31
2010
Pain Management: Finding A Successor For Jerry Manuel
An article by 
As we await the inevitable firing of Mets manager Jerry Manuel, there’s no shortage of names in the Mets blogosphere for potential candidates. But much of what I’m hearing seems more like reliving the “good old days” rather than assuring we get the best person for the job.
Ask most Mets fans and read most Mets blogs, and it’s become a repetitive onslaught of the same old names again and again and again, oh and one other thing, all of them have or had ties to the organization as a former coach or player.
The fascination with former Mets; Gary Carter, Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez, Wally Backman, Joe Torre, Tim Teufel and Bobby Valentine, makes it seem like too much emphasis is being placed on their Mets connections instead of whether or not they would actually be better than who they would be replacing.
In many cases we assume that the passion or fire they had as a player, would translate well as a manager. The truth is that some of baseball’s greatest players proved to be terrible managers.
Joel Sherman of the NY Post recently took a more objective look at the situation and why the Mets should consider a wide range of criteria as they consider their options.
It is more important to create a strong organization that has logical processes for every issue, including hiring a manager. That does not assure that every decision will work, merely that you will cover every angle and have a well-reasoned decision.
For example, the Red Sox are viewed as a well-run organization. When they decided to replace Grady Little after the 2003 season, the Red Sox’s two finalists were Terry Francona and Joe Maddon, and the other candidate they were trying to get more interested in the job was Bud Black. Today all three are viewed as strong managers.
In fact, Francona might be the best in the game. And who in 2003 would have seen a guy who mostly failed with the Phillies as the right candidate?
Sherman makes perfect sense and adds that the Mets should get a qualified person for the job and not just a name that rings true with Mets fans. It is more important that they create a strong process and put themselves in a position to “find their Francona, if that person is out there.”
I have a good sense of how the Wilpon family usually reacts to these types of organizational moves. In all these years, their processes have not deviated much and their final outcomes always seem rushed and as though not much thought went into their decision.
A couple of the more important qualities Sherman believes the Mets should look for in a new manager are “gravitas and shrewdness.”
The gravitas is needed to get the attention of a clubhouse that does need a higher level of purpose and professionalism. This does not mean the Mets need a yeller, just someone whose stature is understood when he walks into the room for the first time.
The shrewdness is needed to handle ownership. Jeff Wilpon runs this team and the manager has to find a way over the course of the year to win on the 5-10 issues that are vital to him without losing the backing of ownership. It is a tightrope and only a person with a nimble mind can manage it.
It’s time for the Mets to think out of the box and scan the entire landscape instead of limiting themselves to a pool of candidates that are being considered more for their fan appeal than they are for their abilities and track record.
Since 1990, six of the last eight Mets managers either played or coached for the organization, and we haven’t won a World Series in those 20 years. The last time we did, a scrappy second baseman from the Baltimore Orioles with no previous ties to the organization, led us to that championship.
Isn’t it time we stop making decisions based on a candidate’s Metsdom, and start going after those who are best qualified for the job?
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
Went to my first Mets game, a Mayors Trophy game at Shea, in '73. We beat the Yankees 8-4 and I was hooked. I marched in two Banner Day parades, and before the Grand Slam single, there was the "Hendu Can Do" grand slam - I was there. I've collected Mets memorabilia all my life and started Mets Merized Online to feed my addiction.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 26 | 17 | .605 | - |
| Nationals | 25 | 17 | .595 | 0.5 |
| Marlins | 23 | 19 | .548 | 2.5 |
| Mets | 22 | 20 | .524 | 3.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 22 | .488 | 5.0 |
Last updated: 05/22/2012
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I like Lee Mazzilli and bring in Leo Mazzone as his pitching coach, Backman and Gary Carter as base coaches and Keith Hernandez as bench coach. There you have it. boy i’ll catch it for this one. Can you imagine all those egos in one dugout-WOW
I agree with your premise but would ask you to hear me out on one thing. Lets forget shall we that Wally Backman was ever a New York Met, wouldn’t he fall into the category of a Davey Johnson who won in the minor leagues, was a “scrappy second baseman”, and had a bit of a colorful past? All things being equaly, I think Backman compares favorably to Davey Johnson. So just as you say we shouldn’t make a final choice based on his Metsdom, at the same time we shouldn’t eliminate a good candidate because of it.
What about Ken Oberkfell? He’s done a decent job in Buffalo and knows many of the prospects we will be relying on in 2011 including Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell as well as Jenrry Mejia and possibly F-Mart. I think he’d be a good fit.
I think Sherman is largely correct and I appreciate you shining another light on this although I would consider ability to manage a bullpen and formulate a lineup as important as shrewdness and gravitas.
I know this isn’t fair but here it is: I have no idea who this person or persons might be but the Mets need to find the equivalent of Maddon before he went to Tampa or Francona before he went to Boston. Either a previously failed manager who has learned from his mistakes or a quality coach ready to take the next step.
Applause!
I agree with Mr. Howard about Backman. It’s not just he was a Met, but he was a winner, and has won at every level he’s managed. Just one quick correction: Davey Johnson was managing in the Mets system before he became Mets manager.
And Davey knew the young players like Straws and Gooden whereas Beckman is in Cyclones.
I wish that Beckman was in AAA.
I have said in several previous posts that the mets need to be able to manage the Wilpons as well as the team, but that would be the province of the GM, and it would be most important in personnel evaluations. The GM is the key. A good GM, and a less “collegial” organizational philosophy, and the manager pick will turn out right.
Bobby V is the way to go. David can hide behind Bobby and he would be better with the whole organization. Wally should be the AAA manager and the bench coach in 2012.
Great job, Joe. I agree totally that the organization has to consider every candidate. I just don’t have the confidence that they have the ability to IDENTIFY the right candidates if they don’t have some experience with them. It’s why I don’t want Omar Minaya being the one to evaluate whether we should trade Reyes, Wright and/or Beltran and for whom. All that said, I’m still in favor of Bobby V. If he had never managed the Mets before, he’d be a no-brainer.
My top choices to replace stupid Manuel are:
1.) Bobby Valentine
2.) Wally Backman
3.) Lee Mazzilli
Anyone else would be a HUGE mistake, plain and simple. I would love to lure Dave Magadan from Boston to replace HOJO as Hitting Coach and get Leo Mazzone to replace Warthen.
Ok, I will stretch it to 2 more candidates:
Larry Bowa and Don Mattingly. Mattingly will most likely replace Joe Torre in L.A. but if not I would give Donnie ball a shot. It isn’t like we did not have a former Yankee as MGR before in Randolph.