Howard Johnson To Remain As Hitting Coach

Adam Rubin of the Daily News is reporting that the Mets will no longer pursue Rudy Jaramillo as hitting coach and that Howard Johnson will remain in that position.

Three years ago, Minaya had interviewed Jaramillo for the manager’s job that went to Willie Randolph. He felt it would not be right to put him on Randolph’s staff now. The Mets’ staff will remain intact with the exception of Rickey Henderson. That vacancy could be filled from the minor-league system.

"I love Rudy like a brother, but it would be totally unfair to bring him in after I interviewed him as manager," Minaya said. "It wouldn’t be fair to HoJo, who did an outstanding job as hitting coach. If you look at the numbers, everything in the second half of the year we were up in."

I think it would have been somewhat demoralizing to cut Howard Johnson out just as he was about to get started. Not to mention how his presence would have affected Willie Randolph. As I stated earlier, hitting coaches and pitching coaches are a little overrated. In the end it comes down to whether or not you have the skills and the execution to be a major leaguer. Sure, a pitching coach or hitting coach can help a pitcher or hitter out of a slump or notice a flaw in a pitchers delivery, but there not going to take a guy like Mike DiFelice and turn him into Gary Carter. In the end, you either got it, or you dont…

Speaking of Gary Carter…

I would love to see him or maybe another 1986 Mets take over as first base coach…

I wonder if Wally Backman should be given a chance?