|
|
|
Last night, Omar Minaya was peppered with questions from reporters on the current job status of Willie Randolph.
This morning in the Daily News, Adam Rubin 
wrote that Randolph could survive the first round of firings, while citing a team insider as saying, “I think the coaches are in trouble. That may be the compromise for now.”
Over the weekend, multiple reports indicated that Ken Oberkfell and Dan Wharthen, from Triple-A New Orleans, could replace Tom Nieto and Rick Peterson on the coaching staff.
…in fact, from what i can gather, the Zepyhrs have already begun to plan for life after oberkfell and warthon, and are ready to see their coaches leave in an eventual promotion…
…i can’t remember the last time i heard a bad word about obie…i had the chance to interview him back in 2005, and i remember him being a tough-guy, salt of the earth type of talker…it would be interesting to see how he would play in New York City…
“Don’t get me wrong,” Oberkfell told me in 2005, “I enjoy the Minor Leagues, and I love what I do, but there’s no question, my goal is to get to the Major Leagues.”
For more on Oberkfell, check out this recent post at Hot Foot.
By the way, speaking of the B’Mets, the Press & Sun Bulletin is doing a are giving you the chance to win four tickets to any regular-season, non-fireworks B-Mets home game.
 |
 |
 |
RSS 2.0 Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I’m 100% okay with Oberkfell on the big club in any capacity. Don’t know much about Wharton, but an internal promotion makes sense there, too, I guess.
I’m all for change and it seems like Obie would be a great addition to the staff.
I’m not sold on getting rid of Peterson. He’s done a pretty good job with what has been given to him. Is it a coincidence that nobody knew who John Maine was before he got here? Would Ollie P ever have gotten back to form if Peterson wasnt the coach? Wagner even praises Peterson’s teachings.
Our hitting is the main problem right now and I dont see a need to change our pitching coach just for the sake of change
Obie should have been the manager from the beginning of Omar’s tenure.
Maybe he’ll be like Obi-Wan Ken-Obe(rkfell)
The Wilpons have demonstrated once again why, other than the Dolans, they are the most incompetent sports team owner in NYC history. Not only have they botched medical issues for yrs on end: the latest being Ryan Church, but also in the past taking passes on Vladmir Guerrero and Maglio Ordonez because they were supposedly brittle. But, getting to the immediate matter - Willie. While I was all for the firing of Willie (and Omare) not just a few wks ago, but even at the end of last season, I have to say I no longer feel this way. The INCOMPETENT WILPONS - yes, the means you FRED and you JEFF (you immmature putz), have totally botched the situation. Willie is an honorable man and you have collectively, with your timid indecision, have allowed him to blow in the wind - on father’s day, no less. You two weakling bullies should tell Willie he’s safe and then sell the team! What we need is new owners (preferably without immature sons)!!
I don’t actually want to see Randolph go but, if he does, I’m pulling for Ken Oberkfell.
I THINK KEN OBERKFELL IS WHAT THIS TEAM NEEDS. HE WAS A HARD NOSED BALL PLAYER BACK IN THE DAY. AND HE WILL BRING SOME FIRE TO THIS BALL CLUB WHICH IT DESPERATELY NEEDS
The Mets should offer the Zephyrs job to Wally Backman and let him reclaim his MLB manager status.
Couldn’t agree more.
Didn’t he beat his wife??? I’m not so sure about him…
I think Backman may be a little over the top. We are talking about a guy who went to the radio announcers booth after he was ejected from a minor league game to talk smack about the umpires.Not sure he is emotionally ready.
Consider this. Eventually, he will come under some fire managing the Mets. Whether it is this year or in three years, the time will come. Could you imagine putting him in Willie’s place right now? It would be very entertaining, but unprofessional…by all accounts anyway.
NBC reports Peterson is gone…
Linky?
NBCSports.com is saying that they “could” be gone…
yeah sorry can’t seem to post links in the comment section…
The article says “Pitching coach WILL BE let go Monday”
Thats a crappy article. It comes out and says that he will be but then says “Minaya could fire pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto on Monday, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources.”
That is all I have seen too, same garbage that’s on ESPN. Well of course he COULD be gone. Hell I COULD be gone.
This stuff needs to end TODAY.
