When a team in any sport is struggling everyone from the general manager to the coaches/manger to the players take the blame. In some cases like the Mets it’s true. Omar Minaya needs to go as does Jerry Manuel and most of his coaching staff. I know of a certain pitcher making $36 million dollars that’s now in the bullpen that needs to be released and a couple of guys on the bench should be sent packing as well. If those changes are made will that change anything? The Wilpons will still be the owners of the New York Mets and they are just as responsible as the others I’ve mentioned. More so since they are the owners of the team.
The Wilpons are bad owners. At times they have not been too involved with the baseball activities and other times they have been too involved. Right now they’re too involved in the baseball operations of the Mets. Many “insiders” claim this past off season Jeff Wilpon handcuffed Omar Minaya and told him to get more with less money. The Wilpons the last few seasons continue to lower their payroll. Most teams not all of them but most when they move into a new ballpark generally up their payroll.
Sure the Wilpons spent money but not wisely. They gave Omar Minaya a huge extension in years and dollars even though he didn’t earn it. They allowed Omar to sign guys like Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez to big, bloated contracts that they didn’t deserve. Look at how they spent their money this off season. Omar gave Cora $2 million dollars, Tatis got $1.7 million. Some accuse them of being cheap but that was not the case from 2006-2008. They didn’t spend their money wisely plain and simple. They also refuse to eat contracts. It’s no secret that this team for the last 2 years has been trying to get rid of Castillo. I’m not a Luis Castillo hater; he has been good for the team last season and so far this season. I object to his contract and how much he’s being paid. If you don’t want the guy on the team just eat his contract. The same goes for the $36 million dollar relief pitcher Oliver Perez. Also Gary Matthews Jr. makes less than 5 million but the team will not eat that contract.
They also wait too long to take action. Look at last week as a perfect example. Jeff Wilpon flew down to Atlanta for an emergency baseball meaning. He said himself he was not there to fire anybody as it was “too soon” in the season. If someone is not doing a good job, i.e. Jerry Manuel what does it matter if it’s 40 games or 70 games into the season? Did he forget that both in 2007 and 2008 the Mets failed to make the playoffs by just 1 game? In 2008 they had plenty of time to fire Willie Randolph if that’s what they wanted. There was that horrible series against the Padres but they gave him a little more time and turn it into another mess.
To conclude you can fire Jerry Manuel, you can send Omar on his way, get rid of some players but the Wilpons will be here for the foreseeable future. They need to take a lesson from the baby bosses over in the Bronx. We know how involved George was but his sons are now in charge, they for the most part are very quiet now and they let the baseball people run the team. They sign the checks, Cashman runs the team, that’s pretty simple and the Yankees are benefiting from that. Wilpons need to fire Omar, get some good baseball people and just sit in their luxury boxes signing the checks. Otherwise there will be new faces but this will still be the same old Mets.
