Wednesday night, the lone game on the docket was the Houston Astros going into Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the ALCS. The major headline heading into the game was the return of former Met Max Scherzer, who would make his postseason debut as a Ranger. The last time he was on the mound in October, it did not go well, to say the least, Scherzer went 4 2/3 innings while getting smashed for seven runs on four home runs in game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Padres. Unfortunately for Max, this time was not much better. 

After a clean first inning for Max, which included a strikeout of Michael Brantley, it was all downhill from there. The Astros poured on three runs in the second inning behind a wild pitch and a timely Martín Maldonado 2-run single. Jose Altuve would add on as he put a high fastball over the left field wall, followed by a Mauricio Dubón RBI single in the fourth inning to cap Scherzer’s night.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Max finished the night with four innings pitched and five earned runs on five hits in his first outing in over a month. However, his Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series and are only two wins away from the team’s first World Series appearance in over a decade. 

Latest Mets News

Will Sammon of The Athletic gave an update to the Mets managerial search, as he reported that David Stearns and company would look outside of the organization to fill the role. This rules out names such as Carlos Beltrán and Eric Chavez while making the Craig Counsell rumors more credible. 

Francisco Alvarez has been nominated for the Luis Aparicio Award, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan who was deemed to have the best individual performance in MLB that season. A total of 33 Venezuelans are up for the 2023 award, in which the winner will be announced on October 28 before Game 2 of the World Series. 

Rawlings announced the 2023 Gold Glove finalists on Wednesday afternoon, and Francisco Lindor is the Mets’ lone Gold Glove finalist. Lindor is up against Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies for the NL shortstop Gold Glove award. Francisco is going for his third Gold Glove award overall and his first one as a Met. The winners will be announced on November 5 on ESPN. 

MLB Pipeline released their All-Rookie teams for the 2023 season, and the Mets were well represented as both Kodai Senga and Francisco Álvarez made the cut. Kodai Senga was one of two starting pitchers to make the first team, and Francisco Álvarez made the second team, only being beat out by Yainer Diaz of the Astros for the first team’s catcher position. 

Latest MLB News

On Wednesday, there were major updates to the Boston Red Sox’s search for a general manager following their firing of Chaim Bloom. One of those updates came from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who reported that Boston talked to former Astros general manager James Click, but he has elected not to pursue the job due to family considerations. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote an article detailing how Boston and Cubs executive Craig Breslow have been in advanced discussions on having him take over Boston’s highest job in baseball operations. 

The Major League Baseball Players Trust announced they are holding their second annual “Playmakers Classic” presented by Fanatics. The event supports the organization’s youth development, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives and will be held in Las Vegas this year. Many current and former MLB players will be in attendance, including former Mets Tony Clark, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Capuano, Josh Thole, and others.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block did a full breakdown of the full list of 2023 Gold Glove finalists.

The remembrance of the ’73 Mets continues as Brian Wright looks back at the one and only Rusty Staub. 

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the veteran pitching options for the Mets this upcoming offseason. 

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets traded pitcher Tom Parsons to the Astros for catcher Jerry Grote. Grote was a two-time All-Star and part of the 1969 World Champion Mets.

2006: In the sixth inning of game 7 in the NLCS, Endy Chavez rises above the left field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a two-run home run and proceeds to double off Jim Edmonds at first base. Despite Chávez making one of the greatest grabs in MLB history, a Yadier Molina two-run shot in the top of the ninth put the Cardinals ahead, 3-1. Carlos Beltrán‘s knees would infamously buckle to an Adam Wainwright curveball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, ending the Mets season. 

“He made the catch!”#OTD in #Mets history Endy Chavez made one of the most unforgettable plays in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/IHuY4RwcSQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 19, 2018

Birthdays: Rajai Davis (43), José Bautista (43), Joe McEwing (51), Sandy Alomar (80)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Best Scherzer in Game 3 Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo Credit: Jason Bridge of USA Today

This week, third baseman Scott Rolen was voted in by the BBWAA as the latest member of the Hall of Fame. Rolen is a player Mets fans are very familiar with as he began his career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1996-2002.

Over the course of his career, Rolen was one of the more underrated Mets killers. In 106 career games against New York, the eight-time Gold Glove winner had a slash line of .313/.413/.555 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs. The 20 home runs was the fifth most that Rolen hit against any team and the second most in terms of NL East opponents (21 against the Braves). Out of those 20 home runs, 10 of them were hit at Shea Stadium.

