5/29/20

John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 5/29/2020


Good Morning.  Happy Birthday to Steven Matz, Mike Vaccaro of the NY Post thinks Baseball may never fully recover if it loses season this way, and MLB releases hundreds of Minor League players.


Mets Links:  


Mike Meyer from Metsmerized Online tweeted the entire list last night.

Very saddened to see Rob Whalen on the list.

Mack talked about Rob in one of his FWIW columns: “Folks, this was another poorly handled prospect that is young enough (25) to be given one more chance, at least at the AA or AAA level.” 

MiLB interviewed Rob Whalen on his return to the Mets.  "Coming to the [St. Lucie] complex for the first time in several years ... it felt like I never left. I'm so excited to be back with the Mets," Whalen said at the time.

Also on the list, West Islip’s Frank Valentino who helped Brooklyn win a Championship last year.

MLB Trade Rumors: Which 15 Players Should The Mets Protect In An Expansion Draft? MLB Trade Rumors has been running a series looking at what players each team would protect if there was an expansion draft.  Here is there list for the first 12 Mets: Robinson Cano (no=trade clause); Jacob deGrom; Pete Alonso; Jeff McNeil; Noah Syndergaard; Michael Conforto; Amed Rosario; Brandon Nimmo; J.D. Davis; Steven Matz; Edwin Diaz; Seth Lugo.  The last three spots they ask readers to vote.  My picks? Tomas Nido, Dominic Smith, and Luis Guillorme.



Centerfield Maz: Steven Matz: 2015 NL Champion Mets Long Island Born Pitcher (2015-2019). Steven Jakob Matz was born May 29th 1991 in Stony Brook, Long Island.

12 Up.com: Former Mets GM Sandy Alderson Has Spot-On Take About 2015 World Series Loss to Royals. “’This business about us being the underdog – baloney. If we had won the first game we would’ve won the Series’…Sandy Alderson says they had counseled Familia against the quick pitch.”

Mike Puma NY Post: The ‘remarkable’ trait that has helped make Ronny Mauricio Mets’ top prospect. “Ronny Mauricio is so impressive because he has the potential to defend, throw, run, hit and hit for power — all while playing a challenging defensive position,” Mets executive director of player development Jared Banner said in an email. “He has shown remarkable poise playing against older competition so far.” In 470 at-bats last season Mauricio struck out 99 times, a big number for somebody who displayed little power, but the Mets saw improvement with his pitch recognition as the season progressed.


Metsmerized Online: Lucas Duda’s Offense Was Very Underrated.

SNY.TV: 3 reasons why Mets' Pete Alonso is a good bet to lead MLB in homers in shortened 2020 season.  Danny Abriano cites “The Weather”, “The East Coast-Centric Schedule”,  and “Fresher Alonso = No huge slump?”







MLB LINKS:



Joel Sherman NY Post: Baseball has a huge deadline problem. MLB wants to be playing regular season games on the July 4 weekend...I have talked to agents and teams that say players can be ready with two weeks of training...”

Reflections on Baseball: MLB Owners outplay the Players – putting the MLBPA in total disarray. “The player’s union lost the fight weeks ago when they patiently stood by waiting for the owner’s next proposal instead of actively and very publicly proposing one of their own.”


Ken Davidoff Ny Post: Reasoning behind Scott Boras’ rallying cry to MLB players.  “And as long as owners, especially those who operate their own regional sports networks, refuse to disclose all of their financial data, it always will be fair game to question how much pain they’re truly suffering.”


AP News: At least 9 MLB teams pledge more stipends to minor leaguers. “The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners are promising payments through August, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles have pledged to do so through at least June. The White Sox are even providing those stipends to 25 minor league players recently released. The Philadelphia Phillies also plan to continue allowances through June, but likely at a reduction from the $400 per week rate.”



AP News: Not in Missouri anymore: Royals move legal home to Delaware. Many entities maintain a legal base in Delaware. The Royals have a Class A minor league team in Wilmington, “Corporate laws are much more universal in Delaware,” Royals spokesman Mike Swanson said.

Minor League Links:






Asian Baseball:


Yesterday it was NC Dinos 9 Kiwoom 6.  Aaron Altherr 1 for 4 with run scored. (Box Score).

