Jeff Wilpon and @Mets employees celebrate Doctors and Nurses

From all of us here at the #Mets, THANK YOU to all of the health care professionals keeping our community safe. pic.twitter.com/h03UAnl1vg

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 31, 2020

In a coincidental manner, this video from the Mets
 dropped a little while ago. I wonder how many of 
the Mets employees know about that letter Gary
 Sheffield Junior posted.It is a nice move by the Mets 
to do this though to show appreciation for the people
 trying to quell this disease for us, but "timing". Still 
very nice gesture.    

I keep forgetting Jay Horwitz has a podcast.

Does anyone else forget that Jay does a podcast? I forget about it until we talk about it in the Mets Fan Advisory Board. I don't know, I kinda don't feel Jay as a host to something like this. It is cool that

he can get the guests though.

Before David Wright was quarantined with his family in Cali., he was coaching his daughter’s t-ball team. One rival coach asked him if he had any baseball background. The @Mets Captain replied, “I dabbled a little.”

Listen to David in my latest podcast: https://t.co/8tiBZAHE4J pic.twitter.com/SiWCwbyTq1

— Jay Horwitz (@Jay_HorwitzPR) March 27, 2020

Some @Mets Staff get a letter about not being able to work at Citi Field yet.

Now I wonder what staff it was sent to. Was it just seasonal workers? Staff that was just hired to fill positions in tickets sales? Security? I have no idea. This letter was tweeted by Gary Sheffield Jr.

JUST IN: Letter sent to all staff members for the New York Mets. pic.twitter.com/9NAh6diNlr

— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) March 30, 2020

From the NY Daily News 3/27/202. 

Last week, each MLB team pledged a combined $30 million to their ballpark employees unable to work their shifts during the coronavirus shutdown.

“I am proud that our clubs came together so quickly and uniformly to support these individuals who provide so much to the game we love,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement touting the charitable endeavor.

Two canceled games into the big league season, however, Lavoune Witherspoon is still waiting for that support. She and hundreds of other contracted food service workers at the Mets’ home ballpark haven’t received a single paycheck since the league suspended the 2020 season.

“How are people supposed to live” Witherspoon said, who is a cook for Citi Field’s Sweet Chick, a stadium outpost of the popular comfort food restaurant. “Nobody reached out to us when this happened.”

Unite Here Local 100, the union that represents roughly 340 food workers including Witherspoon, has said they’ve yet to hear back from the Mets or Aramark, the food service client that staffs their vendors with contracted workers. The union told the Daily News that 70 of those seasonal workers have worked Mets games for at least 10 years.

Witherspoon has said the non-response is especially hurtful because they’re regularly referred to as “a family” by Aramark.

“We got a newsletter before the season started [Aramark] sent everybody saying, ‘Oh, welcome back to the stadium, family... It’s gonna be a great season. We thank you for last year, all you’ve done,'” Witherspoon said. “We got that paper to come back and now that we in a crisis nationwide. Nobody is taking care of us.” 

Read more here. 

I want to know who the letter from the Mets was for. What is going on with the money that was pledged by all the teams to go to the seasonal workers. Why there isn't any kind of communications going on between them. The one hold up I can see is that Aramark is the go between the Mets and the folks who work at Citi Field in concessions. They are the ones who actually pay the employees from their contract with the Mets. From the Daily News Article above, "Aramark, which made $14.6 billion in revenue in 2018, signs their worker paychecks, while the Mets, who were almost sold for $2.6 billion in a since-botched deal, signs Aramark’s. It is unclear, however, who feels who should pay workers during the shutdown, as neither entity has yet to provide comment clarifying if or when workers like Witherspoon would receive pay.

The Mets released this statement: “The Mets will be participating in the initiative announced by Major League Baseball by contributing $1 million to support ballpark employees affected by the delay in the start of the 2020 regular season. We are in the process of carefully considering the most appropriate way to allocate these funds.”" That is why this letter is confusing to me. Who is it for? 