In terms of hits, Rolen had 119 (second most against NL East teams – 132 against the Braves). Some other fun facts are that Rolen had as many RBIs at Shea (47 games) than he did in 40 games at Coors Field against Colorado (25), and he had 47 strikeouts at Shea (seventh most in any ballpark).

Rolen is an integral part of Mets history to a degree because he could be an answer at your local trivia event to the question: Who was the batter that hit the ball that Endy Chavez made a miraculous catch against in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS?

During that game, Rolen ended up having the last laugh as he hit a 1-out single in the top of the 9^th against Aaron Heilman. The next batter, Yadier Molina, would hit the go-ahead two-run home run and as they say…the rest is history. The Mets held Rolen somewhat in check during that series besides the single (5-for-21, 3 walks).

Four years earlier, Rolen was traded from the Phillies to the Cardinals at the trade deadline. The Mets would play a part of more history for Rolen in August when he hit his first home run as a Cardinal against Pedro Astacio on Sunday Night Baseball.

When Rolen faced the Mets, he had the most success against Al Leiter in terms of hits. He was 11-for-38 (.290) with four doubles and he drew 11 walks. However, Leiter did a good job of keeping him from hitting the ball out of the ballpark (no home runs). That couldn’t be said for Mike Hampton (3-for-9, 2 home runs) or John Franco (2-for-7, 2 home runs). These numbers are courtesy of UltimateMets.com.

If you want to look at Rolen’s best year against the Mets, that came in 2001 when he played all 19 games and hit .329 with 6 doubles, 3 home run, and 12 RBIs. In an extra-inning win on August 28, 2001, Rolen hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the 11^th against Donne Wall at Shea Stadium.

With the new era of balanced schedules, the list of “Met killers” can continue to grow and not just be limited to the likes of Chipper Jones, Pat Burrell, Daniel Murphy, etc. Even though Rolen only spent seven seasons in the NL East, the Mets still ended up being an interesting part of his Hall Of Fame career.

The post Scott Rolen’s History Against The Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen has entered baseball infamy as he has accumulated enough votes to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rolen enters as the lone ballot Hall of Famer this year and will join Fred McGriff, who was inducted by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee in December.

Several players with Mets connections have missed the 75% cut-off this year, including Jeff Kent, who was in his last year of eligibility. Carlos Beltran, Gary Sheffield and Francisco Rodriguez are among the other notable players with Mets connections to miss the cut. Beltrán and Rodríguez were on the HOF ballots for the first time this year.

Former Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey only received 0.3% of the HOF votes and has been kicked off the ballot for not receiving at least 5%.

Latest Mets News

The Mets have officially announced the signing of outfielder Tommy Pham to a one-year deal. Formerly with the Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds this past season, Pham will facilitate a role as the team’s fourth outfielder and may even see time in the designated hitter spot if needed. To make room for Pham on the 40-man roster, the team designated left-handed Tayler Saucedo for assignment.

We’ve signed Tommy Pham to a one-year deal.

Welcome to the squad, @TphamLV! pic.twitter.com/oNvsL8jzLZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) January 24, 2023

The New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand is reporting the Mets may have found the next sidekick to legendary radio announcer Howie Rose. Long Island native and voice for the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones Keith Raad has emerged as the favorite to be hired for the position as he apparently “wowed” his interview with Audacy, the parent company of WCBS Radio, and Rose himself. The role could one day lead to being the main radio voice of the Mets with Rose cutting down on radio time this past season.

Latest MLB News

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger is under investigation by MLB following allegations of domestic violence involving the mother of his 10-month-old daughter and child abuse, according to The Athletic‘s Britt Ghiroli and Katie Strang. The report says the mother of Clevinger’s child had been in contact with MLB officials since June about physical, verbal and emotional abuse towards her and their 10-month-old child.

After the Los Angeles Angels’ ownership decided to take the team off the market, the Miami Marlins ownership has reiterated the team is not for sale. In a statement to the LA Times, Bruce Sherman said, “The Miami Marlins are not for sale, have not been for sale under my ownership, and will not be for sale in my lifetime. It is irresponsible to report otherwise. It is and will continue to be a privilege to own this great organization. I look forward to seeing our loyal fans at Opening Day on March 30th.”

