New York Managers Need To Shape Up

How many of us thought two years ago we'd be longing for the days of Joe Torre and Bobby Valentine? But Yankees and Mets fans are there right now. And if Joe Girardi is on the hot seat as we discussed yesterday, Jerry Manuel has to be as well. Some may say that's unfair: since taking over for Willie Randolph last season, Manuel has now managed in exactly 162 games (a full season) and has gone 90-72 with the Mets. The problem? They're 35-34 this year. A lot of this can be blamed on injuries (what can you expect from a relative of Rondell White?), but at some point, Manuel's mismanagement has to come into effect as well. One example of this? How he's used his bullpen.

From Buster Olney:

Jerry Manuel's preference for constantly playing match-up with his relievers on a regular basis already seems to be taking a toll on the Mets' bullpen. There are some teams that don't have a single reliever on pace to make 70 appearances, and the Mets have four (and would have had five if Putz hadn't broken down). It's difficult to consider these numbers without concluding that the Mets' relief corps is being mismanaged.

 

(Key: For every pitcher below, three numbers are listed for games and innings pitched. The first category is current total, the second is projected total and the third is career high total. The "NA" will refer to rookies, and former starters.)

Francisco Rodriguez
Games: 34 | 81 | 76
Innings: 34.2 | 81 | 86
Work on consecutive days: 9

Sean Green
Games: 33 | 79 | 72
Innings: 32 | 76 | 79
Work on consecutive days: 10

Pedro Feliciano
Games: 40 | 95 | 86
Innings: 30 | 71 | 64
Work on consecutive days: 18

Bobby Parnell
Games: 36 | 86 | NA
Innings 27 | 64 | NA
Work on consecutive days: 12

Also, K-Rod, the big free agent signing at closer, also pitched quite a bit in the World Baseball Classic. Not good. And I thought Joe Torre was bad with bullpens.

And things are certainly not good in the Bronx either where Peter Abraham points out that $423.5 million doesn't buy what it used to. Especially not when Hideki Matsui and Brett Gardner are trying to carry the team in hitting. It's not Girardi's fault that the New Yankee Stadium was built too small and that the hitters can't adjust correctly when they can't jack homeruns and it's not his fault that his hitters can't hit with RISP, but at some point, the lack of effort in this team has to come back to the manager.