“My first year here, remember, we had a lot of guys called up from Triple-A, pitchers that I had saw in spring training, and I noticed a significant difference in their performance…I thought I had to give him credit for that.”

…as i mentioned yesterday in a video with Ted Berg, from what i can gather, warthen is essentially a 180–degree turn Rick Peterson…it was put to me this way: where rick has a master philosophy, and he wants a pitcher to adjust and fit it in to his plan, dan has no philosophy other than to maximize the individual strength or each individual pitcher…

On last night’s pre game show, SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt talked with the team’s new first base coach, Ken Oberkfell, which you can watch by clicking play below:

Yes, Manuel has previous managing experience, and in fact was named the 2000 AL Manager of the Year. But, he’s not the type of guy who will light a fire under anyone’s backside, and was not known as an on-field tactician – in the AL no less, where the strategy compares to a game of checkers. In other words, Manuel is basically the same manager as Willie Randolph.

Randolph’s removal should not have been a ‘change for the sake of change.’ It should have been a calculated move to turn the Mets’ season into a winning direction. If you have the foresight to announce the firing right after the tabloids go to press, you should also have the sagacity to put the right guy in place: Ken Oberkfell.

Oberkfell is many of the things Randolph was not. He’s fiery, aggressive, and has many years of minor league managerial experience. He’s managed at nearly every level of the Mets’ organization and therefore is more than familiar with their top prospects.

In fact, rumor has it that Oberkfell is also a trusted advisor to Tony Bernazard – a stark contrast to the questionable relationship he had with Randolph.

So why has Oberkfell been promoted to, essentially, look over the shoulder of Jerry Manuel? Is he around as a consultant, or a manager-in-waiting? If Oberkfell is the guy who the Mets believe can change the tone of the team, why wait to give him the reins? He spent 16 years in MLB clubhouses as a player, and has been managing for another 16 years, so he’s far from ‘green.’ Clearly his time is now.

What is more disconcerting is that Oberkfell’s new role is the caretaker of batting gloves (a.ka., first base coach), while Luis Aguayo was installed in the more prominent position of third-base coach. Why in the world was Aguayo — previously the Mets’ “Field Coordinator” — given such an important job?

Maybe the team’s decision makers are unsure of how Oberkfell will handle the media circus of New York. But, after watching the way they bungled this managerial change, he can’t do any worse.

…added to by Matthew Cerrone…

I’m with you, Joe. Like I said yesterday, I have talked with people who have played for Obie, I have talked with people who have covered Obie, and I have even talked to Obie, and the sense I get is that he’ll make a terrific major league manager, assuming he wants the job.

There is some indication he is more than happy about the idea of simply being a coach right now.

The thing is, if a new manager is brought it during the off-season, who will bring in his own coaches, I fear that the organization will lose Oberkfell altogether.

Pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto have also been relieved of their coaching duties.

Ken Oberkfell will be hired as the team’s new first base coach, Dan Warthen will be the new pitching coach, and Luis Aguayo will be Manuel’s bench coach.

Oberkfell had been the manager of the team’s Triple-A New Orleans affiliate, while Warthen had been the pitching coach, and Aguayo the team’s field coordinator.

According to an AP report, as of three hours after Monday’s game, Mets players hadn’t heard of Willie’s dismissal, and utility man Marlon Anderson opted not to comment until he “heard the news from a member of the team.”

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. 

In Adam Rubin’s report for the Daily News, Mets GM Omar Minaya is hopeful Henderson will return to the team as a part-time instructor during spring training.

…the buzz from shea continues to suggests the Mets will to promote their aaa manager Ken Oberkfell to the team’s major league coaching staff…

However, in today’s Newsday, Ken Davidoff explains that Jaramillo is disappointed, because he hoped to have an opportunity to work for the Mets, while noting he has no interest in being a manager, thus suggesting he poses no real threat to Randolph

…i’d like to weigh in on this, but it’s becoming clear to me that there is a bit of politicking to this that we, as fans, cannot understand…i mean, if rudy and omar are such good friends, why is omar not convinced of rudy’s ambitions…or, if omar is, why is willie so uncomfortable or insecure, and if he isn’t, why is omar walking on eggshells…also, if willie’s nervous, and he should be, wouldn’t all of his coaches be managers in waiting…i don’t get it…personally, i find the idea that hojo earned the right to keep his job much more acceptable than this notion of not disrespecting willie, which is not adding up…so, omar, just stick with the pro-hojo stance, it feels more sincere and accurate…

By the way, Davidoff writes that Rickey Henderson will not return to the coaching staff, though Howard Johnson, Jerry Manuel and Sandy Alomar will.

…this will mean a job is open on willie’s coaching staff…yesterday, in a post for Mets Fever, Ed Ryan made an interesting case for replacing rickey with Mets Triple-A manager Ken Oberkfell, who has been coaching with the team’s minor-league system for the last seven years…

Last off-season, the 51-year-old Oberkfell interviewed with the Nationals for a position on Manny Acta’s bench.  He also interviewed along with Gary Carter to fill the first-base coaching job for the Mets, which ultimately went to Howard Johnson, who later switched to batting coach.

Oberkfell was named Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America in 2005.

As Ryan points out, “He has coached or managed every Mets farm hand that has come up through the system for the past seven years and any vets who have been on rehab assignment.”

…it’s an interesting idea, and the man is certainly worthy of a promotion…the thing is, if the main job of the first-base coach is to advise and direct a player on how best to advance to second, how can any one in baseball be better at that than rickey…frankly, i think reports of rickey’s negative influence in the team’s clubhouse are way, way overblown…also, from what i can gather, willie actually likes him, and finds him to be a great resource…

…however, a case can certainly be made that rickey’s popularity and insight may be best served in his old job of roving minor league instructor, helping the team’s youngster talent prepare for big league base running…at the same time, minor-league people seem to love and respect oberkfell…

Last off-season, the 51-year-old Oberkfell interviewed with the Nationals for a position on Manny Acta’s bench.  He also interviewed along with Gary Carter to fill the first-base coaching job for the Mets, which ultimately went to Howard Johnson, who later switched to batting coach.

Oberkfell was named Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America in 2005.

According to Wikipedia, he was part of the ‘Bearded Braves’ in 1985, during which he told the Houston Chronicle that, “the beards make us stand out from the clean cut Dale Murphy types.  Consider us a modern era House of David team.”