Mets Hall of Famer Tom Seaver sadly passed away at the age of 75 on Wednesday night. The news broke after the Mets game.

Baseball has mourned his passing these past 24 hours, and the includes the team here at MMO.

The Mets continued this mourning into Thursday’s game, by honoring him both on and off the field, as reported by several beat writers in attendance at the game, including Deesha Thosar of the Daily News who summed everything up for fans in a nice tweet thread.

Thursday morning, the Mets hung black and purple bunting across the 41 Seaver Way entrance into Citi Field. The Mets also hung a No. 41 jersey in their dugout today.

Upon gametime, every member of the Mets put dirt on their right knee. I am sure you all already know this, but this is to pay homage to Seaver’s drop-and-dive delivery.

A memorial patch will also be placed on all of their uniforms for them to wear throughout the rest of the season. We do not know what that will exactly look like yet, as it will be unveiled this weekend.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also ordered that all flags at New York Mets ballparks across the entire state to be flown at half-staff. This includes Citi Field, NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, NYSEF Stadium in Binghamton, and MCU Park in Brooklyn.

There was also a tribute video of Tom Seaver played in the stadium prior to the game:

Here’s the tribute video on Tom Seaver you guys would’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/FxRLPWD4nn

— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) September 3, 2020

Finally, every single Mets player, along with manager Luis Rojas, tipped their caps to where Seaver’s number hangs in the upper deck of left field.

Upon game start, the scoreboard in Citi Field was made to mimic that of Shea Stadium’s.

All of this, and more, is a fitting way to honor The Franchise. The honoring should continue throughout the remainder of the season. A great way of honoring him would be with that statue we have been hearing about… which is now expected to be unveiled in early 2021, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

I know that Mets fans will be looking forward to this long overdue statue.

The post Mets Honor The Late Tom Seaver During Thursday’s Game appeared first on Metsmerized.

Perhaps no other day in Mets history shook the franchise to its core like this date in 1977 when the organization traded “The Franchise” Tom Seaver.

Three days earlier, Seaver beat the Astros in Houston, 3-1, and after the game said: “This may very well be my last game as a Met.’’

Seaver went the distance that day, giving up five hits while walking two and striking out six to raise his record to 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA.

BOX SCORE OF SEAVER’S METS LAST GAME

Seaver anticipated the trade when contract negotiations stalled with CEO M. Donald Grant. As Seaver became more frustrated, things finally boiled over when cantankerous New York Daily News columnist Dick Young, who publicly and loudly sided with Grant.

Unable to deal with Grant, Seaver went to then owner Lorinda de Roulet and GM Joe McDonald and reached agreement on a three-year extension. However, when Young wrote a column suggesting Seaver’s wife, Nancy, was pushing him to ask for more money, the pitcher called off the deal.

Wrote Young: “In a way, Tom Seaver is like Walter O’Malley. Both are very good at what they do. Both are very deceptive in what they say. Both are very greedy. … Nolan Ryan is getting more now than Seaver, and that galls Tom because Nancy Seaver and Ruth Ryan are very friendly and Tom Seaver long has treated Nolan Ryan like a little brother.’’

When the column hit the streets, Seaver knew it was time to leave.

In 2007, Seaver said: “That Young column was the straw that broke the back. Bringing your family into it with no truth whatsoever to what he wrote. I could not abide by that. I had to go.’’

Young also wrote, “A man lives up to his contract,’’ but four years later he broke his own contract with the Daily News and moved to the Post.

Unthinkable to many, but anticipated by him, the Mets traded the best player – still to this day – Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Pat Zachry, infielder Doug Flynn and outfielders Steve Henderson and Dan Norman.

Fans were up in arms as the unthinkable had actually happened, and believe me when I tell you there was plenty of crying in baseball including from Tom Seaver himself.

Few fans will ever forget the images of a tearful Tom Seaver emptying his locker at Shea Stadium for the last time. It was a dark day for the franchise.

The post June 15, 1977 – The Day The Music Died appeared first on Metsmerized.