In Today’s game so far, Aaron is 1 for 1 with an RBI. (Box Score).









Born on this date:
Transactions:

New York Mets signed free agent Gary Gentry on May 29, 1975.

New York Mets traded Dan Norman and Jeff Reardon to the Montreal Expos for Ellis Valentine on May 29, 1981.

New York Mets traded Al Pedrique and Scott Little to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Bill Almon on May 29, 1987.

New York Mets signed free agent Brandon Knight on May 29, 2008.


1990
The Mets fire their manager Davey Johnson, citing the lack of team discipline that resulted in limiting the talented team to reach the postseason only twice during his six years at the helm. The popular skipper, who will be replaced by third base coach Bud Harrelson, averaged 96 victories a season, leading the club to the World Championship in 1986.
2000
At the age of 104, Fred Roberts, the oldest living Dodger fan, makes his first visit to Dodger Stadium. Wearing a jersey with the number 104, the World War I veteran cheers as Shawn Green's sixth-inning grand slam helps to beat Al Leiter and the Mets, 4-1.


1969 - With the Braves drubbing the Mets, 12 - 0‚ manager Lum Harris lifts Hank Aaron for another Lum - Mike Lum. Lum hits a pinch double off Al Jackson and takes over in LF as the Braves coast to a 15 - 3 win. It is the third time in his career that Aaron has been lifted for a pinch-hitter.

1971: The Mets feature firepower as Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver combine to strike out 26‚ tying the Mets' own major league record set on September 9‚ 1970, in a doubleheader sweep of the Padres. Seaver wins the opener‚ 5 - 1‚ with 10 K's and Ryan cops the nitecap‚ 2 - 1. Mets batters strike out 15 times: the 41 strikeouts ties the major league record.

1974 - The visiting Mets lose to the Reds‚ 3 - 2‚ when Tony Perez clubs a 10th-inning homer off Jon Matlack.

1981: Montreal trades OF Ellis Valentine to the Mets for P Jeff Reardon and OF Dan Norman. Valentine will play just 159 games for the Mets‚ while Reardon will blossom into one of baseball's best relievers.
1990: With the team struggling (20-22)‚ the Mets fire manager Davey Johnson‚ whose six-year winning percentage was .593. Coach Bud Harrelson replaces him and the Mets will win 20 of their next 23 games before cooling down.

1999: Arizona's Byung-Hyun Kim, 20-year-old Korean‚ makes his major league debut against the Mets. Relieving in the 9th‚ he strikes out Mike Piazza to end the game and preserve the 8 - 7 win.

2000: The Dodgers defeat the Mets‚ 4 - 1. Mets SS Rey Ordoñez breaks his left forearm on a tag play in the 1st inning and will be out for the rest of the season. His arm hits the helmet of a sliding F.P. Santangelo. The Mets will fill in with various bodies for two months before renting Mike Bordick from the Orioles. 


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

4 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Big list of minor leaguers released - and, if my memory serves me correctly, there are usually a few days where releases are announced, so if true, there may be more to come.

Rob Whalen has to decide if he feels he can pull a ROCKY. Does he believe in himself enough still to make it back? Hard road back from here, but he needs to decide if he wants to try, try, again.

At this point, if the major league players and owners can't agree on playing a season, I may stop writing about the Mets in protest. Why bother, if they are too greedy to make it happen?

Duda was a great pick for a 7th rounder, considering what he did, but he always disappointed me. I always felt his taking so many pitches got him into way too many counts with 2 strikes, and in those 2 strike counts, he was an abysmal hitter. It didn't have to be that way.

Unknown said...

I am reminded of two bad trades. The Ellis Valentine trade involving Jeff Reardon, and the Mike Bordick trade involving Melvin Mora. Two short-sighted deals that cost the Mets for years to come.

Bob W

Mack Ade said...

I'm a little numb from last night. all us writes were burnbing up our group text feed re: the cuts that came down.

I placed them all on the top right column of the front page of this site.

Group cuts always come right before the draft, but nothing like this. It must have something to do with the fact that the Mets will operate in 2021 with two less affiliates.

Sad night.

Mack Ade said...

I am sorry about mistakes in my past comment. I have no idea why they print out the way they do. I would never use some of the words that print out.

I need to proof read these before posting.