I just received this missive from Mets owner , Jeff Wilpon !! Many underlings died to get me this information !!!
Dear Mets Fans:
As you may know, earlier today we completed the initial round of interviews with six talented candidates to become the new General Manager of the New York Mets.
Each was extremely impressive – Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, Sandy Alderson, Logan White, and Dana Brown. All reiterated their desire and interest in pursuing this opportunity.
We will be in direct communication with each as we narrow the candidate pool by early next week. We subsequently will invite the leading candidates back to meet with Fred, Saul, and me.
We have an outstanding group from which to select our new General Manager. We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
Sincerely,
Jeff Wilpon
COO
Translation – Alderson already hired, Mike Cubbage Wally Backman will be the next manager !!!
56 comments
GravediggerHebner
10/21/2010-5:56pm at 5:56 pm (UTC -4)
Related to the topic of this post, this tweet from Dave Lennon of Newsday:
DPLennon
100 RT @Ben_Yoel: In your opinion, what percentage out of 100 would you say it is that Sandy Alderson becomes the #Mets next GM?
rustyjr
10/21/2010-5:59pm at 5:59 pm (UTC -4)
honestly I do think he is the best candidate at the moment that can revive this franchise
GravediggerHebner
10/21/2010-6:12pm at 6:12 pm (UTC -4)
I hope you’re right. I know he’s the safest choice but safest isn’t always best. It requires the least amount of thought and projection on the part of the Wilpons to hire him.
The local media has essentially endorsed his candidacy and he clearly has the most experience so because of those things I believe he’ll get the longest leash of all of them.
Part of me wanted the Mets to unearth the “next” great GM rather than try to rekindle a formerly great one but why would I trust the Wilpons to be able to do that when they’ve failed repeatedly in the past?
Also I do understand the whole reputation and respect from outside thing and Alderson does the most for those aspects in my opinion. I just hope in addition to fixing those problems he’s also going to fix the team. I have no real reason to think he can’t.
I’m just left with the lingering feeling that the Wilpons will be hiring him more because it “seems obvious” and less because he’s necessarily the right guy for the job. Instead of focusing on that I’ll try to give them credit for at least stepping outside the organization to make this hire.
rustyjr
10/21/2010-6:25pm at 6:25 pm (UTC -4)
Were you upset when they named Cashen the gm in ’80
GravediggerHebner
10/21/2010-7:12pm at 7:12 pm (UTC -4)
No but I was a freshman in HS then, there was no internet, no WFAN and there were fewer TV channels so even if I had cared to it would’ve been hard to learn about him or any other candidates. All of my Mets information came from the daily newspaper or monthly magazines then.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go to the outhouse then start a fire to keep warm while I crank up the Victrola to listen to some 78s.
gategem
10/22/2010-2:47am at 2:47 am (UTC -4)
Your sarcasm is duly noted. But hear this! People of Sandy Alderson’s generation were raised on what we now call “classic rock n’ roll.” While we used vinyl it was 331/3 rpm and believe it or not among my close to 3000 Lp’s in my music library there are some recordings that exceed the best sound generated by some of the very best digital recordings.
Now the Phillies organization was turned around by Pat Gillick who is six years older than I am and I’m five years older than Alderson. Assuming that senility or Alzheimer’s has not set in yet Alderson should be fine.
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:14pm at 2:14 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not saying he’s too old for the job so much as I’m wondering if maybe his best years are behind him and if the current Sandy Alderson has everything that it takes to both deal with all things New York City and simultaneously deal with all things the flawed Mets organization needs to turn around.
Then staying with it becomes relevant too. Gillick, who you fairly site, is now retired and Amaro is shepherding his work. How well or how poorly he’s doing that remains to be seen.
Assuming for the sake of discussion Alderson comes in and is successful in revitalizing the franchise, who sustains it? Likely not Alderson.
