Tag: Jerry Manuel

Mets Managerial Search Foreshadows Decision Making

New York Mets new general manager Sandy Alderson responds to a reporter's question as the MLB National League Mets introduce him at a news conference in New York, October 29, 2010. Long-time baseball executive Alderson, 62, succeeds Omar Minaya, who was fired earlier this month along with manager Jerry Manuel after the team's second consecutive losing season. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsDecisions made by upper management are their decisions to make with good reason. The opinions of sports talk gurus are only slightly more knowledgeable than the “Average Joe” getting bagels at the deli. The media covering the Mets poke blindly at who is the “obvious” or “necessary” pick for manager. The finalists for the Mets managerial job should tell the media and fans one thing “back off”. The new front office has an idea of what they want to do and they’re not going to be bullied by the masses who have little to no expertise on the subject matter.

Bobby Valentine has been left off the list and Wally Backman is looking destined for Single A. In the past I have lobbied for Backman, but I have to admit I just like my managers to be more Earl Weaver than Joe Torre. I like the Lou Pinella types who throw a tirade. I even like when players pull a Paul LoDuca and get in A-Rod’s face after a second too long pose down following a homer. In these situations, it’s best to see Alderson conducting his interviews without input from fans and the media know-it-alls.

Truth be told, the outcry from New Yorkers over unpopular decisions needs to be ignored continuously. Don’t pretend you weren’t looking for a tall building to scale after R.A. Dickey was signed. Continue reading “Mets Managerial Search Foreshadows Decision Making”

Video: Fred Wilpon on Minaya, Manuel Firings

Here’s some video from Fox Sports from the Mets press conference yesterday. Fred Wilpon takes responsibility for the team’s lack of success over the past few years, since 2008 really.

Wilpon talks about the job of the new GM and manager being to win games and how the Mets haven’t been doing that successfully recently.

If you have trouble viewing the video with Internet Explorer, try Firefox or Chrome.

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Video: Mets done with Minaya, Manuel

Mets Fire Manuel, Minaya – New Era Dawns

New York Mets newly appointed Manager Jerry Manuel (R) is introduced to reporters by Mets General manager Omar Minaya during a news conference in Anaheim, California, in this June 17, 2008 file photograph. The New York Mets fired Manuel and Minaya on October 4, 2010, just one day after the Major League Baseball regular season ended. Manuel and Minaya paid the price after the Mets stumbled to a second consecutive losing season (79-83) and failed to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year, despite having one of the league's biggest payrolls. REUTERS/Hector Mata (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsAs expected, the Mets fired Omar Minaya and declined to pick up the option on Jerry Manuel’s contract for next season. It was a decisive move, only one day after the end of another disappointing season.

Apparently, Minaya was offered another job with the Mets but declined. It was a reign of mostly unsuccessful seasons. He had six years at the helm of one of the monster payrolls of Major League Baseball with only one playoff appearance to show for it. Declining attendance and fan interest have been rampant since the end of the 2007 “Collapse”.

Manuel didn’t do a poor job but he didn’t do a great job either. He just didn’t inspire the players to do more than we thought they were capable of. I don’t blame the decline of the team on him but it wouldn’t be fair to saddle a new GM with a manager that he doesn’t want.

There’s been a lot of talk about the Wilpons trying to run the baseball operations of the team. Of course, it’s tough to get an accurate gauge on that without being in a room with them. Usually, when there’s smoke there’s fire though.

A new era begins for the Mets and I think we’re all ready to move on from the last few painful seasons. No matter which direction the Wilpons go, we should have some optimism for the future of the team.

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Last Day of 2010 Mets Season

382643 34: Flea from the music group 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' gives the photographer the finger at the 'My VH1 Music Awards' November 30, 2000 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Weeks/Liaison)

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsAbout 600,000 fewer of us visited Citi Field in 2010 than in 2009. That pretty much says it all. There just hasn’t been a reason to get excited about this team all year. Although the Mets were mathematically eliminated in recent weeks, we’ve known since after the All-Star break that this team was going nowhere. That 2-9 road trip to the west coast coming out of the break took what was left of the wind out of their sails.

Nobody other than Scott Boras cares if Mike Pelfrey gets his 16th win today. It’s a meaningless feat for an  irrelevant team.

