WFAN audio clips from today with SNY broadcaster Ron Darling talking to Boomer and Carton about the first days of Jerry Manuel’s reign with the Mets. WFAN’s Mets beat reporter Eddie Coleman talks to Joe & Evan about the crazy week the Mets have had.
Author: Dave Doyle
Frequently disappointed Mets fan
Blue Jays Fire John Gibbons
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
The managers firing line continues. Apparently, Omar Minaya started a domino effect by firing Willie Randolph on Monday (or Tuesday depending on what time zone you were in). The Mariners fired John McLaren yesterday. Most likely they were upset that he wasn’t the first manager fired this season after the worst in MLB record.
Former Mets catcher John Gibbons was fired by the Toronto Blue Jays after their 35-39 start and losing the last five consecutive games. Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi took his anger out on Cincinnati Reds outfielder Adam Dunn for some unknown reason, telling a radio station that Dunn doesn’t care about baseball and wouldn’t trade for him. I’m glad to see that one team is more dysfunctional than the Mets.
The Blue Jays hired former Jays manager Cito Gaston to return to his scene for former glory. He won two World Series’ in 1992 and 1993.
On Deck: June 20- Mets At Rockies
New York Mets (35-36 Road: 15-22) at Colorado Rockies (31-42 Home: 19-17) 9:05 pm
John Maine (6-5 3.87) vs. Aaron Cook (10-3 3.29)
What to watch: Jerry Manuel’s first week as Mets manager continues in Colorado for a weekend series. The Mets were there last month and Aaron Cook threw a complete game giving up only one run on May 25. That was when Ryan Church was feeling the effects of his concussion and the Willie Watch was in full swing. Maine has had a couple of below average starts in a row now against Texas on June 15 (6.1 IP 5 ER) and Arizona on June 10 (5 IP 3 ER). Colorado’s a tough place to pitch but the Mets need a better effort from him tonight.
Report: Bernazard May Be Next Mets GM
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New York Mets VP Tony Bernazard may end up being the next Mets GM if Omar Minaya is fired after this season according to a report by Adam Rubin of the Daily News. It’s an open secret that Bernazard allegedly attempted to engineer the firings of Willie Randolph, Rick Peterson, and Tom Nieto. He was seen having deep conversations with Jerry Manuel in the dugout while the Mets were preparing to play the Los Angeles Angels, in what turned out to be Randolph’s final game as manager.
Bernazard was a special assistant to the MLBPA prior to joining the Mets. He’s made no secret of his desire to be a Major League GM having interviewed for the Pittsburgh Pirates position when Dave Littlefield was fired.
Bernazard has been the brunt of many scathing indictments of his back-stabbing, politicking in the Mets organization. There are stories of his being the sounding board for the Latin players to complain about Randolph, his locker room interference, and his close relationship with Jeff Wilpon.
The report goes on to say that Bernazard positions himself as a proponent of building the Mets from the farm system, not free agency. If that’s the case, Minaya better watch his back or he may end up on the unemployment line with Randolph. It sounds like Bernazard is already beginning to draw distinctions between himself and Minaya.
Rick Peterson Speaks To XM Radio About Mets Firing
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Former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson spoke to XM radio yesterday about being fired by the Mets. He said that Omar Minaya delivered the news of his firing with sympathy. He said the he hopes that the Mets can get things turned around. About the Mets he said:
I don’t have any animosity or vindictive or angry thoughts. I’m sad, you’re always sad when you leave a home that you felt very comfortable at.
Too much Zen and too little pitching from Peterson this year. John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Aaron Heilman regressed this season and the Mets can’t have their young pitchers moving in the wrong direction. If you’re a regular reader, you know that my opinion is that Peterson deserved to be fired for recommending the Scott Kazmir trade. So if anything else that he did went South, he was probably on thin ice with the Mets front office.
Video: Minaya Talks Randolph Firing Again
This time the video is from Fox Sports Radio with Chris Myers. Omar Minaya talks about his decision to fire Willie Randolph, the source of the team’s problems recently, and the future of the manager’s job with the Mets.
Randolph Writes About Being Fired
This is an incredible scoop by the Daily News. Willie Randolph writes a first person account about his firing by Omar Minaya. There isn’t that much new that we don’t already know here. We knew that he was passionate about managing the Mets and that he wants another managerial job. The only new piece of information that I didn’t already know is this:
I stood up and shook his hand, told him I wished him and the team well. Then he handed me an envelope, a little parting gift, and told me to make sure I reviewed it with my agent, Ron Shapiro.
It was a copy of my Met contract that basically says I better not say anything detrimental about the team, or I might jeopardize the rest of the money I have coming to me.
This is the story that will never end. I’m really just looking forward to seeing what Jerry Manuel can do with this team and forgetting that the 2007 and early ’08 Mets ever happened.
The Mets Report 