8/21/20

John From Albany – Mets News and Breakfast Links 8/21/2020


Good Morning. Happy Birthday Jim Beauchamp, Felix Millan, and John Stearns.  Mets games cancelled after 2 positive COVID tests, Phillies lose 2 games to Blue Jays in Buffalo and the Padres play in Slam Diego.
  
Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links:


NY Post: Two Mets test positive for coronavirus as games vs. Marlins, Yankees postponed.  “Before planning to depart, the team was conducting contact tracing. The two members who tested positive, along with those traced to be within close contact, were to remain in Miami...’It would be terrible to have too many games postponed,’ one Mets player said in a text message to The Post. ‘Especially with the way we have been hitting the ball.’”
SNY.TV: Mets have two positive coronavirus cases, Thursday's game against Marlins postponed. Friday's game vs. Yankees also postponed 'out of caution'.

Mike Vaccaro NY Post: It was only matter of time before coronavirus hit New York sports. “This hits home now…Only now, it is the Mets. It is New York. And because the virus seems to have a sinister sense of irony, it strikes home on the eve of the first Subway Series of the season.”

Greg Prince Faith and Fear in Flushing – “Normal Takes Another Holiday”: “Just when you thought it was safe to get back into baseball, COVID-19 reminded us it signs off on the schedule last, and the virus decided, nope, no Mets game at Marlins Park and, nope, no next game at Citi Field. Two members of the Mets’ traveling party — a player and a staffer — tested positive and, for at least a couple of games, that’s all she wrote for our baseball team’s attempt at routine.”

Metstradamus: No comments from me. Just get better.

Northjersey.com: New York Yankees vs. NY Mets Subway Series opener postponed due to Mets COVID cases. “Going back to summer camp, the Mets have seemingly done a great job with their health-and-safety protocols.  The Mets staggered preseason workouts…they did this to ensure one workout group would be out of the facility before another arrived…They used both the home and visiting clubhouse spaces. They put makeshift pitching mounds on the warning track. They had a bunting station in foul ground. They used the right-field Honda clubhouse as an extension of the gym.”

Ken Davidoff NY Post: Mets coronavirus fallout: Seven pressing questions.  “Q: Were the Mets being stupid? A: An industry source told The Post’s Mike Puma that the Mets didn’t break any of the sport’s protocols. Q: What will the next few days be like? A: The Mets said they will test their entire traveling party, and you can expect that to happen for a few days. Word tends to get out each morning about the results from the previous days.”

David Lennon Newsday Now Mets — and their opponents — have to deal with coronavirus issues.  “As we’ve discovered around baseball, however, this may be only the tip of the iceberg, as even one or two cases typically leads to multiple COVID-19 positives and the shutdown of a team’s schedule for a varying length of time.  The Marlins had 18 players test positive in a matter of days within the season’s first week. The Cardinals followed with nine players and seven staffers. Because COVID-19 spreads quickly and silently, the virus is frighteningly effective at cracking the best clubhouse defenses.”



MLB.com: “The most important thing is your contact tracing,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said after learning of the Mets’ positive tests. “And really what I mean by that is you got to have people willing to be honest and transparent of who they were connected with. And part of what you see in sports is the shaming of, ‘Oh, you brought it into the clubhouse,’ and all of a sudden, you lose a little bit of that transparency and honesty you need to totally get your hands on it. So my advice is, don’t shame anybody. It’s not a finger-pointing incident. It’s really about helping mitigate the spread as best you can.”

Northjersey.com: Fans take to social media after Mets' games postponed over coronavirus.


SNY.TV: Short-term and long-term ripple effects of Mets moving Seth Lugo to the rotation.

MLB.com: The latest starting pitcher power rankings. Jacob deGrom, now ranked #2.  “Shane Bieber’s continued excellence and deGrom’s recent injury woes were enough to bump the reigning two-time National League Cy Young Award winner from the top spot… Before getting scratched from his start last Friday with neck stiffness, deGrom recorded a 2.45 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP, 28 strikeouts and five walks over his first 22 innings and was throwing harder than he ever has before.”

Mike Steffanos of Mike’s Mets touched on the Mets financial situation: “That the Mets are in such poor financial shape right now reflects not only the poor decisions that their owners made, but the equally bad decisions that Bud Selig and the rest of the MLB crew made in enabling the Wilpons' continued ownership of the Mets. If they were forced to sell the club back in 2009 or 2010, this club would almost assuredly be in better shape right now. Instead, their friendship with Selig and other club owners earned them a ridiculous amount of financial support and the ability to have an extra decade of causing incalculable harm to this franchise.”