The good news, depending upon your perspective, is that the firings will start tomorrow. You’ve probably heard the rumors that Omar Minaya will be fired or moved to another job where the damage that he does is contained. Jerry Manuel won’t return as manager. Most of us knew that when the Mets didn’t get off to that hot start that Manuel talked about all spring. He was cooked by April.

I, for one, happily say “goodbye” to the 2010 Mets. And good riddance.  I won’t miss you when you’re gone.

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Mets 2011 Management Strategy – “Integr-ious-ness is a Priority”

Yer Out!So no “official” announcement has been made by the Mets as to if and when the Manager and General Manager will be fired.

But… when you wake up to the NYPost reporting the story that both will be fired on Monday then it must be true. Right?

The general feeling is these firings are long overdue and needed to bring back some integr-iousness to the Mets.

If this were you or I, there’s usually some protocol as to when you would be told about your fate. For example, if you were doing a great job but unfortunately had to be laid off you would be given anywhere from 14 – 90 days advance notice. Maybe even more if you’re lucky. The employee could then use the time to transition to a new role or just come up with a reason to leave.

Good reasons are, “I would like to explore new opportunities“, “I would like to take care of my sick grandmother“,  “I would like to spend more time enjoying my vineyard“, “I would like to er, ah, uh do something uhh like integr-ious like“… something that says I’m happily moving on.

If you were being fired for performance reasons, management would wait for the very last minute and ask the employee to pack up and leave immediately.

File these terminations under the latter. Of course, nothing is official yet. These are all just assumptions. Right?

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Mets Play Two, Lose Two, September 29, 2010

Met Game 9/29/10
A Sparse Crowd Watches the Mets Lose Both Games of a Doubleheader

Yesterday’s double header was double trouble for the Mets.

Game 1 – Brewers 8, Mets 7
Game2 – Brewers 3, Mets 1

Game 1 was practically given away to the Brewers with Jon Niese giving up 6 runs in the 3rd inning. The Brewers, not to be outdone, allowed the Mets right back into the game by giving up 2 runs in the 3rd and 5 runs in the 4th to briefly give the Mets the lead 7-6. The Mets gave that lead right back by allowing 2 runs in the 8th and that was all the scoring for the game as the Brewers defeated the Mets by a score of 8-7.

New York used 8 pitchers in the first game because soon to be ex-Mets Manager, Jerry Manuel, could care less. He’s out of here in a few days. Niese started the game and went a full 2.2 innings followed by Ryota Igarashi, Raul Valdes, Sean Green, Elmer Dessens, Pedro Feliciano, Manny Acosta & finally, Hisanori Takahashi.

Game 2 featured a pitching matchup of Dickey vs Bush. No this is not a typo and Twitter users certainly caught the double entendre. R.A. Dickey, the new Mets ace, gave up 6 hits in 7 innings but only allowed 1 earned run. He still took the loss in the nightcap as the Mets offense was completely overpowered when the Brewers trotted out the way past his prime, all time saves leader, Trevor Hoffman, who pitched the 9th to earn his 601st save of his career. Note the Brewers regular closer, John Axford, was not available to close because he was used in Game 1.

Mercifully the season is over in 4 days.

Injury Update: Carlos Beltran is out for the rest of the season due to “Mild Inflammation” in his right knee (What’s New?) and Nick Evans injured his left, non-throwing, shoulder.

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What are 2011 Mets Biggest Needs?

July 10, 2010 - Flushing, N.Y, United States of America - 10 July, 2010: New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsThe New York Mets begin to look toward the off-season. There are injuries mounting and disappointments all around. We can only imagine what it must feel like to continue going to work knowing that it means nothing. How can they even pretend to act excited or even mildly interested in the game? Players must be looking at each other wondering who will be with the team next year and who won’t. And so begins the long, slow, excruciatingly painful, end to the season.

Mets fans will now be exposed to some of the young players in the farm system. I do not want to use the term “talent” because I have very little respect for the Mets farm system. We will begin to see players you have never heard of and might never hear of again. There will be a glut of pitching changes throughout the games to allow the youngsters some “in-game experience,” and we will slowly start thinking about football season again.

So what will the Mets do to fix this awful run of disappointing seasons? Well, we can all assume there will be a high priced player or two joining the club. There will be lots of promises of young talent and mending limbs. There will be whispers of big moves and possible trades that will never happen. There will be high hopes and a frenzied fan base waiting for that one miracle season. Continue reading “What are 2011 Mets Biggest Needs?”