Mets Morning News: Big A-Rod fans over here

Meet the Mets

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are working on raising funds to bid on the Mets, according to a Variety report.

Jacob deGrom and Pete Alonso joined a group of major league ballplayers who wanted to remind fans to stay home.

Mike Puma is planning to release his first book next spring, titled, “If These Walls Could Talk, New York Mets.” He submitted the manuscript yesterday.

Puma’s Mets Mailbag this week looked to answer questions about Noah Syndergaard’s and Michael Conforto’s futures with the club, among other things.

Mets PA announcer Colin Cosell is offering kind words and crafting personalized audio clips for anybody who asks amid the current crisis.

After The Strokes released “Ode to the Mets” on their stellar new album “The New Abnormal”, Rustin Dodd and Andy McCullough attempted to compile a list of the 30 greatest baseball songs of all time. (Paywall Alert)

In the latest edition of The Red Seats Pub, Tim Britton asked, “who is the best leadoff hitter in Mets history?” (Paywall Alert)

Around the National League East

Marlins CEO and non-unanimous Hall of Fame inductee Derek Jeter is treating his salary like any ball to his left, and choosing to forego it (shout out to David Capobianco for the line) for 2020. Members of the Marlins organization’s executive team have taken pay cuts as well.

Over Easter weekend, Ryan Zimmerman and his wife Heather sent 150 meals to hospital workers to show their support. Since then, Pros For Heroes has raised nearly $310,000 with the help of DC athletes and fans.

Around Major League Baseball

A new MLB proposal has emerged that would have teams playing in empty stadiums in three different hubs (Florida, Arizona, and Texas) to start the season.

Players do not believe that they should take a pay cut if they play in empty stadiums.

Tony Clark balked at the idea of renegotiating players’ salaries in the event that fan-less games become a reality.

Former major league first baseman and outfielder Bob Oliver passed away yesterday at the age of 77. He is the father of former Mets pitcher Darren Oliver. Our thoughts go out to Darren and his family in this difficult time.

A number of major league teams, including the Reds, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, and Twins, came out yesterday and committed to paying their baseball operations employees through May 31. Jeff Passan shared a full list of the clubs.

The Padres became the first team to guarantee employment for baseball ops personnel through October. In addition, higher-level employees are taking pay cuts.

In the next issue of Baseball Digest, Alyssa Nakken (Giants) and Rachel Balkovic (Yankees) will become the first two women in MLB uniforms to grace the cover since the magazine was launched in 1942.

Carlos Correa spoke about how baseball will be very different when it finally returns.

Several players will miss out on the opportunity to reach career milestones with a shortened or canceled 2020 season.

Tim Kurkjian looked at the history of the box score and how the obsession was born.

Organizations may be able to furlough or salary reduce some non-playing personnel once MLB triggers that provision.

Two fans from New York have filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball, the individual teams, and their official ticket resalers like Stubhub for failing to offer refunds for games that have not been played to date due to coronavirus.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Voting is now open for the Sweet 16 in the UltiMET of the Millennium Madness tournament!

Episode 56 of From Complex to Queens went live!

Don’t forget to tune in to Amazin Avenue’s Facebook page tonight at 8:30pm for a livestream of A Pod Of Their Own, which will feature a tasting of Insomnia Cookies!

This Date in Mets History

Two World Series-bound Mets teams continued their hot streaks on April 21.

In 1986, the future world champs won in walk off fashion against the Pirates 6-5 after trailing 4-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth. It was the team’s fourth straight, and signified the last day the team would occupy any place other than first during the season.

In 2015, the Mets steamrolled the Braves 7-1 for their ninth straight win—including eight straight at Citi Field—to match the 1986 Mets with an 11-3 record. Kevin Plawecki made his major league debut in place of an injured Travis d’Arnaud and registered two hits while scoring two runs.