Speaking of ESPN and kind of off topic. I was watching Mike and the Mad Dog on Yes the other day and they had a shot of Mike’s computer screen. He was on the ESPN website. I guess that is one of the sources they use for info. I find that funny since they are constantly bashing ESPN’s programming.
Anyway, definitely all for Obie over Manuel.
Why on earth would Hojo get to stay? We have not been able to hit since he has been here. I would not move Peterson this season either. The pitching has been better and I would not want to change any routines. However as far as everyone else they can go. Still don’t think replacing Peterson and Nieto makes a difference at all.
It sends a message. Just like the coach firings when Bobby V was around. And look what happened after that…..
I understand it sends a message, just like last year when Down was fired. And look what happened after that……
I am against firing Peterson. I like to think that he is somewhat responsible for Ollie getting better.
Unless he is being replaced with Mazzone or Dave Duncan, I wouldn’t do it.
By the way, when will Dave Duncan get that kind of respect? He is the best pitching coach in baseball. Look waht he has done.
I would only do Dave Duncan or Roger McDowell. There is no way that I could stand seeing Mazzone on our bench in his rocking chair.
I think Dave Duncan already has that respect. He is wiely considered the best pitching coach in baseball. What he is getting out of his staff this year is amazing.
I
but hojo can’t go? he was an ‘86 met! he can’t go!
the mets don’t respect their past.
I agree that Ho Jo should go. They should have never fire Rick Down and kept Ho Jo at 1b last season. Before Down was fired the offense was GREAT, after, well I don’t have to tell you how it is. And, this move was Omar’s, not Willie. I say bring back Down, if he would come back.
I think the coaches are last people I’d blame . . . though the approach they take to the plate is often highly questionable.
I think that the coaches share the blame with the manager and in some cases, might be more to blame.
If you remember a couple of weeks ago how the Braves came into a game against the mets with a hitting plan, they layed-off most of the down and away change-ups and did a lot of 1st pitch hitting: They had a plan against Met pitchers, an actual plan that you could see them executing and it working! The hitters actually hitting. Has anybody seen anything like this from the Mets hitters? The Met hitters go up there and seemingly try their personal approach, but that’s it. Why doesn’t HoJo have a plan?
And with the pitchers… Yes, it seems Peterson is helping along all the starters — with the exception of OP — but the bull pen is woeful. So when Willie confers with his pitching coach before making a move, Peterson is for sure making suggestions which WR is considering, then makes his move and, most of the time this season, it falls apart and the crowd boo’s the sh*t out of Willie and wants him fired.
The coaches should be just as accountable as the manager.
I think the manager AND the coaches have to come up with the plan. The manager has to insist on the plan. It’s not that they had the wrong plan. They had NO plan.
Don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if some new ideas/thoughts/approaches helps this team, and from the ‘uninformed fans point of view’ I’m happy to see Peterson go.
The Jacket is worn out!
This front office is embarrassing these coaches with every minute that passes. If I were on this staff, I’d be begging to get out of this organization.
dan wharton can fix peterson in 10 minutes.
You hit the nail on the head. The coaches need their own coaching staff.
Clearly Tom Nieto is the cause of the Mets’ current problems and needs to go.
I think the point in firing guys like a 1B coach is because he is one of “Willie’s guys.” Most likely just a yesman to willie.. Replacing him would bring in some1 who may bring in different insights to the game…etc etc.
Not that i agree or disagree, just saying.
LOL
I couldn’t tell you how little I’ve thought about Tom Nieto in all of this.
I think they should replace Nieto with Rickey.
Only thing is, I have spent lots of minutes (more than I care to admit) trying to figure out why there is a “~” over the “n” in his name, when the next two letters make exactly the same sound. Try saying Nieto. Then try pronouncing it with the “~” over the N. Phonetically, it sounds like this: Nye-yeto.
you apparently need to get out more ;)
haha…that’s my problem. when i’m sitting on the first base side of the field, that “~” drives me nuts.
i guess i’m alone. and i’m not even an english teacher.
I agree. Tom Nieto is defintely the cause of the lights out hitting that the mets are showing. they aren’t hitting homers, and hitting in situations where the mets can score the tying run or score the winning race. Plus, Carlos Delgado is still struggling. Rick Peterson shouldn’t leave right now. The mets are pitching rather well of late. I think maybe keep Peterson for a little while longer. If the mets pitching woes again, i would suggest then fire Rick Peterson.
