Manuel and Minaya are out: A belated celebration from a Mets fan

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Minaya and Manuel are GONE!!! Have there ever been five sweeter words spoken?

The Mets have finally decided to trim the fat, starting from the top down. Well, they’ve decided to trim most of the fat. Although Omar Minaya has been dethroned from his seat as Mets GM, the Mets have said that they are planning to retain Minaya. Perhaps they want to keep him around to share his winning ways with the new GM. The Mets would have to pay Omar for the next 2 years and some Mets fans are pushing to keep him on to do something (anything) for his $2 million salary.

This seems like a horrible idea. Firing Minaya and Manuel represents a clean break from the last four years of losing. Every girl knows that when you break up with a boyfriend you get rid of everything that reminds you of him so that you can move on. You definitely do not keep the ex-boyfriend around so he can do menial chores around the house. You just send him on his way. That is what the Mets need to do with Minaya -- cut all ties. Get rid of Castillo, Beltran, K-Rod, and many of the other relics that remind Mets fans of the ex-GM. The only thing that Minaya can do in the Mets’ front office is become a second schmuck that the new GM will have to cater to (the first, of course, being Jeff Wilpon). Why invite that headache?

Although Omar Minaya’s landing spot is still up in the air, Jerry Manuel’s fate is sealed. Manuel has been completely removed from the Mets’ clubhouse, with no carry-over possible. Most Mets fans are not going to miss Manuel. There is a laundry list of characteristics to dislike about our former fearless leader, starting with his demeanor.

For starters, Manuel had the most annoying habit of refusing to look at the dugout camera during in-game interviews. It must have been the highlight of Gary Cohen’s day every time he got to talk to the top of Manuel’s head. If Manuel didn’t want to deal with the media, he should have gone to Kansas City or Cleveland. In New York there are a lot of newspapers, radio, and TV networks dedicated solely to NY sports. Media comes with the job so Manuel should have looked at the camera, smiled, and at least pretended like he wanted to be there.


In addition to his obvious discomfort with the SNY cameras, Manuel never looked like he actually wanted to win a baseball game. Rather than push his team, Manuel usually looked just plain bored. He occupied one of the highest profile coaching gigs in all of baseball and he couldn’t seem to muster an ounce of excitement. Good riddance!

The Mets organization has finally come to its senses (better late than never) but most Mets fans should still have a nagging feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Minaya and Manuel are gone, but unfortunately the meddling, Dodger-loving Wilpons are still alive and kicking. Although Bernie Madoff almost drowned the Mets’ owners, they have managed to keep their heads above water. For Mets fans, this means nothing good. Yes, it’s true that the Wilpons have said that the new GM will have full autonomy in baseball decisions. But how can anyone believe them? The Wilpons have meddled with the Mets’ front office too many times for that statement to carry any real weight.

Presently, the Mets have interviewed current MLB executive and former Padres CEO Sandy Alderson, former D-backs GM Josh Byrnes, former Royals GM Allard Baird, current White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, and Dodgers assistant GM Logan White. The Wilpons have announced that the Mets will have a new GM by the World Series. This is fantastic news for Mets fans. But with the Wilpons still leading the Mets, the organization will have a tough time recruiting an experienced general manager. New York is not the place to learn how to build and maintain a ballclub. A novice won’t cut it here.

The only way for the Wilpons to entice a seasoned GM to come to Citi Field is to hire a new GM and give him complete personnel control. Over the next season the Wilpons need to be confined to the owner’s box as if they are in solitary confinement. Jeff Wilpon should stay out of the locker room, stay away from the front office, and keep as far away from the new GM as possible. The Wilpons are not George Steinbrenner, or even Hank or Hal Steinbrenner. There will be no oversized plaque of Jeff Wilpon in the Mets Hall of Fame. For the Mets to make any sort of improvement, they have to treat the new GM like a boss, not an employee.

Most of this post has dealt with the General Manager position, primarily because the Wilpons will not consider any managers until they have hired a new GM. I know that Wally Backman, Joe Torre, and even Alex Cora have been mentioned as possible candidates. For many Mets fans there is only one person we want to see in the blue and orange, and that is our boy, Bobby Valentine. We miss his crazy antics, his nasally voice, and most of all, his ability to manage a team full of Jay Paytons and Benny Agbayanies into the World Series. (In the interest of full disclosure, Bobby V. is from my hometown and was my partner in a triathlon relay this summer, so I will always be a Bobby V. fan.)

Rangers and Giants fans will be waiting anxiously over the next week or so to see if their team will win the World Series. Mets fans will be on the edge of their seats as well, waiting to see if the Wilpons FINALLY make a good decision for the Mets franchise. Here's hoping for a miracle.