I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to the Mets beat reporter for the Daily News, Deesha Thosar. We discussed a variety of issues and questions that the Mets will be facing as they look toward the 2020 season. Please enjoy.

Joe D. – Before I get into the Mets, I would love to know your thoughts on your first year covering the team. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to cover the Mets, what you did prior to joining the Daily News and were there any moments that stand out for you professionally this season?

Deesha – Before I joined the Daily News, I worked at MLB.com for three years. I was the Red Sox intern, acting as an assistant beat reporter, for their 2016 season (which was also Big Papi’s retirement year, so I hit the ground running.) I stayed on with dot com as a news desk reporter for a couple of years before seeking a new challenge and wanting to tackle my own beat.

I definitely faced some challenges in 2019, but overall it was good to get my feet wet with a Mets team that provided all sorts of nonstop entertainment and drama. Covering Pete Alonso’s record-breaking rookie year and Mickey Callaway’s meltdown of a season were, professionally, extremely informative.

You seem to be not just a huge baseball fan but someone who really loves sports in general. Where did that come from?

I grew up on Long Island and became immersed in New York sports at a really young age. I’ve played soccer since I was four years old (let’s go, FC Barcelona!) but my grandfather, dad and older brother were always watching baseball in the house and I wanted to join them. The only way to do that was to learn more about what they were watching. So I created my own homemade scorebook and started taking notes. From there, it didn’t really take long to fall in love with baseball.

Joe D. – Okay let’s talk Mets… In your opinion, where did this team go wrong this season and can you elaborate a little on that?

Deesha – The Mets struggled with consistency all year. When the bullpen was strong to start the year, the rotation scuffled. When the rotation got into a groove, Luis Avilan and Justin Wilson sustained injuries and Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia began their season-long decline.

In the occasional moments when the bullpen seamlessly picked up the baton from the starter, the lineup would be off track. The Mets had all these moving parts that desperately needed to work better in tandem.

Joe D. – Pete Alonso had himself an incredible season offensively and he’ll be rewarded for his efforts with the Rookie of the Year award later next month. You got to see him up close (I’m jealous!). What does Alonso bring to this team aside from his powerful bat? What are some of the qualities you observed that make Alonso so special and so important to the team?

Deesha – Pete Alonso’s rookie season was gratifying to cover. He’s a confident guy that knows what he wants and isn’t affair to make it happen. He truly made it seem like anything was possible for the 2019 Mets with a glass-half-full attitude and a never-say-die mentality.

His contributions off the field (donating $50,000 to the Wounded Warrior Foundation and another $50,000 to Tunnel to Towers from his Home Run Derby winnings *and* giving his cleats to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum) set an example for the Mets to give back whatever they can. Alonso’s desire to be the best is what will ultimately help spark a new culture for the Mets.

Joe D.– How do you see the Zack Wheeler situation playing out, is he as good as gone? Assuming the Mets lose him how do they replace him in the rotation?

Deesha – Zack Wheeler is already receiving plenty of interest from teams, and he enters the free-agent market as the third-best starter available behind Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

Even though Wheeler declined the Mets’ qualifying offer, Brodie Van Wagenen said he’ll do what he can to keep him in Flushing. It seems unlikely the Mets will outbid other teams in that scenario, but there’s at least a small chance Wheeler could return.

Van Wagenen has indicated if he cannot upgrade the rotation via free-agent signing or trade, he is comfortable moving Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman into a starter role. The Mets have a reputation of dangling that possibility in the offseason, so it’s unclear if they’ll actually follow through with it. But if they do, it will leave a bigger hole in the ‘pen.

Joe D. – What are your thoughts on shifting Seth Lugo to the rotation? The idea seems to be gaining steam among the fan base? Good or bad idea?

Deesha – It would certainly be fascinating to see how Seth Lugo, who has been outspoken in his desire to one day be a big-league starter, would adjust to sliding into a rotation that features Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.

But the vacancy Lugo would leave in the bullpen is troublesome. The Mets would need to find a reliever who would serve as the bullpen anchor, because Lugo’s role in 2019 was much more than just his dominant 2.75 ERA and five-pitch arsenal.

