METS ACQUIRE ALL-STAR INFIELDER JAVIER BÁEZ AND RHP TREVOR WILLIAMS FROM CHICAGO
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 30, 2021 – The New York Mets today announced the club has acquired two-time All-Star infielder Javier Báez, RHP Trevor Williams and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Báez, 28, has spent his entire eight-year major league career with the Cubs. This season with Chicago-NL, he is tied for sixth in the National League with 65 RBI and tied for seventh with 22 home runs. He has a 2.8 WAR according to Baseball-Reference.
Since 2016, his first full major league season, he has accumulated 9.6 defensive WAR, tied for fourth in the majors and tied for second in the NL. Báez is a four-time winner of The Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence. He won the award three times as a multi-position player and was honored as a shortstop last year.
The 6-0, 190-pounder was named an NL All-Star in 2018 and 2019, won a Gold Glove in 2020 and was an NL Silver Slugger recipient in 2018, when he finished as the runner-up for the NL MVP Award. The Bayamon, Puerto Rico native won the 2016 World Series with Chicago-NL. That October, he was named the NLCS Co-MVP with LHP Jon Lester.
Báez became the first player in major league history to start the All-Star Game at second base and shortstop in consecutive seasons.
Williams, 29, has made 13 appearances (12 starts) for the Cubs this season, going 4-2 with a 5.06 ERA (33 earned runs/58.2 innings) with 22 walks and 61 strikeouts.
He has appeared in 119 games (106 starts) across six major league seasons between the Pirates (2016-2020) and Cubs (2021). Overall, he is 35-39 with a 4.49 ERA (296 earned runs/593.1 innings) with 199 walks and 477 strikeouts. He was originally selected by the Marlins in the second round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State University.
Williams has made two starts at Citi Field and owns a 1.93 ERA (three earned runs/14.0 innings) with four walks and 10 strikeouts.
Crow-Armstrong, 19, was the Mets first-round pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard-Westlake High School in California. He appeared in six games with the St. Lucie Mets before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He underwent surgery on his right shoulder for a GLAD lesion (glenoid labral articular disruption) in May.
And here we are. Trade Deadline 2021. Only a few more hours until the 4pm ET end time is about to be upon us. Watching my fellow Mets fans worrying, dreaming, getting anxious, getting disappointed, and nervous over rumors of Mets trade proposals, other teams making trades, the Yankees making deals and the Mets just standing pay right now, is some of the most entertaining things I get to watch every season.
The Mets fans when Steve Cohen bought the team, Mets fans thought that they were going to have an owner that would spend without thinking twice. As any good businessman would be, Cohen is not going to waste money and overspend for players that won’t really push the team over the top to being a World Series team.
I want the Mets to do something they haven’t done as an organization in what feels like eons. Get the players, hold on, I meant to see get “All the Players” that will put the team over the top and into contention to win the World Series. The Mets in the past under prior by ownership always would get that one “name” that would move the team close to make it look like they were making a play for the championship but it would only get the team so far. This season, I am paying attention to see if they make the moves that will get them to the dance and not just an invitation that they get to the door of the High School gym and get turned away because they weren’t in dress code for the prom. Hopefully they’ll get the full tuxedo on and be ready to contend with the other teams that just shored up with some moves.
That being said this will be some good discussions at QBC 2021 at Mulcahy’s on November 13,2021.
Anyone wonder why the Mets are wearing black jerseys on trade deadline day?
Contact: Keith Blacknick or Dan Twohig
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
QUEENS BASEBALL CONVENTION SET TO RETURN TO A LIVE EVENT ON NOVEMBER 13, 2021
Organizers of the Queens Baseball Convention announced today plans to return to a live event on Saturday, November 13, 2021
Keith Blacknick and Dan Twohig, co-founders and partners in the 8-year old fan-fest, revealed that Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall will host the fall gathering, the largest unaffiliated fan-run convention for baseball fans.
“Mulcahy’s is well-known to Mets fans and is a great venue for us relaunch the live QBC” stated Blacknick. “They have hosted Mets events in the past so it felt like a natural fit for us.”
“Bringing fans together while also maintaining COVID protocols was important in our decision, and Mulcahy’s is large enough to give us the space needed, while also being easily accessible to the majority of our attendees” added Twohig.
While no guests have been announced yet, Blacknick and Twohig stated that fans will be excited with the player lineup they have planned, adding that “multiple former players” will be participating.
