Your Wednesday morning dose of New York Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
Meet the Mets
The bad news yesterday was that Mike Piazza was once again denied a spot in the Hall of Fame, finishing with 69.9% of the vote. He is quite awesome, though. Pedro Martinez did make the Hall, so at least there's some good news for a former Mets player. Randy Johnson, Craig Biggio and John Smoltz also got in and Mark Simon relayed the Mets' numbers against them. Not bad.
Mike Piazza's legacy has been questioned around the league but it hasn't been questioned by Mets fans, who are biased (in a good way) towards one of the best players in their history. Why did writers leave Piazza off their ballots? Some pretty awful reasons. The outcry on Twitter for Piazza was fierce.
Trade talks have been quiet but the Mets expect the market for Dillon Gee to pick up soon.
Around the NL East
Could Ben Zobrist land in Washington and what would it cost?
Nate Schierholtz and Ichiro Suzuki are on the Marlins' radar.
Imagine a lineup of 8 Evan Gattises (Gatti?). That would be interesting.
Will Aaron Harang's success continue with the Phillies? Does it matter?
Around the Majors
Will Leitch writes that personal bias has gotten in the way of Hall of Fame voting, which is ironic given that journalists were supposed to be neutral parties.
Here are five of the most confusing ballots in this year's group. Ugh, that Marty Noble ballot.
The Yankees have inkedStephen Drew to a one year deal, taking another SS off the market.
Brandon Beachy is looking to sign somewhere by the end of the week.
Not all contact is created equal, which is why statistics such as exit velocity are gaining popularity.
Yesterday At AA
Are the Mets ready to take New York back from the Yankees?
Here's a look at some of the most overlooked and underrated third basemen in Mets history.
If you read an article or find a link that you think would be a great addition to a future edition of Mets Morning News, please forward it to our tips email address tips@grission.com and we'll try to add it in.