Jerry Manuel: The Honeymoon Is Over

13 Comments + Add Comment

• Annie Savoy April 30, 2009 at 4:13 pm

  Hi Joe – Think Manuels days are numbered? Shall we make a replacement list?
  • Mojo April 30, 2009 at 8:34 pm

    Can you say VALENTINE?
    • Brian Kasiska May 2, 2009 at 10:20 am

      Bobby Valentine is one of my favorite Mets managers of all time. I want Bobby V back too!
• russell Zanca April 30, 2009 at 5:01 pm

  As some of you know, I am a CHicago guy now. My WSox fans friends always tell me–with no malice–that JMAN won’t get it done. He had talent but couldn’t get the Sox far into the playoffs; Ozzie was necessary for that.

  I defend JMAN, saying, “Yeah, but I’m sure he’s learned. The players love him” Guess I am re-evaluating along with the rest of you.

  I am just out of it, or wasn’t the feeling coming out of ST tremendous? Tremendous in the sense that there was tremendous team spirit?
  • Brian Kasiska May 2, 2009 at 10:22 am

    Joe Torre couldn’t win as manager of the Mets, nor the Cardinals… but he’s a Hall of Fame manager as a Yankee. I wish the same could be said for Manuel, but I’ve never liked him… not even last year.
• Sammy Garcia April 30, 2009 at 9:30 pm

  Tough job the one of being the Mets manager…Look around the league and see whats happening to other teams that were supposed to be running with their divisions…its only the beginning of the season and we are already crying like babies…we are in a slump and no matter who is the manager it will stay like this until everybody gets hot and we start some winning streaks…meanwhile lets be patience, remember Joe Torre and see how good he is doing in los Angeles…
• royhobbs April 30, 2009 at 11:22 pm

  Don’t blame Manuel or Putz for the Mets leaving 13 on the basepaths (and leaving key runners in scoring position on a daily basis). The Phillies are not getting good pitching, but they are winning because they are driving in key runs in clutch hitting situations.
• ODOG May 1, 2009 at 3:03 am

  What i dony understnd bout Jerry Manual is why he can’t ask Wright to squeeze in the ninth with runner on 1st and 2nd base with no out down 1 run. Why wouldn’t you put two runners in scoring position with one out and Church due up? This is the second time Manuel has not bunted a batter in the ninth with two runners on and no outs down by one. On both games the Mets lost by one!
• Mikey May 1, 2009 at 6:59 am

  Can’t blame the manager this year, guys. This team either grows a set, or they don’t.
• alan May 1, 2009 at 9:43 am

  Say what you want, but the manager can’t hit, catch or throw the ball during a game….

  14 runners left on base! If the hitters were batting a paltry .250 during those LOB situations we would score more runs. CRUNCH TIME!

  THe manager can only play the guys that are on the team. Unless the slow start is just that and that things will turn around, then Omar has lots more work ahead of him!

  Right now…..we stink!
• theonlymaskman May 1, 2009 at 12:19 pm

  I simply can’t stand managing by hunch. That is the only way Willie managed and it was awful. Hunches don’t work. Manage based on sound strategy and tactics. Jerry is getting old already. The gangsta talk is BS and he needs to get his act together quickly. The Castro/Santos flub was ridiculous. Santos has shown tremendous potential, but that was the wrong time to call on him. Jerry has been playing favorites with Murphy all season and beating Church down to a pulp. He needs to become more objective. How about some real coaching with Reyes and Wright. Reyes needs to be more aggressive at the plate and on base Wright needs to handle the outside pitch. what is Jerry doing about those glaring things? There’s been too much reliance on Sean Green. How about more use of Stokes? Parnell is a tremendous resource which needs to be used wisely. When does Takahashi get a chance to show what he can do? I think Jerry is just not smart enough for this job – bottom line.
• Russell Zanca May 1, 2009 at 12:44 pm

  Oy!

  A lot of mised points here about the role of a manager, my dears.

  You are all absolutely right about a manager not being able to run, hit, blah-blah.

  A manager instructs, he sets the tone. He makes people understand how they will be utilized and why. A good one carefully explains his rationale to all men on the team re” lineup changes, relief appearances, SPs duration, when to bunt, do hit and run, steal bases, and about 1002 other things. It is an absolutely awesome responsibility at the MLB level–hence the rather high turnover and redundancy of the position.

  Above all, an MLB manager has to inspire greatness and be the team’s ultimate leader. You want to play BB in part b/c you want to make this man happy, and the whole team wants to please him and win for him. He must be popular like a true pater familias becuase he is loved and feared in equal parts.

  Our Mets are very talented; JMAN has to harness this talent effectively.
  • Denise Winter (Mets Wrighter) May 1, 2009 at 9:59 pm

    That may all be true but its not like we have a team full of rookies. They all know what they have to do and have done it in the past, which is why we got them/kept them. Regardless of how Jerry manages right now, the players have to perform. They shouldn’t need inspiration at this point. The way the last 2 seasons ended should be inspiration enough. They know they have to put up W’s. It’s too early in the season and in Jerry’s tenure to point the finger at him. And believe me, I am no Jerry supporter