Mets Morning News: Doc & Darryl Forever

Meet the Mets

Next season, the Mets will retire Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry’s numbers.

“When I got the call from Steve [Cohen], I welled up with tears of joy,” Strawberry said in a statement. “I started to reflect on my journey through the organization. I had some ups and downs, but in the end, I am proud of my time in New York.”

“I was completely overwhelmed when I got the call,” Gooden said. “There is no greater honor a player can receive than having his number retired. ... This would make my mother and father extremely proud.”

Though Doc and Darryl’s legacies are complicated by off-field issues, this honor is long overdue, writes Tim Healey of Newsday.

John Harper of SNY takes a look back at the phenomenon that was Dr. K and the larger-than-life quality to Darryl Strawberry’s Mets tenure.

Around the National League East

The Nationals rallied in the late innings to beat the Yankees 6-5.

Stephen Strasburg is planning to retire, as thoracic outlet syndrome sadly claims another career.

Around Major League Baseball

“Every minute of the last three years Shohei Ohtani spent on the baseball field was a gift,” writes Jeff Passan of ESPN.

And by the way, he’s still worth $500 million, writes Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports writes about the impact of Ohtani’s injury on his free agency and future in baseball.

The inaugural Baseball Champions League Americas will kick off in September, in which champions of the American Association, Mexican League, Cuba’s Serie Nacional and the Colombia Professional Baseball League will face off.

There were a lot of teams present to scout Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s start on Wednesday, including the Mets.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

David Capobianco continues to reflect on Matt Harvey’s incredible breakout season in 2013, looking back at the time he faced off against AL Cy Young favorite Max Scherzer.

Brian Salvatore helps us get to know another former Met who would be a useful addition to your Immaculate Grid arsenal: Elmer Dessens.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2009, the Mets traded Billy Wagner to the Red Sox for players to be later be named Chris Carter and Eddie Lora. By the end of the 2010 season, all three players were out of the majors.