The most obvious next step for Bobby Valentine is Flushing, says Bob Klapisch in a report for FoxSports.com.
According to Klapisch, “Jerry Manuel has two months, at best, to prove he can reverse the Mets downward spiral, which began all the way back in Game 7 of the 2006 NL Championship Series.”
Klapisch feels one long losing streak could get Manuel fired. “Question is,’ he asks, ‘would ownership have the guts to re-hire Valentine?’
…i want to give Jerry Manuel the chance to be successful, and i wish him the best… but, if he does end up being fired, i think i made myself quite clear, last October, here, that i want bobby to be his replacement… i know some people will like the idea of doing a total 180–degree turn from manuel with Wally Backman… but, i just can’t see wally getting promoted so soon… i mean, backman’s Cyclones do not play their first game until mid June… so, backman in Queens during 2010 doesn’t seem to make sense…
…as i explained in October, to me, valentine is more than a manager, he’d be a shift in brand, a change in the type of player acquired, etc., and it would have to part of a larger organizational shift… and, i’m not sure the Mets are ready for such a bold move, though they should be…
…by the way, thank you, klap, for the shout out in your report… much appreciated…
Updated at 12:25 pm:
Anthony L: Klap is right, would the Mets even hire Valentine? Or is it a pipe dream?
Matthew Cerrone: Frankly, I don’t think such topics are being talked about over there, as they have faith in Manuel and, obviously, think he will be successful this season. That said, from what I can gather, Ownership still thinks very highly of Valentine, and so, in the event the team is looking for a new manager, I do think he would be seriously considered.
I TOTALLY AGREE. I’m not sure what to think of manual, and I don’t dislike the guy…But Bobby V brings that spark, and I really think the Mets need that! The guy is a winner, and I love the way he plays the game so to speak. This also gives time for Wally to work in our minor leagues and spend more time in the organization. I was all for bringing in Bobby over the winter, but I understand why they didn’t. He is waiting in the wings my friends…..
Problem is the Mets should have done this at the end of last season and didn’t. Unfortunately I don’t see them doing it again, and if they do it will be a too little too late type of deal. Jerry has already had his chance and proven that he shouldn’t be our manager.
Should have been done after the choke in 2007.
I agree. Jerry was around in 2006, 2007, as manager and 2008 and 2009. Jerry should have been let go after 2009 and a new manager hired.
Valentine with all his flaws would be a substantial upgrade over Randolph and Manuel.
His command of on-field strategy is head and shoulders above the limited ability of those two clowns.
As long as the boy Blunder is the owner. Jeff. Bobby is too smart and they are going to clash thats why he did not want him. Fred did not fire Bobby it was basically Jeff that made his dad rid the Mets of Bobby in 02. Jeff wants to be head cheese and Bobby wants the control of his roster and Jeff will never yield for that . If they brought him back it would be great but it won’t work because the Wilpons never admit they are wrong especially Jr.
Not that I’m a fan of Bobby V (his fans seems to gloss over the way he basically blew the Mets WC chances in ’98 and ’01), but how do you know Jeff was the force behind the scenes that caused Valentine to get fired in 2002?
can we make his official nickname “Lil Jeffy” ?
as in the Ringer?
At this point I’d let Mr. Met manage the team. I’m not sure you can get worse than Manuel.
This is true… but I sure will miss those epic interviews, “well uhhh, the thing is ummm, uhhhh, we need to ummm, do some better hitting… now ummmmm like I’ve said I have confidence with our young players and uhhhhhhhhh… in timeeeee, I believe, that uhhhh we can turn things around uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… thank you”
that sounds more like Willie than Manuel
Willie at least had a plan and stuck to it. Manuel ..well, who knows if anything goes on in his head.
I think Art Howe should come back :}
I would welcome that crazy bastard back with open arms, but I also seriously doubt for a variety of reasons that Mets brass would do the same.
What he accomplished with limited talent in 2000 was really remarkable, despite his idiosynchracies.
you mean the OF of Daryl Hamilton, Jay Payton and Benny Agbayani didn’t strike fear in opposing pitchers? I agree, Bobby V is great and making lesser players better.
Agbayani is the original flyin Hawaiian =X At least he was an entertaining bastard … giving those caught balls away… with one out
Let me see if I have this right. After a season during which nearly his entire starting team spent time on the D.L. — and 10 days before the start of spring training — the media is setting arbitary success criteria on Jerry Manuel’s results in 2010.
Give me a break.
Yes, and a season where the Mets lacked any idea of any sense of fundamental baseball and played with zero intensity. He also presided over the 2008 collapse btw and was there for our fantastic success in 07. This team needed a change in that locker room and no Bay wont give us that.
strawberry said we needed that swagger back – bobby v def would help – man is a straight up professional – through and through.
I love BV and would love to have him back, but pretty much the last thing I would describe him as is a “professional through and through”. He has fire, he has passion, he can charge up a ballclub, but “professional” is more Randolf than BV.
I mean BV acts more like an 86 met than a late 90s Yankee…
My confidence in this team would increase exponentially if Bobby V. was at the helm. i would go out and purchase a ticket package also. It is a wise baseball move and a wise business move and this move should have been made already.
