Back in 2004, a very dark season for the New York Mets fans, the
turmoil that existed in the front office really didn't need a call to
action from the media. It was pretty obvious to anyone who covered the
team that there would be a major overhaul in the club's management and
overall direction. Fast forward to the present day, there is clearly
unrest in Shea Stadium. Fans and media are taking turns trying to pinpoint the things the Mets need to fix to win the NL
East and beyond. Many have suggested that it's time to change the
manager to "shake things up."
In Going Nine's opinion, this would be a fruitless decision.
The New York Mets should NOT fire Willie Randolph. And before you think that this is some kind of rah-rah nonsense, indulge us for a moment.
There has been a tremendous amount of criticism directed at Randolph of late, and to be honest, it's pretty ridiculous. True, this space did not support the hiring of the former All-Star second baseman and longtime third-base coach, and during his tenure, Going Nine has raised concerns about his management of the bullpen. We've also looked for more forthright communication from him, as well as a sense of humor during media sessions. That said, when Mets GM Omar Minaya decided to bring back Randolph after last year's swoon, we urged the Mets and Minaya to give him the full season to determine his fate.
That sentiment hasn't changed.
The Mets should be better than 16-14, right? Well, consider this; Oliver Perez really doesn't look like a 15-game winner yet, setup man Aaron Heilman has struggled, Mike Pelfrey has been inconsistent, Carlos Delgado isn't hitting his weight and Moises Alou and Pedro Martinez have been AWOL for most of the season. That's a pretty sizable sampling of things that have gone wrong that the manager has little control over. Though his recent comments about booing at Shea were ill-advised, Duke Snider once called Brooklyn fans "the worst in baseball", and lived to talk about it.
Sure, it'd be nice if Randolph has Joe Torre's charisma when dealing with the media. But, unlike Torre, Randolph didn't spend six years in the broadcasting booth. Sure, it'd be nice if Randolph was a more adept technician, especially when it comes to the pitching staff. Isn't his pitching coach supposed to be the best in all of baseball? Oh, and in case that's read as a call for Rick Peterson's head, I'm simply stating a fact that there's plenty of blame to go around.
Yes, Randolph has chinks in his armor, but so does his team.
Many of our readers disagree with this assessment, but really, who's going to do a better job? Even if we did agree that firing the manager was a necessary move, the lack of a replacement that would accomplish more with this group alone means that it's better to see what happens over the course of the season. Maybe, just maybe, Willie turns into Tom Coughlin - you know, that head coach who Jints' fans were calling for to be fired when the eventual Super Bowl champions started the year 0-2?
In the the unlikely event that there is an in-season move, all of the logical (and not so logical) choices would be:
Bobby Valentine - Omar Minaya is the one guy for whom Bobby would say goodbye to Japan. The two are friends, and unlike many of the current GMs in baseball, Minaya isn't afraid of managers like Bobby that take more of the spotlight on themselves. The biggest obstacle is that Fred and Jeff Wilpon always try to look ahead, not backwards. Odds: 500-1.
Wally Backman - The guy that makes the most sense is the least likely to ever get a job from the image-conscious Mets. His track record of success in the minor leagues more than qualify him to run the Mets, and the fan base would rejoice. I think the media might even give him a pass if he wins right away, but something tells me that there will be a lot of untruthful rhetorical nonsense that the Mets will likely want to avoid Odds: 1000-1
Ken Oberkfell - Had Jim Duquette kept his job, several former team insiders say Obie would have been the Mets' skipper in 2005. Though guys like David Wright have a tremendous amount of respect for him, it's unlikely that he'll get a big league job with the Mets. Still, there are a lot of folks who believe that the duo of Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen (including this space) could definitely run a big league roster. If the Mets make wholesale changes for 2009, there's a chance that they get the call. Odds, 200-1.
Gary Carter - Hall of Fame catcher with an 1986 World Series ring, knows pitchers better than they know themselves, a solid -- if brief -- minor league managing career and a smile that even our buddy Wally Matthews would love. Too bad he and Tony Bernazard don't get along. Odd, 200-1.
Howard Johnson - Extremely popular with the players, fans, media and ownership. A first-rate coach and instructor. Might have an immediate impact. Based on what I saw in Brooklyn in 2002? Probably not the best move for him or the Mets. Does make some sense as an interim candidate, but the team risks losing him by doing so. Odds, 50-1.