Joe D. – Where do you see Dominic Smith fitting in with this team in 2020? What’s his future look like?

Deesha – Dominic Smith seems more and more like a trade piece this offseason than an integral part of the Mets’ future. With Pete Alonso blocking his path at first base, there’s defensively no room for him on the roster. On the other hand, Van Wagenen recently expressed his appreciation for the way Smith handled a difficult bench role last season.

Smith found a rhythm when he was switched in as a late-innings bat, all before missing a large chunk of the season with a fracture in his left foot. His final mark on the 2019 season – a walk-off three-run home run – capped a dramatic end to the year that may be enough flair to keep him in Flushing in 2020.

Joe D. – J.D. Davis was a revelation at the plate last season and was probably Van Wagenen’s best offseason move. But he was a butcher at left field and at third base. Plus there’s a good chance that Cespedes will be ready for spring training according to his agency., making things more complicated for Davis. How would you play this?

Deesha – Despite the surfaced video of Yoenis Cespedes taking batting practice in Port St. Lucie last week, I’m not fully convinced he’s ready to play the outfield. Cespedes has not played in a big-league game since July 2018, is coming off a pair of major heel surgeries and has a lot of endurance work to do before jumping back into the starting lineup.

J.D Davis should, in my opinion, be an everyday player for the Mets. Davis’ goal this offseason was to work with quality control coach Luis Rojas and others to improve his defense in the outfield. His focus will be on left field, but Davis said he would also target third base this winter. He’ll have the chance, possibly alongside Cespedes, to compete for an Opening Day nod. If Davis is clearly in better condition than Cespedes, he should factor into the lineup one way or another.

Joe D. – Look into your crystal ball and tell me who the Mets closer and setup man will be on Opening Day. Please elaborate.

Deesha – My crystal ball tells me the Mets would like to better define roles for some of their relief pitchers, but at the same time, they are completely comfortable with a looser definition of the “closer” deployment. Of course, it will all depend on Edwin Diaz’s bounce back performance. If Diaz returns to his 2018 form – leading the league in saves (57) and games finished (65) – there is no doubt he will be the closer the Mets hoped he’d be last season. But if he struggles to begin the year, Seth Lugo may wind up closing most games afterall.

Jeurys Familia is working hard this offseason to flush his 5.70 ERA from 2019. If he can, Familia could transition into the set-up role. Even though that’s a big ask for a reliever that at times seemed exasperated and pissed off at himself on the mound, Familia did show flashes of an elite arsenal that should give the Mets at least an ounce of hope for a better year in 2020.

Joe D. – Thanks so much. See you at spring training. You can follow Deesha on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

The post MMO Exclusive: Talking Mets With Beat Reporter Deesha Thosar appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Other than the Jets defeating the Giants yesterday, New York sports were pretty quiet yesterday. Before we look around the Majors, I want to take a moment to share sad news that has impacted the MMO community.

John Delcos, a veteran journalist and an integral MMO writer during the website’s early years, passed away yesterday. We at MMO wish his family our condolences. He will be sorely missed.

 Latest MLB News

On a freezing morning in the Northeast, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports warmed up the Hot Stove by tweeting out that the Giants have hired Scott Harris as their general manager. That position has been vacant for over a year since Bobby Evans was removed from the role. Harris, age 32, will now be the youngest ever GM in Major-League history.

Today marks the start of the MLB GM meetings. They will be held until Thursday, but this event usually isn’t active like the Winter Meetings, which will begin on December 9.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also tweeted how the postseason hero and the star of the next Fast and Furious movie Howie Kendrick has received interest from the Reds, Rays, and Marlins this winter.

Ben Cherington and Matt Arnold are two of the three finalists for the Pirates’ GM opening per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Latest NL East News

The Marlins hired Hadi Raad from the Yankees to be their new director of pro scouting per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.

According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, Hensley Meulens will be on the Marlins coaching staff next season.

Latest on MMO

Rob Piersall opines that the Mets should go after Yasmani Grandal this winter.