Could you imagine citi field when he is announced for the first time? Id buy a tickets for that game at least, i dont know about a package.
I’m seriously considering getting a Valentine Mets jersey just to wear to the games. I think if enough people were to do this we might actually get a point through to the Wilpons.
Another thing, in light of this news that apparently the Mets have a terrible locker room, Bobby V out of any manager would be the one to straighten this out; the man doesn’t take crap like that very lightly.
I’m not going to lie…I would love this. This team need something like this, aside from Jason Bay, no big changes for a team that needs some major changes! Not that I don’t like Jerry but Bobby V. would be a huge step up. I’ve never been a fan of those who say the Mets need a full on rebuild, but I’m all for a change at the helm.
The weird part is that I don’t think Jerry Manuel would be at fault for a protracted losing streak. My money would be on that rotation laying eggs in which case it should be Dan Werthen’s head not Jerry’s that shoud be served up. People kill Jerry, but damn, it he did not have a fair chance at a winner.
You are correct, of course. But what do you think of Valentine? Do you think he would be an upgrade?
HELL YES!!! He knows NY and he knows how to get the most out of his players. He took average to no name players and made them into hero’s. He would be a huge upgrade.
Also……..
“he’d be a shift in brand”
I hate this Madison Ave bull. This is a baseball team. You try to build a winner, and the winning will take care of the “branding”.
Tell that to all the Jets fans and their new “Brand Rex.”
Well if they stink next year, Brand Rex will go the way of Mangenius…
Why not Dave Johnson? If you’re going to go retro then go with the guy who was the most successful manager in the franchise history.
How about Joe Torre? That’s really going retro. His deal is up at the end of the season with LA.
In any case you need a GM that Bobby V, Davey or Joe are on the same page with.
Davey doesn’t want the job. Torre has a job.
Davey’s getting up there in years… not sure he could take the grind anymore.
They talk about “NY has to win now, and fans won’t accept rebuilding”. Well, you hire Valentine, and I would gladly sit by for 2-3 seasons for a rebuild. Don’t tell me you are rebuilding w/ some unknown manager. We need experts!
To borrow from Reggie’s line, Bobby V would be “the straw that stirs the drink.” He would give them the swagger that was so reminiscent of the Mets teams of the mid to late 1980′s. He would have everyone on their toes and playing to maximum potential. Let’s hope he gets an encore at the helm of the Mets.
I think that Omar’s head should roll before Jerry’s.
Both should go.
I think Valentine was a great IN GAME manager.
From what I remember,he couldn’t keep his mouth from getting him in trouble.
I don’t remember specifics,except for saying,I believe that Hundly stays out to late and drinks to much,which is ok to tell the player in private but not in the papers.
I like him alot though. To be fair,manuel,although I am tired of him too,had a great record in 2008 dispite the choke. In 2009 he had injuries.
Like I said,I don’t like him either but he is the least of the omar-wilpons-manuel problems…
And the mustache incident I thought was pretty funny although he got tons of criticism for it
I can’t understand for the life of me my so many Mets fans keep bringing up Wally Backman. A manager is a person who needs to be respected. How can a guy who has bee arrested twice AND had financial problems be respected? The guy is a mess and there is no reason to believe that he will not continue to be a mess in the future. Wally Backman??!! Really?
I should have added this. I know everyone deserves a second chance and blah,blah, blah. And maybe that’s true. But I certainly don’t think the Mets are the organization that can afford to take a chance on a guy with a questionable past.
Tony LaRussa has been arrested in his life.. Sometimes people make mistakes..
I agree that Wally Backman should be given a chance, like he is, to rebuild his reputation. I don’t think he should be handed a job on the MLB team without paying his dues in the minors first. Maybe in another 3-4 years he’ll be looked at as an MLB manager.
Billy Martin wasn’t exactly a boy scout and he was a pretty successful major league manager. I don’t think you can say Bachman’s past would be an indicator that he wouldn’t be a good manager.
Love Bobby V. How can you not! The guy is awesome in every way. Jerry is a nice guy, but let’s be real, he’s not a very good manager. Bobby V is the stuff. It would actually get me to buy tickets inspite of the fact that I hate the Wilpons right now.
There’s no reason to NOT have Bobby V as manager right now, but assuming that Jerry Manuel deserves a fair shot, I’d give him no more than two months to show that he is capable of getting the most out of this crop of players. If/when he gets fired, Bobby V NEEDS to be brought back. Do what it takes to make it happen.
And for what its worth, I think Jerry should be gone anyway – not necessarily for losing last year, but for being a terrible manager. He’s not a good decision maker.
Agreed Jerry scares me to death..
Just the fact that he continually let Pedro Feliciano face a right handed batter after he was out managed several times doesn’t bode well for the Mets. They could still win inspite of jerry’s ineptitude.
Another interesting conversation (and equally important) that we should be having is about who will replace Omar…
We need a new GM and manager, that shouldve been done this offseason.
I think Omar walked in on Jeff Wilpon with his pants around his ankles and now he is blackmailing him. How else can you explain that he is still the GM?