Centerfield Maz: Felix Millan: 1973 N.L. Champion Mets Second Baseman (1973-1977).

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History: (4/12/1977) The Felix Millan / Ed Ott Brawl.

MLB Links:

 You Tube: Jose Alvarez. A 105.3 mph line drive appeared to hit him between the legs.


Sportsnet.ca: Blue Jays rally from seven-run deficit to complete sweep of Phillies.  Blue Jays 3 Phillies 2 (Box Score); Blue Jays 9 Phillies 8 Anthony Kay (W, 2-0) 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 run, 2.38 ERA (Box Score).


MLB.com: After historic slam, Padres walk off AGAIN. Grand slams in 4 consecutive games had never been done. Padres 8 Rangers 7 (10 innings) (Box Score).

Here is the full MLB Scoreboard from yesterday. 

NY Post: There is hope for Matt Harvey after ‘surreal’ Royals debut. “Harvey’s velocity, an issue since he returned from Tommy John surgery in 2015, was better from last year, with an average fastball of 93.5 mph. He hit 95.5 on the gun in the first inning and did produce seven swings-and-misses, though he was down to 91 by his final hitter.”

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:
Transactions:

 New York Mets signed free agent Hansel Robles on August 21, 2008.


1977
In his first appearance at Shea Stadium since being traded, Tom Seaver throws a six-hitter against his former teammates and strikes out 11, helping the Reds defeat the Mets, 5-1. In addition to his work on the mound, 'Tom Terrific' hits a double and scores two runs.
2002
The Expos' first selection, fifth overall, in the amateur draft, Clint Everts, signs a deal with Montreal which gives him a $2.5 million signing bonus. The Houston Cypress Falls High School's right-hander, along with teammate left-hander Scott Kazmir (Mets), is only the fourth pair of high school players selected in the first round of the same draft.

2005
Using teammate Cliff Floyd's bat, Mike Jacobs hits a three-run home run in his first major league at-bat pinch-hitting in the fifth inning. The left-handed hitting backstop becomes the fourth Mets rookie to go deep in his big league debut, joining Benny Ayala, Mike Fitzgerald, and Kaz Matsui.

Baseball Reference:

1971: For the second time in 10 days, Dave Roberts of the Padres and Tom Seaver of the Mets lock up in a pitchers duel, but this time, Seaver comes out on top, 2 - 1. Ed Spiezio hits a solo homer for San Diego in the 3rd, then Cleon Jones triples and comes in to tie the score on a sacrifice fly for the Mets in the 7th. Jones then ends the game with a walk-off home run with two outs on the bottom of the 9th, only the third hit allowed by Roberts. Seaver and Roberts will finish first and second respectively in the National League ERA race.

1972: On his birthday, Jim Beauchamp of the New York Mets hits his first two home runs of the season. The second one comes in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Houston Astros.

1977: Tom Seaver makes his first appearance in Shea Stadium as a member of the Reds, and pitches a six-hitter to beat the Mets, 5 - 1. Tom Terrific strikes out 11, has a double at the plate and scores twice.

1979 - The Mets win a protested game against the Astros, 5 - 0. With two outs in the 9th inning, Houston's Jeffrey Leonard flies to CF to apparently end the game. Umpire Doug Harvey rules that time had been called, and orders Leonard back to the plate. He then singles to left. The Mets were without a first baseman, however, so the umps order Leonard to bat once more. He flies to LF to end the game.

2005: Using teammate Cliff Floyd's bat, Mike Jacobs hits a three-run home run in his first major league at-bat, pinch-hitting in the 5th inning. The left-handed hitting backstop becomes the fourth Mets rookie to go deep in his big league debut, joining Benny Ayala, Mike Fitzgerald and Kazuo Matsui.

2015: Trading deadline acquisition Yoenis Cespedes continues to make his presence felt in the Mets line-up as he homers three times, including a grand slam, and collects 7 RBIs in a 14 - 9 win over the Rockies. He also has two other hits and drives a ball to the warning track in the 9th inning. Travis d'Arnaud and Michael Conforto also homer for New York.



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2 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Is a couple of days (or more) off from this miserable season a blessing in disguise?

August 21, 2020 at 10:23 AM
bill metsiac said...

Considering the state of the Mets rotation, postponing the Yankees series is definitely a plus, but the health of the players is of course the #1 priority.

August 21, 2020 at 10:39 AM

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