2
2010
Jerry Manuel Just Doesn’t Get It
An article by 
Jerry Manuel told the New York Post that he’d love to know his job status for next season.
“Jerry Manuel admitted yesterday that he would ‘love to know’ if the organization plans to bring him back next season, but he also isn’t about to seek out GM Omar Minaya or Jeff Wilpon for an answer. Manuel, whose contract expires after the season, said he’ll refrain from asking because he doesn’t want to become a focal point – especially if the organization has already decided to dump him – in this final month.”
There was a chance of his return, maybe even had the Mets not made the playoffs, if they continued to play as they did in June when they reached a high-water mark of 11 games over .500. Had they made a real fun an argument could be made for him.
But, the collapse in July, followed by a month of .500 ball – give or take a game – has done him in. August was especially brutal because the Mets played with disinterest, without passion, without spark. There were extenuating circumstances – there always is – but the general apathy the team has been in the past month greatly reflects on the manager.
He has lost his team.
Several things within Manuel’s control have done him in, headed by his handling of the bullpen. He burns out relievers and isn’t always clear in dealing with the players on their job descriptions. Communication is not his strong point, as evidenced when he said Ike Davis had been spoken to regarding his emotional displays at the plate. When asked about this, Davis had no clue.
David Wright did not know when he’d get a day off. Manuel did not discuss with Jeff Francoeur his status following Carlos Beltran’s return.
Manuel threw John Maine under the bus when he said maybe the best day to pitch him would be on off days. He insisted on three catchers in the National League game which is absurd. Manuel’s handling of Jose Reyes’ oblique strain prior to All-Star break was foolish. He insisted on Jenrry Mejia in the bullpen to start the season when it clearly was not in the best long-term interests of the club.
The list goes on and on.
That there is not one Met saying for publication that the fault is on the players and not Manuel is telling. Nobody is in his corner. More than a few Mets stood up for Willie Randolph, while at the time Manuel was telling the brass he’d be interested in the job.
Add it all up, and the Mets are 190-198 under Manuel in his two-and-a-half years. For the fourth straight year the Mets will not make the playoffs, for the second straight year September will be about showcasing players for the following season.
This time, the Mets will be showcasing players Manuel will never get to manage.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. It is my privilege to be a senior writer for Mets Merized Online.
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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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JD:
Your entire article–a good one–may be crystallized into the following remark:
“He has lost the team.”
No other pros and cons are of much necessity. Very sad chapter.
yep, i will agree. back in may and june, the team played hard, fought back from deficits and seemed to enjoy playing their basesball. after two months of a team-wide hitting slump, nobody seems to believe they can get a hit in an rbi situation, they are making silly, avoidable errors in field, and take the field looking like “dead men walking”. three pitiful efforts in atlanta are yet more evidence against him – truthfully, this is a move that should have been made several weeks ago, when the hitting slump was just a slump, not a way of life.
the wilpons will wait until the end of the season to announce they are not taking up his option. that will not cost them any money, and jeff can show us that he won’t “tolerate” this failure.
every year they seem to collapse at some point, no matter who is calling the shot. but Jerry has to go. I find him just a bit despicable the way he throws guys under the bus. almost everything he does is self-serving, to some degree. hardly a leader of men. now, having said that, omar has not given him the players to win, and that is the major flaw of this organization
R U Serious? All the players in this clubhouse have my back, right guys!!!! Guys?? Hey, anybody in here? (insert sound of crickets chirping here……..)
Just fire the dude and get a new manager.
Get real. Any team that goes 1-14 with risp in a game like they did in Atlanta-any manager will look bad,even Bobby Cox. They have done this all year.Let’s face it-2010 Mets- LOUSY! I used to rag on Manuel but after watching this team play, I feel sorry for Jerry!
I didn’t need to see the dreadful month of August to realize that Manuel is a crappy manager. That has been obvious for a long time. What really pissed me off abpout him was how he handled players and injuries. He had no plan for how to use Mejia in April and May and he almost ruined his arm. Fortunately they got him away from Manuel with only shoulder tendinitis. He only missed six weeks. Nice work Jerry. And how about playing Reyes with a bad oblique? Let me get this straight Jerry, you blathering, stuttering moron. Reyes could only hit from one side of the plate? Is that right? Then how was he supposed to make all the plays at shortstop including throws across his body from every angle and twisting his body and throwing from deep in the hole? Are you really that stupid to not see the physical requirements of playing shortstop? Yet you continued to play him and let him reinjure it again and again. And to illustrate just how impotent his authority really is, he lets Beltran dictate where he is going to play even though he continues to butcher the centerfield position. And with Angel on the team it makes absolutely no sense to not put Pagan in centerfield. Any real manager would tell Beltran “play rightfield or sit on the bench it is your call.”