Kansas City Royals infielder Adalberto Mondesi is being traded to the Red Sox, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The Royals will receive Josh Taylor in exchange, while Boston will also receive a player to be named later. The move comes with Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story having elbow surgery that will sideline him for most of the 2023 season.

Former Marlins and Baltimore Orioles first baseman Jesus Aguilar and the Oakland Athletics are in agreement on a contract, pending physical, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and Robert Murray of Fansided. The deal will give Aguilar an average of about $3 million.

The New York Yankees and catching coach Tanner Swanson agreed to a new deal to keep the coach in the Bronx, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. The deal is for three years with a team option for a fourth year. Yankees catchers ranked as some of the best defensively in MLB last season and much of that is attributed to Swanson’s coaching.

Pitcher Jordan Yamamoto has signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, according to MMO‘s Michael Mayer. Yamamoto had a 6.00 ERA across three different levels in the Mets minor league system in 2022.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago talks about possible locations for MLB expansion teams.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: Angel Pagan is purchased by the Chicago Cubs from the New York Mets.

2010: “Melody Queen of Shea Stadium” organist Jane Jarvis passes away at 94.

The post Morning Briefing: Several Former Mets Fall Short of Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo Credit: Jason Bridge of USA Today

It was revealed Tuesday the Baseball Writers of America Association (BBWAA) voted Scott Rolen into the Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 class. Rolen will join Fred McGriff, who was inducted by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee in December.

Rolen received 76.3% of the vote, crossing the 75% threshold needed for induction. Todd Helton narrowly missed with 72.2% and Billy Wagner had the third most votes at 68.1%.

Rolen’s defensive prowess at third base pushed him over the top. Rolen ranks 10th all-time in WAR for third basemen (70.1), and he’s viewed as one of the better Hall-of-Fame defenders at third along with the likes of Brooks Robinson and Adrian Beltre (who will likely get in on his first ballot next year or second ballot in 2025).

Some notable players who missed induction include:

• Billy Wagner (68.1) – 8th year
• Carlos Beltran (46.5) – 1st year
• Jeff Kent (46.5) – final year on the ballot
• Andrew Jones (58.1) – 6th year
• Gary Sheffield (55.0) – 9th year
• Alex Rodriguez (37.5) – 2nd year
• Bobby Abreu (15.4) – 4th year
• Jimmy Rollins (12.9) – 2nd year
• Francisco Rodriguez (10.8) – 1st year

Players have 10 years of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot. Once players fall off the ballot, their fate rests with the Era Committees. (The three Era Committees rotate every three years, and players have to be placed on the ballot via an overview committee.)

Some players who were knocked of the ballot due to not receiving at last 5% of the vote include: R.A. Dickey (0.3), Matt Cain (0) and John Lackey (0.3).

The post Scott Rolen Voted into Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Ryan Thibodaux (aka @NotMrTibbs on Twitter) currently, three players are on track to make the Hall of Fame with 79 ballots revealed or about 20%.

With 79 ballots revealed/~20.2% known:

Ortiz – 82.3%
Bonds – 78.5%
Clemens – 78.5%
—
Rolen – 72.2%
Schilling – 70.9%
Helton – 58.2%
Wagner – 51.9%
Jones – 50.6%
A-Rod – 49.4%
Sheffield – 45.6%
Ramirez – 43.0%
Kent – 24.1%
Sosa – 21.5%
Abreu/Pettitte – 12.7%
Vizquel – 10.1%

— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) December 28, 2021

The three in are the two most heavily debated candidates and the one player that seems to skirt his steroid allegations.

David Ortiz leads with 82.3% of voters putting him in, while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are each at 78.5%.

In order to get inducted, players need 75% of voters to put them on the ballot. Voters are allowed to vote for up to 10 players on the ballot although some choose not to vote for anyone.

Scott Rolen and Curt Schilling are both on the bubble of entry. Both likely deserve to be in Cooperstown based on accolades but Schilling seems to not want to enter after requesting to have his name removed from the 2022 ballot. Obviously, the BBWAA did not accept Schilling’s request.

Billy Wagner‘s case is trending upwards. The former Met closer received 31.7% of the vote in 2020 and now sits at 51.9% of reported ballots. He finished with 46.4% of the votes in 2021. MMO details the case for why we think he should be in the Hall of Fame here.