'47 Brand making "Pro" Caps.

So now '47 Brand is making "Pro" model caps? Why? I don't "need" this cap.

NEW YORK METS COOPERSTOWN '47 PRO

0.0 star ratingWrite a review

$30.00

The '47 PRO is fitted with a structured crown and flat visor. The front has raised embroidery and the back has flat embroidery. Made from Wool Blend.

- Wool Blend
- Fitted, Structured Crown
- Front: Raised Embroidery
- Back: Flat Embroidery
- Imported

#BCPTN-FSPRO16WBF-RY62

                     VS

Wear what the players wear! The New York Mets Authentic Collection 59FIFTY Fitted cap features a team color fabrication with an embroidered Mets logo at the front panels and an embroidered MLB Batterman at the rear.

Made of Polyester (perf fabric)

• Style#: 70360938
• Color: BLUE

What was up with the Empire State Building?

I get that the Empire State Building management probably wanted to show support for everyone dealing with Covid-19 in the first responder world but this is...Wow. I just think this was a good hearted gesture but very bad execution.



From the NY POST

New Yorkers were left spooked Monday night by a glaring Empire State Building light display intended to honor emergency workers fighting coronavirus.

The iconic Midtown skyscraper announced the debut of a display that began at 9 p.m. Monday, and will continue through the course of the ongoing pandemic.

“Starting tonight through the COVID-19 battle, our signature white lights will be replaced by the heartbeat of America with a white and red siren in the mast for heroic emergency workers on the front line of the fight,” read a tweet from the building’s official Twitter account.

But to some, in addition to solidarity, the siren induced anxiety, as it spun for the first time surrounded by low clouds.

King said on Twitter that she fully supportsthe cause, “but recommend[s] that the siren be replaced by the iconic pulsing heartbeat effect to reassure our heroic healthcare workers that their efforts will succeed, and soothe nervous New Yorkers now sheltering in place.”

Read more here.

 

What the CARES Act Means for Gig Workers

This is from Sofi.com. I figured not everyone is clear about what Gig workers get out of the CARES act, so I am sharing this.

	Th
	This past week, Congress and the White House signed off on a $2.2 trillion stimulus package known as the CARES Act. Short for “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security,” the legislation aims to provide emergency assistance and health care response for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Along with providing loans to both large and small businesses, boosting healthcare funding, and extending payroll tax filings, the bill expands unemployment benefits for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the outbreak. Along with offering an added $600 per week for four months—in addition to what state programs pay—the CARES Act extends eligibility for unemployment. Specifically, the legislation will cover self-employed and independent contractors. Before the bill’s passage, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) said, “The unemployment insurance system, created during the Great Depression, is strikingly out-of-date and completely unequipped to deal with our current crisis.”
	A Unique Set of Challenges for the United States
	Governments around the world are also injecting trillions of dollars into their economies through fiscal and monetary measures. In the United Kingdom, government programs aim to provide 80% of employees’ wages. Australia is offering a mixture of tax cuts and investment incentives. Ireland passed a $3.1 billion program to ward off coronavirus economic fallout. While every government has difficult decisions to weigh, the US faces a unique set of challenges. According to CNBC, in the US, “57% of the workforce is either paid hourly or self-employed.” Moreover, while it can be difficult to gather statistics about the scope of the gig economy, In 2018, Forbes estimated that nearly 60 million people, more than one-third of US workers, are a part of this sector.  Even before the coronavirus pandemic, companies like Lyft (LYFT) and Uber (UBER) faced challenges from states and lawmakers over how to classify their drivers. However, as the historic stimulus bill was being negotiated, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi asked President Donald Trump to include relief in the legislation for gig workers who can no longer earn income as people are confined to their homes. Ultimately, the coronavirus aid package included something called the “Pandemic Unemployment Assistance,” which allows freelancers and independent contractors to “half the average unemployment benefit in their state and an extra $600 per week,” according to USA Today.
	The Gig is Up
	Most agree that gig workers need a safety net during the crisis. However, debates over whether or not these workers need to be classified as employees in the eyes of the law resurfaced during stimulus bill negotiations. The current setup allows tech companies to side-step normal expenses and avoid paying for benefits like healthcare. Additionally, organizations like ride-sharing companies and food-delivery services are not required to remit taxes to the government during good times for programs like unemployment insurance during the bad times. As a result, some are calling this a “big tech bailout.” To that end, a 2015 decision classifying on-demand delivery workers at Postmates as employees was reinstated Friday by New York’s Court of Appeals. This will make these workers eligible for the unemployment insurance in the CARES Act, like others who have been laid off in traditional industries.

