Tag: Jerry Manuel

Thumbs Up For Mets Manager Jerry Manuel

Today is two full months since Jerry Manuel was hired as the interim manager of the Mets. He took over for Willie Randolph on June 17th in the ill-fated late night firing in Los Angeles. Although the Mets front office took a lot of heat for the logistics of the firing, it turned out to be the right move. Now we’ve had a good sampling of the type of work that Manuel can do.

Manuel’s been able to develop positive relationships with the players. Some of the players he takes a “big brother” tact with, and others he has harsh words for in the media (e.g. Luis Castillo). That contrasts with Willie Randolph who didn’t seem to have any relationships in the locker room by the end of his tenure.

image Manuel’s moves on the field have been aggressive offensively, hitting and running is getting much more than lip service now. He’s picked his spots to show faith in his pitchers to get out of jams, and he’s shown a quick hook on occasion as well. He’s working with a good feel for the team, something I always though Randolph lacked.
Best of all, Manuel shows no favoritism to big contracts or veteran status. Players perform and they play, period. I hated the way Randolph made young players “earn” a move up in the batting order based on Major League tenure, not performance (e.g. David Wright).
I’m going to put my opinion out there that barring some dysfunctional collapse (e.g. 2007) I’d like to see Jerry Manuel get a contract with the Mets beyond this season. As the SNY crew mentions ceaselessly, Manuel is very self-aware and at peace with himself. What a great contrast to the paranoid Randolph, who became obsessed with denial of the 2007 “Collapse”.
Bring back Jerry!

Stephen A. Smith- The Brothers Manuel

I’m not a big Stephen A. Smith fan but I thought that I’d link to this article that he wrote for ESPN The Mag. The subject is the relationship between Mets manager Jerry Manuel and Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. Apparently, they’ve known each other for more than 20 years which isn’t a big surprise as the baseball circle is pretty small.

It sounds like the two have a lot of respect for each other and a good relationship:

“Charlie and I have known each other for more than 20 years. And every time he sees me, he says, ‘Jerry, you know the only thing good about you is your last name.’

I thinks it’s probably obvious that I can’t stand the Phillies but it seems like Charlie Manuel does a good job of maximizing the talent that he’s given. That’s all you can ask of a manager. He does a much better job of setting rules and expectations with his players than Willie Randolph did while he was with the Mets. That’s evidenced by his benching twice this season of reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins. Randolph was criticized for having two sets of rules: one for veterans and the other for younger players. Jerry Manuel’s seems to have done a good job of evening the playing field for the team and setting expectations.

It’s an interesting read as much as Stephen A. Smith could be.

Audio- Trade Deadline Edition- ESPN, Heyman, and Manuel

Here are some audio links regarding the trade deadline rumors and speculation:

Buster Olney, Peter Gammons, and Steve Phillips join Michael Kay on ESPN Radio to talk about the Pudge Rodriguez for Kyle Farnsworth deal, plus the other trade rumors.

ESPN Audio

SI’s Jon Heyman joins WFAN’s Joe & Evan show with the latest trade talk. Joe Benigno shows why he’s the worst broadcast personality in New York.

WFAN Audio

Mets manager Jerry Manuel joins WFAN for his weekly spot. Unfortunately, Joe & Evan are subbing for Mike and the Mad Dog.

WFAN Audio

Mets Pitcher John Maine Leaves Game Injured

John Maine was pulled in the fifth inning tonight by manager Jerry Manuel after experiencing stiffness in his shoulder. Manuel told reporters after the game that pitching coach Dan Warthen told him that Maine’s shoulder was stiff.

Warthen told Manuel that he didn’t like what he saw in Maine’s mechanics in the fifth inning so Manuel went out with a trainer to talk to him. Maine asked to stay in the game and promptly gave up a homer to Marlins catcher John Baker. It was a fastball right down the pipe.

That was it for Maine’s night. He was pulled immediately. Manuel said after the game that Maine will fly back to New York to have his shoulder looked at by doctors. That will determine whether he can make his next scheduled start in Houston on Sunday. Manuel said that if there’s any pain at all Maine won’t pitch Sunday.

The Mets have to be extremely cautious with Maine. He’s a young, talented pitcher that isn’t making much money yet. That’s about the most valuable type of player a team can have. It was smart of Manuel not to take any chances with Maine’s health.

Video- Mets Post Game July 24- Delgado, Perez, and Manuel

Here’s the SNY video from the post game interviews after yesterday’s 3-1 win over the Phillies in the final game of this weeks series. I wish that I had some video of Jimmy Rollins stuck in traffic and showing up late for the game. But I’ve only got Carlos Delgado, Oliver Perez, and Jerry Manuel.