a good team, but they’ve had trouble stringing those moments together into anything consistent.”

NY Post: Horace Clarke dies at 81: Face of losing era was ‘happy’ to be Yankee.


MLB Trade Rumors: George Springer Exits With Wrist Injury.

MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Option Miguel Andujar.

MLB Trade Rumors: Tigers INF Jordy Mercer Elects Free Agency After Outright.

MLB Trade Rumors: Cubs Sign RHP Kelvin Herrera, LHP Matt Dermody.

ICYMI – Yahoo Sports: Melanie Newman makes history in debut as Orioles play-by-play announcer.


Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:
Died on this date:
Transactions:

 New York Mets traded Frank Thomas to the Philadelphia Phillies for Gary Kroll and Wayne Graham on August 7, 1964.

New York Mets released George Foster on August 7, 1986.

New York Mets released Shane Spencer on August 7, 2004.

New York Mets claimed Ricky Ledee on waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 7, 2006.

New York Mets released Alex Cora on August 7, 2010.


1962
The 29-81 Mets are mathematically eliminated from finishing in first place with their 7-5 loss to Los Angeles in Chavez Ravine. After the game, New York manager Casey Stengel calls a meeting and jokes with his players that they can loosen up and relax now that they are out of the pennant race, which they promptly do, winning just eleven more games during the last two months of the season.
2005
In the battle of the Zambranos, the Mets' Victor is victorious when he defeats Carlos and the Cubs at Shea Stadium, 6-1. In addition to sharing the same last name, the two Venezuelan pitchers, who are not related, also wear the same number (38), enter the game with the same number of career wins (41), play for teams which started the series with the same record (54-54), as well as being both switch hitters and throwing right-handed.
2014
The Mets freshman Jacob deGrom establishes a franchise mark for rookies when he throws 67.1 innings, a span of 10 games, without allowing a home run. The 26 year-old right-hander's streak ends when Ian Desmond takes him deep in the second inning of the team's 5-3 loss to Washington at Nationals Park.

Baseball Reference:

1963: In the Mets' 7 - 3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Jim Hickman hits for the cycle, doing it in order. Both are firsts for the New York Mets.

1964: The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the National League-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll, OF Wayne Graham, and cash. Thomas, seemingly the answer to the Phils' first base problem, rides the Mets' team bus to Philadelphia, then finds out he has been traded. He then drives in two runs as the Phils top the Mets, 9 - 4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting five RBIs in the sweep.

1972: When Cleon Jones misses a shoestring catch in the bottom of the 13th inning, Ted Sizemore races around with an inside-the-park homer to give the Cards a 3 - 2 win over the 2nd-place Mets. Diego Segui, in relief of Bob Gibson who pitches 10 innings, is the winner. Mets 2B Ken Boswell has no fielding chances to tie a major-league record for an extra-inning game.

1984: The Cubs sweep a pair from the visiting Mets, winning 8 - 6 and 8 - 4. Rick Sutcliffe (9-1) beats Ron Darling (10-5) in the opener, benefiting from a six-run 5th inning. Keith Moreland hits a three-run home run and Ron Cey a two-run shot in the 5th. A five-run 4th in the second game propels Chicago to the win for reliever Tim Stoddard. Lee Smith notches his 25th save.

1992: The Mets obtain OF Kevin Bass from the Giants for a player to be named.

1993: The Mets' Bret Saberhagen injures his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.

2009: Everth Cabrera of the Padres hits a 9th-inning walk-off grand slam off Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez for a 6 - 2 win.

2011: Dan Uggla extends his hitting streak to 28 games as the Braves defeat the Mets, 6 - 5. He has to wait until the 8th inning to deliver a single to keep the streak alive; his teammate Freddie Freeman is not so fortunate, as an 0-for-4 day ends his streak at 20 games. It is the first time a pair of teammates have had simultaneous 20-game streaks since Mickey Rivers and Al Oliver with the 1980 Texas Rangers. The real hero for the Braves, though, is the man Mets fans love to hate, Chipper Jones, who drives in the winning run with a 9th-inning single off Bobby Parnell.



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2 comments:

Mack Ade said...

John -

Morning.

I had a lot of hope for Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

It makes me worry about the long term future of Pete Alonso.

The word has obviously gone around that he will go fishing against pitches sliding low outside.

August 7, 2020 at 9:32 AM
TexasGusCC said...

Lots of great stuff John, and Yelich hustling all around the bases is beautiful. Great to see a star hustle.

August 7, 2020 at 10:58 AM

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