Brooklyn Cyclones Covid 19 Responders Auction Ends Soon On LiveSource App

From the NY CYCLONES

We hope that you are safe and doing your best to stay and be healthy. The Brooklyn Cyclones invite you to Help Our Heroes by participating in their Covid 19 Responders Auction which will support NYC healthcare workers who are so bravely on the front lines.  Download LiveSource, navigate to the Brooklyn NY page and get your bids in now! Let's do some good Cyclones nation! 

Here are the items you can buy:

#1 - Take Batting Practice With the Cyclones 

#2 - Game Worn & Signed #34 Noah Syndergaard Home Cyclones Jersey 

#3 - Be in the Hot Dog Race During a Cyclones Game 

 #4 - Robinson Cano Signed NYPL Baseball 

#5 - Jake Mangum Game-Worn & Signed Cyclones Jersey 

#6 - Noah Syndergaard Signed NYPL Baseball  

#7 - Call a Cyclones Game on the Radio  

#8 - Private Batting Practice on the Field w/ Food & Beverage  

#9 - First Pitch Before a Cyclones Game  

#10 - Edgardo Alfonzo Signed NYPL Baseball  

www.livesourceapp.com
(858) 336-8380
Scott@livesourceapp.com

What it takes to get “your” number off another player.

We have all heard crazy stories about what players do to get their numbers from other players. Some stuff is not so bad other ones are just “wow”.

From MLB.com

Back in 2003, Tom Glavine's thinking was similar to Burnett's. In order to get No. 47 from Joe McEwing with the Mets, he also did something for his teammate's kid. Instead of just giving money to the player's family, though, Glavine financed the construction of a baby nursery in McEwing's home. Surely, McEwing reflected on how good a deal he made ever night when he put his kid to bed.

That’s a fun one. Imagine getting someone to basically build a nursery for you just for a number. Or how about a college fund?

Just like that guy at your office who "makes a donation in your name" instead of handing out a Christmas gift, some players direct money to other worthy causes in lieu of a direct payment for a uniform number. When A.J. Burnett joined the Pirates in 2012, pitcher Daniel McCutchen was wearing "his" No. 34. McCutchen and his wife were expecting a baby girl, so Burnett set up a college fund for his teammate's future daughter.

Hey kid thank Uncle AJ for your degree.

And Dom Smith was very altruistic

I guess you never know what it’s going to take to get “your” number. Read more here. 

Fanatics doing a good thing.

You guys know I really don’t like Fanatics but I have to applaud them in doing this.

From MLB.Com

Baseball jersey fabric is going to the front lines of the fight against coronavirus.

In an effort to help mitigate the national shortage of personal protective equipment that has become a pressing issue for healthcare workers and emergency personnel battling the COVID-19 outbreak, Fanatics, the company that manufactures the official uniforms for Major League Baseball, is taking the raw materials typically used in the creation of MLB jerseys and instead using them to create masks and hospital gowns. MLB and Fanatics are absorbing all costs associated with the endeavor.

• Coronavirus information

“We hope this effort can play a part in coming together as a community to help us through this challenging situation,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

Fanatics has halted jersey assembly, instead using its 360,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Easton, Pa., to create up to 1 million masks and gowns, with plans to produce these items as long as the need exists. The distribution of the equipment has begun throughout the state of Pennsylvania and will extend across New Jersey and New York, which has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States.

