G-Fafif

Wrote http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2010/03/23/incongruous-remarkable-mets/an article on this topic in 2010.

Unimpressed at the Undefeated. There's a phrase coined, likely by some old white guy, that goes “winners write the history books.” In the case of Major League Baseball, not only do they write the history books, but apparently they decide when everyone else's histories are legitimate, too. On Wednesday, MLB announced that the records and statistics from the seven operations that we now classify as the Negro Leagues will be recognized as part of Major League Baseball's history, presumably paving the way for the posthumous enshrinement of various players into Cooperstown, New York. “The perceived deficiencies of the Negro Leagues' structure and scheduling were born of MLB's exclusionary practices,” John Thorn, the Official Historian for Major League Baseball said in a press release. “And denying them Major League status has been a double penalty, much like that exacted of Hall of Fame candidates prior to Satchel Paige's induction in 1971. Granting MLB status to the Negro Leagues a century after their founding is profoundly gratifying.” Of all the nonsense that the most duplicitously conservative sports league in the history of the United States of America has ever pulled, this might be the most ridiculous piece of soft supremacy we've ever seen. This announcement says: Be grateful, we now view you as whole. News flash: That's the problem. Not the solution. https://theundefeated.com/features/mlb-elevating-the-status-of-negro-leagues-is-the-problem-not-the-solution/https://theundefeated.com/features/mlb-elevating-the-status-of-negro-leagues-is-the-problem-not-the-solution/

Tommy Sandt, ‘70s bench guy and longtime coach, just shy of his 70th birthday.

Ty Kelly Johnson.

Doug Henry Blanco.

Darren Oliver Perez.

Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer explores how one Met's stats might change. Mays went deep at least once in his rookie campaign for the Black Barons, but a box score hasn't been found. Until one is located, his famous mark of 660 homers will stay the same. But the single Mays celebrated as his 3,000th hit in July 1970 will no longer be considered his 3,000th; instead, it may end up as hit no. 3,010 or 3,017, depending on whether his hits in the '48 NAL Championship Series are counted toward his tally. His “new” no. 3,000 might be a hit he believed to be no. 2,983 or 2,990. His first major league hit will no longer be the homer he launched off of Warren Spahn on May 28, 1951, but—at least for now—his single off Leniel Hooker on July 25, 1948. And the stories about how he started his big league career by going 1-for-26 will need an addendum—or, perhaps, a preface (although Mays did go 0-for-13 in his first four documented Negro Leagues games). https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2020/12/16/22178257/mlb-acknowledge-negro-leagues-officiallyhttps://www.theringer.com/mlb/2020/12/16/22178257/mlb-acknowledge-negro-leagues-officially

It's official. The Negro Leagues of 1920-1948 are now recognized as major leagues.

I don't know if Ron Swoboda's recent book deserves its own thread, but it has a peppy voice and contains a passel of anecdotes a reader doesn't expect (Jay Carden, known mostly as part of the Clendenon trade, apparently liked to party in the minors).

Billy DeMars, a coach for the Phillies for 13 seasons but I would've guessed 30, 95.

I lived the Murph life, for better and worse. I'm not looking for a second helping (but if he shows up as a latter-day Mazz on August 31, I'll probably melt).

The Rangers are sending Rafael Montero to Seattle, not for coffee but to pitch.

Rico Brogna, please report to the Not Yet Brogna Thread...

Daily News reminds us https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-john-franco-covid-masks-philanthropy-20201213-s3ruoxqvorgu3ep7yzg5vvyaya-story.htmlJohn Franco is a good guy. Could Franco play Santa Claus at the Mets' annual Christmas party? Yes, for 14 straight years, in full Kris Kringle garb. Could he visit the heroes digging through the rubble of Ground Zero? Yes, more than once. And could he answer Gov. Cuomo's call to pitch in against the pandemic? Yes — and Franco's voice, urging New Yorkers to wear their face masks, echoes through subway cars across the Big Apple. “It's part of being a New Yorker,” explains the Brooklyn-born Franco, now 60 and living in Manhattan. “And obviously, it's part of being myself. I was born and raised here. This is who I am.”

Dick Rusteck debuted on Johnny Lunchbucket Day.