In addition to player appearances, panels, and autograph sessions, the QBC will also include panels on other fan and Mets related topics, as well as a host of vendors.
Specific details on the 2021 QBC will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information or for inquiries, please email us at QBC2016@gmail.com, or follow us on social media (Twitter @QBConvention or Facebook www.facebook.com/QueensBaseballConvention)
ABOUT THE QBC
Founded in 2013, the Queens Baseball Convention was created as a mid-winter gathering of fans of the New York Mets. Our design is a combination of “Fan Fest” meets “Comic Con.” Since its start it has grown into the largest fan-run fan fest in the New York area.
METS BRING BACK BANNER DAY WITH MONTHLONG DIGITAL FAN CELEBRATION
Virtual Banner Day Online Submissions Start Today at Noon at Mets.com/BannerDay and Continue Through August 9
Fan Vote to Determine Winner August 26
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 26, 2021 – The New York Mets today announced the return of Banner Day, a long-time Mets fan-favorite tradition. With access to the field limited due to safety protocols, this year’s Virtual Banner Day will be a monthlong digital fan celebration starting today at noon with the Mets announcing the winner August 26.
Fans can submit their banners in the form of a photo or video starting today at 12:00 Noon at Mets.com/BannerDay. Submissions will close on August 9.
Fans planning to submit a banner must follow these guidelines:
The Mets will unveil the top 20 submissions August 11and fans will vote on those submissions August 12-20to determine the winner. The Mets will announce the winner August 26.
The first-place winner will receive a Pete Alonso autographed baseball, a Mets goodie bag, tickets to a 2021 game and a 2022 private tour of Citi Field (along with tickets to a game next season).
Banner Day was a Mets tradition from 1963 to 1996 with fans of all ages parading on the field showing their homemade banners made from bed sheets that professed their love for the team. Banner Day returned in 2012 as part of the Mets’ 50thAnniversary season and last occurred in 2015.
I don’t know. Is this a diaper bag? Is it a medically exempt bag?
This one looks like it can be a draw string bag but it isn’t.
I think this is the week that we will finally announce the in person QBC aka Queens Baseball Convention in person date and location for 2021. Yes. That's right. We will have a 2021 in live, in person event to the QBC. More information will come this week. So make sure you keep your eyes on queensbaseballconvention.com, themediagoon.com, @QBConvention and @mediagoon on twitter for information. I would say pay attention to Dan's twitter account but I think he has like 3 followers.
Also we have some QBC design shirts up on QBCmerchstand.com. Check it out..Buy a shirt or two.
METS ACQUIRE LEFT-HANDED PITCHER RICH HILL
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 23, 2021 – The New York Mets today announced the team has acquired left-handed pitcher Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher Tommy Hunter and minor league catcher Matt Dyer.
Hill, 41, has made 19 starts for the Rays this year and is 6-4 with a 3.87 ERA (41 earned runs/95.1 innings) with 36 walks and 91 strikeouts. He has held left-handed hitters to a .176 (13-74) batting average. Hill relies heavily on his curveball, using it 38.3% of the time. Hill is tied for the 10th-most strikeouts via that pitch this season with 34.
He was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for May after going 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA (three earned runs/34.2 innings) with 12 walks and 36 strikeouts. It was the third time in his career he won the award, also doing so in July of 2017 with the Dodgers and in May of 2016 with the Athletics.
The Boston, MA native owns a lifetime 73-48 record with a 3.80 ERA (452 earned runs/1,071.1 innings) with 426 walks and 1,126 strikeouts across 17 major league seasons. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2005 after he was selected by the organization in the fourth round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Michigan.
Since 2016, he ranks among major league leaders in ERA (3.15, eighth), WHIP (1.10, 10th) and opponents average against (.210, third). He owns a 3.06 ERA (18 earned runs/53.0 innings) over 13 career postseason appearances, including 12 starts.
Hunter, 35, appeared in four games (one start) with the Mets this year. He tossed 8.0 scoreless innings allowing only four hits, three walks and struck out six. He was placed on the 10-Day IL on May 21 and transferred to the 60-Day IL on June 11 with lower back pain.
Dyer, 23, was selected by the Mets in the fourth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arizona. He has appeared in 36 games for the St. Lucie Mets this season and is hitting .194/.329/.452 with 20 runs, seven doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 20 RBI and six steals.
