Category: Latest News

Who is Wally Backman?

Manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones Wally Backman gets vocal during a game on July 31, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY (Photo by Jack Shea / Meet The Famous) Photo via Newscom

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsWith the Mets catching naps while there are runners in scoring position, there isn’t much more to say that hasn’t been said. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder to defend any criticism journalists or fans are throwing at the blue and orange. If this continues, as seems expected, there will be a big shakeup necessary.

Although I have enjoyed Jerry Manuel’s ability to deflect and laugh in the face of his utter demise, Met fans are looking for someone to throw a water cooler when they are playing like this. With Wally Backman stirring in the minors and Fred Wilpon’s love for the ’86 team, is there a doubt that this is the inevitable move?

Wally Backman is the current favorite to replace Manuel and he is a stark contrast to the current head of the team. Backman has a history of success in the minors with affiliate clubs of the White Sox and the Diamondbacks. In 2004, Arizona took notice and looked to bring Backman to the big club. However, in November of that year Arizona learned about the baggage that tends to come with the hard nosed types. Wally found himself a target of Bryant Gumbel’s HBO Real Sports. The show took a look at Backman’s DUI arrest in 1999. More unsettling news was soon coming to the surface as reporters began to uncover the truth. In 2000, Backman was arrested due to an altercation in his home. Backman also had financial woes and filed for bankruptcy to avoid over 20 creditors. Continue reading “Who is Wally Backman?”

Video: Mets’ Minaya on 2010 Trading Deadline

April 27 2010: Mets' starting pitcher Oliver Perez (46) delivers a pitch during game 2 of a double header MLB game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field in Flushing, New York. The Mets beat the Dodgers 10-5.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsHere’s some video from ESPN with Omar Minaya talking about the Mets lack of activity at the non-waiver trading deadline yesterday. The biggest issue he talks about is that other teams were interested in the Mets young players that are making an impact in the bigs this year like Jon Niese, Josh Thole, Ike Davis, and Bobby Parnell.

It wouldn’t make sense to me to trade those guys for a rental pitcher like a Ted Lilly or Jake Westbrook. The Mets are 6.5 games out of the division and the wild card today. It wouldn’t make sense to make bold moves when they’re not really in either race at the moment.

The Mets need to keep working hard to unload the dead weight on the roster in August. It’s a guarantee that Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo will be going through waivers this week. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jeff Francoeur went through waivers this month either. There’s no chance he’ll be offered arbitration after this season. So there’s no reason not to put him through waivers to see if there’s a taker out there.

Here’s the video:

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

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Mets Quiet at 2010 Trade Deadline

July 23, 2010 Los Angeles, CA..Mets Luis Castillo in action during the Major League Baseball game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Mets defeated the Dodgers, 6-1..Josh Thompson/CSM.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js“Mets are in no position to deal prospects of any worth at this point.” -David Lennon of Newsday Long Island

One month ago I would have disagreed with this tweet, as would most Met fans, but at this point I wholeheartedly agree. The team has basically let their season unravel and has not been able to overcome key obstacles. We are now seeing the Mets for what they really are, a flawed .500 caliber baseball club.

The asking price of many of the players on the block is far too high in my opinion to begin with. With the Mets sinking lower and lower in the standings, to trade away the team’s young talent in an act of desperation now would make no sense. Although the Mets do have some promising young players on the farm, the depth of the system is still a concern. The Mets are simply in no position to dispatch prospects in an effort to get climb back into the thick of the race.

As dissatisfied as I was that Omar Minaya didn’t make a move when the team looked like they would stay in contention, I can’t say that I really believe that any pitcher, except for maybe a Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt, would have made a significant difference. During the recent stretch that has buried the Mets in the standings, the offense, or lack thereof, has been the team’s primarily fault. This is after fans were calling for Minaya’s head for not acquiring a top of the line starting pitcher. I’ll admit, I was one of them.

Although the front office failed in the Lee and Oswalt sweepstakes, I was happy that Omar did not give up Jon Niese or Ike Davis, as I view those two as cogs of the future and trade untouchables. Recently, it was understood that the Astros were asking for Josh Thole and Bobby Parnell in exchange for RHP Brett Myers or perhaps LHP Wandy Rodriguez. Thole looks to be the catcher of the future and Parnell seems to be progressing nicely in his development. Neither of those pitchers are worth Parnell and Thole in my opinion. Continue reading “Mets Quiet at 2010 Trade Deadline”

4 Ways To Fix the Mets

1986 World Series Trophy
Image by slgckgc via Flickr

This is a guest post by frequent commenter and occasional ranter MetStatHead. The non-waiver trading deadline always brings out some strong feelings in fans and this season is no different. Here are four ways to fix the Mets.

