Tuesday, June 30, 2009

(5) Comments

Time is Now to Fire Jerry Manuel; Who's Next?

Vegas Rich

That's it, I'm done. In fact I'm well done as in overcooked the same as over-managing. This is not something new with me. I have been on this tare since Jerry threw Ryan Church and Daniel Murphy under the bus in Spring Training.

I will say I was a Willie Randolph fan. Was he the best manager in Mets history? No, not even close, but he was, at least in concept, what this team needed when he was hired. He came from a Yankee mold under Joe Torre that let the players play the game but they were held responsible for their actions. He wasn't their buddy and he was in the field on a daily basis teaching players how to play the game fundamentally the correct way.

He played the game the right way. He hustled out of the box and ran hard all the time. He knew how to advance a runner. He knew when the third baseman is charging down the line you bunted towards the first base side. He knew not to miss a base while circling the base-paths. I could go on ad nausea.

Every year his team improved. He was unjustly blamed for the 2007 September collapse. He was criticized for his use of the rotation and the bullpen during that time. He was dismissed most unceremoniously just after his team had just beat the best team in baseball at that time, the LA Angels in their park 2 out of 3 games.

Fast forward to Jerry "Gangsta" Manuel. The press loved him from day 1. Why? Because he gave good sound bytes and gave the media what they wanted. Besides he was a former "Manager of the Year" for the Chicago White Sox.

Wonder why he didn't get another managerial job after he was terminated? I'll tell you why. The reason he was terminated in Chicago was his misuse of the White Sox bullpen and his inability to get along and motivate veteran players. Not my words. I heard it spoken and verified on XM's MLB morning show this very day.

Less then 2 weeks ago, I wrote that Jerry was managing the Mets right out of of contention. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/197695-jerry-manuel-managing-the-mets-right-out-of-contention. The overall comments were in disagreement with my assessment. I would venture to say that there might be some different opinions today.

OK. I will not beat this drum anymore today. I want to give you my 5 best candidates for the opening which will probably not happen but here goes anyway.

Number 1 - Buck Showalter

All Buck ever did was create the team that Joe Torre took over in 1995 and win what? 4 World Series. Next he built the Arizona Diamondbacks only to watch Bob Brenley win a World Series a year later.

The biggest complaint about Buck is he is a no nonsense guy. Just what the doctor ordered. Maybe under Buck Carlos would charge a ball hit in front of him or David would become more disciplined and not be fooled by every pitch that has some movement on it.

Number 2 - Larry Bowa

Get the feeling I'm seeing a pattern here. Just try not busting down the line and having Bowa waiting for you in the dugout. Trust me they'll run,and run,and run.

Nobody with the exception of Pete Rose played this game any harder than Larry Bowa and he would have his players back and blast them when they don't perform the way their capable of.

Number 3 - Don Mattingly

Hmmn, more Yankees connection. I'm trying to make up to Stephen (HBOB), inside joke. Seriously, "Donny Baseball", knows how the game should be played and as a manager he wouldn't tolerate anything less.

Both he and Larry would love to be in Queens after the treatment the Skankees gave Joe as well as themselves.

Number 4 - Keith Hernandez

Can't and will not happen because Keith has become a gardener and you know those seeds are compelling.

Listening to him every night he's on the air has me convinced that he knows the make up of this game better than anyone I have heard on the subject of how to play this game. I actually feel he would be the best by far but as I said, will not happen.

Number 5 - Bobby Valentine

Another choice that will not happen. Why? Because the Mets ownership never admits that they ever make mistakes. He brought a totally overachieving team to a World Series in 2000.

He would also be the most popular choice of Mets Fans.


So here you ago. A change has to be made and now is the best time. The other choices. Wait until Aug 1st when we are 12 - 15 games out or the end of the season when we've won 72 games and brought us all the way back to 1964.
5 Responses to "Time is Now to Fire Jerry Manuel; Who's Next?"
Anonymous said :
June 30, 2009 at 3:34 PM
Complaining about Jerry Manuel right now is like blaming the Nationals record on Manny Acta. WE HAVE NO LINE UP!
SS said :
June 30, 2009 at 3:34 PM
Can't roll with you. All the new guy will do is try to make a lineup out of Argenis Reyes, Nick Evans and some guy we were calling "Neeve" three weeks ago. 2009 is cursed.
Mr. Met said :
June 30, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Sorry, Rich. Jerry Manuel ain't perfect, but Willie Randolph was an absolutely horrible manager. For a guy with New York roots he didn't have what it takes to manage here. His temperament was unsuited for it. Not to mention that his baseball smarts were on par with a rock.