In corresponding move, right-handed pitcher Robert Stock has been transferred to the 60-Day IL.
METS ACQUIRE OUTFIELDER CARLOS RINCON
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 21, 2021 – The New York Mets today announced the team has acquired minor league outfielder Carlos Rincon and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Billy McKinney. Rincon will report to Double-A Binghamton.
Rincon, 23, has played 63 games at Double-A Tulsa this year, slashing .263/.343/.470 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 48 RBI and 33 runs scored.
He¬ was originally signed by the Dodgers on July 2, 2015 as a non-drafted free agent. He has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Los Angeles-NL system, slashing .244/.326/.467 with 83 doubles, eight triples, 84 home runs, 259 RBI and 231 runs scored in 441 games spanning five seasons (2016-2019, 2021).
McKinney, 26, was acquired by the Mets from Milwaukee on May 25. In 39 games with New York, he batted .220 (20-91) with six doubles, a triple, five home runs, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored. He was designated for assignment on July 16.
This jersey has been personally hand-signed by Tom Seaver with the inscriptions "HOF 92, 311 WINS, ROY 67, 3X CY." It has been obtained under the auspices of the Major League Baseball Authentication Program and can be verified by its numbered hologram at MLB.com. It also comes with an individual numbered, tamper-evident hologram from Fanatics Authentic. This process helps to ensure that the product purchased is authentic and eliminates any possibility of duplication or fraud.
If you want to spend $5000 on this you can find it at Fanatics.
METS LAUNCH “METS IN THE MORNING” PODCAST
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 19, 2021 – The New York Mets today announced the launch of their new podcast, “Mets in the Morning” hosted by Josh Lewin. The podcast, which will air every weekday for the remainder of the regular season, can be found at Mets.com/Podcasts and everywhere you listen to podcasts.
Episodes will include highlights from the previous night’s game, previews of each day’s game, interviews and insight that will fully satisfy the appetite of fans everywhere.
Lewin was a member of the Mets radio booth from 2012-2018.
Vendors who usually sling hot dogs and beers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia have been shuttled on an hours-long bus ride to Citi Field to serve unsuspecting Mets diehards at some recent home games, according to employees and a union leader.
Food service firm Aramark, which hires vendors at both ballparks, is so desperate to fill positions amid the coronavirus crisis and its related economic downturn, it’s paying Philly-based workers to undertake the sometimes three-hour commute into enemy territory, said Ryan Nissim-Sabat, director of Union 174 in Philadelphia.“My guess is they’re struggling to fill positions because they don’t pay a high enough wage,” he said, adding that concessions workers make roughly $15 an hour. “At the end of [the] day we’re still in a pandemic, and asking workers to be in front of 10,000 strangers at a stadium is still somewhat risky.“They should be paying more.”
“I saw buses full of workers in the parking lot and saw they came from Philly,” said longtime Citi Field food vendor Bobby Lee.
Read more here.
Bobby Lee if you are wondering is a vendor that lives in KC and have been working as a vendor for years. I worked as a vendor back in the day for Harry M Stevens and can I tell you that it sucked. I hated it and you can make good money if you hustle but with the new cashless ballpark it is harder to get tips. It took few weeks for them Aramark to get a tip button on their handheld devices but they still haven't added it to the concession stands yet. I was told it wasn't done because they don't want fans to feel like they are being pressured to tip. I don't care where the vendors come from as long as they can make a living and aren't taking jobs from locals who can't get one which right now is not the case.
People ask what to eat at Citi Field when they go to a Mets game. You hear folks say Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, The Pete Alonso burger, Pat LaFrieda’s Steak Sandwich etc, but folks always forget the hidden gem of the ballpark. The Pastrami Sandwich. Whats’s more NY than a pastrami sandwich. It’s a throwback to the days gone by where you would grab this and maybe an egg cream? What’s an egg cream you ask? Google it. I’ll wait. Done?
Okay good. Back to the Pastrami at Citi Field. I will put the cured beef pastrami meat itself up against Katz and Zabar’s as one of the best tasting pastrami that I have ever had. It’s seasoned and cooked perfectly and is not too lean or has a lot of fat in in and just a great balance to it. The rye bread is is soft and able to handle the amount of pastrami that they put on it. It doesn’t bend under the weight of itself. The mustard is a spicy brown mustard which complements the other two tastes and it just becomes such a perfect food. The sandwich comes with a couple of pickle spears on the side which just add to the taste by adding a little saltiness when you bite into. I really am not doing this sandwich justice. You are going to have to try it yourself. The stand on field level is easily the best of the three places you can get it at the park. Oh and it’s even priced less then if you went to Katz or Zabar’s to get a similar sandwich.
