4/18/20

John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 4/18/2020



Happy Birthday Rico Brogna and Doug Flynn, we have video highlights from Taiwan Baseball, and the Mets almost traded Zack Wheeler to the Yankees?

SNY.TV: Mets had agreed upon deal to send Zack Wheeler to Yankees at trade deadline. According to SNY's Andy Martino, the Mets and Yankees had a tentative agreement in place last July that would have sent Wheeler to the Bronx. However, concerns about the medicals of another player squashed the deal.

12up.com: Yankees and Mets Reportedly Discussed Jeurys Familia Trade Last Year for Some Sick Reason.



Ken Davidoff NY Post: Where ‘the great’ Shea Stadium ranks among dead MLB ballparks.  Ken thinks #5: 1. Tiger Stadium; 2: Yankee Stadium; 3. Memorial Stadium in Baltimore; 4. Metrodome; 5. Shea Stadium.


CBS Sports: Handing out MLB Sophomore of the Year awards for the last five seasons -- and predicting 2020 winners.  Jacob deGrom’s 2015 season named one of the best sophomore seasons and Pete Alonso is listed as the current Top candidate to have a great sophomore year.

Empire Sports Media: Under Appreciated New York Mets: Fernando Tatis. Tatis played in 258 games over 3 seasons with New York, hitting .279 with 21 home runs.


Brent Axe Syracuse.com: Syracuse Mets Opening Day will have to wait due to coronavirus. “That is the strangest opening day ever for me," Syracuse Mets GM Jason Smorol said. "It’s unfortunate, but it’s the right thing to do as we all get through this together. That feeling at the ballpark when you open those gates. They come in and everybody is just so excited that baseball season is starting. Spring is coming, summer is coming and we’re out of that winter doldrum. Getting to see so many faces that you haven’t seen all winter long. That’s what I’m going to miss.”

You can see simulated Syracuse Mets games at https://www.twitch.tv/syracusemets/.

MLB News:

NY Post: Retired players being hurt by baseball’s coronavirus hiatus. “My living is baseball camps, clinics, appearances at the ballpark. Everything is baseball,” Dwight Gooden said. “Everything’s on hold. I’ve got seven kids, six grandkids and two ex-wives. They don’t want to hear that. They just want to know where their check is.”






Austin Jackson Open To MLB Return.  “Jackson struggled badly in his last action in the majors [2018], turning in a collective .245/.299/.326 output over 375 plate appearances with the Giants and Mets. But he was quite productive in 2017, when he slashed .318/.387/.482 for the Indians.”

Does Baseball Have Its Next Zobrist?  MLB Trade Rumors likes Jeff McNeil as the next “Swiss Army Knife.”

The Angels Found A Dominant Reliever On Waivers. More than half the league passed on Hansel Robles after the Mets designated the right-hander for assignment and ran him through waivers back in 2018.



Asian Baseball:

Per Twitter: Strong #CPBL debut from the CTBC Brothers' Esmil Rogers last night (last pitched in MLB for the Yankees). Rogers gave up 1 earned run across 7 innings and struck out 11. Closer look at Esmil Rogers' 128kph changeup. The Brothers won 6-1.


From the Onion: Taiwanese Robot Baseball Fan Ejected For Yelling Slurs At Pitch Camera https://bit.ly/2ynfg53. “Look at this defunct, malware-infected piece of scrap. You call that a strike? You ought to be recycled.”


ESPN: Japan's baseball league delayed again, no date set for start. Nippon Professional Baseball's season openers will not take place in May due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no firm date set for the start.




Mack’s Blast From The Past: Mack Ade –4-18-12. “You Want Prime? We Got Prime” Mack looks at the projected Mets starting rotations 2013 – 2016.  Plus this great quote: “My pitching philosophy is simple - keep the ball away from the bat.” - Satchel Paige.


Born on this date:

Transactions:

New York Mets traded Felix Perdomo and Steve Ray to the New York Yankees for Tucker Ashford on April 18, 1983.


New York Mets traded Ike Davis to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Zack Thornton and Blake Taylor on April 18, 2014.

1970
Denny Doyle's first-inning single is the only hit allowed by Nolan Ryan when he blanks the Phillies at Shea Stadium, 7-0. The 23 year-old right-hander ties the Mets' mark established by Jerry Koosman in 1968 with 15 strikeouts, but Tom Seaver will break the short-lived record, whiffing 19 Padres later in the week.






1970 - Nolan Ryan strikes out 15 batters and pitches a one-hitter as the New York Mets defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7 - 0, at Shea Stadium. It is the first shutout of Ryan's career.

2010: One day after playing a marathon 20-inning contest, the Cardinals' bullpen gets some rest as Adam Wainwright pitches a complete game for a 5 - 3 win over the Mets. Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick's homers account for all of St. Louis's runs; Wainwright helps his own cause by doubling ahead of Ludwick's blast in the 8th. For their part, the Mets designate 1B Mike Jacobs for assignment before the game in order to call up P Tobi Stoner from AAA Buffalo. Jacobs has become redundant because of the rapid development of prospect Ike Davis, who will be called up to the majors tomorrow. Stoner is the losing pitcher in his only game of the season, in spite of giving up only one run in 2 1/3 innings of work with the Mets' bullpen also burnt out from yesterday's game.

2014: Aaron Harang pitches 7 no-hit innings for the Braves against the Mets, but has to leave the game after having thrown 121 pitches. David Wright hits a two-out single off Luis Avilan in the 8th for the Mets' only hit as three pitchers combine on a one-hitter in a 6 - 0 win.


Want something else tracked here each day?  Please leave a comment below.

9 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

That Nolan Ryan one hitter look back was amazing. First batter singles, no hitter over last 27 outs. 15 Ks and 6 BBs. What was the pitch count?

No Ks over the last 3 innings.

He was just 23...how could you possibly trade him?

In his 8 years with the Angels, he AVERAGED over 300 Ks a season. Back when guys fanned less than they do now.

John From Albany said...

Tom, I agree. Trade made no sense. First Mets game I went to was a 4-0 complete game shutout over the Cubs by Nolan in 1970.

In the Mets defense, in 1971 Nola set a Mets team record of 116 walks that stands to this day - they traded him the very next winter. Still a lot of Mets fans, myself included, were upset when they traded him before he dominated with the Angels. We saw the potential that the Mets did not.

Tom Brennan said...

Montreal made the same huge mistake with another electrifying talent...Randy Johnson.

Mack Ade said...

How far have we fallen?

We now have a Taiwan section in the Breakfast Links.

bill metsiac said...

And KC gave away David Cone for a backup Catcher (Ed Hearn). Keith Hernandez for Neil Allen. John Olerud for Robert Person.

Ya win some, ya lose some.

John From Albany said...

Thank the Lord for Taiwan. Many great lessons to be learned from them. Japan and Korean news also will be in that section when they start so we can track Chris Flexen and Drew Gagnon.

Mack Ade said...

I don't know if John told you all this but he has a new Twitter follower

Erwin Santana

John From Albany said...

That makes 3. My Sister, Mack, and Ervin.

Mack Ade said...

She tried to put a spell on me.