I've got no problem with the fact that Randolph was a Yankee castoff. The Mets and old Yankees have a long tradition. From the "old Yankee" standpoint, if you didn't have a problem with George Weiss being the first president of the Mets, if you didn't have a problem with Casey Stengel being the first Mets manager, if you didn't have a problem with Yogi Berra managing the team in the early '70s, then you didn't have a problem with Willie Randolph in that regard.

Willie Randolph just doesn't have what it takes to be a major league manager. He never grasped the concept of the double-switch. He had no idea of how to use a bullpen (maybe Jerry Manuel is lacking here, too, but that doesn't mean Willie knew what he was doing). He was a bad guy in the clubhouse because HE had that Yankee chip on his shoulder, and his prima donna attitude didn't go over big with the players. He thought who he was because, after all, he was a Yankee. He was Joe Freaking Torre's bench coach. Yeah, he was, but that's all he was. The day they handed out baseball smarts, he missed the meeting.

There's a reason Willie Randolph interviewed for a dozen managerial positions over the years and didn't get hired, and the reason wasn't closet racism. It was because he didn't have what it takes.

Sorry Rich, that dog won't hunt. I hate to say it, but if you can't see that then, with all due respect, I question your judgment of anyone else, and that includes Jerry Manuel.
Sparks said :
June 30, 2009 at 7:45 PM
Funny how this rant went on hold after the Mets took 3 out of 4 from a Tony LaRussa-managed Cardinals team.

A few days ago, you complained about the decision to walk Jeter, which was an obvious one with which anyone with an ounce of good sense and every analyst in the ESPN booth agreed with. Pitching to Derek Jeter with 2 outs and an AL reliever on deck would have been beyond stupid. It's not the manager's fault that his closer couldn't throw strikes to said AL reliever. If Jeter had hit a double off the wall, you'd have been on here ripping Manuel a new one for being so bone-headed.

As far as player accountability goes, I can see your point, but one simply can't make wholesale playing-time decision based on a particular gaffe or two. That is such a talk-radio mentality. If Macha yanks MeGehee after dropping that pop-up Monday night, MeGehee doesn't hit the grand slam later on. Beyond that, you're now seeing what happens when the Mets go into their 2nd line. How many games are you willing to sacrifice in order to hammer home the point to Ryan Church that he can't miss 3rd base (a concept that should not be a MLB manager's job in the first place)?

Manuel's been dealt a horrible hand this season. Honestly, player-for-player, WHO ARE THEY BETTER THAN RIGHT NOW? Who do you expect them to beat with regularity? That they've stayed above .500 this long is a small miracle.

As far as Randolph goes, there's a huge difference between the end of his run and the current situation. Right now, the Mets have a rag-tag, piecemeal team that's giving themselves a chance every night provided they get decent pitching. In Randolph's waning days, they were just lifeless.

What's wonderfully ironic in your claim is that somehow Randolph would be a more take-charge guy than Manuel. Are we talking about the same Willie Randolph? The one I remember just sat there staring off into space at a loss for answers as his team collapsed around him.

Of Manuel, you say, "Wonder why he didn't get another managerial job after he was terminated?" Well, what team is Willie managing these days?

I've already said all I have to say about Valentine's teams supposedly "overachieving."

To be frank, I wanted Wally Backman to take over when Randolph was fired, but there's no way Scoutmaster Wilpon is ever going to do that.

If anybody on the coaching staff needs to be re-assessed right now, it's HoJo. ONE extra base hit in 27 innings prior to Wright's double last night? Gimmie a break! Some of that is easily attributed to the lineup itself, but with Wright's striking out a million times despite his HRs being down, and Martinez swinging at every first pitch as just 2 examples, the players just don't seem to be going up there with a good plan.
Anonymous said :
July 10, 2009 at 12:14 AM
I agree, get rid of Manuel NOW! I think they the Mets should hire Gary Carter, how many times has a past catcher proven to be a great choice as manager.

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