The writers who revealed ballots that might be more friendly than others who choose not to make their ballots public, which could explain the drastic rise for candidates like Bonds, Clemens, and Rolen.

But in the case of Bonds and Clemens voters could be motivated to get them in since this is their 10th and final year on the ballot. This is also Schilling’s final year. He had the highest amount of votes in 2021 with 71.1%.

It’s the final season for Sammy Sosa as well. With only 21.5% with a fifth of votes in, it would appear he’d have to look for admission by the veteran’s committee in the future.

Some first-timers are making a splash. Ortiz is in his first year as well as Alex Rodriguez. The argument that’s been made for Ortiz over A-Rod is Ortiz was never actually suspended for PEDs like the former Bronx slugger.

The only candidate to lose votes as of now is Omar Vizquel. He finished with 49.1% of the vote in 2021.

Six people have already been selected to enter the Hall of Fame. Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil were voted in as pioneers/executives on the early baseball era committee. The golden days era committee voted in Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, and of course Gil Hodges.

Wagner is the only former Met worth paying attention to this season and if he doesn’t make it this year then there’s always next year when he’ll be joined by Carlos Beltran on the ballot.

The post David Ortiz, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens On Track for Hall of Fame Election appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With the announcement of voting results just over three weeks away (January 26 on MLB Network), there are no clear shoo-ins from the current ballot for enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this July. At least not this year.

Thanks to the tireless work of Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs on Twitter) and his team, fans, media, and Cooperstown hopefuls alike can all stay up to date on the influx of ballots that are made public ahead, on, or after the December 31 postmark cutoff date.

Voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America decide whether to make their ballots public — usually via social media — and Thibodaux logs and updates his tracker. It really is a bright spot in the long, dark, baseball-less winter.

According to Thibodaux’s 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame Tracker, with 30.8 percent of ballots logged thus far (as of Monday evening), Barry Bonds (73.8 percent) and Roger Clemens (73.0 percent) are closest to the 75 percent benchmark necessary for enshrinement. Curt Schilling is next in line at 72.1 percent and Scott Rolen (68.9 percent) brings up the rear of potential 2021 electees.

Historically, as more ballots are counted, these percentages drop. It’s entirely conceivable no one will be joining the 2020 Hall of Fame class — Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons, Larry Walker, and longtime MLBPA head Marvin Miller, whose ceremonies were postponed due to COVID-19 last summer — in upstate New York this July.

Though, in years like this, candidates making headway towards future enshrinement becomes the name of the game. And some are truly making waves.

Former Rockies standout Todd Helton (54.9 percent), for example, has picked up 23 new votes (per Thibodaux’s returning voters) this season — his third on the ballot — fueling his push for the park-adjusted glory his former Colorado teammate Walker will enjoy this July (well deserved, on both accounts, if you’re asking me).

Rolen’s gained steam, adding 20 new backers in his fourth year of eligibility. One would assume a .281/.364/.490 career batting line, 2,077 hits, 316 home runs, and 69.9 wins above replacement (FanGraphs; would rank eighth among HOF third basemen), as well as pristine defense, would make his case an easy one.

The same could be said for Gary Sheffield (52.5 percent, +12 votes this year; .292/.393/.514, 509 home runs), but these things take time.

Former Mets (and Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, and Braves) closer Billy Wagner has also seen his candidacy receive a shot in the arm, picking up 18 new votes in his sixth season on the ballot, bringing his voting percentage to a solid 50 percent.

Wagner enjoyed a terrific career. Over his 16-year run in the majors, the Virginia product pitched to a 2.31 ERA (2.73 FIP) with 1,196 strikeouts, 300 walks, and just 82 home runs allowed in 903 innings pitched.

Wagner’s 24 wins above replacement would place him fourth on the Hall of Fame relief pitcher leaderboards, behind Trevor Hoffman (25.9 fWAR) and ahead of Dennis Eckersley (20.4 fWAR). We compared Wagner to Hoffman here in 2018, and the argument still holds water.

Again, it will take a strong finish from any of the above-mentioned players to gain election later this month. But there are surely some worthy candidates and traction is most certainly being made on many fronts.

The post Cooperstown Crunch: Without Surefire Candidates, Others Gaining Traction appeared first on Metsmerized Online.