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The Mets announced Sunday that Buck Showalter will not be the team’s manager in 2024. He had one year remaining on his contract.
“It became clear that he [David Stearns] wanted to go in a different direction and that’s certainly his right and I gave him that right,” Steve Cohen said. “This is not a reflection on Buck. Buck did everything we wanted him to do. Obviously this season was a disappointment, but it’s not Buck’s fault. It’s spread across the organization.”
Pete Alonso said he was “really upset” when he heard the news that Showalter wouldn’t be back next season.
“He had such a positive impact on me as a person and as a baseball player,” Alonso said.
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Francisco Lindor said that he didn’t talk to the team’s upper management about Showalter’s status for 2024, but he spoke highly of him.
“There was no conversations about it. That’s their job,” Lindor said. “I’m here to play baseball. I told you guys I love him and I don’t want him to go anywhere.”
Showalter finishes his Mets tenure with a 175-148 record and one playoff win. The Mets will now begin a search for the team’s fifth manager since Terry Collins retired in 2017.
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José Butto tossed six solid innings, allowing just two runs and five hits, walking two and striking out four, but Tim Locastro‘s solo home run was all the Mets’ offense could muster in a 9-1 loss to the Phillies. Major League Baseball announced that the Mets and Marlins will not have to resume their suspended game from this past Thursday.
The Mets will introduce David Stearns at a press conference today at noon. You can watch live on SNY and on their digital platforms.
The Mets drew an announced 2.57 million fans at Citi Field this year, which is a slight increase from last season’s mark. It’s their highest total since 2016.
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MMO joins the baseball community in mourning the loss of Tim Wakefield, who passed away Sunday at the age of 57 after a battle with brain cancer. The knuckleballer pitched in 19 big league seasons, 17 of which came in Boston. Wakefield was the honorary chairman of the Red Sox Foundation and spent 29 years in the Boston organization.
Major League Baseball announced start times for all the Wild Card Series games, which begin tomorrow. The Rangers and Rays will begin the slate at 3:08 PM on ABC, followed by the Blue Jays and Twins on ESPN at 4:38, the Diamondbacks and Brewers will get started at 7:08 on ESPN2, and the Marlins will face off against the Phillies on ESPN starting at 8:08.
The Braves finished the season with 307 home runs as a team, tying the record that the Twins set back in 2019. Additionally, Atlanta collectively slugged .501, a new major league record.
Luis Arraez won his second straight batting title, becoming the first player to win batting titles in different leagues in back-to-back years. Arraez joins DJ LeMahieu as the only other player to win a title in both the AL and NL.
The Marlins recalled lefty Ryan Weathers from Triple-A Jacksonville and designated another southpaw, Matt Moore, for assignment. Moore put up a solid year between the Angels, Guardians, and Marlins, but he was ineligible to pitch in the postseason because he was claimed after September 1.
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James Villani recaps the Mets’ loss in their season finale against the Phillies.
Villani covered what Steve Cohen said on Sunday.
Christian De Block evaluates Tylor Megill‘s strong final start of the season.
This Date in Mets History
1986: In the Mets’ 8-2 victory over the Expos, Dwight Gooden becomes the first player in MLB history to strike out at least 200 batters in each of his first three seasons. Gary Carter goes deep and drives in four runs to eclipse the 100-RBI mark on the year.
1999: Rick Reed tosses a complete-game three-hit shutout, striking out 12 as the Mets down the Pirates 7-0 at Shea Stadium to move into a tie with the Reds for the NL Wild Card spot with one game to go in the season. Mike Piazza belts his 40th home run of the season, a two-run shot off Mike Williams.
Birthdays: Kevin Kobel (70), Scott Schoeneweis (50)
