“Bobby Valentine is on the verge of signing a lucrative multi-year deal with ESPN,” according to Bob Raissman of the Daily News.
…on one hand, that’s awesome, because i thought he was great on Baseball Tonight, and it made me want to watch the show… and, for what it’s worth, i have not watched Baseball Tonight all season… he would change that, no doubt… also, i look forward to him fighting with Steve Phillips… now we’re talking TV…
…on the other hand, it means he more-than-likely will not be managing in 2010, which, depending on how you look at it, could be a good thing…
…i suspect he’ll have an out-clause in his ESPN deal, like last time, meaning he could jump ship any time… also, if the Mets are committed to Jerry Manuel, it means valentine could still be available at some point over the next few seasons, despite no longer managing in Japan…
Could Bobby still be a good Met manager? Is his 1999 style in keeping with today’s players? (A decade does make a difference in worldview) Who knows.
But I may be in the minority in thinking that Jerry has had one of the most unlucky years a manager can have. I think he deserves ONE more year with a healthy team that doesn’t have a volume discount at the local hospitals.
Now when it comes to the TRAINING and MEDICAL staff? . . . That’s another story.
I think it’s pretty clear that the Wilpons intend on keeping Jerry around at least through the start of 2010. They may clean house below him however (and hopefully bring Dave Duncan aboard).
This may be the second best option for all the Bobby V lovers out there. It ensures he won’t be managing anywhere else and he can jump ship should the Mets decide they want him back.
Please no more of Jerry. He’s not a good manager. We’ve got to get rid of this guy and Warthen and Shines. I can name so many bad moves Jerry has made injuries aside.
The man is not a good strategist at all. This is a sad day for me.
I would love to get Buck Showalter is not Bobby V.
Mark my words. Bobby V will be the manager in 2011.
This may end up being a plus for the Mets. Not that I wouldn’t mind seeing Bobby V. back, but as I mentioned on an earlier post, the Mets brass would make a very wise cost-cutting invesment bring him back. I absolutely believe that the Mets could sell this team as currently constutited very well with V. back. Without him, they’ll need to invest in improving the talent at key positions in order to keep the fans interested.
If they just try to make small tweaks, yet keep Manuel for another season, I fully expect 1/2 empty Citi Field next year right from the start. No Bobby might be exactly what they need to push them to make some bigger personnel moves.
This may not be bad news at all. I would be shocked if there was no termination clause allowing him to leave if he got an MLB managerial position. This is much better news than Bobby V signing with the Nationals or any other team. Warthen and Shines are toast but I agree that Jerry may start the season with the Mets on a short leash. If that is the case it would probably be prudent to let him go in October and hire a new admininstration by spring training. Otherwise we may have another lost season with an interim manager taking over by June.
Free Bobby V!
Seriously, the more I think about it, the more this team needs a new voice. Bobby V may or may not fit the bill (I always liked him, but don’t forget many tired of his act and around the league he didn’t have the most stellar rep– thus being a negative factor attracting FAs.)
Here’s a few names of possible managers that may or may not have been mentioned recently:
Tony Pena
Clint Hurdle
Buck Showalter
Thoughts?
I’m a Wally Backman fan, myself. Guy has the right attitude for NY, proven winner here, and players seem to run through walls for him. Not a saint, but deserves his shot because he’s proven thus far that he’s got what it takes as a manager.
BRING BACK BOBBY V !!!!!! I would love to see Bobby V as the new METS manager. I think his style would fit this team and with a all the good players on this team, he, should do fine. I think that Bobby got the shaft from Steve Phillips when he was here. Only time will tell. As much as I like Jerry, and, he did get a raw deal with all the injuries, I still feel that a change is needed.