The initial masks and gowns have been made from the jerseys of the Phillies and Yankees -- complete with each club’s recognizable pinstripes. As production and distribution expands, other team jersey materials will be utilized.

Read more here.

MLB The SHOW 2020 Opening Day MetsSimulated Game.

Someone did Opening Day of the Mets and Nats (wearing Expos unis) on PS4 MLB The Show 2020. I put it on here if you guys want to have a watch party and live tweet it or zoom tor house party it.

Pete Alonso thanks healthcare workers.

pic.twitter.com/UhoDC6t4Gh

— Pete Alonso (@Pete_Alonso20) March 25, 2020

The Mets and Pete Alonso did really good with this video yesterday. It's Pete thanking healthcare workers 
by name for what they are doing during this wacky time.

Opening Day 2020

 Well, well, well. We were supposed to be at Citi Field for Opening Day today and it doesn't sting me as much. Why? Well I was supposed to be working anyway so I would've missed it all anyway. Last year I thought I was going to miss it because I was going to be stuck on Jury Duty. Lucky enough for me the Lawyers decided I wasn't going to be a good juror for some reason. I was able to pop up to the 7Line Tailgate and the game. It is always fun to reconnect with the fellow Mets fans that you haven't seen for a while. The last few years we had the QBC to break up the the long winter and this year we didn't get to see have that this time. Now we have this Pandemic that is making it so much longer.I am not going to trivialize what is going on in the world right now by whining or complaining about this stay at home scenario that we are dealing with.It needs to be done to help quell the spread of COVID-19.

My industry has been shut down. I am stuck at home for weeks. I can't hang out with friends that I haven't seen in months. Positives though are I get hang at home with the wife and dog. I see folks using Zoom, house party, and face time to check in with each other. Maybe tomorrow we should all hook up at what was supposed to be game time, turn on MLB The Show and sim a game and watch along. It could be fun, it could be dumb as hell. Who's in?

Gary Carter Check Autographed New York Mets Legend and Hall of Famer

Rare Autographed New York Mets Legend and Hall of Famer Gary Carter Check RSA

There are 65 Different Checks Available. RSA will select a random check. All signatures are similar.

Check it out here.

Syndergaard to have Tommy John Surgery

The surgery will keep him out through at least April 2021 and likely longer, per Passan. pic.twitter.com/5BTXS8VkqO

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 24, 2020

This is crazy. No baseball happening now and he gets hurt. I wonder if it is a combo of where it 

was wear and tear and his new workout regiment.Positive side, we don't know if there is going 

to be baseball at all this season and if it is going on the Mets signed Wacha and Porcello. Guess

 those stories of Matz battling for a spot now isn't a thing.

I am Stealing the video of Cat and Dominoes from Metspolice.

I got nothing else so far today...

Cuomo closes NY State

#BREAKING: I will sign an Executive Order mandating that 100% of workforce must stay home, excluding essential services.

This order excludes pharmacies, grocery stores, and others.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 20, 2020

GUIDANCE FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IS SUBJECT TO A 75% WORKFORCE REDUCTION UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 202.6 

(enacted to address the COVID-19 Outbreak)
If your question is not answered below, please contact ESD at our website at: https://esd.ny.gov/covid-19-help
Please find the Governor's Executive Order here. 

Requests by businesses to be designated an essential function as described below, should only be made if they are NOT covered by the following guidance.

BACKGROUND

On March 18, 2020, Executive Order 202.6 (or as revised) directed that all businesses and not-for-profit entities in New York State, shall utilize, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work from home procedures that they can safely utilize. 

It is directed that, no later than March 20, 2020 at 8 p.m., each for-profit or not-for profit employer (excluding state and local governments and authorities) shall reduce the in-person workforce at each business/work location by 75% from pre-state of emergency declaration employment levels. 

ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES OR ENTITIES, including any for profit or non-profit, regardless of the nature of the service, the function they perform, or its corporate or entity structure, are not subject to the in-person restriction.  (Essential Businesses must continue to comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by the Department of Health).

