This week, the Mets announced the departures of coaches Ken Oberkfell, Mookie Wilson, Chip Hale, and Jon Debus. Despite overseeing an underperforming staff, pitching coach Dan Warthen retained his job. According to reports, the following are the reasons for the changes: The Mets want more experience on the bench (Obie), someone who can teach Lucas Duda how to range more than 3 feet (Wilson), someone other than a former catcher in the bullpen (Debus), and…Chip Hale left on his own to become bench coach for the Oakland A’s (Chipball!).
So why is Warthen still around? Here are the top ten reasons:
10. The Mets like how he looks in his cool throwback Expos uniform
9. He dries off Mike Pelfrey’s hand after each inning
8. Everyone loves how he says “Iggy”
7. He had nothing to do with the pitching staff’s inability to bunt
6. R.A. Dickey calls him “Obi-Warthen”
5. Rube Walker wasn’t available
4. He did a great job fixing Oliver Perez
3. He brings sammiches to Terry Collins
2. He brings lollipops to Jeff Wilpon
And the number 1 reason Dan Warthen is still the Mets pitching coach…
1. The problem with this team was clearly the first base coach
Heyyyooooo!
13 comments
Anonymous
10/8/2011-7:06pm at 7:06 pm (UTC -4)
I guffawed a little.
rustyjr
10/8/2011-7:10pm at 7:10 pm (UTC -4)
Real funny
Anonymous
10/8/2011-8:03pm at 8:03 pm (UTC -4)
good stuff.
and seriously, I still can’t figure it out. Trying real hard to think of 1 guy you can point to that, under his tutelage, go tbetter? Added a new pitch, stepped up to the next level, any of that.
Instead you see stagnation, regression, and the same old same old.
He might be the nicest guy in the world, but (like with teachers) I would rather see a mean hard ass if that is what it takes to get the most out of the students!
by all reasonable standards (well, what they normally use in BB), he should have been gone. I just can’t see any way that a new perspective could possibly hurt, only help.
Darknova306
10/8/2011-10:26pm at 10:26 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t get this either. With the pitching as poor as it was this season, you’d think at least SOMETHING would change for next season. Easiest change, given the lack of available talent and financial resources, would have been to dump Warthen in a ditch.
Anonymous
10/8/2011-10:32pm at 10:32 pm (UTC -4)
maybe they think the new BP coach is going to do it?
Anonymous
10/8/2011-10:33pm at 10:33 pm (UTC -4)
anyway, they seem to really like Bones and Valdes. Hopefully one of them gets the shot soon. Unless the pitching takes a huge upturn this year (and I mean the guys carried over, not new ones brought in), Warthen has to be shown the door.
MetsFan4Decades
10/8/2011-11:56pm at 11:56 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve got no other perspective that hasn’t already been voiced here either.
I don’t get it. Like most said, a fresh perspective can’t hurt. The fact that he retained his job just tells me there is something with him this organization must like. I don’t get the impression Sandy would have retained him otherwise.
I know that Terry recommended the entire coaching staff stay. Obviously, his opinion didn’t carry much weight there since 3 were canned (not including Hale). Like I said, Sandy must think there is some benefit for keeping him.
MetsFan4Decades
10/9/2011-12:25am at 12:25 am (UTC -4)
OT:
So who y’all think takes this AL series?
Makes no never mind to me who really wins but I’m thinking the Tigers take it in 7.
Anonymous
10/9/2011-12:38am at 12:38 am (UTC -4)
I have absolutely no clue. Teams seem evenly matched overall.
I would like to see the Tigers win, only because my sister has a good friend that is a Tigers fan, and he has suffered long enough!
And Mill. from the NL, because I still don’t like the cards. Even though it means seeing more of Selig, that is still better than St. Louis winning again.
Nice to see more of the downtrodden teams back in the winners circle.
MetsFan4Decades
10/9/2011-3:26am at 3:26 am (UTC -4)
Oh yeah – MIL all the way. Only wanted the Cards to beat Philly. Mission accomplished.
Anonymous
10/9/2011-5:15am at 5:15 am (UTC -4)
But can Warthen spell his name correctly?
Paul J. Festa
10/9/2011-5:38pm at 5:38 pm (UTC -4)
Whoops, I’m a dope. I was thinking of Fisherman’s Wharthen.
Anonymous
10/9/2011-6:37pm at 6:37 pm (UTC -4)
I try to appreciate Warthen’s work, wharts and all…
I appreciate your fine contribution to the site very much.