Well here we are with just two weeks left in what has been a long and bitter season. I think it is safe to say that everyone from ownership down to us fans are disappointed ( but not surprised) how this season has played out. Look we were told by the handicappers that this team would be either slightly better or slightly worse than .500, and with the exception of a few extended streaks they were right.
But I have been thinking long and hard about this season , and my bitterness is melting into cautious optimism. You see it had to take a meddling C.O.O of Baseball Operations ( Jeffy Boy), a castrated General Manager ( Omar) A nice guy manager who it seems couldn’t beat a child at chess ( Jerry) along with enough controversy and so many beatings by the both press and competition that ownership has to make substantial changes when the season ends.
It is a foregone conclusion that Jerry as well as much of his coaching staff will be gone – hopefully to be replaced with a manager with a eye for talent and the intuition that comes with being a good field general. Omar will most likely be demoted to Director of Scouting in the Galapagos Islands, replaced with a man who has the savy to not just overspend for top tier free agents, but to make in season deals that will help the team progress. And what I hope for most – but expect the least is that Fred Wilpon will finally take his son by the ear and force him to be a hands off owner, letting their real baseball people run the show. I know this last scenario is the least likely, but when you see just about 10,000 -15,000 fans in the stands and 95% of the concession stands are closed – well somebody at the top has to take the hit and Jeff is the one running the show.
So change is coming, and we as fans have to give ourselves a pat on the back, because we have made our anger and hostility known to ownership, and I think ownership has finally turned the proverbial hearing aide on and they are finally listening. Or I can be dead wrong …..
"This Mets team has ceased to exist !"
And with that said….. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!
Happy birthday wishes go out to Mets reserve outfielder from the ’92 team,D. J. Dozier (1965) D.J is one of the only Mets to have played both professional baseball and football ( he was with the Minnesota Vikings).
Our newly obtained back up middle infielder, Joaquin Arias is 26 (1984) . He will probably be a back up for the Mets next season.
New York Mets sold pitcher, Dock Ellis to the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 21, 1979. Dock Ellis , prior to his joining the Mets was one of the top pitchers in the game, unfortunately by the time the Mets acquired him he was just a shell of his former self.
Mo Vaughn’s favorite Little Rascal was Norman ” Chubby ” Chaney
And rejoice !!! That’s right after tonight there will only be eleven game until Jerry Manuel becomes Mets managerial roadkill !!
14 comments
metsfan4decades
9/21/2010-8:43am at 8:43 am (UTC -4)
Well, it took George being banned from baseball in the early 90s for the Yankees to come up with a plan that has seen them be relevant in just about every year since that time.
I really don’t know what it will take for this organization to get there – and no, I don’t advocate just throwing money at every big FA that becomes available but I think a very good place to start is a new GM. Omar had his chance, we only made it to the post season once under his helm – and had more than enough of a shot to make that happen. He didn’t get it done, time to move on.
I agree the Wilpons aren’t going anyway so the next best thing is hire the best GM available, one who Jeff trusts, one who makes it clear they know what they’re doing. Hopefully then, Jeff will take a step back.
Dirtysanchez
9/21/2010-8:55am at 8:55 am (UTC -4)
Cant wait till the season is over…the offseason looks promising for the Mets IF they get the right guy at the helm
kingman 26
9/21/2010-8:59am at 8:59 am (UTC -4)
Rusty, I must correct one thing—if you Google “Jerry beating a child at chess” there actually is footage of him beating a 4-year old girl, and pretty soundly.
And let us not forget about Dock Ellis throwing a no-hitter while on LSD—one of the weirdest feats in the history of sports.
saltygary
9/21/2010-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
I wonder how many other pitchers gave LSD a shot after that. Has to be a couple right?
njstuckintx
9/21/2010-9:26am at 9:26 am (UTC -4)
They talk about pitchers being in “the zone”. Never imagined it was the twilight zone.
Then again, you have Turk Wendell, who to me was like he was on permanent LSD.
And would that qualify as a performance enhancing drug? When the clear/cream is changed to tabs/liquid drops, well, there goes the neighborhood.
metsfan4decades
9/21/2010-9:14am at 9:14 am (UTC -4)
Speaking of new GM…did you all hear the comments by Joe Torre when he was asked about Mets GM at the Yankee came last night?
