The Mets entered the 2011 season with a new skipper and a new General Manager. Despite realizing we’d need to rebuild, Fred Wilpon claimed, “In this city, it’s all about winning.” We are now four years removed from that statement and apparently it’s NOT all about winning. After finishing below .500 every year since, ownership recently decided to bring back both Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins for more of the same.
Yes, our farm system is stronger now than it was in 2011. Yes, the Mets are on the cusp of possibly having the most dominant rotation in the league, if not all of Baseball. (Of course, we hold our breath after the disaster that was Generation K twenty years ago). But, if as Wilpon stated, it’s all about winning, why is mediocrity now being rewarded?
Davey Johnson was our most successful manager. In six full-seasons, the Mets always finished over 500. He guided this club to their second and last World Series championship, two division titles and was the skipper of our most successful run ever. His .588 winning percentage is unmatched. Yet, Davey was fired early in 1990 when the Mets were (gasp!) two games under .500. Winning was expected and mediocrity (20-22) would not be tolerated.
The second most successful manager in our history was Willie Randolph with a .544 winning percentage. In three full seasons a Randolph-led Mets team never finished below 500. Yet, in spite of dethroning the Braves atop the NL East in 2006 and keeping his team in the fight until game 162 in 2007, Randolph was dismissed in 2008 when the Mets were (gasp again) one game under .500. Once again, winning was expected and mediocrity (34-35) would not be accepted.
Loved or hated, Bobby Valentine’s .534 winning percentage is 3rd best in Mets history. He’s the only manager to lead the Mets to two consecutive post-seasons, something that Davey or Gil Hodges never accomplished. In his six full seasons, Valentines’ Mets finished over .500 five times. The first time he finished under, 75-86, Valentine was fired.
Yogi Berra is a baseball icon, especially in New York. He was a coach in 1969 and managed the ’73 club that came within one hit of winning the World Series. The Mets finished above .500 in two of Berra’s three seasons at the helm. However, management was unhappy and wanted more. Yogi posted a 497 winning percentage and unlike the aforementioned managers, he was actually OVER 500 (56-53) at the time of his dismissal.
Enter our current skipper. Terry Collins is the only Mets manager in franchise history with four consecutive losing seasons. Under Collins, the Mets have failed to improve, have failed to play one single important game, and have continually gone through the motions of playing out the schedule after the All-Star Break.
One out of every three teams in the NL now makes the post-season. But since 2011, the Mets have not even come remotely close to being in a pennant race. His winning percentage is .467, lower than even Jerry Manuel and Joe Frazier, only slightly above good ol’ Dallas Green and Jeff Torborg. Regardless of Collins’ failures for four straight seasons, it’s evident that mediocrity is not only tolerated now, but actually rewarded.
I found it amusing that within hours of ownership compensating Collins and Alderson for four straight seasons of utter averageness the Braves fired their GM, Frank Wren. After all, Wren’s Braves made the post-season only 3 times in 7 years. In Atlanta, as it used to be in Flushing, mediocrity is not rewarded.
When I pointed out this irony to a friend of mine who’s also a die-hard Mets fan, he stated, “That’s because the Braves are built to win now whereas the Mets are building to win long-term.” I found this amusing also. Think about it. The Braves have made the post-season 14 times in 20 years and they’re built to win now. Meanwhile, the Mets, who’ve made the post-season just 3 times in 20 years are built to win later.
I think it’s safe to say that with 14 trips to the playoffs since 1995, the Braves are in fact built to win now and in the longterm. But if winning longterm really is the Mets goal, does anyone out there truly believe in their heart the Mets will make the playoffs 14 times between next year and 2035?
To further drive home the point about mediocrity being the new normal, on Friday the D-backs fired their skipper. In 2011, Kirk Gibson was Manager of the Year, his first full season. In 2012 and 2013, Arizona finished 81-81. Yet, with his team sitting at the bottom of the division this year, management felt a change was needed. Unlike New York, losing was not accepted, nor rewarded.
Many of you probably disagree with me. The Mets are quite possibly poised for a dynasty—just like we were in 2006 and again in the mid-90’s with Paul Wilson and Bill Pulsipher leading the way. Alderson had to rebuild. He needed to trim salary. We can blame Jason Bay, Bobby Bonilla, Omar Minaya, Bernie Madoff, the dimensions of Citi Field and anything else we choose to. But, as Fred Wilpon said, “It’s all about winning.” One would think, by listening to the ‘company line’ and regurgitating the same talking points our front office spews, that the Mets are the only team who need to turn things around. This is not true.
In 2010, the KC Royals finished last with 67 wins. In 4 years, they’ve improved by more than 20 victories and are returning to the post-season in 2014.
In 2010, the Baltimore Orioles finished last with merely 66 victories. In 2014, they have the 2nd best record in the AL, burying both the Yankees (12 GB) and the defending champion Red Sox (25 GB). It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a good manager.
In 2010, the Angels finished below 500 and in third place. In 2014, they have the best record in Baseball.
In 2010, the Mariners lost more than 100 games. Last year they lost 91. This year, however, they battled for the wild-card all season before just falling short.
In 2010, the Pirates lost 105 times! Now, in 2014, the Bucs will be returning to the post-season for their 2nd straight year.
In 2010, the Nats finished last with a record of 69-93. In 2012, just 2 years later, and again this year, they have the best record in the National League.
In 2010, the Mets finished with 79 wins. Four years later, four years under the Alderson/Collins regime, and where are we? …well, 79 wins.
What separates the other teams from the Mets is they’re actually doing what it takes to win, not just promising fans a brighter tomorrow and spouting lip service. They’re bringing up rookies, signing players, and hiring good managers and talented coaches. They’re not rewarding mediocrity. These teams I mentioned above are able to turn things around in a matter of four years while in Flushing nothing has changed other than promises of better tomorrows.
In 1984, ownership promoted Davey Johnson from AAA. The Mets were rebuilding with youth then also and Johnson was the obvious choice. He knew the players—Doc, Darryl, Mitchell, Dykstra—and they knew him. It seems like history should be repeating itself. But not nowadays. While Wally Backman has guided the Triple-A team to the championship two straight years Collins has yet to reach .500 in four years.
Like Davey 30 years ago, Wally knows these young players and they know him. I don’t know if Wally would be a success or a failure and neither do you. However, based on his record of winning contrasted with Collins’ record of losing, I’ll take my chances with Wally.
The 2014 regular season has concluded and Mets fans will do what we always do lately: watching ten other teams play in October. Oh—and counting down until Opening Day. Surely, 2015 will be better and our future is bright. After all, it’s all about winning, right Fred?