Start Fresh

This team is in need of an overhaul. It starts with the GM Omar Minaya. For years the Mets have forgone the MLB draft and used its resources in Latin America and Asia. The MLB draft produces many Major League ready players and prospects. The team consistently ranks in the bottom third of Minor League systems because of the lack of Major League ready talent. Take a look at the Washington Nationals, they have on their team a handful of drafted players that have pitched and played in college. These players know how to play the game and win. Often times these players are polished and need little work before they climb the ranks in the minors. The Nationals are a team to be admired.

I would like to see the Wilpons clean house. A new GM, coaching staff, and medical staff. Bring in some former Mets that have experienced winning, either with the Mets or with other teams. Bring in a big name coach if needed, but this management needs to be released. Continue reading “4 Ways To Fix the Mets”

Mets 1986 Shadow

FLUSHING, NY - OCTOBER 27: The New York Mets celebrate after winning game 7 of the 1986 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium on October 27, 1986 in Flushing, New York. The Mets won the series 4-3. (Photo by T.G. Higgins/Getty Images)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsAmidst a terrible roadtrip the ’86 Mets, who seem to cast a bigger shadow each season, were outspoken again. This time the whistle blower was Bobby Ojeda. “Bobby O” was once a far cry from the lighthearted commentator you can watch on the SNY pre/post game. In 1986, the former Red Sox starter was a rough around the edges pitcher and arguably the best of a staff of aces. One of his teammates joined the nudging when Darryl Strawberry, for the second time this year, had something to say about the latest installment of disappointing baseball. The last team to win a championship in Queens has been consistently vocal about the Mets’ clubs and their shortcomings. The arrogant and noisy ’86ers won with their ability to talk and back it up on the field. Their brash , no nonsense, say what I want attitude has continued to show up years since they have retired. It must be said however, that there is something about their blunt and impulsive action that still inspires New Yorkers. The shadow only grows with Jerry Manuel’s Mets skidding and Wally Backman hit and running teams to death with the Brooklyn Cyclones. Here are some verbal lashings from the ’86 Champs directed at Mets’ clubs.

Keith Hernandez – 2002

Dubbed by The Seattle Times as “Keith Hernandez VS Mike Piazza” the two traded verbal blows when the disappointing club looked asleep at the wheel. Hernandez, who’s job it was and is still to analyze, might have gone overboard with his quote “The club has no heart; The Mets quit a long time ago. Bobby Valentine could’ve chewed this team out in June when this stuff started creeping in”. Piazza, angered by the comment, shot back with “He’s just trying to make a name at our expense” he continued to add “like he’s a judge of character, who quit or didn’t quit?” Keith stood by his comments but admitted he could have found a better way to put it. Continue reading “Mets 1986 Shadow”

2010 Mets – We Believe in Comebacks!

New York Mets Omar Minaya reacts while sitting upstairs in a game against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field in New York City on July 30, 2009. The Mets defeated the Rockies 7-0. (UPI Photo/John Angelillo) Photo via Newscom

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsDo you? Because I don’t buy it at all.

You can recycle that ad campaign for next year because it doesn’t look like the Mets will be coming back this year. The season is starting to slip away fast and this will be the third year in a row that the Mets, who again have one of the highest payrolls and the some of the best talent in the league, will just choke it all away.

On my very first article for the Mets Report I predicted that the Mets were no better than a 4th place team. The Mets are now ½ game out of fourth and it looks like my prediction may come true.

Despite the fact that I didn’t predict the wonderful additions of Ike Davis and Angel Pagan as true everyday players, which should have made them wild card contenders this year, I did get the feeling that with Omar Minaya in charge the Mets would make an early run and then drop out of the race yet again. Continue reading “2010 Mets – We Believe in Comebacks!”

Poll: Mets Firing Jerry Manuel?

Jerry Manuel
Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

The Mets are headed home from a 2-9 road trip that dropped them to one game over .500. They’re now 7.5 games behind the Braves and fell behind the Phillies to third place in the division. It’s not an insurmountable lead, but the offense has disappeared and the roster is pretty messy.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Mets fired Jerry Manuel tomorrow. I don’t hope he gets fired. He seems like a good, well-meaning guy. So I never like to see someone like that get fired.

Let’s face it though, it would be easy to fire Manuel on tomorrow’s off day. You can’t fire all the players so the manager will be the one to take the fall when things aren’t going well. We all know that. And the Mets have almost no commitment to Manuel left. He doesn’t have a contract for next year. The team would only have to pay him for two more months. There’s no financial constraint against letting him go right now.

What do you think? Will the Mets let him go now?


Will the Mets fire Jerry Manuel this week?survey software

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