I’d love it if Bobby V came back. Yes, sometimes the players tune him out after a while, but he has always gotten the most out of his players. As the article said, he would be the strongest personality in the organization. In addition to his on the field skills I will always love Bobby as a Met Manager after the way he took charge with the Mets support of the city just after 9-11, and the way he was always out early, during batting practice, signing autographs for kids. The guy has personality and cares for the fans- something this team is missing.
i would love Bobby V back, the problem is Omar is the gm as long as he is the GM it will never happen
“…I don’t think such topics are being talked about over there.”
If this is true then there are some serious problems with the Mets organization. Not just regarding Valentine but for the future.
Yes they should bring Valentine back.
It might really help communication in the lockeroom.
No longer would a manager have to know Spanlish
Bobby could be the great equalizer and make the official language of the METS
Japanese.
I remember when a number of players said they would never play for the Mets as long as Bobby V was the manager. The way I see it, that’s a great way to screen players we don’t want. I’d rather have a unified group of 25 overachievers being led by a brilliant tactician than a collection of overpaid, lazy loudmouths being led by a pushover.
BRING BACK BOBBY V!!!!!!!!!!
It amazing how many Mets fans want Bobby V back, but was ready to drive him outta the city a few years back. I wouldnt mind having him back but im not gonna sit here and glorify a guy that had all that talent on the ’02 team and we finished in LAST PLACE. But these same fans hate on Jerry Manual who had nothing but backups of backups on his roster and still managed this team to 5 wins less than what Bobby V got us with that lineup he had. Manuel may not be the greatest but if you dont have major league talent on your roster, you wont win anything.
no one is knocking Manuel, i think he is a good guy just def not right for this team
Good guys don’t make great managers that’s the point really. Bobby V had half the talent then compared to what we have now. Jerry does not have the 1st clue about strategy.
I liked Bobby V but we’re all forgetting why he was fired in the first place. I still remember all the complaints about him micro-managing everything. Yes, he’s good at turning nothing into something. This is why he would be great on a young team. This is NOT the Mets. Imagine, him trying to switch Bay or Beltran or any vet out for the hot hand. There would be an uproar. You can do this on a young team but not on a veteran team which is probably why vets won’t play for him.
Same thing with Art Howe. He was great on that young Oakland A club, but it didn’t translate well with the Mets. There are a lot of dynamics involved besides just doing good for teams.
still, hes Way better than manuel! atleast booby v knows what he’s doin and has an idea what he wants to do. manuel just goes uhhhhhhhhhhh, and puts up 4 different lineups in 5 days
i meant bobby v
Bringing in Valentine would be one HUGE band-aid for some of the other problems related to the team. It would give the writers and bloggers something else to focus on for awhile.
Hiring Bobby V will certainly deflect talk. How about we hire him to be our PR guy?
how about we fire Omar Minaya fianlly…. i think that will solve alot of problems going forward :)
amen
Part of Matts posts today about staying positive were referring to the Mets now having money saved to make moves at the trade deadline. Since when have we done anything at the deadline. The last 3 years Omar has done jack at the deadline. Now this year we’re supposed to assume we will get a few bigtime players. Maybe we can get Bobby V before the deadline when these fool owners see how empty the stadium is.
he did get francoeur b4 the deadline last year, but it was a trade.
Hasn’t Omar previously said at the deadline that he doesn’t believe in making a deal to try to catch up?
Does he have a good track record of making deals at the deadline?
if the mets dont get off to ATLEAST a .500 start of the first 50 games, manuel will get fired, hopefully. if the mets arent above .500 at 50 games, BRING BACK BOBBY V! i wouldnt fire manuel and hire valentine in a heart beat. bringin back bobby v would instantly make the mets better!!!!
I doubt Bobby V will be rehired if Jerry gets the boot. Omar will probably find some unkown to pay pennies to manage the team. Gotta pinch those pennies
I am tired of watching my baseball team being used as some sort of grand game of chess by the Wilpons. As I have said many times before, this organization needs an enema.
I have no idea where all this nonsense comes from, but its probably based on a slow news day. I can tell you with almost absolute certainty that Bobby V is not coming back to manage the Mets, or for that matter, anyone else. Bobby is now interested in ownership. He is currently part of a group that is bidding on a major league team that is for sale. If and when the Wilpons throw in the towel, he will absolutely be involved in putting a group together to buy the Mets. Thats right, buy, not work for. Bobby is not only very financially secure, but he has contacts with some of the major financial money people in this country. The only way I could even imagine Bobby managing the Mets (and this is a real long shot) is if they paid him a fortune (think $5MM/year minimum) and gave him an opportunity to buy into the team. As the Mets cant even seem to afford paying for 35 year old catchers these days, I would think that the chance of this happening is about as likely as the Pirates winning the world series next year.
Bobby Valentine or Tom Seaver as G.M.,Backman or Teuful as manager,Mookie as first base coach,Wayne Garret as third base coach,Darling as pitching coach, Darryl as hitting coach,and Buddy as bench coach.that would have a Met from every era,the fans would be happy,and a lot of tickets would be sold just for the coaching staff.and ,oh yeah,you bet the swagger will be back.