He said he doesn’t know where this rumor started b/c he and none of ‘his people’ have been approached, let alone had a conversation. He goes on to say though, at the end of the season, he hopes his phone will be ringing.
I have absolutely no idea why Torre would want to come back here and manage the Mets. He lost his fire for managing the Dodgers. He flat out said he believed what was needed was change, someone younger, someone with a ‘vision’ for where that team was headed. So he wants to come here, with all these kids, and no ‘vision’ right now as that will be the new GM’s job to create?
Sigh…..
njstuckintx
9/21/2010-9:23am at 9:23 am (UTC -4)
Well, in Joe’s defense, the Dodger’s owners situation is more screwed up than the Mets. Maybe he’s just an “east coast” kinda guy. Either way, this Joe Torre to the Mets building steam thing is scary. Joe’s extremely good at managing the vets, coddling ego’s and such. That said, 2/3rds of the team is comprised of youngins. Hmmm, Round Hole, Square Peg anyone?
stickguy
9/21/2010-9:30am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
In one of the pieces recently (not sure which paper, but it was a “real” writer”) about Torre coming back to the Yankees this week so some history on the George/Torre relationship.
IIRC, it said that George felt Torre had gotten way to impressed with his onwn legend (St. Joe), and money hungry, and that is what caused the dissension between them.
And you don’t getpaid to stay home! Plus, I suppose if you still harbored a grudge, going to the team across town is about the best way to poke a finger in their eye.
But I do agree MF that it is a terrible fit.
metsfan4decades
9/21/2010-9:38am at 9:38 am (UTC -4)
Shoot..not enough caffeine yet. Obviously I meant Torre as manager, not GM.
saltygary
9/21/2010-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
I am so all set with Torre being the manager. This team needs someone with more energy and who is willing and able to connect to various types of players. In my eyes Torre is an intelligent version of Manuel but lacks the energy and hands on interaction at this point in his career.
I still feel Bobby V is the best choice out there. Carter was one of my favorite players but I don’t know how his personality will translate to others. I read many books on him including his own and as much of a force that he was on the field his was alienated in the clubhouse by most due to his beliefs and responsible lifestyle. Now of course this is how we want the team to act (even though a little blow might give Reyes a little pep in his step) his is not the type of person that is worried about relating or interacting with other folks. With younger players on the field and the culteral diversity that exists, I just don’t think Carter makes sense.
kingman 26
9/21/2010-9:56am at 9:56 am (UTC -4)
The rumor started with someone like Olney who totally fabricates things to get ratings and web hits.
Torre is quite possibly among the most ridiculous suggestions the media could make.
The Wilpons are not going to hire a very old, very expensive manager.
Torre will be 71 next year, and just does not seem to me to be a guy to develop a team of young kids, as we will have the next couple of years.
The “Torre to the Mets thing” is nonsense. Flat-out nonsense. Someone in the media makes it up, then Torre is asked, and of course he is intrigued—he has a house in NY, and would love to get paid millions by the Mets after the Yanks let him go.
Never going to happen, should not happen, and is Exhibit 1,970, 285 of utterly fabricated drivel.
Or at least, “You could make a case” that it is!
metsfan4decades
9/21/2010-9:59am at 9:59 am (UTC -4)
Shouldn’t happen – agree 100%.
The reason it won’t happen though is more to do with $$, and less to do with him not being the best fit. I just don’t see the Mets paying the next manager millions of dollars. And I don’t see Torre taking the job for a paltry 1 MIL.
njstuckintx
9/21/2010-10:52am at 10:52 am (UTC -4)
It’s a tough time, these next few weeks. Not much to discuss, waiting for the playoffs to start and hopefully end quickly (with Minnesota or Tampa Bay of someone winning) and then some more waiting for the heads to start rolling.
I would think Pagan and Dickey would respectively be the non-pitcher & pitcher players of the year for our Mets. Congrats, gentlemen, on being the shiny spots on a busted up Pinto or Ford Focus or something comparable.
GravediggerHebner
9/21/2010-11:27am at 11:27 am (UTC -4)
I gotta say Rusty after reading the title of your post I was expecting the pic to be related to the movie “The Upside of Anger” not “And Now For Something Completely Different.” That was different. Nice touch.