Deep literally random dive into the career of 1966 debut wonder Dick Rusteck from Random Former Major League Player of the Day: In February 1966 Dick signed a major league contract with the Mets and went to spring training, where manager Wes Westrum was high on him and planned to keep him, but a couple of poor outings led to the team deciding he needed more time in the minors. He was sent to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AAA International League, where he got off to a great start, overshadowing teammate Tom Seaver; he was almost called up in early May but he got hit in the elbow by a line drive and the Mets decided to hold off. In his first six starts he had six complete game wins and an ERA of 1.13. He lost the seventh start, and then the Mets promoted him on June 9. The next night at Shea Stadium he made his major league debut, as reported by Jack Lang in the following day's Jersey Journal: Rusteck Lives Up to Westrum's Hopes It is obvious now why Wes Westrum spent the better part of a month pleading with the front office to bring up Dick Rusteck. From the first time he saw him in the Florida Instructional League last November, Westrum has been impressed with the slender, blond lefthander from Notre Dame. Last night 33,977 fans at Shea Stadium and a million or so watching on TV saw why. Rusteck, who arrived in New York only the night before following his recall from Jacksonville, made his first start against the powerful Cincinnati Reds and shut them out with four singles, 5-0. Not a single Cincy baserunner reached second base as Rusteck pitched a masterpiece in his first league start. The only walk he issued was in the first inning. He went to a 3-2 count on just three other batters and he accomplished his mission with haste, making only 95 pitches in the two hour and six minute ball game. Was Rusteck nervous pitching before the largest crowd he'd ever seen in a ball park? “Just the normal nervousness of a pitcher making his first major league start,” the cool kid admitted later. “I might have been more nervous a few years ago but I'm 24 now. All I did was to try and pitch the way I did at Jacksonville.” At Jacksonville he was 6-1 and he confessed that he had expected to be recalled earlier. “When I won my first four or five I knew there was talk about me coming up,” he said. “But then I lost my first game, 4-0, last Saturday night I forgot about it. I didn't think they'd bring me up after that.” Rusteck wasn't aware that he had a booster in Westrum. Even after the kid had been rocked in his last two appearances in spring training, Wes wanted to keep him. But the front office decided otherwise and perhaps it was for the best, because when Dick came up last night, he was ready. As Westrum said, “The magnificent thing about him is that he throws strikes.” Rusteck is Westrum's type of pitcher because he keeps the ball low. “He has a major league arm plus complete control of his fast ball and his curve,” the manager raved. “He never lets up to get a ball over.” https://rfmlbpod.blogspot.com/2020/12/dick-rusteck.htmlhttps://rfmlbpod.blogspot.com/2020/12/dick-rusteck.html

Luis Avilán has signed a minor league deal with the no longer defending champion Nats.

Let us all, come autumn, feast on the fruits and vegetables of victory.

Bill James https://www.billjamesonline.com/the_mets_new_gm/goes for Jared. https://twitter.com/billjamesonline/status/1338305439520448512?s=21https://twitter.com/billjamesonline/status/1338305439520448512?s=21 https://www.billjamesonline.com/the_mets_new_gm/https://www.billjamesonline.com/the_mets_new_gm/

Peter Gammons https://theathletic.com/2258922/2020/12/14/jared-porter-mets/goes for Jared. In the last two days, I have gotten more than three dozen texts from baseball people who see Mets president Sandy Alderson and Porter as natural partners. “Knowing Jared all these years, Sandy is the perfect mentor for him,” says one former Red Sox colleague. “Sandy will shelter him from Cohen, who is so energetic and eager to make news,” says another. Adds a third, “Sandy Alderson defines honor, dignity, thought and measured enthusiasm. They are perfect for one another.” Porter is measured, he is thoughtful, he seems to know every player in either league, and virtually every executive knows him. “Jared is incredibly humble, he's a listener, he connects with everyone, he's someone everyone trusts,” says Cherington. “Sandy can go home at night or travel somewhere and know that Jared can handle a problem that comes up. From veteran scouts like the late Gary Hughes to the young analysts, he makes it clear he appreciates and respects them.”

The story of the cover. Iacono was standing on the field before a game when he saw Allen enter the dugout. The photographer got closer, switching from a long lens to a short lens, and suddenly, the player gave him his shot. “All of a sudden, he started juggling,” Iacono says. “And I thought, Holy crap, this is perfect.” He thought of how Allen had bounced through baseball for the last few years. The game had been juggling him, or, perhaps, he had been juggling the challenges of the game. And, metaphor aside, it was just a damn good shot. Iacono took a few photographs of Allen on the field, too. But he was sure that the best ones had been those of him juggling. He figured that one of them would work for whatever kind of piece that the magazine was planning for the next issue. When he came into the office in New York on Monday, however, he was shocked to hear, “Congratulations. Nice cover.” “I said, ‘Cover, what are you talking about?'” Iacono recalls. “‘Dick Allen? They put him on the cover?'” Iacono ran down to the layout department to see for himself. One of the photographs of Allen juggling was indeed the cover. There was no Allen-specific feature, and in fact, hardly any baseball coverage at all. A brief piece about the “surprises of the season,” accompanied by a few pages of photographs from around the league, had just one sentence about Allen: “Nomadic and nonchalant Dick Allen (see cover), who could be almost anywhere, is now in Chicago, and surprise of surprises, he seems to like it there, hitting game-winning homers and receiving homage as the White Sox leader.” But the picture was so striking that it had been selected to lead the magazine. As Iacono looked at the cover image more closely, though, he noticed something that he'd missed before: Allen's cigarette. https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/12/12/dick-allen-iconic-cover-john-iaconohttps://www.si.com/mlb/2020/12/12/dick-allen-iconic-cover-john-iacono

“He said ‘pour it louder.'”

Jared goes before the press today. SNY airs the virtual gathering at 4:30 ET.