I’m not suggesting that the idea of the Mets being in the post season for 4 consecutive years is unsatisfactory. But I’d be lying if I didn’t look at the Mets situation right now as a great opportunity, if the proper decision is made, to bring in the guy how not only turns the organization around but also stays with it for a decade or more as the “next great GM” and the overseer of the best period of sustained success by far in the history of the franchise.
I just can’t escape the idea of Alderson as the safe choice as opposed to the bold prescient one.
stickguy
10/22/2010-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
If you can survive in, and potentially clean up, the mess that the latin development world is reported to be, GMing the Mets should be a walk in the park.
kingman 26
10/21/2010-6:09pm at 6:09 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks for sharing the secret MetMessages from the secret MetTelex Jeff personally installed at your house Rusty!
rustyjr
10/21/2010-6:10pm at 6:10 pm (UTC -4)
i try
stickguy
10/21/2010-6:18pm at 6:18 pm (UTC -4)
yes, I am copying my own posts from elsewhere. But, it is my response to grave (above) about the safe choice vs. some new hotshot. short answer, get both!
The new GM will have to spend a lot of time evaluating the entire organization, interviewing incumbents, etc. basically, sort through the entire existing structure, identify people to replace, replace them, and then manage to get everyone on the same page as to how the new “mets way” works.
And not just the MiL ops, but medical, scouting, etc.
So, does anything think he can actually do all this, while being the day to day GM guy too (talking to teams, analyzing deals, all that player/roster related stuff?
I don’t. Which is why IMO no matter how they pitch it (and pass out titles), Alderson will be the SR. VP guy, and someone that he trusts and is looking to groom will come in to be the de facto GM.
I don’t see any 1 guy (including Hahn) really being able to do it all out of the gate.
Now, if the hard org restructuring had already been done, and the finely tuned machine was already in place, then sure a young hot shot like Hahn could slot right into the GM role by himself, since a lot of the heavy lifting would have been done already.
GravediggerHebner
10/21/2010-7:16pm at 7:16 pm (UTC -4)
Ideally I’d love Alderson as Pres and either Hahn or White as GM but “from what I can gather” it’s just not an option.
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-9:02am at 9:02 am (UTC -4)
Why?
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:15pm at 2:15 pm (UTC -4)
Why do I love the idea or why is the idea not an option?
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-2:25pm at 2:25 pm (UTC -4)
Why do you like/love/want to make out with the idea?
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:51pm at 2:51 pm (UTC -4)
I think Stick has spelled out in many comments over the last few weeks the same reasons I think it’s a good idea but I’ll reiterate my feelings a bit here:
I think the Mets are in such a state that they need what only Alderson of all the candidates provides them, the cache of his reputation and experience. The respect he immediately gets is something the Mets need very much.
But I also feel that the Mets will benefit best in the long term by having their next GM be “THE” next GM, a young guy who blazes his own successful trail and becomes a respected household name.
Theo Epstein got the Red Sox job and the world asked “who?” Jon Daniels, who hasn’t quite reached Epstein level yet but is well on his way, also elicited the same response.
But those guys had a vision and were given what was necessary to carry it out and their ballclubs have both reached unprecedented levels of success on their watch.
Alderson can’t be the Mets Epstein or Daniels and I think it’s important for their long term sustained success that the Mets get one.
I realize it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Alderson can come now and over the next 5 years or so can find and groom some guy none of us have ever heard of yet.
But I just look at this moment in Mets history as potentially an historical moment when the right choice of “the next great” GM could really catapult them to the best moment by far in their history and one that may happen under Alderson but realistically can’t be sustained by him.
Like Gillick with Philly I expect Alderson won’t be around long.
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-2:58pm at 2:58 pm (UTC -4)
Eloquently put. I agree with your sentiments. The thought that one needs to be a GM vs. an Asst. GM, etc. to me is semantics (Stick, as you mentioned, spelled that out very well). So, establishing the 1-2 combo right away I’m not sure is necessary, but definitely would like to see a GM groomed and have a plan already in the works vs. trying to rework from the ground up once Sandy (assuming he’s the guy, etc. etc.) passes the proverbial torch. If a GM in the wings rises up from the assistants that Sandy puts together, great.