Piersall also looks at which Mets prospects could make an impact in the Majors in 2020 in MMO’s recent mailbag.

Drew Keelan has an interesting piece up about the opportunities baseball has provided him with.

Tim Ryder wrote up a free-agent profile on Nicholas Castellanos.

On this Date in Mets History

1998: Bobby Bonilla returned to Queens due to a three-team swap.

Birthdays: Mike Bacsik (43), Damion Easley (51), Dave Telgheder (54), Roberto Hernandez (55)

Let’s Go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: MLB GM Meetings Start Today appeared first on Metsmerized.

With four games left in the 2019 Mets season, we may see Dominic Smith make a return to the field. This is great. What’s not so great? That Jeff McNeil has been placed on the 60-Day IL.

I know, it really does not matter that McNeil is placed on the 60-Day IL since the season will be over way before that. But, it’s a shame that our favorite squirrel won’t get to finish out the season out on the field with his team.

In case you were not part of the loud gasp that came from Mets fans during the bottom of the sixth inning in Wednesday night’s game against the Marlins, McNeil was hit in the wrist by a pitch. It was obvious that McNeil was in much pain, but x-rays later revealed that he suffered from a right distal ulnar fracture.

McNeil was in a cast and sling talking to media in the clubhouse prior to tonight’s game. He is expected to have surgery on his right wrist on Thursday. Hear from McNeil himself, courtesy of Deesha Thosar of the Daily News.

Jeff McNeil is in a cast and sling today as he departs for the IL. He expects surgery on his right wrist Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/a34ZSuBFDs

— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) September 26, 2019

McNeil does go on to state that “they said this is kind of no big deal.”

The recovery time for the injury is expected to be six weeks and he will be good to go for 2020 Spring Training.

Smith, on the other hand, underwent some medical tests, took batting practice, and worked on running the bases in front of members’ of the Mets’ training staff on Wednesday afternoon. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Mickey Callaway said that the plan of action would be to see how he felt today, after his workout, and go from there.

Well, it looks like Smith felt good. He is not in the lineup for Thursday night’s game (obviously, that would be too much, too soon, since he has been on the IL with a stress fracture in his foot since July 27th) but this activation leaves the ability for him to potentially pinch hit.

The post Dominic Smith Activated, Jeff McNeil to the IL appeared first on Metsmerized.

Tensions erupted in the Mets’ clubhouse Sunday evening in Chicago, as left-handed pitcher Jason Vargas had to be restrained from coming after a member of the team beat, while manager Mickey Callaway cursed out the reporter for being “an antagonist.”

According to other members of the beat including Mike Puma of the New York Post and Deesha Thosar of the Daily News, Callaway told the public relations staff to get Tim Healey of Newsday out of the clubhouse and when Healey didn’t oblige, Vargas stared him down, said some words and was restrained by teammates Carlos Gomez and Noah Syndergaard.

Justin Toscano of the Record/North Jersey said that the altercation started when Healey said: “See you tomorrow, Mickey,” to which Callaway responded: “Don’t be a smart***.”

Callaway thought Healey was antagonizing him and the team, and Vargas thought Healey gestured toward him which sparked the former to say: “I’ll knock you the f*ck out, bro!”

The meltdown in the clubhouse came on the heels of the team’s gut-punch loss to the Cubs on Sunday. The Mets were up 3-2 in the eighth inning, but a gassed Seth Lugo surrendered a three-run home run to Javier Baez which gave Chicago a 5-3 lead they would not relinquish.

After the game, Callaway was reportedly agitated by questions on why the team didn’t use its closer, Edwin Diaz, to record the final five outs.

Callaway said the overarching plan is to not use Diaz for more than four outs, but later lashed out at a reporter who criticized him for not using him.

“Why, because you think we should?” Callaway said at one point.

According to Matt Ehalt of Yahoo, the comments by Healey were not made maliciously. Though Callaway, still irked from the loss, construed them that way.

Callaway reportedly told Healey to “get the f*ck out of here. We don’t need that bull****”

Any way you slice it, the altercation is a nasty one and one that is likely to have repercussions.