Huh?
It’s obviously the first base coach’s fault. Mets runners are getting to first base, and have no idea where to go next. Some of them have run into right field, others have run towards the pitcher’s mound. And there was that game in April when someone ran into the stands. How have the Mets let such poor first base coaching go on?? He must go…
lol that was hilarious
Hahaha!
some of them try to go directly back to home after hitting first base
what the heck is a first base coach’s job anyway? High fiving people who hit singles or get walks?
…and holding equipment (shin-guards, elbow guards) for base runners until the inning is over. Nieto has done a horrible job with all of this I might add.
Don’t forget the vital job of putting their arms around the runner’s shoulders, reminding these professionals the number of outs there are, while pointing across the diamond to remind the runner to check the signs. Whew. Tough assignments, all around.
WE WANT OBIE…WE WANT OBIE!!!
I’m all for a quick, intelligent shakeup, but am apprehensive about losing Peterson at this point in the season. Losing the jacket is a high risk, low reward proposition in mid June IMO.
Exactly. I think if a change is going to be made with him, wait until the off season. Pitchers are much more fragile than hitters…in their psyche anyway. Not sure what losing him would do to the young guys like Maine, Ollie, and Pelfrey.
As if Ollie would notice…
hahaha…fair point. i guess he’ll be ok as long as they don’t remove the white chalk lines. he would be unhitable if they extended the plate 4 feet up/down/inside/outside.
Mets as usual are dilly dallying. Either do or say you’re not!
it’s obvious that nieto’s firing isn’t about him, it’s about making room for oberkfell. who will be the next manager if willie doesn’t turn this around by the ASB.
Typical Mets. First it was “Right the Ship By Memorial Day!”. Then it was: “By the End of June!”. Now it’s: “By the All-Star Break!”
Later it’s going to be “By the end of September!” and after the season, the Wilpons are going to demand it for Christmas.
Who is ultimatly responsible for the bullpen? Is it Conti, Peterson, or someone else?
I feel comfortable with the starting pitching under peterson however, if he is in charge of the bullpen then maybe he does need to go.
I still mainly think this all falls back on the offense. If the offense scored more runs, or just continued tacking on runs late in the game, than in a way the other team tends to roll over making our bullpen look that much more impressive. Instead they guy down 1-2-3 most of the time and the opposing offense is fresh to come back.
You guys aren’t thinking this through logically.
Delgado is one of the biggest problems on the team, right? And what position does he play? 1B!
So, if you can’t get rid of the 1B man, you get rid of the 1B coach instead.
Thank you, no need for applause!
And maybe the Apple in CF was only at 87% yesterday.
I just have a few points to make:
First: Lets make this perfectly clear. Willie is not to blame for Delgado batting .240. Dont say he should bench him cause honestly, who do we have to replace him. Our prospects are not ready yet and bringing them up to the show to gain experience will only cause a sense of defeat to come accross. Until we have a viable replacement Delgado is fine.
Second: Willie’s only real problem is bullpen managment. He does not know when or to bring in in certain situations. 3 of the losses in the past week were not Willie’s fault. We can not blame him for Billy having the worse week in his professional career.
Third: Rick Peterson has not had the same succes here as he did in Oakland. Our pitchers are clearly not members of the church of Peterson. Big deal, I have always thought the pitching coach and especially the hitting coach are the most overrated positions on a major league team.
Fourth: Omar has not done what he intended to do upon arrival. Signing Luis Castillo to a 4 year deal when the man can barely walk is just rediculous. He promised youth and speed but now we have a second baseman who can not walk, catchers who can barely catch, and left fielder who spends more days on the DL than he does minutes in the majors, and a pitcher who is so old that he does not even actually know how old he is. If anyone has to go it is Omar. But firing a gm midseason admits defeat and that will not be done now.
Overall, I think it is time that all Met fans join together. Support the team we have on the field. The Wilpons are not going to fire Willie becasue the fans are upset with him. It is time we just chear for our team. The Willie saga is causing distractions amongst the players. It is time we stop the booing, stop the criticsm, and chear for what we have. We are only 5 games back and perhaps something will spark in these players. When Willie is finally fired we can trash him all we want- but right now he IS our manager and lets support him. lets support Carlios Delgado, lets support Rick Peterson. And guys seriously Sandy Alomar is SOOOO much worse than Nieto. Seriously, I have never seen Alomar even try to snag a ground ball. But on a serious note- enough with the quiet Shey- lets Start cheering.