Maybe it would put many a fan (and about 98% or the TRDMB population) at ease by having the heir apparent named?
kistics
10/21/2010-7:30pm at 7:30 pm (UTC -4)
I kinda appreciate Jeff Wilpon’s constant communication on what’s going on with the GM search. I know transparency of these communications may be questionable, but I believe it’s one step towards right direction.
hazmet
10/21/2010-9:39pm at 9:39 pm (UTC -4)
In fairness to the TRDMB community here comes a Cerrone alert if you’d like to bypass now.
Alright here we go: I went over to check the site just because, well, I’m bored. And fwicg has now metamorphasized to ktmlid. Get ready for it, here it is: “knowing the Mets like I do”
Yes!!! A new catch phrase is born. A bombastic transcending moment for MC. Perhaps I’m overracting just due to my utter disdain for what that location has become. If we could just get Baron away from there I’d have zero reason to even be mildly curious but I like his writing when I’ve visited. So, how about it leaders of TRDMB can we get a “coup ‘d blog” going and get Baron. I know not likely by I just felt like having a reason to type “coup ‘d blog”.
metsfan4decades
10/21/2010-11:04pm at 11:04 pm (UTC -4)
I saw that too. Had kind of the same thought that you did.
From that M. Baron post he put up the other day, I’d say he and Michael are pretty tight right now. Baron was very complimentary towards Cerrone and the chance to write for one of ‘the most popular sports blogs in the country’ – or some such quote. I didn’t realize it but it started out with Baron with his amateur photography hobby sending him pictures and suggesting Cerrone use them in his blog as he saw fit. It was Cerrone who suggested he start blogging for him and ‘covering’ when he couldn’t be on top of everything. All I could think of was that constant need for control that struck me a couple of years ago that lead to the birth of this blog is still going strong.
So on that note, I’ll offer him a heartfelt ‘Thank You’.
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:16pm at 2:16 pm (UTC -4)
Obviously I’ve never met him but I’ve had quite a few ‘twitter exchanges’ with Baron and he seems like a very reasonable fellow.
stickguy
10/21/2010-10:13pm at 10:13 pm (UTC -4)
3 innings to go in SF for the Philly pen to blow another game and the season.
Hope for it!
metsfan4decades
10/21/2010-11:05pm at 11:05 pm (UTC -4)
I hate the Phillies.
It’s a damn shame ’cause if the Giants defense played better this game, this game would be completely different. I think LIncecom out pitched Halladay tonight.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and Lidge will blow it.
stickguy
10/21/2010-11:16pm at 11:16 pm (UTC -4)
no such luck.
I didn’t watch any of it, just gameday for the last inning.
If you want to bet, I will take the phillies to win the series now, and I will give odds.
I think the pitching is going to favor them, and combined with the home crowd now that they are in crunch time, I have a bad feeling the stinking phils are pulling off the miracle comeback.
metsfan4decades
10/21/2010-11:21pm at 11:21 pm (UTC -4)
I think it might go 7 now. That means Hamels for the 7th game, and he just doesn’t look like the MVP of the ’08 series.
I’ll be interested to see how Oswalt fares too after the 30+ pitches he threw last night on 2 days rest.
metsfan4decades
10/21/2010-11:17pm at 11:17 pm (UTC -4)
Well, apparently not.
Just prolonging the inevitable, IMO. Giants will do this.
Rosenthal interviewing Werth……is it me but does Werth just always sound stoned?
‘We’ll hop back on the bird tonight for home’.
