Mack - Stranger Things - Soft Hits, Nate Fisher, Oyster Joe, Manny Alvarez

 Morning.

SOFT HITS

Heard Zack Wheeler's comments this past Saturday about the Mets bloops, soft hits, and general whossy approach to this game in, general, and this loss in the early game, in particular.

(man... nice run on sentence)

What is it with these grown ass men whining like this every time they lose to the Mets?

Did any of these guys think that Mets hitters making even minimal contact is better than a strikeout?

Maybe pitchers on teams like Philadelphia might consider working on their defensive game as well as scoring more against the Mets in the nightcap.

Which they did.

Bad look Zack. You're much better

Oh.

Should I add Braves 1B Matt Olsen's CHECK SWING single that tied a Saturday game against Houston in the 11th inning (that was eventually won by them)?

Nah.

Pure skill.

NATE FISHER

Sunday's game not only brought us a new starter (Jose Butto), but a pretty successful starter turned reliever (who really is a starter).

Nate Fisher is a 26 yr. old LHRP, originally drafted by Seattle, after pitching four seasons for the University of Nebraska. 

His 2019 season year there was impressive: 15-ST, 7-3, 3.27.

Fisher pitched parts of three seasons in the Mariner chain, including being cut after two outings with the team that drafted him. He decided to walk away from baseball and eventually talked his way into the Mariner organization. 

The Mets signed him prior to this season, started him out in Binghamton, and was called up after 12 games (10 starts) for Syracuse (1-2, 3.12).

All he did on Sunday was  throw three innings, giving up only one hit, zippo runs, and putting up a debut 0.00 ERA.

Maybe we had the wrong starter for this game

(one thing... Brett Baty is pressing... needs a 2-day rest from this game)

OYSTER JOE

Joe Martina pitched in 22 professional seasons, but only one at the major league level, that being in 1924 for the Washington Senators. 

That was the year the Senators won the World Series, but that wasn't good enough for someone born and raised by his New Orleans oyster dealing father. No, he wanted out of that contract and, in 1929, he personally negotiated himself out his contract with the Dallas Steers of the Texas League.

Negotiation were rough. Martina offered only one but the Steers held out for two.

Players, you ask?  Nah. Barrels of oysters.

Yeah, the Dallas Steers actually released Martina for the rights to two freaking barrels of unopened oysters. 

While not technically a trade, the oyster deal secured Martina his own rights and allowed him to move to the Cotton States League the following season. He suited up for the Lake Charles Newporters and later signed with the Monroe Drillers—no word on whether mollusks were involved in that transaction.

Yeah.

Oysters

MANNY ALVAREZ

On Sunday, I received an email from the B-Mets press office:

Please see below today's transactions  involving Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

            Signed RHP Manny Alvarez

The name was familiar. I ran to Google and found two Manny Alvarez's that played professional baseball. One was a player that is around 60 years old right now and the other was an ex-St. Lucie Met that ended his professional minor league career in 2011.

Need some help here, readers.