“We are only 5 games back…”
No.
in the loss column. sorry.
The Phillies have eight more wins than the Mets. In spite of what some people think, you cannot just look at the loss column.
“But on a serious note- enough with the quiet Shey- lets Start cheering.”
SHEY?
You gotta be kidding me.
sorry. Wrote this very quickly cause my original post which was better written got erased for some reason.
With all due respect, it’s apparent you have forgotten in which city the NEW YORK Mets play in, I’ll give you a hint………………………NEW YORK.
I’m not picking on you and yhere’s defintiely nothing qrong with supporting your team but this is not one of these Small market teams where fans chear no matter how bad their team is playing. NY fans are the MOST knowledgible and demand the best from their players.
You can’t expect us to “Cheer” like 12-years when the team is under performong and 2 games below .500. There are much higher expectations on this team than .500 ball.
Yeah, and being NYC, there are also plenty of other things to do during the summer if they are going to play like they have. A lot of people just will not sit there and cheer for their sucky team when they can be at the beach or at about a thousand outdoor events at any given time.
Outside of Ollie Perez, the starting pitching this season has been about as good as you could ask for most of the time. I don’t think Rick Peterson should loose his job - his biggest mistake is working for Willie
Maine has been stagnant at best since the middle of last year, Perez befuddling and Pelfrey is a man in search of a different tutor or at least the current tutor’s openness to a different approach.
Peterson gets zero credit for anything Martinez and Santana do, they occur in time and space without him.
He has had his shot, I don’t blame him for the Kazmir disaster because I think bigger idiots used him as a scapegoat, those being morons whom the game had long since passed by that did not realize the lay fan knows more about the teams prospects than they did, but never the less Peterson has wore out his welcome.
Pelfrey’s last month or so has been pretty darned good. Since May 10th, the Mets have been outscored 33-17 in his starts, and of those 7 starts, 5 quality, and 6 with 4 earned or less. A feather in Peterson’s cap, or just natural progression?
I dont wanna hear about quality starts, it has taken for ever and a day for Pelfrey to have a truly dominating impressive start, and that happened last week.
I have been a supporter of Peterson by and large, but I think his one size fits all approach is terrible and does not work, you have to view each pitcher in their vaccum, he tinkers too much, and at the major league level of all places.
What got Pelfrey through last week was letting his fastball fly and throwing his sinker/slider good and hard, prior to that he was aiming for Peterson’s imaginary line and missing.
Firing Peterson is nice since he deserves to burn in hell for the Kazmir trade, but seriously, wake me up when the Mets prepare for life after Willie. Anything else is just Omar covering his own a$s.
You must spell the word ridiculous correctly to be taken seriously . I and E are no where even near each other on the keyboard either.
In fact, lets just invent new spellings.
eyether
keeboard
releaf
snot
tissue
The Mets tried this and failed last year. Rick Down anyone? That really helped.
What the hell does Tom Nieto even do? Collect the shin and elbow guards? Is he not doing that well?
As for Peterson, he takes a lot of crap from people and it’s far more than he deserves. People are still bitter about Kazmir but he said this AFTER Kazmir was traded to make the trade look better. Want to blame someone for that? Blame Duquette (he did the trade), Franco (He didn’t like Kazmir playing the music loud), and Leiter (was gonna lose his job to Kazmir).
Firing the coaches will do nothing as evident from last year. Firing Willie will.
What evidence can you provide that firing Willie will do something.
off topic..
Rumor on ESPN radio:
Reyes and Heilman to Tampa for Crawford and Garza..
yeah, that might happen
I don’t buy that for one second.
Damian Easley, your everyday shortstop… I’m sold!!
Doubt it
If the Mets make Reyes the scapegoat and go out and get that drivel I am going to be a Rays fan.
Who plays SS?
That can’t possibly be true. Why would they think that even makes sense.
BTW, who said it on ESPN Radio? You have people calling WFAN all day long with trade proposals, and some of them try to sound like they are in the business complete with super-fake radio guy voice. Are you sure it was someone who works there and not some caller with a trade proposal?