This guidance is issued by the New York State Department of Economic Development d/b/a Empire State Development and applies to each business location individually and is intended to assist businesses in determining whether they are an essential business and steps to request such designation.  With respect to business or entities that operate or provide both essential and non-essential services, supplies or support, only those lines and/or business operations that are necessary to support the essential services, supplies, or support are exempt from the restrictions. 

For purposes of Executive Order 202.6, “Essential Business,” means:

1. Essential health care operations including

• research and laboratory services
• hospitals
• walk-in-care health facilities
• veterinary and animal health services
• elder care
• medical wholesale and distribution
• home health care workers or aides
• doctor and dentist offices
• nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate care facilities
• medical supplies and equipment providers

2. Essential infrastructure including

• utilities including power generation, fuel supply and transmission
• public water and wastewater
• telecommunications and data centers
• airports/airlines
• transportation infrastructure such as bus, rail, or for-hire vehicles, garages

3. Essential manufacturing including 

• food processing, including all foods and beverages
• chemicals
• medical equipment/instruments
• pharmaceuticals
• safety and sanitary products
• telecommunications
• microelectronics/semi-conductor
• agriculture/farms
• paper products

4. Essential retail including

• grocery stores including all food and beverage stores
• pharmacies
• convenience stores
• farmer’s markets
• gas stations
• restaurants/bars (but only for take-out/delivery)
• hardware and building material stores

5. Essential services including

• trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal
• mail and shipping services
• laundromats/dry cleaning
• building cleaning and maintenance
• child care services
• auto repair
• warehouse/distribution and fulfillment
• funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries
• storage for essential businesses
• animal shelters or animal care or management

6. News media 

7. Financial Institutions including

• banks
• insurance
• payroll
• accounting

8. Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations including

• homeless shelters and congregate care facilities
• food banks
• human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs; the care, protection, custody and oversight of individuals both in the community and in state-licensed residential facilities; those operating community shelters and other critical human services agencies providing direct care or support

9. Construction including 

• skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers 
• other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure or for emergency repair and safety purposes

10. Defense

• defense and national security-related operations supporting the U.S. Government or a contractor to the US government

11. Essential services necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operations of residences or other essential businesses including 

• law enforcement
• fire prevention and response
• building code enforcement
• security
• emergency management and response
• building cleaners or janitors
• general maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor
• automotive repair
• disinfection
• doormen

12. Vendors that provide essential services or products, including logistics and technology support, child care and services needed to ensure the continuing operation of government agencies and provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public including 

• logistics
• technology support
• child care programs and services
• government owned or leased buildings
• essential government services

If the function of your business is not listed above, but you believe that it is essential or it is an entity providing essential services or functions, you may request designation as an essential business.

Requests by businesses to be designated an essential function as described above, should only be made if they are NOT covered by the guidance.

To request designation as an essential business, please click here.

Restrictions on requesting designation as an essential business:

• Any business that only has a single occupant/employee (i.e. gas station) has been deemed exempt and need not submit a request to be designated as an essential business.
• Businesses ordered to close on Monday, March 15, 2020 under the restrictions on any gathering with 500 or more participants, including but not limited to, bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, casinos, auditoriums, concerts, conferences, worship services, sporting events, and physical fitness centers, are presumed to be compliant with NYS issued restrictions and must remain closed and are not eligible for designation as an essential business for purposes of this guidance. 

For Guidance on cleaning and disinfection of facilities, refer to the New York State Department of Health Interim Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public and  Private Facilities for COVID -19 at http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/docs/cleaning_guidance _general_building.pdf.

For further information: New York State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Webpage https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

Center for Disease Control and Prevention Webpage:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

Local health department contact information can be found at: https://www.health.ny.gov/contact/contact_information/index.htm

Major League Baseball teams will commit $1 million to ballpark employees

This is some good news here for folks out of work because of Covid-19. I am glad MLB did this because I really feel for these folks.

