Die Saalfelds » www.rockiesfanproshop.com

NEW YORK (AP) — At first Tyler Anderson Jersey , the New York Mets reached out to Brodie Van Wagenen simply for recommendations.Preparing to begin a general manager search last summer, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon already had a long relationship with Van Wagenen and figured the powerful player agent could offer some quality candidates thanks to his vast network of contacts developed during nearly two decades of negotiations.Turned out, the more they talked, Wilpon started to think Van Wagenen himself was the right man for the job — despite his unorthodox background.And when Wilpon late in the season suggested Van Wagenen switch sides at the bargaining table to take over the Mets’ baseball operations, Van Wagenen was intrigued. They discussed all the parameters over a private breakfast, and an atypical idea soon became a reality.“I recognize I am not the path of least resistance,” Van Wagenen said Tuesday.At a crowded news conference in a sprawling club area on the fifth floor of Citi Field, the 44-year-old Van Wagenen was introduced as the 13th general manager in Mets history. Given a four-year contract, he vowed to bring a winning culture of positivity to a stumbling organization coming off consecutive losing seasons.“I intend for players to be the priority of this franchise going forward,” Van Wagenen said, wearing a necktie in Mets blue and orange. “We have a lot of work to do in the coming days and weeks to build a championship roster and to put a good process in place for good decision-making. But I want to assure all Mets fans that every person in this organization will be fearless and relentless in our pursuit of greatness. Everyone will be working together in this effort.”Wilpon called the GM search exhausting. He said it began with a list of about 40 names that was narrowed to 10-12 candidates and then three finalists. And he detailed why he and his father, Mets owner Fred Wilpon, chose Van Wagenen to replace Sandy Alderson and build a “sustainable” winner.“He’s a leader. He’s organized. He’s going to be collaborative with our entire staff,” Jeff Wilpon said. “He’s got a plan. He’s got a deep analytic background. He’s got deep scouting background. He finds players before we even get to see them in the minor leagues and things. His player development and scouting will be tremendously important to the entire organization.“He’s going to bring some excitement. He’s going to bring a different look at things than we’ve had from traditional GMs http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey ,” the COO added. “We’re really energized by this.”Van Wagenen represented big names all around the majors, including Mets stars Jacob deGrom, Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier. Seven players on the team’s current 40-man roster are clients at CAA Baseball, where Van Wagenen was co-head after co-founding the division in 2006.And that number doesn’t even include another now-former Van Wagenen client, Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow — the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and ex-NFL quarterback.Jeff Wilpon said he spoke with the commissioner’s office and players’ union chief Tony Clark about the hire, and there are provisions in Van Wagenen’s contract “to deal with any conflicts of interest.”Van Wagenen, who had to give up his career as an agent to take the Mets job, said he has divested his interests at CAA. He said he kept clients apprised of his plans throughout the process, and many were supportive and enthusiastic about the “fresh perspectives” he could bring to a major league front office.But when buzz began to build about Van Wagenen flipping labor-relations roles, some players and rival agents did express concern.“Some decide to use situations as a platform for their own self-benefit, but I’m not concerned with those people,” he said.His switch is not unprecedented.Dennis Gilbert, Rick Hahn, Jeff Moorad and former big league pitcher Dave Stewart previously made the move from baseball agent to front-office executive. NBA general managers have done the same. NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey , vice president of football operations for Miami, worked as an agent between jobs with the Jets and Dolphins.“Tony Clark and I have been in constant communication throughout this process,” Van Wagenen said. “I’m very confident that I’ll be able to work with everybody on both sides of the aisle.”Van Wagenen insisted his new job actually won’t be that different from his old one. He said he already has a scouting network in place from his 18 years as an agent, when his mission was talent acquisition — same as it will be with the Mets.“I think this team needs to build, not rebuild,” he said.Van Wagenen voiced support for Mickey Callaway, who went 77-85 this year in his rookie season as Mets manager. The new GM also noted the valuable experience of assistant GM John Ricco and special assistants Omar Minaya and J.P. Ricciardi, the trio running baseball operations since Alderson stepped down in late June following a recurrence of cancer.Jeff Wilpon has said he would like all three to return — though that didn’t ensure they would be retained. Ricco, Minaya and Ricciardi all attended the news conference, but Van Wagenen said he hadn’t made any final decisions about his staff.