Agree with you on Willie being fired, not so much with Peterson not having much influence in the Kazmir deal. If you don’t think Peterson has carried a lot of weight in this organization, just look at the fact that he’s been the longest tenured Met coach. The guy is Rasputin, he must be stopped.
Look take it for what it is worth, I know for a fact that while Peterson commented on Zambrano, he was never consulted on whom they would be giving up in a trade to get him.
All the guy said was he could work with him. What the scouts did not tell him was he was a moron in the noggin and that they were going to deal Kazmir for him.
Peterson had done a fairly decent job and his general guidance philosophy is good, in terms or preparation and repitition for training, but his unproven reliance on the 100 pitch count software is insane and frankly tiresome.
And the Mets bullpen has imploded since last August and he has to take some of that on. He is the advisor for the pitching staff, providing guidance on whether he thinks guys are done or not on a given night and whom should be considered for matchups.
I don’t have a problem with Peterson, but wasn’t he the one who guaranteed everyone that Kazmir was years away from being major league ready? My mind ain’t what it used to be, but I thought that was a key part in that deal getting pushed through.
No, Peterson’s philosophy is that high school pitchers are always further out than college pitchers because of the level of work they have done at particular levels, ie a college junior has potentially thrown 400+ innings and in Petersons view a high school draft pick needs that equivalent time in the minors.
That opinion drove people to additional fingering of Peterson as the one pushing Kazmir out the door hardest.
Is is, Kazmir is gone.
Blaming Kazmir on Franco and Leiter is even more idiotic than blaming Peterson.
Peterson is overrated. He’s a fine pitching coach, but not nearly as good as he makes himself out to be.
He has a certain type of style and if a pitcher doesn’t fit that style he puts him in a doghouse for no real reason.
I know nothing about Dan Wharthen to say he’ll be any better. I just hope he isn’t the same as moving a coach into a position he shouldn’t be in (see Howard Johnson as batting coach), just for the sake of it.
If that is the case I’d rather just keep Peterson for now. He still is a good pitching coach.
As for Nieto, ehhh. Who cares. I guess techinically Howard Johnson could be moved back to 1B coach and Ken Oberkfell could become the hitting coach. Just a thought.
I’d rather they replace the bench coach position. Willie and Jerry Manual seem to never try anything even slightly out of the box.
Oberkfel as a manager would be a good choice and bench coach, not sure Manual could be the hitting coach, but he could be the 1B coach and HoJo could move back.
Yeah, that is a lot of shuffling (which isn’t bad). I just wonder if Manuel will take the demotion if that is really an option. Not that Manuel seems to ruffle feathers, but still an ex-manager and a guy that has been labeled as Willie’s replacement if Willie was fired this year.
wasnt Nieto the bullpen coach last year? last year when the bullpen was rather great for most of the season? Why can him as a first base coach, unless he is still the relievers coach while being the 1B coach… which would be weird.
How about moving Nieto back to the pen to see if they can get back to 2006-07 form?
Lose Conti and HoJo, move Manual to 1B coach, make Oberkfel the new bench/batting coach, and make Jose Valentin the new batting/bench coach.
No I think it’s been Conti since Pedro signed with the Mets.
Omar is a clown. Why would you promote Obie to work under Willie. Willie knows they’re grooming OBie to be the next manager. Thats going to add more tension to an already tense clubhouse. Either leave everything alone or fire the entire coaching staff. Stop this insanity. We’ve seen all we need to see from willie Randolph. Can we please move on already.
If Willie can’t take the heat he can quit for all I care.
Would a broadcaster such as FOX or whoever Leo Mazzone is signed with keep him from coming aboard to replace Petersen, because unless I’m missing something here about that, why in hell would they bring somebody up from the minors (and if he’s great, keep him down there, because those young pitchers need him and if he’s not…) when the best pitching coach of the last 20 years seems to be more than available.
Why did the best pitching coach of the last 20 years bomb so badly in Baltimore, and before you say it was talent, consider that Mazzone inheritied the very best of the big three in Maddux, and presided over routinely the worst bullpen of a playoff team year in and year out.
Mazzone is not some Arch Angel mystification machine.
Come on - that Baltimore staff was gonna take time to whip into shape and to expect him to do so well so quickly with them and judge him on that as opposed to all the successes that his pitchers had for 15 years of so in Atlanta seems slanted - but OK, you hate the Braves, so you’re my kind of guy!