We have production assistants in the film industry who also live paycheck to paycheck because of the low wages. They could use some help too.

Maybe other industries will realize they need to help out the season/low wage worker also.

NEWS: Each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams will commit $1 million to ballpark employees who would not have been paid due to the coronavirus crisis causing the postponement of the baseball season until at least mid-May. Story filed to ESPN and coming soon.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 17, 2020

The New Normalcy in the United States.

When I was working on TV commercials back in the day, I am Legend Starring Will Smith filmed in front of our studios. There was fake overgrowth and abandoned cars and the streets were shut down so it looked like there was no one left alive. I remember how creepy that it all had felt to me. I also remember thinking that this could never happen could it. Fast forward to right now. There are self quarantines. Folks are being put out of work. We don't know who is a carrier, who is sick. The 24 hour news cycle is informative yet also feels like fear mongering for ratings. The word pandemic is being used. Major events are being cancelled. I am pretty good with dealing with "crisis or events" when they happen. I don't get rattled easily and this is totally messing with me. I worry about the folks living paycheck to paycheck and how they are going to survive this financially. This Wuhan Flu/Coronavirus/Covid-19 is a scary thing. Not only because of the health issues but also because what it is going to do to the global and US economies. When do we go back to normal? Do we go back to normal? Is this going to be a thing that happens every few years? Now there are some reports of a stronger bird flu coming out of China. How far is that going to spread if the reports are true.

Now, I don't want to be Debbie Downer throughout this whole thing.It does seem like the big brains of science might have found vaccines for Covid-19. They also seem to be pushing it through the trials pretty quickly so maybe we can get it in a few months. Maybe we get back to normal by the summer.

In the meantime, I have to keep pushing The Walking Dead, World War Z, and I am Legend out of my head.

I hope all my friends and readers are doing well.

Everything to be shut down in NYC this week.

Now I want to know with all this happening to folks who can't afford to shut down, what the government, local and federal are going to do. People aren't going to be able pay rents, mortgages, car payments, insurance, credit card bills, etc. I hope corporations realize this and put a freeze on payments for a bit.

What happens to Arena/Ballpark workers while suspensions happen?

From Yahoo.

In between serving beers to customers during the opening round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday night, longtime Madison Square Garden vendor Gerard Cerda overheard the news he had been dreading all day.

Two fans were discussing the NBA’s decision to halt the season until further notice as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cerda had been following the spread of the virus in the media, but he hadn’t anticipated that it would wreak havoc on the sports world so quickly. The 45-year-old Bronx resident was smart enough to recognize that the NBA’s indefinite shutdown meant it was a matter of time before the NCAA, NHL and Major League Baseball followed suit.  

For most Americans, the unprecedented suspension of the nation’s major sports means fewer entertainment options. For Cerda and tens of thousands of other ushers, ticket takers, security guards and concessionaires who depend on the income they earn inside arenas, it’s far more serious than that.   

“If there’s no event going on, you don’t work,” Cerda said. “And if you don’t work, you don’t get paid.” 

Having saved up enough money to support himself and his family while sports are on hiatus, Cerda is one of the lucky ones who isn’t living paycheck-to-paycheck. His big fear is whether he’ll be able to work enough hours to keep his health insurance. 

Some of Cerda’s peers have even more pressing concerns than that. Friends or fellow union members have bombarded him with calls and texts since Wednesday night wondering how they’re going to pay next month’s rent or provide food and clothes for their kids.  

“For a lot of folks, this is their only job,” Cerda said. “This is how they pay their bills, how they get health insurance. Folks are scrambling. People are upset. People are fearful. We’re trying to get answers. We don’t know what is going on.”

The widespread panic and uncertainty among Cerda’s coworkers is a reminder of who is hurt most the longer American sports stay on hiatus. It’s arena workers accustomed to making only a few dollars above minimum wage that will feel the squeeze more than deep-pocketed athletes or team owners.

Read more here.