Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'll go along with your recommendations for the coaching staff, Charley.
OK - here are some bizarre thoughts about replacements for certain current members of the staff.
Pitching Coach:
Current: Dan Warthen
Dream Coach: Dave Duncan
Since Dream Coach Not Available: Orel Hershiser certainly knows how to pitch, has played in New York, and has the kind of winning attitude that a good pitching coach can instill in his players.
Batting Coach:
Current: Howard Johnson
Dream Coach: Dave Duncan
Since Dream Coach Not Available: Mike Piazza, who again, knows New York and knows how to hit. In addition, he would be a great mentor for Omir Santos and Josh Thole. Since the Mets have many position players to replace, maybe they don't concentrate on catching allowing these two to grow under Piazza's tutiledge - and concentration on left field, one or two upper rotation arms, and maybe now a shortstop.
Third Base Coach:
Current: Razor Shines
Recommendation: Tim Tuefel has been managing in the minors and was a good base runner. Maybe it's time to bring him up to the big club and let him coach third base. He's also good with young players so as the St. Lucie and lower level kids begin to arrive (particularly Wilmer Flores), Tuefel is there to support.
Manager:
Current: Jerry Manuel
Dream Manager: Bobby Valentine - but since the Wilpons never admit to their mistakes ...
Since The Wilpons Are Stubborn: There is no manager with major league experience not current working who excites me at all. Cecil Cooper? Eh! Clint Hurdle? Eh! Eric Wedge? Eh! Manny Acta? Eh! I'm just not excited about retreads - at least not these guys. However, there is yet another ex-Met who has ten years MLB experience as a coach and two WBC cycles experience as a manager - Jose Oquendo. Maybe it's time for him to step up and become a manager?
The first thought that popped into my head when you mentioned a Dream Pitching Coach was Tom Seaver. On second thought, however, I vetoed that notion. Tom Terrific was nothing if not a perfectionist, and I doubt he'd stick around for a full season trying to coach some of the characters in today's game. (Johan Santana would probably love having Seaver as pitching coach, but nobody else).
Bobby Valentine would also be my first choice for manager. But I don't think Manuel did such a bad job. I'm all for giving him a chance to go through a season with a regular roster. (What do you think of Mookie Wilson as a manager--or Teufel as manager and Wilson as third base coach).
My first thought was about Mookie but then I remembered that he managed the for their rookie league team and was a coach for them from 1997 to 2002 and felt a little burnt by the organization when he was released. I don't think he'd want to coach again.
I think Teufel has the potential to be a good manager, but needs some "management" experience at the major league level which is another good reason to give him a shot as a coach first. He's another one who was a hard nosed player who could possibly pass that attribute along to some of the players. A little more edge wouldn't be a bad thing for this team.
Bobby V will get another manager job in the big leagues and will bring another team to the World Series ... and the anti-Wilpon grumbling will get a little louder from the fans when that happens.
When I put the words "Mets" and "overhaul" in the same sentence, a little alarm keeps going off in the back of my head, screaming Oliver Perez! Oliver Perez! He's got to be the first to go.
I guess it's true that Tim Teufel (his name is German for "devil," by the way, which would make for some interesting headlines in the course of a season!) hasn't got the much-ballyhooed "major league experience." Then again, every manager started out in that situation. There's got to be a first time, right? Assuming that the Wilpons aren't going to look past their own petty prejudices and offer Valentine the job, and also that someone in an office somewhere has decided not to let Jerry Manuel manage in 2010, I don't see why Teufel would be a bad choice, never mind the fact that he hasn't managed a major league club before.
Here's an absolutely crazy idea: Bring Wally Backman in as a coach! This team has had zero personality for at least 3 years now. It's time to shake things up in the clubhouse and get some emotion going.
I guess it's nice to have former Mets in the clubhouse. But I'm not as concerned about that as I am about the right people for the job. If the front office accomplishes that, I don't care where they find those people. (Yes, even if it means hiring a...fingers tremble at the thought of typing these words...former Yankee).
And, hey, it's not like it hasn't happened before. Casey Stengel wore a different set of pinstripes before he became the Mets' manager. And Yogi Berra did, too. If lightning happened to strike and Don Mattingly became our batting coach, for instance, you wouldn't hear any complaints out of me.
Yes, even if it means hiring a...fingers tremble at the thought of typing these words...former Yankee.
I had no problem with Willie Randolph as manager and thought his firing was a mistake - and poorly handled. I'd be fine with Mattingly as a batting coach but knowing he's in L.A. with Joe Torre, he's not available.
I also agree that Ollie should go. The problem is that as hard to believe as it is, he still has an upside if someone can get into his head and straighten him out ... and the only contract that would end up on the Mets in a trade for Ollie would be a bad one. For example, Milton Bradley, Dontrell Willis, Alex Rios, Adrian Beltre, and I'm sure you could all name others.
They're doing some media stuff at Citi Field right now, and Jeff Wilpon just said... Get ready for it...
He said that most of the Mets injuries this season took place on the road and as a result the team was at the mercy of the other teams' medical staffs.
Nice to see this organization is ready to step up and take some responsibility for their own failures.
They're doing some media stuff at Citi Field right now, and Jeff Wilpon just said... Get ready for it...
He said that most of the Mets injuries this season took place on the road and as a result the team was at the mercy of the other teams' medical staffs.
Nice to see this organization is ready to step up and take some responsibility for their own failures.
"The New York Mets announced Monday that bench coach Sandy Alomar, Sr. and first base coach Luis Alicea would not return for the 2010 season."
THEY FIRED THE WRONG TWO!!
Johnson, Warthen and Niemann will return to their positions. In addition, Razor Shines and catching instructor Sandy Alomar, Jr. will return in yet to be decided roles. If the role for Shines is selling hot dogs at the Shake Shack, that's fine with me. Anything else is above his pay grade!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