Something tells me he doesn’t need a plane to be flying high.
metsfan4decades
10/21/2010-11:25pm at 11:25 pm (UTC -4)
Apparently, Rosenthal agrees. His first question to Halladay after the game:
‘”Roy, you were outpitched tonight and still won. How does it feel?”
stickguy
10/21/2010-11:34pm at 11:34 pm (UTC -4)
it’s the playoffs. an ugly win is still a win.
metsfan4decades
10/21/2010-11:28pm at 11:28 pm (UTC -4)
Best part of that game though was in the top of the 7th (I believe) when Rollins got on, stole 2nd and 3rd and Lincecom got out of it. After K’d the last batter for the 3rd out stranding Rollins, he does the fist pump thing as he’s walking off the mound and yells to Rollins ‘YOU, stay there’.
You go, Timmy.
gategem
10/22/2010-2:58am at 2:58 am (UTC -4)
At least you can watch the NLCS. I have cablevision on LI and they and Fox are at odds and the local Fox station is not being carried.
metsfan4decades
10/22/2010-7:26am at 7:26 am (UTC -4)
Been reading about this controversy. I have Comcast so doesn’t affect me.
If this did affect me I would be extremely pissed off.
Saw a commercial add from the President or VP from cablevision explaining their side of the story and why they are doing what they’re doing. Basically, it came down to them accusing FOX of being greedy when all they’re trying to do is make a living.
I’m thinking it’s a bit like employees going on strike. Which side will give in first?
kistics
10/22/2010-8:18am at 8:18 am (UTC -4)
At this point Cablevision could careless whether they sign FOX or not. Because Yanks ain’t gonna be playing for the WS! haha!
gategem
10/22/2010-1:19pm at 1:19 pm (UTC -4)
Unfortunately Fox also telecasts the NFL, specifically the Football Giants.
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:17pm at 2:17 pm (UTC -4)
Not this Monday night in Dallas they don’t!
kistics
10/22/2010-8:17am at 8:17 am (UTC -4)
We need to find a clip for that. Sounds sweet!
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
What is the thought process for wanting a dual-headed beast of Director of baseball operations and then a “young stats GM in the wing”? Is it strictly due to wanting Jeffy out and that by having said Director of BB operations would do that? Isn’t that what a GM is supposed to do? I may be splitting hairs and such, but I’m curious to what others think. If Sandy becomes the GM and then he has his underlings (like all GMs do), is that not the same as Sandy being Director and having his underlings, with a “alpha” underling to be named as GM? Does that make sense? Is this thing on? Testing…
stickguy
10/22/2010-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
same effect, yes. ANd essentially replacing Jeffy is prt of it.
so I don’t care how they title it, but he will need some strong assistants to handle a lot of the day to day grunt stuff, since remaking the organization could, at first, be a full time job.
CaseStreet
10/22/2010-9:56am at 9:56 am (UTC -4)
I just want to know where Sandy gets his bagels from.
kranepool
10/22/2010-10:39am at 10:39 am (UTC -4)
I have to agree with Cerrone as he posted the Mets need Alderson for than want him (like the Wichita Lineman) The perception of those around MLB and more importantly the fanbase/paying customers is that this franchise is clueless and lacking direction, that makes Alderson the perfect choice. Also all of the young progressive GM learned from The Book of Alderson
TRS86
10/22/2010-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. Which is why so many of us want another hire as well. A GM in training from Sandy.
stickguy
10/22/2010-11:09am at 11:09 am (UTC -4)
it will be all semantics. he will certainly have some # of assistant GMs. Every GM, including omar, did.
Just hopefully, Sandy will find better ones!
so call them Sr. VP and GM, or GM and assistant GM, and it doesn’t really matter, other than the potential to get a “better” guy if they have a fancier title!
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
word up.
stickguy
10/22/2010-11:23am at 11:23 am (UTC -4)
Fo schizzle, dude.
Prismo
10/22/2010-12:08pm at 12:08 pm (UTC -4)
What about Ricco?
