Mets Add Jessica Mendoza - John Franco & Al Leiter As Baseball Ops Advisors

-

The New York Mets have announced that Jessica Mendoza will serve as a baseball operations advisor in the front office.

Quotes- Brodie Van Wagenen: "I want an outside the box hire. I've been a believer that you need to get new voices & fresh perspectives in any room, especially when making decisions. Jessica has a very high baseball IQ she has aptitude to learn anything & she knows the game."
Mendoza & Van Wagenen are both Stanford alumni, she supported him in his move from agent to GM & his wife Molly, along with Mendoza serve on the Women's Sports Foundations board of Trustees

Jessica Ofelia Mendoza was born November 11th, 1980 in Camarillo, California. Her father played football at Fresno State for four Years. The five foot nine, star athlete excelled in both baseball & basketball, winning "Female Athlete of the Year Awards" in her junior & senior high school years.

She attended Stanford University where she was the Cardinals' super star player. She holds school records for hits, HRs, stolen bases, runs scored, slugging & batting average. She won three Pac 10 Awards as well as three Stanford Player of Year Awards. Academically, she holds a Masters Degree in education & Social Sciences.

Mendoza was a two time outfielder for Team USA in the Olympics. Her team won the Gold medal in  the 2004 Athens Games & then a Silver Medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She was also a player in the Women's softball, National Fast Pitch League.

In 2004 she began working on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. By 2015 she became the first female broadcaster to call the College World Series as well as the first Female to call an MLB Post Season Game that October. In 2016 she joined the crew for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.


The Mets have also announced that former Mets pitchers, John Franco & Al Leiter will also join the organization as baseball operations advisors.
Quotes- Brodie Van Wagenen: “We’re really excited to have both. John has been with the organization for a long time. He’s been very active in community service. But to be able to bring him into the fold & have him become an advisor in the baseball operations department, we’re excited about. And Al has a unique energy. For those of you who have met Al in the past, he brings an energy every day.”

The Mets also added David Wright to the front Office this past winter. Hopefully these successful fan favorites of the past will bring nostalgia & knowledge to the team.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more

Willie Mays "The Sey Hey Kid #24": The Mets Years (1972 - 1973)

-
Image
By 1972 the Giants franchise was losing money, and owner Horace Stoneham was in debt. He would not be able to pay Mays' his big salary. So, after negotiations with the Mets Willie was traded back to New York for pitcher Charlie Williams & $50,000. At first, he did not know all the details & was upset at the trade. He felt betrayed by the Giants organization after all his years of dedicated service.  He felt a bit better after Stoneman tried to explain that it was done for Mays’ best interests as well as the team’s financial situation. New York Mets owner, Mrs.  Joan Payson was a huge fan of Willie and had tried to purchase his contract years earlier, offering one million dollars, but Stoneham refused the offer.  In 1972 the Mets gave Mays a ten-year contract at $ 175,000 a year, and after retirement $50,000 a year for the rest of his life. They offered him a position as a coach upon his retirement & Mrs. Payson promised to retire his number. Willie’s return to New
Read more

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

The 1970's Oakland A's Ball Girls- (MLB's First)

-
Image
In the days of the early seventies the Oakland A's won three straight Championships & changed the face of baseball forever.  The team's controversial owner was known to be cheap in paying his star players & known to meddle in the teams on field affairs. He drove managers crazy & even had Dick Williams resign after winning his second straight World Series. But Finley also revolutionized baseball in many other ways. He was instrumental in getting the designated hitter in the American League & have the World Series played at night, so fans could attend after work. He gave his players fancy names like Catfish, Blue Moon & True Blue.  When his star Reggie Jackson refused to shave his beard, he encouraged the whole team to grow facial hair by paying them $200 each.  The A's team even grew their hair long, a sign of the times. But before that baseball players had not had facial or long hair since the 1800's.  He introduced bright colored yello
Read more

Fictional Mets Infielder Chico Escuela ( of SNL) Visits Mets Spring Training (1979)

-
Image
Bill Murray interviews (Garrett Morris) Chico Escuela In March 1979, original Saturday Night Live cast member; Garrett Morris joined the Mets at Miller Huggins Field for Spring Training. At the time the Mets were still holding Spring Training in St. Petersburg Florida.  Morris was filmed being interviewed by his SNL cast mate, Bill Murray as the fictional Mets player: Chico Escuela who wore uniform #5 (cinque).  Escuela was famous for his spoof of the Latin players of the time, who did not speak much English. His famous quote "baseball been berry- berry good to me" began the previous year on SNL's weekend update. Bill Murray & Ed Kranepool It was said during the mock 1979 Spring Training interview, that Chico who was a nine time All Star second baseman, had given up his job at the Weekend Update Sports desk to make a comeback with the Mets at age 41.  Chico had fictionally written a tell all baseball book; "Bad Stuff About the Mets" which tick
Read more