36 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 19, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Astoria teen honored as 2020 ‘Future Woman of Distinction’
Despina Anastasiou,
an Ambassador
Girl Scout and
recipient of
the Girl Scout
Gold Award,
has been a
member of
Girl Scouts
of Greater
New York
for 13 years
as part
of Troop
#4375.
Mets to explore all free-agent starting pitcher options
BY JOE PANTORNO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
If you’re a free-agent starting pitcher
that has had some semblance of majorleague
success in the recent past, there is a
good chance the New York Mets will take
a fl yer on you.
Multiple reports — including
those from SNY’sAndy Martinoand
Metsmerized’sTim Ryder— the Mets are
preparing to or have already reached out
to a litany of free-agent starters since Steve
Cohen’s closed the deal to take over the
club as the majority owner.
Names that have already emerged as
potential targets include Charlie Morton,
Corey Kluber and Mike Minor (h/t
Ryder) — which the Mets have already
checked in on.
Th e newfound aggression on the freeagency
market ushered in by Cohen’s
arrival is only a signal of things to come
under the richest owner in Major League
Baseball.
When it comes to adding some muchneeded
depth within the starting rotation,
a source added to amNewYork Metro
on Monday that “no stone will be left
unturned.”
Considering Cohen’s affl uence within
an MLB market that sees a majority of its
teams either shedding salary or pennypinching
aft er losing a combined $3.1 billion
due to the COVID-19 epidemic this
summer, it’s an understandable and logical
approach that’s being taken by the Mets.
Th ey have the potential to outbid 90 percent
of the league and they are starving for
legitimate starting-pitching depth — which
has been an Achilles heel of the
organization for years.
Th e Mets’ ability to retain
Marcus Stroman on an
$18.9 million qualifying
off er last week was a crucial
fi rst step in the right
direction to start building
that reliable staff
behind two-time
NL Cy Young
Award winner
Jacob deGrom.
But there
are still
numerous
holes to
address,
though.
Noah Syndergaard is recovering from
Tommy John surgery and is expected to
miss early portions of the 2021 season.
Meanwhile, Steven Matz may have run
out of chances to stay in the rotation aft er
posting a 9.68 ERA in nine appearances
last season.
Neither Michael Wacha nor Rick
Porcello worked out during their one-year
deals and are not expected to return to
the organization, but David Peterson did
emerge as a legitimate southpaw option
during his rookie campaign.
Th at leaves the Mets with a
current Opening Day rotation
of the following players:
Jacob deGrom, Marcus
Stroman, David Peterson
and Steven Matz.
Th at’s it, though they
could get Syndergaard
back between May and
July.
Seth Lugo has performed
admirably as a
starter despite his role
fl ip-fl opping from the
bullpen to the rotation.
Simple logic suggests
that the righty
should stay a reliever
where he’s been
far more eff ective.
Signing a
proven veteran arm like Morton, Kluber,
Minor, Jake Odorizzi, or Masahiro
Tanaka bolsters the bottom of the Mets’
rotation and allows them to fl ex Matz
to the bullpen or have that immediate
depth available to plug in any potential
holes if injuries strike or Peterson experiences
a sophomore slump of sorts.
Th at’s also not to mention a potential
pursuit of the crown jewel of the freeagent
starting-pitching market: 2020 NL
Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer.
Th e Mets are being tabbed by many to
be a major player in the Bauer sweepstakes,
which would immediately provide one of
the most formidable one-two punches in
baseball alongside Jacob deGrom.
Suddenly, a dream off season on the
free-agent market could have the Mets
possessing the best rotation in baseball (as
seen below) rather than one that is constantly
in fl ux:
Hypothetical Mets 2021
Opening Day starting rotation
• Jacob deGrom
• Trevor Bauer
• Marcus Stroman
• Charlie Morton/Corey Kluber/Mike
Minor/Jake Odorizzi
• David Peterson
Such a fi vesome would allow the Mets to
slowly and safely bring back Syndergaard
where they could then fl ex Peterson into a
reserve role alongside Matz as legitimate
depth options in 2021.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Girl Scouts of Greater New York
(GSGNY) honored 17-year-old Despina
Anastasiou from Astoria as the 2020
Future Woman of Distinction for her
extraordinary leadership and dedication
to community service.
Anastasiou was recognized alongside
eight women leaders at Girl Scouts of
Greater New York’s 28th annual Women
of Distinction virtual weeklong event
this month. Each year, GSGNY holds
the Women of Distinction event in celebration
of Girl Scouts founder Juliette
Gordon Low’s birthday, celebrating female
leaders who exemplify Girl Scout values.
“Girl Scouts of Greater New York is
proud to name Despina Anastasiou our
2020 Future Woman of Distinction, honoring
her as a role model for younger Girl
Scouts and all New Yorkers,” said Meridith
Maskara, CEO of GSGNY. “Despina has
demonstrated a strong commitment to
community service, repeatedly using her
leadership skills to take action and make
a positive impact in the world.”
Anastasiou, an Ambassador Girl
Scout and recipient of the Girl Scout
Gold Award, has been a member of Girl
Scouts of Greater New York for 13 years
as part of Troop #4375.
“Girl Scouting has been enormously
infl uential on my character, and on how
I perceive myself and the world around
me,” Anastasiou said. “Over the years,
Girl Scouts instilled a confi dence within
me that enabled me to go out and achieve
my goals, and always gave me role models
to show me what is possible, especially in
male-dominated fi elds.”
Anastasiou, a senior at Dominican
Academy High School in Manhattan,
began Girl Scouting 13 years ago as a
Daisy in kindergarten. Back then, she
was excited to plant trees in parks, sing in
nursing homes and repeat the Girl Scout
Pledge, which she was so proud to have
memorized.
Yet as time progressed, Anastasiou
discovered that there was more to Girl
Scouts than she had ever imagined. Th is
one organization which she thought only
existed in her local church was actually
just one of the many troops that belonged
to a national movement of Girl Scouts. As
her knowledge grew, so did her desires to
take Girl Scouting to the next level.
One way she did that was through her
Gold Award Project, “We Can All Dance,”
which revolved around her two passions:
dance and international relations.
Th e dance studio she attended, as well
as many others, did not have a program
for children with special needs and was
not inclusive to all in the area. She joined
an organization called Dancing Dreams,
where she continues to teach dance to
children with physical and mental disabilities
weekly, always looking for new ways
to fi t the specifi c needs of every child.
Wanting to take her project further and
bring it to a worldwide scale, Anastasiou
began advocating and spreading the word
that she wanted to collect dance costumes
to send to girls in developing countries.
At the end, she collected 138 costumes,
which she was able to donate to an organization
called Traveling Tutus. Th ey
helped her send the costumes to countries
throughout Africa. Her project, We Can
All Dance, was founded on the belief that
everyone deserves the chance to dance —
no matter what physical, mental or socioeconomic
diffi culty one faces.
Today, Anastasiou continues to work
on her project with the hope of being able
to help more children. She has formed
meaningful relationships with the children
she has worked alongside throughout
the way.
Recently, Anastasiou began her own
nonprofi t organization called Epistles for
the Elderly, which encourages teenagers
to write down their personal stories,
which she then sends to nursing homes
throughout the United States.
Anastasiou’s passion for positive change
has driven her to pursue a major in international
relations on a pre-law track at
college next year, aft er which she aspires
to attend law school to become an international
criminal defendant. She credits
her experience as a Girl Scout for
inspiring her to pursue a service-oriented
career.
Orlando
Ramirez-USA
TODAY Sports
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