Do yourself a favor next time you are hungry and at Citi Field. Get yourself this pastrami sandwich.
Friday Night Blackouts At Citi Field to Continue Throughout Remainder of 2021 Season
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 15, 2021 – The New York Mets today announced the team’s black jerseys will return on Friday, July 30 when the Mets host the Cincinnati Reds at 7:10 p.m. The Mets will wear their black Nike jerseys that night and all Friday nights at Citi Field for the remainder of the 2021 regular season.
In celebration of the return, the first 12,000 fans in attendance July 30 will receive a Black Francisco Lindor Mets T-Shirt presented by New Balance. Tickets are on sale now at Mets.com/Tickets. With Citi Field back at full capacity, the Mets encourage fans to take mass transit and arrive early.
The Mets originally introduced the black jerseys in 1998 and they remained in the team’s alternate jersey rotation through the 2012 season. The Mets last wore a home black jersey July 21, 2012.
For more information on purchasing a black jersey, go to Mets.com/TeamStore to fill out an inquiry form. MLB and the manufacturers manage the merchandise process and are working towards a retail sale in time for the holidays. Black T-shirts and caps and other merchandise will be available at the Mets Team Store at Citi Field starting July 30.
The Mets will wear black jerseys August 13 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers; August 27 vs. Washington Nationals; Friday, September 10 vs. New York Yankees; Friday, September 17 vs. Philadelphia Phillies.
Memorable Mets Moments wearing the Black Jerseys through the years:
TRIPLE-A CLASSIFICATION TO ADD 10 GAMES TO 2021 SCHEDULE
“Triple-A Final Stretch” reschedules five home games, five road games in tournament format
New York, NY, July 14, 2021 — Minor League BaseballTM (MiLBTM) and Major League BaseballTM (MLBTM) today announced the rescheduling of 10 games at the Triple-A level that were postponed at the start of the 2021 season. The rescheduled games will be played in a new postseason tournament format called the “Triple-A Final Stretch” and will follow the current 120-game Triple-A championship season schedule. All 30 Triple-A Clubs will play five home games and five road games during the Final Stretch.
For each the Triple-A East and Triple-A West, a 2021 Regular Season Champion will be named based on overall winning percentage through the originally scheduled championship season (concluding Sept. 19 and Sept. 21, respectively). Among the 30 Clubs, a single 2021 Triple-A Final Stretch Winner will also be crowned based on the highest overall winning percentage during this 10-game stretch. The winning Club will be awarded a prize from Major League Baseball.
“We think this format will add excitement to the end of the season while also allowing our teams a chance to reschedule games that were lost earlier in the year,” said Major League Baseball Senior Vice President, Minor League Operations and Development Peter Woodfork. “With all 30 teams participating in this Final Stretch, all Triple-A players and communities will have the opportunity to win this year’s postseason tournament.”
The following tiebreakers will apply to determine the two Regular Season Champions as well as the Final Stretch winner:
Best regular season winning percentage.
Regular season head-to-head record (if three or more clubs are tied, the
best winning percentage in games among the Clubs).
Best regular season winning percentage over the final 20 games.
Best regular season winning percentage over the final 21 games, etc.
The schedule for the Triple-A Final Stretch is attached and the matchups are as follows:
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
AWAY Lehigh Valley Rochester Syracuse Columbus Indianapolis Iowa Toledo Norfolk Gwinnett Memphis Reno Sugar Land Oklahoma City Tacoma Sacramento
HOME
Buffalo Worcester Scranton-WB Nashville Omaha St. Paul Louisville Charlotte Durham Jacksonville Albuquerque El Paso Las Vegas Round Rock Salt Lake
AWAY
Buffalo Worcester Scranton-WB Louisville Nashville Omaha St. Paul Charlotte Durham Jacksonville Albuquerque El Paso Round Rock Las Vegas Salt Lake
HOME Syracuse
Lehigh Valley Rochester Columbus Indianapolis Iowa Toledo Memphis Norfolk Gwinnett Sacramento Oklahoma City Sugar Land Reno Tacoma
