8/28/20

John From Albany – Mets News and Breakfast Links 8/28/2020


Good Morning. Happy Birthday to Mike Torrez and Joel Youngblood.  Mets, Marlins stage walkout protest after 42-second moment of silence, and the Mets Play the Yankees today on MLB’s Jackie Robinson Day.


Mets Links:











Jason Fry Faith and Fear in Flushing: “It was a powerful moment, covered with care and, yes, grace by SNY. Afterwards, Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith, Robinson Cano and Dellin Betances addressed the media, masks on as per COVID necessity…The Mets being the Mets, there had to be a sideshow.”





NY Post: Rob Manfred indirectly responds to Brodie Van Wagenen’s comments. “I have not attempted in any way to prevent players from expressing themselves by not playing, nor have I suggested any alternative form of protest to any Club personnel or player. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong.”



Mack’s Mets: Statement From Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen.  “My frustration with the Commissioner was wrong and unfounded. I apologize to the Commissioner for my disrespectful comments and poor judgement in inaccurately describing the contents of his private conversation with Jeff Wilpon.”


NY Post: Yankees vs. Mets: Breaking down Subway Series matchups.  Different areas are either “Even” or Advantage Yankees.








MLB Links:






MLB.com: The Players Alliance to donate salaries. “Members of The Players Alliance, a group of current and former Black players focused on issues of equality in Major League Baseball and the community, announced that they are donating their salaries from Thursday and Friday (Jackie Robinson Day) to, in the words of an official statement from organization, “combat racial inequality and aid Black families and communities deeply affected in the wake of recent events.”




Born on this date:
Transactions:

New York Mets traded 
Gerald YoungMitch Cook and Manny Lee to the Houston Astros for Ray Knight on August 28, 1984.

New York Mets traded Alejandro Pena to the Atlanta Braves for Tony Castillo and Joe Roa on August 28, 1991.


1884
New York Gotham pitcher Mickey Welch strikes out the first nine Cleveland Blues hitters to come to the plate, establishing a major league record. The mark will last until 1970 when Mets right-hander Tom Seaver strikes out the last ten San Diego he faces in a Shea Stadium contest.
1962
Al Jackson limits the opposing batters to three hits, going the distance in the Mets’ 2-0 victory over the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. The 26 year-old left-hander’s effort marks the fourth time he has blanked the opponents, accounting for all of the expansion team’s shutouts the entire season.

2003
Jose Reyes becomes the youngest player in major league history to hit a home run from each side of the plate. The 20 year-old shortstop accounts for all the Mets runs, hitting a solo shot from the right side of the dish off southpaw Mike Hampton in the fifth inning, and then, batting as left-handed hitter in the ninth, a two-run dinger off right-hander Trey Hodges in the team's 3-1 victory over Atlanta at Turner Field.

1989: Frank Viola and the Mets outduel Orel Hershiser and the Dodgers 1 - 0 in the first-ever regular-season matchup of defending Cy Young Award winners.

1993:The Mets sign P Kirk Presley, their top pick in this year's amateur draft, for $960,000. The pitcher is a distant cousin of Elvis Presley. In 1999Gerry Hunsicker will recall his decision to draft Presley: "I didn't make one of the brightest decisions of my career when I passed on a young pitcher out of Ferrum College (Billy Wagner) and chose another who never got out of A ball."



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3 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Baseball is just trying to figure out a constructive way to deal with these times, just like 99% of us are.

RGVerdon said...

I am completely speechless by this act of extreme empathy. I appreciate baseball’s attempt to bring attention to BLM.

Anonymous said...

The Mets 2020

To my eyes, this 2020 NYM team has all the hitting that it could ever possibly need, to make a "serious run" at the WS. There really are not even enough positions on this team to play all these NY Mets really good hitters all at the same one time. That seems so obvious, but what a terrific problem to have really for a team. Batters have stepped up tremendously. I am delighted.

Once again, it's the pitching that separates the good from the really good MLB teams. Know this. It's always been this way.

Most MLB teams heading into the playoffs have the hitting it that it takes, with only the very few worst teams not. So to me, it comes down to the pitching as the determinant to utmost playoff success. While hitting on each playoff team to a large extent is comparable.

Recently we saw this uncertainty arise in the form of Rick Porcello and Steven Matz.

But unlike most NY Mets seasons, this 2020 season the NY Mets actually did have the amount of depth to quickly overcome this. Lefty kid starter David Peterson got a true shot to start here. This will prove itself out to be a very good move to have made over the course of this entire shortened season. He will get better and better because the talent is there.

In light of what Steven Matz has brought to the table, which again is very little, the only other somewhat questionable move was acquiring Boston's Rick Porcello. If you go read online about Porcello in 2019 for the Red Sox, his four injuries, and the platelet infusions, then you'll understand exactly why. Boston fans were all aware of this situation too.

But even with Steven Matz and Rick Porcello struggling early on in this shortened 2020 season, the NYM were exceedingly wise to have added into their 2020 rotation equation some serious depth in the form of outstanding right-hander Seth Lugo and rising big man star Corey Oswalt. Both being big league caliber starters who can win serious games for these 2020 NY Mets. Both precisely what was needed.

This is not over Mr. Stengel. There are players here who "can really play this here game" sir. And play it damn well too. Dominic, we hear you.

Make it yours Mets.