“We will invest in our scouting department, we’ll invest in our player development, our health and wellness, and our analytics,” he said. “All will be priorities. Throughout my career I’ve come to understand that character and makeup are critical keys to success. I intend to make character the backdrop of this organization. We will identify it Wade Davis Jersey , we will develop it and we will build around it.”He does not anticipate an unusual level of owner involvement.“They’ve given me full autonomy for building the systems, hiring people that I want to, putting (together) a major league roster,” Van Wagenen said. “There is no general manager, there is no president of baseball operations in the game that has the ability to write checks, so I will be working together with them to determine what the right price points are for all of those investments.”Large scoreboards and smaller television screens all around the ballpark displayed a welcome message for Van Wagenen, with a photo of him smiling. He opened his formal remarks by paying tribute to the man he’s replacing, saying Alderson was a role model to him since his college days at Stanford and he hopes to lean on him going forward.“It’s humbling to stand here today as I try to follow in his footsteps,” Van Wagenen said. ATLANTA (AP) — DJ LeMahieu and the Colorado Rockies are quite comfortable on the road. Even against baseball’s best teams.LeMahieu homered, German Marquez pitched seven solid innings and the Rockies closed out their first four-game sweep in Atlanta with a 4-2 victory over the Braves on Sunday.Colorado improved to 30-16 since June 26, and each of those 46 games came against teams with winning records at the time. The Rockies are 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston and Atlanta, facing the Astros and Braves on the road.“Yeah, it’s tough teams but we’re definitely not nervous or scared to play anyone with our team http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey ,” LeMahieu said. “We all know we have a really good team here. It makes it easy to show up at the park.”LeMahieu put Colorado in front with his third-inning drive to left field . He has hit nine of his 11 homers on the road, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the 10th inning of Saturday night’s 5-3 win.“No explanation,” LeMahieu said when asked about his road success. “Just kind of random, I guess.”Rockies manager Bud Black said his team, battling Arizona for the NL West lead, is playing “good, all-around clean baseball,” but still can hit better.Atlanta’s four straight losses, tied for its longest streak of the season, followed a five-game winning streak.“In this business, every time you think you have something figured out, you get kicked right in the teeth,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.Marquez (11-9) won his fourth straight road decision. He allowed two runs and five hits, struck out five and walked one.“Hopefully we can keep this rolling all the way to the World Series Adam Ottavino Jersey ,” Marquez said through a translator.Marquez allowed a run in the first when Freddie Freeman doubled and scored on Johan Camargo’s single. He then threw four straight scoreless innings before Camargo’s single in the sixth drove in Freeman again.Trevor Story led off the second with a tying homer off Atlanta’s Anibal Sanchez (6-4) into the Colorado bullpen behind the left-field wall.Following LeMahieu’s homer in the third, David Dahl doubled and scored on Nolan Arenado’s single.Sanchez struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with three runs and five hits.Wade Davis gave up a one-out single to Inciarte but had three strikeouts in the ninth for his NL-leading 35th save.Colorado’s only previous sweep in Atlanta was a three-game series from Sept. 12-14, 1997.TRAINER’S ROOMRockies: LHP Mike Dunn (left shoulder inflammation) will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Albuquerque. He has been out since July 7. “It’s going to be a lengthy rehab assignment,” Black said, adding Dunn will need “multiple outings.”Braves: LHP Sam Freeman (left shoulder inflammation) was activated off the 10-day disabled list. LHP Kolby Allard was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.STREAKS ENDBraves rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. was 0 for 4, ending his 11-game hitting streak. His team-record streak of reaching safely in nine consecutive plate appearances leading off a game also ended with his fly ball to center in the first.WEST WOESThe Braves fell to 9-18 against the NL West this season. They are 40-19 against NL East teams.ROAD KINGSThe Rockies improved to 37-29 away from Coors Field. They have won their last four series in Atlanta; the Braves won two of three in Colorado from April 6-8.UP NEXTRockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (6-5, 4.39 ERA) tries to bounce from a rough outing at Houston when he gets the ball in the opener of a three-game series against visiting San Diego on Tuesday night. The Rockies are 16-5 at home since July 2.Braves: RHP Kevin Gausman (7-9, 4.22 ERA) starts when Atlanta opens a seven-game road trip at Pittsburgh on Monday night.