Realized the other day that I can’t remember a period during which I’ve had any less idea about what happens next with the Mets as I do right at this moment. And it’s a strange feeling.
We were all pretty certain that Jerry Manuel wasn’t coming back, and fairly sure Omar would go too, but even back then you were assured by the press that Wally Backman would be next in line, given the Mets’ financial situation, and that maybe for budgetary purposes and tradition they hand it over to John Ricco and a team of bickering advisors but that doesn’t seem all that likely anymore. For one, there’s the idea out there that Sandy Alderson can take the GM job if he wants it, and that would mean neither Backman (who might be fun) nor Bobby Valentine (good and fun!) would be his choice to mange. Well who then? Joe Torre?
And will it matter anyway, now that we’ve seen the accounts of Jon Daniels’ inability to hide interest in the gig? Or will Rick Hahn’s Wolverine background carry the day? If you asked me two weeks ago I’d have said Terry Ryan gets the GM chair. Maybe not now.
Today (Friday the 15th, if anyone asks) my bizarre hunch is that Alderson gets the GM job and names Wally Backman the manager … of Class AA Binghamton. Lee Mazzilli in an upset gets the Mets’ managing job and his No. 13 back. Sorry, Mike Nickeas, that’s just how I see it, today.
What do you guys think?
Submitted by Paul (not verified) on Fri, 10/15/2010 – 6:07pm.
I don’t know… I’m not that interested in speculating, really. I don’t know enough about the GM candidates to have much of an opinion, and I don’t think that the manager’s job is that important.
I hope the Mets have someone in the GM’s chair by the end of the playoffs, and I hope that he (or she) has a solid plan for turning the organization around.
I’m glad they’re not rushing to the first big name
Submitted by 9th_string_catcher (not verified) on Tue, 10/19/2010 – 10:44am.
Hopefully they find someone who can articulate a short term and long term plan, has a professional track record, but isn’t completely inflexible. I don’t think you’ll see Maz running anything here anytime soon. I think Tim Teufel stands a better chance if he interviews well. I think promoting a manager from within the Met’s minors is important because of all the youth on the team, and I don’t think you’ll see a whole lot of new faces coming in. I also think you need a dynamic outsider who can bring in other baseball perspective and help make decisions outside of a vacuum. I think Alderson might be too much of a know it all, and that probably wouldn’t work either.
Teufel Scuffle
Submitted by Jon Springer on Fri, 10/29/2010 – 10:48am.
I know winning in the minors isn’t everything, but Teufel’s teams aside from a 1st place with a typically stacked Brooklyn team have mostly been terrible.