Dude, I could have been failry successful with Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux
Patrick I don’t doubt you for a second on that, but how would you have done with Denny Neagle, Russ Ortiz, Jaret Wright, Kevin Millwood, and John Burkett?
fire jeff “paris” wilpon
This slow news day is killing me…
Peterson is a fraud. Which pitcher has actually improved under Peterson? Maine…maybe. Ollie….NFW. Not one of the relievers. The reliance on the pitch count has left us suffering in June for decent relief help already. If you heard Mazzone on the radio yesterday with Ed Randall you would have said to yourself…why isn’t he already here.
R
Basically, it’s just the Wilpons hanging their coaches out to dry to satiate a fanbase that they assume is completely ignorant and only wants blood for its own sake. Oh, why can’t we all be so pristinely pure as we were when our BELOVED DODGERS WERE IN BROOKLYN!?!??!?
maybe the Wilpons are Russian spies
Maybe Patrick could write something substantive instead of always calling other fans idiots.
yes wilpons are Russian Spies is code word for Idiots
Yea, the Wilpons are the ones pitching and hitting like crap..That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard
Ownership doesnt play the game…They’re the ones giving Omar the ability to spend $140mm a year…Why complain about them….Not to mention they’re also paying for the new stadium that i’m sure we will all very much enjoy next year…At least the taxpayers didnt have to pay for it….
The other day Kevin Burkhardt reported that Pedro corrected something in Perez’s mechanics (where his gaze was focused toward the end of his delivery) that may have helped him recently. My first thought was–how could Peterson have missed that? Perhaps some fresh eyes will help more than we know.
sometimes it is just more lightly pychological than anything, if Pedro Martinez tells him to do something and it works once, he might get the bug out of him that had him tinkering and altering his approach pitch to pitch…
keep in mind Pedro had told Perez he wanted to speak with him I think it was on the trip from San Francisco to San Diego and Pedro was asked how that went and supposedly he said well Oliver played with his video game the whole way.
no it was corrected. The very next start Perez wasn’t pulling his head towards third base. This was about a month ago. so either Peterson corrected it or it was just luck that Perez stopped that. But I remember this cause Darling made this observation and I watched for it in Perez’s next start.
Ollie said that Pedro was working with him and pointed out the head thing to him
not saying a change was not made, but when you are going as bad as Ollie you might as well put on a gold thong and believe that it worked, that is all
OK, but we should wait for Perez to make a few more starts before we take that into account. I’m not saying it’s not correct, but I’m sure lots of people Perez has encountered during the course of his career have seen things and tried to help him. He’s still the one who has to go to the mound, and you never know which Oliver Perez you’re going to get. Some men you just can’t reach.
After listening to Perez, I’m starting to wonder if this guy understands english at all. In almost every interview I see Perez doesn’t come close to answering the questions that are asked. Maybe he just doesn’t know WTF Peterson is saying.
dr jones, you may be on to something. I feel there is some disconnect between the latino players and the rest of the team. I’m telling you, don’t count out Bernazard as the interim coach the rest of the way. And while they are at it, making Pedro a player-coach and Alou a player-coach is NOT a terrible idea.
good grief the disconnects by ethnicity again…
if we go back in the time machine it was Carlos Delgado who called out Bernazard as a lackey in the 2004-05 off season, due to his involvement as the representative of the league office to the players union as “translator”…this was widely miscategorized in the press, when Delgado was in fact angered at Bernazard and the league office for stooping down on players as opposed to forcing them to face cultural & language barriers head on.
No secret that Delgado is not a big fan of Bernazard, no secret that people think Delgado is a cancer and out to get Willie, no secret that people took big notice of Bernazard holding court last year in the Mets club house and on the field too often.
But now Bernazard is the voice of reason?
You know what would help the Mets play better, stranding runners in the scoring position when they are pitching the ball, and knocking in runners from scoring position when they are hitting the ball, and doing that in sync within the same game, everything else is just melodrama to fill space.
mariners just fired GM bill bavasi.
but hey, you don’t just fire GMs in the middle of the season, amirite?
go compare the Mariners under to Bavasi to the Mets under Minaya, if you flipped rosters by coast, you have the 2002-2004 Mets.
Minaya’s first season as GM was 2005…