Your Monday morning dose of New York Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
The Mets are allowing prized prospect Rafael Montero to pitch for a club in his native Dominican Republic this winter.
John Sickels has a sweet article about how Jacob deGrom dropped some hints in the minors about how he was ready to break out in 2014.
The Star-Ledger grades the surprisingly effective Buddy Carlyle on his 2014 season.
Rising Apple reviewsRuben Tejada and his somewhat disappointing campaign.
With Matt Harvey on his way back from Tommy John surgery, Mets 360 proclaims that our team has already won the offseason.
Around the Majors
Sweep city! Bud Norris allowed just two hits and two walks in 6.1 innings, while Nelson Cruz belted a two-run home run off of David Price to help the Orioles defeat the Tigers 2-1 in the third and final game of the ALDS.
Baltimore will host the Royals in the ALCS starting on Friday. Kansas City swept its ALDS as well with an 8-3 triumph over the Angels on Sunday night. Norichika Aoki reached base four times during the game and Alex Gordon hit a three-run double in the first inning to get the Kauffman Stadium party started.
After the elimination of Detroit, veteran outfielder Torii Hunter is mulling retirement.
Someone who has already made up his mind about retirement: former Met Fernando Tatis, who spent this past season in the Mexican League. I'm going to miss that guy.
The Giants have a chance to pull off a sweep of their own when they face the Nationals in San Francisco this evening. Washington manager Matt Williams says he had trouble sleeping after pulling Jordan Zimmermann in the ninth inning of Game 2, and it's not just because the decision added on nine innings to the length of the game.
The only series that definitely won't end in a sweep is the NLDS between the Cardinals and Dodgers, which is currently tied at 1-1. Mike Matheny wants his players to be able to stand up for themselves without risking suspension.
Around the NL East
Federal Baseball goes deep inside Williams' fateful decision and the rest of Washington's Game 2 marathon loss to the Giants.
A newsreel from Game 7 of the 1924 World Series between the Washington Senators and New York Giants has been discovered.
Yesterday at AA
On this date in 1969, the Mets clinched their first National League pennant.