5/30/20

John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 5/30/2020


Good Morning.  Happy Birthday to Zack Wheeler and Fernando Salas, now that SNY will be included Alex Rodriquez and Jennifer Lopez are once again trying to buy the Mets, T.J. Rivera is released by the Phillies, and the KC Royals decide to not cut any minor leaguers. 


Mets Links:  

NY Post: Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez taking second shot at buying Mets. “The Wilpon family…have become more eager than ever to unload the franchise thanks to COVID-19 making their precarious financial condition even more dire. A strong signal of that desperation is the inclusion of SNY, the Mets’ television network, in a new deal. The Wilpons’ reluctance to sell any part of SNY, combined with cold feet from J-Rod’s original partner on the deal (Long Island pharma billionaire Wayne Rothbaum), initially led to a dead end.”

I thought Mack’s Mets Dave Ruben made a great point about this to me via text.  With only 5 rounds in the upcoming MLB Draft, the Mets need to get an agreement so the undrafted Free Agents would want to sign with them.  

SNY.TV: Sandy Alderson talks Matt Harvey's Mets career, what led to downfall: 'I love the guy'. 'For the most part, it was a good partnership between Matt and the Mets'.

NY Post: Mets hope top prospect Francisco Alvarez can be catcher of the future. “In his first season in pro ball, Alvarez quickly moved from the Gulf Coast League to Class-A Kingsport and showed promise. In 35 games in the Appalachian League, Alvarez — then just 17 — had an OPS of .820 over 131 plate appearances. And while he’s not a natural behind the plate, an NL scout who saw him play at Kingsport called him “serviceable defensively.’’ “For a kid with his build, you look to see if he can move around,’’ the scout said of Alvarez, listed at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds. “He seems to have good instincts back there and had some agility, but he’s far from a finished product.’’

LoHud.com: How do you spot a Jeff McNeil when others don't? 'Your lens,' says coach who recruited him. Mark Kertenian…who recruited Jeff McNeil when he was an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge years ago…Kertenian noticed fluidity in McNeil’s movements. The high schooler possessed clear athleticism and a certain looseness. Most importantly, he had barrel accuracy: His bat found the ball almost every time he swung, which MLB organizations view as one of the most important tools.”


The Sporting News: Tim Tebow should be viewed by Mets as just another failed minor leaguer.







Brian Wright Metsmerized.com: Reliving the 2000 Mets: An October Preview in May. Beginning on May 22 and continuing through the Memorial Day weekend, Bobby Valentine‘s group jettisoned to San Diego, then east to St. Louis before u-turning to Los Angeles.







MLB LINKS:

NY Post Joel Sherman: Baseball needs an adult to step up and stop this madness. “It should start with you, Commissioner Rob Manfred. A statement can be this simple: If the political and medical worlds give their blessings, we are playing regular season major league baseball beginning July 3, continuing through the Independence Day weekend and — we hope — going without interruptions until there is a World Series. Period. End of statement.”

NBC Sports: Dodgers pitcher David Price will pay $1,000 out of his own money to each Dodgers minor leaguer who is not on the 40-man roster during the month of June.



Mets.com: These are the best throwing arms in the NL East.  For the Mets - Yoenis Céspedes. “Now that Juan Lagares is gone from Flushing, Céspedes possesses the strongest arm in the Mets’ clubhouse. The only question is whether he'll have a chance to use it, now 22 months removed from his last big league game, or if his leg issues will keep him limited to a designated-hitter role (or even off the field altogether).”






Minor League Links:





Asian Baseball:

Yesterday it was the Samsung Lions 5 NC Dinos 4.  Aaron Altherr 1 for 4 with an RBI. (Box Score).

Aaron is 0 for 3 so far today (Box Score).








Mack’s Blast from the Past: Herb G's Mets Minor League Report: May 30, 2014.  Rome (16-38) nips Savannah (35-16) 7-6. Gavin Cecchini: 2-3, BB, R.; Jeff McNeil: 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R. L.J. Mazzilli: 2-4, BB, R.; Dominic Smith: 2-5, RBI.


Born on this date:
Transactions:

New York Mets purchased 
Frank Lary from the Detroit Tigers on May 30, 1964.

New York Mets sold Kevin Lomon to the Atlanta Braves on May 30, 1995.

David Cone announced his retirement on May 30, 2003.

New York Mets released Eric Cammack on May 30, 2003.

New York Mets signed free agent Mike DiFelice on May 30, 2006.

New York Mets traded Ramon Castro to the Chicago White Sox for Lance Broadway on May 30, 2009.


1962
The Mets complete their first-ever triple play when shortstop Elio Chacon snags Willie Davis's liner, (1) who flips the ball to Charlie Neal to double off Maury Wills at second base (2), and the third out coming on a ball thrown to Gil Hodges, catching Jim Gilliam off first base (3). The expansion team will be the victim of the only other triple killing this season when Joe Pignatano, in his final major league at-bat, pops out to Cubs second baseman Ken Hubbs, who starts a 4-3-6 play to end the eighth inning in the season finale played a Wrigley Field.
1962
Frank Thomas strokes a double off Sandy Koufax in the Mets' 13-6 loss to Los Angeles, extending his franchise mark of consecutive games with a hit to 18 for the expansion team. The streak, which will be only one shy of Maury Wills' league-leading total for the season, is halted when the New York left fielder goes 0-for-4 in the nightcap of the Dodgers' sweep at the Polo Grounds.

2014
The Mets become the first team to have three players appear in a game whose last name begins with a lower case 'd, when Travis d'Arnaud, Jacob deGrom, and Matt den Dekker all play in the Mets' 6-5 walk-off loss to Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. After having to use an upside-down capital 'P' on d'Arnaud's jersey last season due to lack of lower case letters, New York equipment manager Kevin Kierst asked Majestic, MLB's uniform supplier, to make 'small' uniform letters available, knowing there would be even more of a need this season.


2009: Thomas De Wolf of the DSL Mets becomes the first minor leaguer born and raised in Belgium. He goes 1 for 4 with a walk, run and RBI and will post a .432 OBP in the 2009 Dominican Summer League, leading his club.

2013: The Mets complete a four-game sweep of the Yankees with a 3 - 1 win behind the pitching of Dillon Gee, who strikes out a career-high 12 batters in 7 1/3 innings. It is the first time the Mets have ever swept a Subway Series against the Bronx Bombers, as those are the only four games the two teams will play against each other this year.


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2 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Major league baseball better settle, because we won't riot, burn, and loot over it - we'll just watch Netflix and come up with other hobbies, and remember the days when we used to enjoy baseball.

How can anyone not love this? Maybe Cano can follow suit: Dodgers pitcher David Price will pay $1,000 out of his own money to each Dodgers minor leaguer who is not on the 40-man roster during the month of June.

Good for Oakland As - they are buying themselves long-lasting good will.

Hard to think that TJ Rivera and his .304 career average could be over.

Mack Ade said...

Wise comment about moving fast on the draft.

It won't happen fast enough, if ever.