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-12:22pm at 12:22 pm (UTC -4)
Say they do hire Sandy, do you think when he sets up all his guys, that Ricco stays? Not that I see a reason for him to go, just curious if Sandy will have a complete clean sweep.
stickguy
10/22/2010-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
normally I would say that the GM should have full authority to replace everyone. A nice concept, but in reality, anyone coming in is probably going to have to accept some organizatinal guys as part of the deal. and Ricco just might be it in this case.
all reports always seemed to say that he was good at what he did, so it may not be an issue anyway, at least for now. Maybe down the road, the GM would want to push him out.
probably depends on how worried you are about the Jeffy mole factor, and if they want to push him as a promotion (like to full assistant GM instead of contracts guy).
still, will be an interesting development if they get to the end, offer the job to Alderson (and of course it becomes public knowledge), but he tells them yes, but only if Ricco goes as part of a clean sweep!
kistics
10/22/2010-12:41pm at 12:41 pm (UTC -4)
It doesn’t make sense when Ricco is involved in hiring the next GM and the next GM fires him. I doubt Ricco would have signed up for something like that.
I’m willing to bet you that Ricco has some sort of guarantee that he’ll keep the job for next couple years.
stickguy
10/22/2010-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
probably, but as long as it isn’t as Aldersons right hand man or chief assistant, probably not a big deal. And most likely, addressed directly with the candidates.
This should also move wuick. They only interviewed 6, so the finalist list is going to be small (2, 3 max) so drag them in and get it over with.
and anyone coming back is going to be prepared already to take the job, or they likely wouldn’t bother.
metsfan4decades
10/22/2010-2:05pm at 2:05 pm (UTC -4)
I see Logan White is out of the running. He’s staying with the Dodgers.
MC is speculating since White was only going to stay with the Dodgers if he wasn’t hired by another team to be a GM, that maybe the Mets have notified the non selected candidates?
For what it’s worth, Lennon is saying it’s 100% of a chance it’s going to be Sandy Alderson.
metsfan4decades
10/22/2010-2:08pm at 2:08 pm (UTC -4)
Interesting:
Major League Baseball might create a 7-day disabled list just for players with concussions as soon as next season, a person familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press.
The new DL would be in addition to the 15- and 60-day lists that already exist for injuries of all sorts, the person told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the proposal is in the preliminary stages.
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:20pm at 2:20 pm (UTC -4)
My initial reaction is I like the idea because it seems like teams don’t really know how to deal with a concussion and they play this waiting game thinking that the player may well be OK in a few days and they don’t want to put him on the 15 day DL and have him unavailable so they instead play with a short roster while they monitor the situation. This should if nothing else allow for teams to play with 25 men more often.
njstuckintx
10/22/2010-2:26pm at 2:26 pm (UTC -4)
It’s not a bad idea at all.
metsfan4decades
10/22/2010-2:31pm at 2:31 pm (UTC -4)
Agree.
That article I read a few months ago on concussions was some pretty scary stuff – medical evidence apparently just coming to light as they studied the effects of a head/brain injuries across all the population, not just athletes. One thing that really stood out for me was of all the autopsies they were able to do over the past decade or so of those who died from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), was over 90% had a head/brain injury such as a concussion at some time that never healed properly.
Now, I don’t know much about ‘healing properly’ when it comes to concussions but I’d have to imagine it includes things like not banging your head a second time soon and staying away from flying, to name a few.
TRS86
10/22/2010-2:55pm at 2:55 pm (UTC -4)
I wonder if it will just be fore players with concussions? How difficult would that be to police? To me if you do that just go ahead and make that another normal DL option.
stickguy
10/22/2010-3:00pm at 3:00 pm (UTC -4)
I think they could be worried about teams abusing it to give pitchers a day off. But, that is just my guess.
compromise, and make the DL 10 days instead.
GravediggerHebner
10/22/2010-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t want to hijack the latest thread with this, and I don’t want to make a post about it since I learned of it’s existence from an erstwhile RDM author, but anyone who wants to learn anything about Sandy Alderson should take some time out and read this:
http://ducksnorts.com/blog/2008/06/chatting-with-sandy-alderson-part-1.html