For now, the team has issued a statement regarding the matter:

“The Mets sincerely regret the incident that took place with one of our beat writers following today’s game in the clubhouse. We do not condone this type of behavior from any employee.

“The organization has reached out and apologized to this reporter and will have further discussions internally with all involved parties.”

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen is also set to address the media tomorrow prior to the team’s series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The post All Hell Breaks Loose In Mets’ Clubhouse After Gut-Punch Loss appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Daily News on Monday cut their editorial team by 50 percent, and trimmed their sports section down from 35 members to nine.

Some of the casualties include columnist John Harper and reporters Christian Red, Frank Isola, Peter Botte and Mike Mazzeo, who penned tweets in light of the news thanking their readers for following them all these years.

“Word is everywhere, obviously, so I feel obligated to say I’m out at the Daily News with so many others,” Harper said. “Sad day but it was a great run for 25-plus years. Great teammates there. Thanks to all for reading.”

Said Botte: “Thanks to everyone for the extremely kind words and sentiments. In all, 24 additional talented journalists and, more importantly, friends lost their jobs today at @NYDNSports, some not yet public. It’s been a privilege to work alongside every one of them.”

It’s a sad day for what has been a staple newspaper in New York since the early 20th century.

However, with Tronc owning the NYDN these days, they decided that local news wasn’t nearly as important as it truly is.

New York Post columnist Kevin Kernan as well as Post reporter Mike Puma each said that this is the first game they have covered without a Daily News member in attendance.

“Tonight is the first Mets or Yankees game I have ever covered without a Daily News reporter in attendance,” he said. “An awful day for New York journalism.”

The lay-offs at the Daily News are part of a wider spread problem in New York City reporting.

In the past two years alone, the Wall Street Journal cut its Greater New York section, the New York Times downsized its metro desk and Gothamist and DNA Info closed (and reopened, but with less staff) in addition to today’s Daily News bloodbath, according to Asya Pikovsky on Twitter.

We here at MetsMerized hope the writers who lost their jobs today land on their feet soon so we can get back to reading their writing.

The post Daily News Cuts Newsroom In Half, Trims Sports Section to Nine Writers appeared first on Metsmerized.

It’s starting to feel like a broken record, but Mets second baseman Neil Walker did it again, blasting a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning to give the Mets a lead. And unsurprisingly, the Mets still lost the game.

Overall it was Walker’s 20th home run of the season, but it was the seventh time this season that his homer gave the Mets a lead. The 20 homers are tied for the fourth-most by a second baseman in a single-season in team history, trailing only Edgardo Alfonzo, who holds the top two spots with 27 home runs in 1999 and 25 home runs in 2000, and Jeff Kent’s 1993 season where he hit 21 home runs.

Over his last 13 games, Walker is batting .491 (26-53) with two doubles, one triple, four home runs, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored. There is nobody hotter in baseball right now and since July 27, Walker has the best batting average in the major leagues. In that time, Walker has four, three-hit games, and one, four-hit game.

Still, if you were looking for someone who was all smiles after last night’s 5-3 loss to the last place Arizona Diamondbacks, it was quite the opposite for Walker who expressed frustration with his team’s inability to string together back to back wins for well over a month now.

“It’s kind of like it’s been one step forward and two steps back for us, but we’re playing hard,” said Walker, who was 3-for-4 on the night. “This is a hard time of year. It’s a grind-it-out time of year. The teams that are out of it can be dangerous teams too, like these guys. We’ve just got keep going out there and keep grinding and hope we get hot. Certainly nights like tonight can be frustrating.”

Walker, 30, has seen his share of the postseason, having played on three consecutive playoff teams from 2013-2015 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“Any team I’ve been on, especially the last three years, this is the time of year you have to get on a roll. April and May are months where if you don’t play great you can make up for it in June, July, August and September. But I haven’t been on a team that’s made the playoffs that hasn’t been good in August. So we’re grinding it out and trying to get it right.”

Meanwhile, Walker addressed his upcoming free agency before the game, likening his situation to “a double-edged sword.”

