Mets News and Morning Links 2/8/2022

 

Photo by Trevor Williams via twitter

Good Morning.  Baseball Lockout - Day 68. Keith Law ranks the Mets Minors at 21; MLB Owners Meeting gets underway in Orlando Florida, and MLB stops drug testing due to the Lockout.

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links: 

Keith Law of The Athletic ranked Baseball's Minor League Systems.  The Mets came in 21st down from 19th last year.  Keith called the system "Top-Heavy" with 4 players in the top 100 - "but a series of trades - some ill advised - has badly depleted the system despite a decade of extremely productive drafts and some big hits on the international side" (subscription required).  

What could the potential workloads be for Max Scherzer & Jacob deGrom in 2022?@MarcMalusis, @Anthony_Recker & @AnthonyMcCarron discussed it on Baseball Night in New Yorkhttps://t.co/nPMBfLGOtO pic.twitter.com/RL4qgv9wyw

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 8, 2022

Danny Abriano SNY.TV: Why Mets shouldn't trade Jeff McNeil this offseason. Danny sees Jeff's biggest problems last year were related to a team wide inability to hit the fastball and thinks that unless they plan to make a big offensive addition, the Mets should keep McNeil.

SNY.TV: Max Scherzer preparing for first Mets season amid lockout: 'I’m ramping up to go' 'I’d rather just get out there and build my arm up and be ready at any point in time'.

Rising Apple: Why the Mets will miss Aaron Loup - "his ability to limit home runs and hard contact".

Mets360.com: Connecting the lawsuit of Brian Flores versus the NFL and the on-going MLB lockout. (Subscription required)

Syracuse Mets.com: Nine of the Most Significant Black Players in Syracuse Baseball History.  Choo-Choo Coleman makes the list when Syracuse was the Mets Farm team in 1962.

Faith and Fear in Flushing Greg Prince discusses his new Podcast venture "National League Town" in "Let Me Whisper In Your Ear"

Prime Time Sports Talk has their Top 5 Mets Prospects: 1. C. Francisco Alvarez, 2. RHP Matthew Allan; 3. Inf/OF Mark Vientos; 4. 3B/OF Brett Baty and 5. SS Ronnie Mauricio. 

SportSpyder Mets Links: 

.@DocGooden16 joins @MLBNetworkRadio to talk about his call up to the #Mets and his early big league days. pic.twitter.com/HoMKYxrMrt

— New York Mets (@Mets) February 7, 2022

“I don’t see anything good that Manfred has done for the game. Can we point to one positive thing he's done for the game of baseball? Cutting the draft, cutting minor league teams, sucking the life out of the health of the game, that is ... very, very upsetting.” - Rich Hill pic.twitter.com/atgemIq13r

— MetsRewind (@metsrewind) February 8, 2022

NEW VIDEO!#Mets prospect Mark Vientos took 2021 by storm, and now looks to join fellow 2nd round pick Pete Alonso as the next power bat in Queens

Lets talk about it! 😄👇🏼https://t.co/7GsgC9FunQ pic.twitter.com/ttg0gVZADM

— Tyler (@WardyNYM) February 7, 2022

Mets Add Gretchen Aucoin as Development Coach https://t.co/bcgSROYItj

— MetsMinors.Net (@Mets_Minors) February 8, 2022

The Mets have announced a date for their Old-Timers' Day: Aug. 27 at 5 p.m.

Over 40 players to attend including Frank Thomas, Ron Swoboda, Jon Matlack, Felix Millán, Mookie Wilson, Howard Johnson, Bobby Ojeda, Robin Ventura, Turk Wendell, Endy Chávez, Cliff Floyd, Daniel Murphy.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 8, 2022

MLB and SportSpyder NL East and MLB Links:

AP Sports: MLB, players stop drug testing during lockout. "Testing for steroids was halted for the first time in nearly 20 years due to the expiration of the sport’s drug agreement between management and the players’ association, two people familiar with the sport’s Joint Drug Program told The Associated Press."

New York Times: As Baseball Fights Over the Short Term, Long-Term Problems Loom. Points include: "Take the starting pitcher. He’s the guy who draws you to the ballpark, the TV, the gambling app. He’s disappearing, and that’s a major problem. In 2011, there were 39 pitchers who worked 200 innings. A decade later, there were four....Baseball achieved two dubious records last season: longest average game time (3 hours 11 minutes) and most pitchers used per team (4.43 per game, tied with 2020). The average time between balls in play was about four minutes. Teams averaged nearly nine strikeouts per game, while stolen bases (0.46 per game) plunged to a 50-year low."

