Yesterday, on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York, former Mets GM Steve Phillips had the following to say about Mets management:
“Tony Bernazard is very close to Jeff Wilpon, and that, in some ways, can be difficult for the GM, when there’s that sort of relationship between an underling and the GM’s boss… The Mets don’t necessarily believe in the chain of command. They believe, in one of their core values, in what they call a Collegial Organization. What that means is: people down the ladder can go to people up on the ladder, and people up on the ladder can go down the ladder to any level and have conversations, share thoughts, ideas… It sounds nice, but it’s not functional. Because, what ends up happening is, it tears apart the fabric of the organization and its structure…
When I was there, I actually said, ‘This can’t work.’ The people below me need to know that I’m their boss… I was perceived to be a control freak about it. It’s something I think is a nice concept, but it’s not functional or practical in a real business environment. And, that’s what ends up happening, there is too much free flowing information and access without the chain of command and it’s not a functional system… Every organization is complicated. I mean, for the longest time the Yankees had dysfunction with the way they were run… There is no perfect company or organization… Fred Wilpon understands the people and understands the structure and system that’s involved there, but I don’t know how much he is really involved anymore with what’s going.”
…this coming from the man who is notorious for posing for cameras in the clubhouse any chance he could get, all while driving Bobby Valentine crazy with his constant presence… that said, it doesn’t make him wrong, and it doesn’t mean he isn’t qualified to weigh in on Mets management…
To listen to Phillips entire 10 minute interview, click play here:
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Great so we basically have a DNA lottery winner who never had to earn a single thing in his life thanks to his father, running our organization with SHOCKINGLY no idea how to actually run the shop…..SELL THE TEAM PLEASE!!!!!!!
Bingo!
If this is true. Our team is totally a mess. This team from top to bottom needs a makeover. Forget new stadium that they just built and using, we new everything.
Right now I would love for this entire thing to explode and spill out all over the place..all of it…the organizational dysfunction, Bernazard fighting with scouts, minor league player ans major league players….I would lovei if it would all get exposed to the light of day because this is likely the only way change can possibly happen.
It seems clear that so much about our beloved team’s organization is in failure…and the root of it looks to be the younger Wilpon.
Let it all pour out and let’s get on with a complete overhaul….the Wilpons selling the team would be the huge first step needed most..
I have loved the Mets since 1962 and always will. But I despise the current ownership and have no respect for Bernazard, Manuel, whoever runs the medical side of things and –to a slightly lesser extent– Omar.
I trust more what Phillips has to say than what Rubin wrote in his article. I have not heard the interview but the thoughts read to be rather candid. Just go back and look at the Kazmir trade and all the chefs that were in the kitchen on that fateful day.
maybe philips and rubin can write a tell-all expose of the MEts? That should make for good reading.
I am guessing you could replace every damned one of them in the FO, and no fans would ever notice anything for the worse. Although, only Omar (being GM) and Tony (being a lightning rod) would even be noticed.
Anyway, from a fan standpoint (product on the field, not in the park), the only 3 that really matter are Omar, Tony and Sandy (scouting director), since they are the ones that directly control the rosters and minor leagues.
Maybe what they need (and I think some other teams have) is a buffer between the owners and the FO. SOme kind of Sr. VP of BB operations. This would be the only interface with the owner (chariman’s) level, and he would control the entire FO operation. A baseball Tsar if you will. And comepletely counter to what Stevie described.
The idea having to be that the WIlpons would cede the bulk of the decision making, at least the operational stuff, to the new guy, and just set general direction and count the money rolling in.
Although that would mean that Jeffy wouldn’t get to pretend to be a baseball guy, so it probably won’t happen.
In “real” business, Ford recently had to go through this.
When everyone takes a deep breath and exhales after all the bs, it is plain to see the problem wtih the Mets lies with injuries and a general incomptence on the part of Fred Wilpon to have a structured manner in which this team insists on presenting itself.
Jay Horowit is the absolute most useless public relations buffoon of all time. Public relations is supposed to be about how you relate to the public, pretty simple.
Wilpon simply has to fire Bernazard and frankly Horowitz for doing crappy jobs at portraying he image of the organization as a whole. He has to put Omar Minaya on notice that there will be an absolute intolerance on leaks, and Fred Wilpon needs to step up and be an informed mouthpiece for the team he owns.
I still do not believe the hype or circumstances aroudn Bernazard, but the fact that he put the Mets in this position and I am willing to bet that he is the mouthpiece behind the faulty Halladay rumor plus the perception that he was behind Randolph being axed, he is a hinderance not a help.
