This is What I Want
Here is what I want from Ownership…
I want the Wilpons to sit quietly in the background.
Fred and Jeff Wilpon are compassionate, sincere people, who, I know first hand, want desperately to see the Mets be successful… not just for business purposes, but because they genuinely love the team as much as you and I. However, for whatever reason, this does not translate to the public, and, because of that, they do themselves and the organization more harm than good.
It is their team, it is their money, and, just like the Steinbrenners and every other family-owned team in sports, the Wilpons have every right to be involved how they see fit. They were involved in 2000 when the Mets got to a World Series. They were involved in 2006 when the team got to the NLCS. And they were involved in 2010, when the bottom dropped out. In other words, it’s about smart choices and luck, not level of involvement. These men, and the people they hired during the last five years, have not been making smart choices of late, and they’re getting no breaks, and I think they’d be the first to admit that. I know our collective relationship can get better. But, in the meantime, they need to hire a new GM who can represent and direct the organization… and then, with humility, Fred and Jeff need to lay low.
Here is what I want from the GM…
I want him to have ideas, and articulate them to us. I want him to look at how things have been done in the past and then do many of those things differently, from how the team drafts and evaluates talent, to how it negotiates contracts, to how it communicates with the public, to how it carries itself on and off the field, to how it manages the roster, to how it handles ticket sales and marketing. Sure, I would love to see a GM who incorporates advanced statistics like WAR, and who pushes to draft overslot, a man who is forward-thinking and not about plugging holes, and who can create a stable, consistent roster so that players can grow comfortable and trust their teammates. These may not be the best ways to do things, but I do know that what has been done is not working here… so, why not try something different?
Joel Sherman is correct when he says in today’s New York Post, “Any candidate who offers plaudits and rosy scenarios should be immediately dismissed. This organization does not need snake oil.” He’s right. Instead, the Mets need someone with the intestinal fortitude, credibility and confidence to stand up to Ownership, the media, high-priced, in-house players and you and I and make some really, really difficult and potentially unpopular decisions. What’s more, he doesn’t need to just instill confidence in New York, he needs to send a strong signal to everyone in baseball, letting other teams and players know things are changing, and for the better, in Citi Field.
I don’t care if he’s young, like White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn or Rangers GM Jon Daniels, and I don’t care if he’s someone who has been around the block a few times, like Sandy Alderson or Terry Ryan – all of whom are my favorite candidates. He just needs to be smart, respected, vocal, aggressive and carrying a grand plan.
In short, I want a GM who will create the Mets Way of doing things, so that every employee and every fan knows what to expect.
Here is what I want from the manager…
He needs to be ‘a winner,’ and he needs to be the smartest person in the dugout. Also, he needs to be respected and captivating and inspiring, not just in a way that will unite the team, which is important, but also in a way that will unite the fans.
The Mets need a field manager who can be the story of what this team is about, what it will be and where it’s going, so that players, other players, and, most important, the fans can get on board, i.e., a continuance of The Mets Way.
To the fans, I want him to say publicly, repeatedly, ‘This is who I am, this is what I’m about, this is how my team will play, here is where I want us to go, and we need your help to get there, so get on board and Let’s Go Mets.” To his players, I want him to say, ‘This is how we play baseball now, and, if you don’t like it, there’s the bench.” Then, I want him to be capable of making the best on-field decisions possible, while protecting his players, but holding them accountable, especially for their lack of hustle and discipline.
I don’t care if he’s never managed in the big leagues before, like Wally Backman, Joey Cora or Chip Hale… I don’t care if he’s been around the block a few times, like Bobby Valentine or Clint Hurdle – all of whom are intriguing candidates. So long as he fits the team he will be asked to lead, in terms of their personality and how his philosophy and style match the team’s talent, and so long as he’s smart, inspiring, captivating and someone fans and players can rally around, I’ll be happy.
Yes, all of the above is very vague, and somewhat rhetorical. I understand that. I don’t have definitive answers for who or how to build a successful baseball franchise. I just know that, as a fan, I miss the Mets, I wanna believe, and I want to root for a New York baseball team that is unique and colorful, who is successful and respected and who I can again be proud of and excited about.
