Good morning, Mets fans!
The Astros wasted no time in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, striking early to force the Rangers to replace starting pitcher Andrew Heaney after just one inning. Their offensive onslaught continued, with a resurgent José Abreu launching a game-changing three-run home run in the fourth inning, followed by Chas McCormick‘s two-run homer in the seventh. The Astros sealed a decisive 10-3 victory over the Rangers, putting the ALCS at two games each at Globe Life Field.
On the NL side, Ketel Marte‘s clutch hit shifted the series’ momentum, as he delivered a walk-off, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth, securing a 2-1 victory for the D-backs over the Phillies at Chase Field.
Now, onto the morning briefing!
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Latest Mets News
As reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets made efforts to trade Daniel Vogelbach during the season, but they encountered a lack of interest, resulting in no takers for him. Regarding their quest for a new manager, Craig Counsell appears to be seeking a substantial increase in his salary, with the Mets signaling that money wouldn’t be a limiting factor. Should the Mets fail to land Counsell, Heyman suggested that they are willing to hire a first-time manager, a scenario that David Stearns is reportedly comfortable with.
Mark Budzinski, the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, is reportedly in the Mets’ sights for their vacant managerial position, as indicated in a report from TSN.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets let go of three scouts, namely Joseph Kowal, Pat Jones, and Eddie Bane, this week. Additionally, another scout, Chad MacDonald, opted to step aside for personal reasons. Bane worked in amateur scouting, while the remaining scouts were part of the pro scouting department.
During an interview on WFAN’s afternoon drive show featuring Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber, former MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez told his agent, Scott Boras, that he was willing to take a 50-percent pay cut to play with the Mets in 2001. Rodriguez, who grew up a Mets fan, was on the radar for New York during the 2000 off-season, but his demands for certain amenities caused then Mets GM Steve Phillips to back away. Rodriguez ended up signing a 10-year, $252-million contract with the Texas Rangers that off-season.
Latest MLB News
According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Chicago Cubs have confirmed that Michael Fulmer is expected to sit out the entire 2024 season following elbow surgery.
As reported by sources to Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic, Jin Wong, who served as the Royals’ assistant GM for baseball administration, is departing from the organization after 24 years by his own choice.
The South Korean baseball league has introduced robot umpires and pitch clocks to expedite games and ensure fairness. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will deploy the automated ball-strike system in 2024, as decided during a recent board meeting attended by club presidents. This system employs tracking technology to call balls and strikes and communicates decisions to the home plate umpire through an earpiece.
PitchCom is expanding its horizons globally as it announced that the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League, known as LIDOM, will incorporate PitchCom into its operations for the upcoming season.
Britt Ghiroli, senior writer at The Athletic, joined the Foul Territory podcast and discussed the departure of Kim Ng from the Miami Marlins organization, noting that Ng couldn’t hire her own staff and was treated poorly by subordinates. Ghiroli also noted a lack of attention on the club itself by Marlins owner Bruce Sherman, saying that he “cares more about this yacht than he does his people.”
Maury Brown of Forbes reports that in 2023, MLB teams saw a 23% increase in sponsorship revenue compared to the previous year, reaching $1.5 billion. This boost is crucial for MLB’s financial stability and surpasses the total volume of sponsors in the NFL and NHL, with 500 new sponsors from various sectors joining the league during the season.
Latest on MMO
Tyler Antonelle profiles free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
Davey Johnson, the manager of the Mets during their title in 1986, stands among the eight individuals nominated for possible induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame through the Manager/Umpires/Executive ballot.
Jack Markowski highlights Francisco Álvarez‘s stellar defensive season behind the plate.
On This Date in Mets History
1973: Mets manager Yogi Berra faced a crucial decision 39 years ago, needing one more win for a World Series title with two games left. He chose to start Tom Seaver in Game 6, despite just three days of rest. The decision to pitch Seaver paid off. He held the A’s to two runs over seven innings. Yet, the Mets struggled to generate offense, and they fell short against the Athletics, with the final score at 3-1.
Birthdays: Jonathan Hurst (57), Keith Hernandez (70)