Lee Mazzilli - Another favorite son of Brooklyn, Mazzilli's previous managerial stint in Baltimore was replete with insubordination and interference from the worst ownership/baseball operations dynamic in the game. He's another guy who is popular with the fan base, is a New York guy, and is bit more media -savvy than Randolph. His minor league managing experience is a plus as well. With Harold Reynolds and Darryl Strawberry joining the SNY studio ensemble, there has been some speculation that Mazzilli is being primed for another role. The reality? Exchanging a Torre guy for another Torre guy seems far-fetched. Then again, Jim Duquette and Omar Minaya were both Steve Phillips guys. Odds, 30-1.
Jerry Manuel - The most logical choice. A good, solid baseball man that has been there before. Also the least creative and most potential for the same-old, same-old. Odds, 10-1.
***
The more I re-watch it, the more I think that last week's installment of "CostasNOW" could be the most important program on the media I've ever watched.
One of the segments dealt with "The Internet and Impact of Bloggers" and included a live panel with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger, Deadspin.com's Will Leitch and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Edwards really didn't contribute much to the discussion, but he did distinguish himself, in my opinion, as an impressive fellow.
The subsequent debate that has ensued since in the print media, on sports talk radio, and around the 'Net has been predictable -- and emotional -- as the initial exchanges between Bob Costas, Bissinger and Leitch. Especially Bissinger, who's being tarred and feathered for his profanity-laced diatribe, and Leitch, who is being lauded for his restraint.
On WFAN and other sports radio stations, some have defended Leitch, and gave the trademark "bad job" to Bissinger. This is ironic -- many bloggers tend to "criticize" WFAN, especially Mike Francesa and Chris Russo -- but not surprising -- broadcasters have been vilified by the established print media for years. And vice versa. The blogosphere and online journalists are just the new kids with lunch money, and the "enemy of my enemy" dynamic is at work.
The media is like any other profession; full of its own internal and complicated politics. Bissinger's passion and misdirected anger may have been unfortunate, and on a personal note, disappointing, but I think it's a very valuable lesson and could prove to be a instructive talking point.
The print media, especially the baseball writers, are a very exclusive group. However, many are accessible and friendly to new faces. The radio and TV people are more reluctant to be cooperative with people they don't recognize, and given the crunch of media in both of Gotham's press boxes, no one wants to give their beat to a newbie.
dilemma? Independent publishing professionals like myself, with a print publication (and online entities that support it), are still lost somewhere in the gray matter of the black and white world of the sports media landscape. I began my career in 1995, as an intern at WFAN, spent more than decade in broadcast (WSTC-AM, WRKL-AM), print (Brooklyn Skyline), online (Associated Press) and magazines (Mets Inside Pitch, Gotham Baseball Magazine), and still spend every day fighting for my credibility.
You think Buzz Bissinger is pissed? He's not spending his own money to sustain the publication he writes for, and many of his brethren don't even bother to attempt accreditation of sourced material they read on my and other web sites. I wouldn't have enjoyed being on that panel, because I doubt I would have been much different than Bissinger. Neither has done much to create understanding about one another's concerns and fears about the future of online reporting, and Bissinger's profane fury was as misplaced as Leitch's “What's the Big Deal?” mantra.
Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com. Joe Janish of MetsToday.com and Tim Dierkes of MLBTraderumors.com are three guys I can think of that tirelessly compile information from hundreds of media sources every day. Each has linked to a story I've written several times, and I'm always appreciative. Each of their sites is an example of how impressive and useful a blog can be for both the journalist and the average fan.
In my opinion, the more writers and bloggers try to find some type of middle ground, rather than attack each other, we'll all be better off.
Back in 2004, a very dark season for the New York Mets fans, the
turmoil that existed in the front office really didn't need a call to
action from the media. It was pretty obvious to anyone who covered the
team that there would be a major overhaul in the club's management and
overall direction. Fast forward to the present day, there is clearly
unrest in Shea Stadium. Fans and media are taking turns trying to pinpoint the things the Mets need to fix to win the NL
East and beyond. Many have suggested that it's time to change the
manager to "shake things up."