I heard Mad Dog say this today also, Boras has 5 of the 8 players on the executive committee, so……. https://t.co/OoTLMY5yeD

— Diane M (@MetsSouthFla) February 8, 2022

It’s officially Tuesday 2/8/22 all #MLB owners are meeting in Florida for the next 3 days, let’s put together a proposal that’ll end this lockout, but most importantly leave #Manfred in NY.
WE WANT OUR BASEBALL BACK !! STOP F ing AROUND!!
We @Mets HAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP TO WIN #LGM

— ANGRY ALBANIAN ( ANDY ) (@albanian_angry) February 8, 2022

This @RedSox prospect is Carlos Beltrán's nephew: https://t.co/V6A1k0zQFv pic.twitter.com/hn6QQ1wA8h

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 7, 2022

OTD in 1959, #HOF 'er Nap Lajoie passed away in Daytona Beach @ 84. Seen here in 1911 w/ Ty Cobb & rookie Shoeless Joe Jackson, how good were they in 1911? Lajoie had the "low" BA of .365😲 but Jackson set the MLB rookie record @ .408 & AL MVP Cobb led MLB @ .419/127 RBI/83 SBs!! pic.twitter.com/XWTzQgJyXp

— ManCave Pictures (@ManCavePhotos) February 7, 2022

Roberto Clemente takes a sizable lead off first during the 1960 World Series at Forbes Field. #Pirates #Yankees pic.twitter.com/zRNrT93uD3

— MLB Cathedrals ⚾️ (@MLBcathedrals) February 7, 2022

MLB.com:

• A 50-100 season? Eric Davis could've done it
• Hollywood Stars beat White Sox to shorts
• Watley breaking down barriers for softball
• Wagner excited about HOF voting increase
• 'We're going to win today': '98 Yanks had it all
• Rube Foster once staged 11-bunt comeback
• More CBA updates and information
• FAQ on the CBA negotiations 
• 'Cool Papa' Bell was faster than light

MLB Trade Rumors:

• Cubs Have Reportedly Considered Pursuit Of Anthony Rizzo In Free Agency
• Pablo Sandoval Signs With Mexican League’s Acereros De Monclova
• Red Sox, Roberto Ramos Agree To Minor League Deal
• MLB Suspends Drug Testing As Part Of Lockout
• MLB Owners Set To Meet As MLBPA Awaits Counteroffer To Last Week’s Proposal
• Rangers Hire Nick Hundley As Special Assistant

Yahoo Sports:

• Move over, Mike Trout
• Evaluating top Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez | Baseball Night in NY
• Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger hope lockout won't force loss of regular-season games
• What to expect from White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada in 2022
• Cubs' Marcus Stroman: Rob Manfred needs to 'stop ruining' baseball
• MLB lockout attracts the United States Secretary of Labor as a volunteer
• Breaking down Giants' recent minor league pitching additions

ESPN:

• Shouting? Cursing? 'So be it': MLBPA rep Andrew Miller on where MLB's labor negotiations stand
• What MLB requesting mediation -- and the MLBPA turning it down -- means for baseball
• Top 100 MLB players of all time -- Nos. 25-1

CBS Sports:

• MLB lockout: Labor secretary Marty Walsh offers assistance in negotiations as owners reportedly regroup
• Every MLB team's first post-lockout order of business: Star free-agent signings, prospect extensions and more
• Half of rare Honus Wagner baseball card sells for more than $475,000 at auction

SportsSpyder:

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 

Born on this date:

• Don Heffner (1911)

Died on this date:

• Mike Bishop (2005)

Transactions:
New York Mets signed free agent Rey Ordonez on February 8, 1994.

New York Mets signed free agent Rich Rodriguez on February 8, 2000.

New York Mets signed free agent Justin Hampson on February 8, 2011.

San Francisco Giants signed Elmer Dessens of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 8, 2011.

New York Mets signed free agent Brandon Lyon of the Toronto Blue Jays on February 8, 2013.

Arizona Diamondbacks signed Tyler Clippard of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 8, 2016.

Baseball Reference.com:

2010 - The Leones del Escogido, representing the Dominican League, win the 2010 Caribbean Series with a 7 - 4 victory over the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan League in La Asunción, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. Escogido finishes the tournament with a 5-1 record and Mets OF prospect Fernando Martinez is named the Series' MVP after hitting .348 with 2 homers and 4 RBI. It is Escogido's third Caribbean championship and first since 1990.

February 8, 1962: The first-ever #Mets Spring Training report is published by the #NYTimes in 1962. "Can't say how the Mets will be run," uttered Casey Stengel. "They never been run yet." #LGM #MetsRewind pic.twitter.com/XLQvJpBZwC

— MetsRewind (@metsrewind) February 8, 2022

February 8, 1962: The Legend of Howie Nunn: The @Mets purchased Nunn from the @Reds in late 1961, hoping he could pitch. One thing was for sure -- he could sing. History reveals Nunn never did pitch for the @Mets. #LGM #MetsRewind pic.twitter.com/b1VeWr56TZ

— MetsRewind (@metsrewind) February 8, 2022

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