“Everyone wants, kind of, the certainty of your future, but it certainly is interesting to think about what could happen this offseason as far as teams’ interest and things like that,” Walker said. “But when you look at the big picture and you look at what’s going on here and you look at how I fit in here and how happy I’ve been … this is a really good fit for me.”

Mets GM Sandy Alderson was also asked about Walker and admitted that he has not had any conversations with his second baseman or his agents.

“Neil has had a very nice season for us, no question about that,” Alderson said. “And certainly he has been very productive over the last couple of weeks at a time when we needed that productivity with some of the injuries and other issues.” (Daily News)

“I have not had any conversations with his agent at this point. I expect that there will be some conversations before the end of the season.”

Alderson added that Walker has also filled a leadership void in the clubhouse in the wake of Michael Cuddyer who retired before the season, and David Wright who is out for the season.

“”He’s been a terrific player for us on the field. He’s been excellent in the clubhouse.”

Unlike last season, when the Mets opted to let Daniel Murphy walk because they believed Dilson Herrera was an up and coming star who was less than a year away, there is no de facto second baseman of the future waiting in the wings for the Mets.

In fact, when asked to address the future of second base after dealing Herrera for Jay Bruce at the deadline, Alderson cited Jose Reyes as the potential starting second baseman for the Mets in 2017. So it’s unsurprising that the Mets GM will look to see if he can lock up Walker for 3-4 years. Whether that happens or not is tough to say, given the many variables involved.

We have an active poll that asks you to weigh in with your opinion on whether the Mets should sign Walker to a multi-year deal.

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The post Alderson Plans To Discuss Extension With Red-Hot Neil Walker appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets still haven’t won back-to-back games since before the All-Star break. This time, the fault goes to Hansel Robles for kicking away another winnable effort by Steven Matz.

Robles threw 32 pitches – few of them good – as he gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning in the seventh of Tuesday night’s 5-3 loss to Arizona at Citi Field.

The Mets had taken a 3-2 lead in the sixth on Neil Walker’s two-run homer to give Matz a chance at the win.

However, manager Terry Collins allowed Robles to stay in the game to walk two hitters and give up three hits. The Diamondbacks also executed a double-steal It’s a close game, so it’s hard to understand Collins’ logic for leaving an ineffective reliever in the game that long.

“You saw him fall behind in some counts,” Collins said. “He had been so good. You think you have the perfect set-up. He just didn’t get it done.”

This is the second implosion for Robles in his last three relief appearances. He gave up three runs on three hits and two walks last week against the New York Yankees.

The Mets made acquiring a reliever a top priority last month and ended up signing Jon Niese at the trade deadline.

Reportedly, they have placed a waiver claim on a bullpen arm according to the Daily News, but no buzz on who or if they are close to completing a waiver trade.

The post Hansel Robles Gets Rattled Again appeared first on Metsmerized.

Latest Update – 5:04 p.m.

More good news on Zack Wheeler’s comeback trail.  Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that Wheeler will start a rehab assignment this Saturday.  It remains to be seen how long Wheeler will need to shake off the rust, but he still appears on target for a late August return.

Update – August 1

Zack Wheeler threw his first session to live hitters without incident, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Wheeler sat in the 90-93 mile per hour range with his fastball and reported no discomfort.

The session is a significant step forward for the right hander as he looks to return to the Mets by the end of August.

Update – July 31

The former top Mets prospect last pitched in the major leagues on September 22, 2014, and posted a 3.54 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while striking out 187 batters in 185.1 innings over 32 starts that season.

Original Report – July 24

Zack Wheeler rejoined the Mets in Miami and threw a bullpen session in front of pitching coach Dan Warthen on Friday, Kristie Ackert of the Daily News reports.

During the session, Wheeler threw 30 pitches without incident.

“I’m happy where I’m at right now,” Wheeler told reporters in Miami.

The next step for the 26-year old right-hander is to face live batters before throwing simulated innings and eventually heading out on a minor league rehab assignment.

As of now, Wheeler’s return timetable remains the same. The Mets still believe that he can be ready to take the mound at Citi Field by mid to late August.

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