Comments on: Good For Backman

By: Rich from Lake Como

Rich from Lake Como — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:24:29 +0000

Wally Backman has made many bad choices in his life… that’s why he was canned by Arizona as its Field Boss less than a week after he was hired. Staying with the Mets organization in any capacity at this time is another bad choice. He’s done plenty of minor league managing, so the Buffalo job won’t add anything to his resume.
Passing up a chance to sit beside Davey Johnson in DC with the Nats’ up and coming talent is a mistake. It will be guilt by association when teams start analyzing his employment with the Mets. The stench of the next 2 or 3 years with this franchise will kill any chance he has to manage another MLB club. Don’t forget that Tim Teufel, last year’s Buffalo manager (and this year’s 3rd base coach in NY) was one of many who had Bernie Madoff recommended to him by the Wilpons and Saul Katz. Letting Teufel manage the Mets in ’13 or ’14 might be their way of easing their guilt. I just have to think that anyone who deliberately stays with this sad sack franchise will be judged poorly.

By: Donal

Donal — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:09:06 +0000

So, they got him out of the way by putting him with the big club? Ya, that makes sense in a completely “holy crap this is some great crystal meth” sort of way.

Because, he has longer with the organization, worked on more of the farm teams (so he’ll more likely know the upcoming kids better than Backman), played on the 86 team, and now he gets to sit next to Collins and learn about coaching in the Show.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:53:39 +0000

He was promoted to get him out of Wally’s way! So they had a promotion for Wally to entice him to stay!

You think Teufel is going to be the manager here?

See what happened to Teufels predecesor…

Where is he now?

By: Donal

Donal — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:50:29 +0000

So, Backman is being groomed as the next manager because he just got the job with the Bisons?

what about the guy who managed the Bisons last year? What is he doing now?

By: Metsie

Metsie — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:43:00 +0000

Here is what I see happening…

It is clear to me that the FO has given up on the next 2-3 years as far as being in any competition and are using that time to get rid of whatever salaries they can either via trade or expiration in much the way a Corporation cuts payroll by allowing retirees to retire and not replace them.

Let people go, Don’t hire a replacement just throw temps in and wait for some sign that there are enough Kids to rebuild around.

That means a LOT of losing the next 2-3 years!

And losing has consequences in NY!
Even a guy like Terry Collins will be a target for firing by that time!
We just heard a report that Sandy isn’t planning to be here long term either. So he probably doesn’t really care if he is made the Villain he has a cost cutting job to do and fans be damned!

COLD BUSINESS but not really totally out of whack with any other business on the planet!
Carl Icahn comes to mind here!

That said 2-3 years (roughly when Collins and Sandy’s contract expires) there will be a FIRESTORM for change!

It will probably start with the Manager as it always does and end with the GM as it always does once the Manager has been blamed, changed and the result doesn’t change!

Backman appears to be being groomed to be the manager of the team once the salaries are cut and the kids are stockpiled.

Question is will he wait that long? (Only if they let him in on the plan, which doesn’t seem likely)

Harvey and Familia would appear to be a year away at the earliest.
Most of the Kids we will eventually build around are already here! Tejada, Murphy, Duda et al.

I suspect Wally will be in AAA for two years and then might get a job as a coach on the MLB squad.

That would be right around the time the fans get FED UP with all the selling off of stars, the expiration of Santana and Bay’s contract, Terry Collins and Sandy’s contract ending and FRUSTRATION over the lost 3 seasons we are forcing upon ourselves in the name of Money!

No matter which side of the SMART/DUMB Plan you believe we are implementing you all KNOW that if they have not even come CLOSE to a playoff in 2-3 years that what you saw in 2010 Offseason is goping to happen again!

This time maybe DePo gets promoted and kept instead of Ricco
But the GM, Manager and likely the coaching staff will be wholesale replaced!

Will it be fair to the coaching staff that gets the boot?
Nope! because the GM gave them CHEAP CRAP to work with…

But they will get caught in the same OFF WITH THIER HEADS mentality that got Manuel and Omar fired!

And thats where Wally finally gets his shot!

By: Des

Des — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:01:59 +0000

Well said Joe. Wally is one of possibly many candidates at a date yet to be determined. If he’s the best at that time, I hope he is offered the job. If he’s not, I hope the best guy gets it.

There are many intangibles that separates one candidate from another. The choice involves not only history but also the then-present relationships with owners, coaches, players and fans. I wish Wally the best.