The action is simple, you can just say as Wilpon, I disagree with the media approach but the fact is Tony has put himself in the spotlight more than once and we simply can not have that as an organization. And in the meantime I have relieved Jay of his duties because frankly I do not understand how he has ever done anything put wear a funny coat.
Totally agree.
Bernazard is 100% the leak behind the Halladay rumors. That’s why Heyman went out of his way to defend him yesterday — which only made Heyman look like more of a fool than he is.
Horwitz is beyond useless. And who thought it was a good idea to let Minaya speak if he couldn’t say anything?
I am just going to say something in all fairness to Omar. I do not care that he is a terrible public speaker, and frankly his approach is correct even if he stumbles at articulating the point. The same question gets asked fifteen ways to Sunday and the only answer should be, we are looking into it.
Reporters are trying to create a story as much as they are reporting on it. Sorry to anyone who is a journalist or a budding one, but it just is when sports in New York is the scene. There is zero value in going into a long winded answer of: If A then B, but if C, B is less of an issue, etc, etc
there is no point.
But if that’s the case, then why speak at all? Just issue the press release and then say No comment.
He was also asked many different questions. Such as:
Question: If it proves to be true, is it a fireable offense?
Answer: Investigation, um, investigating the investigation, you know what I’m saying.
Question: When did you learn about this?
Answer: Investigation, um, investigating the investigation, you know what I’m saying.
And while you’re right that his inability to speak well publicly doesn’t affect his job, it’s sad that the public face of a half-billion dollar corporation embarasses himself every time he opens his mouth.
I don’t actually know what Steve Phillips just said.
What he described is how Most companies Operate. Most CEO’s will listen to everyone in the organization, not just a or 1 in this case being the GM. This is how you can gather more ideas then the GM filtering them one way for his benefit.
What is wrong is that Tony B. the assistant GM is closer to the CEO then the actual GM. So as Phillips said that Lack of command is broken.
I don’t know what to believe. I do believe that the Wilpons should take more of a hands off approach. Act as “Investors” as you would, and just lay out the guidelines and let the baseball people be the baseball people. If it isn’t working out and the product is bad replace the baseball people.
I actually don’t know companies that operate this way. I know I can’t go to my CEO with an issue. I guess I could email him somehow, but it would get kicked down faster than Daniels could tell McNulty “chain of command.”
Phillips has an agenda against Mets, but he’s obviously qualified on this subject. And all the evidence out there says he’s right.
It depends on the size of organization and where a person is in that food chain. Just because Tony or anyone can talk directly to Fred does not mean its bad logic. As long as people understand who they report to and who makes the decisions. If tony can go to Fred and Say, ‘dont let Omar make this trade’ behind Omar’s back then to me thats a problem.
If you think a collegial styleof management is the way most large businesses operate then you must not work in mgmt for a large company.
There’s a huge difference between upper mgmt ocaasioally sampling opinions from trusted sources lower in the food chain and completely circumventing your own line management structure as a matter of course.
Only a company run by a “dna lottery winner” like Jeff (I love that expression) would attempt to operate this way and expect to achieve success.
Well…if the Pedro or/and Duaner didnt get hurt in 2006 and all our players this year were healthy and we in first place, this idea that you cannot “expect to achieve success.” with this management style is nonsense.
Like I said above, Its good to hear the CEO is willing to listen to Tony or anyone else. What is not good if that talk is overruling Minaya or is being done behind his back to undercut him. That is where Fred would be making a mistake.
Ok, in that context, fair enough.
He is probably telling some truth about who can talk to who. But remember all…..this is a very bitter guy towards the mets. He takes every opportunity to bash this Organization. I wouldnt take everything he says as gospel.
I don’t know about you guys, but I tend not to put a lot of credence into Steve “Definitely Doesn’t Hold a Grudge Against The Mets” Phillips says.
I find his comment about chain of command interesting. I keep bringing up the NY Islanders. One reason cited for their terrible performance is the lack of a chain of command. A year or so ago Charles Wang hired Neil Smith as GM and fired him within a month when he didn’t agree to have those in scouting and other departments in on major decisions. That is how Garth Snow got the job.
It is obvious that there needs to be The Man in charge. It is not a problem for that man to have to get financial clearance from the owner but he needs to be the one either to get credit or take the fall. Having a committee making decisions is a disasterous situation, especially when everyone is friends with everyone else.
I do think though that Phillips holds a grudge against the Mets but that doesn’t mean that everytthing he says is false.
To listen to Phillips entire 10 minute interview, click play here:
You are kidding, right?