10 Reasons Omar Minaya is Crazy
So the stage has been set for Jerry Manuel to right the ship and guide the Mets to the postseason. He’ll do it, too, because as Omar Minaya stated in today’s press conference,
“Jerry Manuel was the best manager for this job, at this time”
And apparently, Manuel has the managerial skill to make the Mets a better than .600 team, because that’s what it will take to make it to the playoffs. I could be wrong, but I’m guesstimating it will take at least 90 wins to earn a Wild Card berth. And to do that, the Mets will have to go 56-36 the rest of the way. Yes, a team that has played under .500 ball over their last 160 or so games, will suddenly turn into one that can play 20 GAMES OVER .500.
Minaya had these parting words for the last person in Manuel’s role:
“I love Willie Randolph, he’s my friend I hope he finds another job as a manager,” Minaya said, “But this ain’t about love…The reality is, we’re not playing to the level of the talent that we have.”
Translation: Omar Minaya still believes that …
1. Carlos Delgado is 29 years old
2. El Duque is on the roster
3. Moises Alou is not on the DL
4. Pedro Martinez never had a torn rotator cuff
5. Brian Schneider is the “next Johnny Bench” he remembers from the Montreal Expos days
6. Duaner Sanchez never took a cab for Dominican food while in Miami
7. Luis Castillo has healthy knees
8. Carlos Beltran is a mega superstar
9. David Wright is even better than Beltran
10. Oliver Perez can be consistent
Keep repeating the above, over and over, and maybe you’ll believe it too.
Unfortunately for Omar, he can’t turn back the clock on Delgado, Duque, Pedro, Schneider, Castillo, and Duaner — what’s done is done. Further, he can’t install Steve Austin-like bionics into Moises Alou. Beltran might play like a superstar during hot stretches, but at the end of the day he’s a very good overall player with streaky power but who hasn’t hit over .278 in five years. Wright is also a very good player, and could be a superstar some day — but that time is not now. Perez is an eternal enigma; my guess is he’d flourish under the right pitching coach, but no one’s sure if that pitching coach exists on planet Earth.
While Minaya sweats out his “cover my butt”, short-term explanation that Randolph was a roadblock, the rest of us can see clearly that the 25-man roster was built on many assumptions and a lot of finger-crossing. If I’m Omar, I spend half my time updating my resume and the other half praying for a minor miracle.
Did anyone hear what Omar’s response to being asked about Bernazard was? I know Mad Dog asked some tough questions in the WFAN interview.
1. I will pre-emp my statement with this: Peter Gammons on seperate occassions has raved about two young GMs Omar and Theo epstein. Obviously Theo has 2 WS titles but as one Metsblogger pointed out that might have been waaay different-
2. Anywaay this is about Omar. As Steve Phillips was becoming slowly delusional and the Mets were trying to do absurd things (taking Alfonzo off 2nd again, letting Olerud walk, ), Peter remarked on Omar. Omar personally had signed Jose Reyes, he had a big hand in development and but Jim duquette was obviously favored in the organization. After going to the Expos and refusing to let them be a contraction patsy….in fact Omar’s Puerto Rican Expos had a heavy hand in setting back SPs Mets in 2002. Was Omar more pronounced in picking DW, aaron Heilman, Bill Traber in the draft. Was he more of an architect in the signings of players on the ’99 & 2000 contending teams? With him gone Sp was trading away, Traber, Jason Bay, Jay Payton and injecting Trachsel, Steve Reed and John Thomson.
Meanwhile Omar..
…These moves helped the 2002 Expos to an 83-79 record and second place in the National League East… ” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Minaya
Once Omar came to the Mets..we went from 71 wins to 83. In his seasons the Mets have 83, 97 and 88 wins.
We might not win 90 games but i think Omar WILL make the Mets continually competitive. The real reason i used Theo at the top tho was the similarity between the two in that Omar refused to let ownership dictate to him and he came back to the Mets on HIS terms. I doubt Omar is on any hot seat. I doubt SP will have his satisfaction.
joe, managers come and managers go. Willie is gone. I have GREAT satisfaction in the choice of Jerry Manuel and Ken Oberkfell. especially given that Ken is just happy to be with the big club and has paid his dues. Happy that Jerry has the experience and Ken brings the fire. I think the duo of Hojo and Obie will inspire DW. I think the display by Jose had a lot to do with his relationship with Jerry. I think Jose Valentin is the next promo based on his relationship with Jerry.
I think the MLB managerial fraternity will think differently about facing the Mets now too. there will be alot more Chess involved and less tiddly-winks. but bottom line we can play baseball.
I know managers come and go, I just don’t see the point in paying Willie Randolph for the next year and a half to sit at home in NJ, knowing full well that another manager is playing the same hand of cards.
I hope you’re right and I admire your positive feel. Right now I’m feeling very negative about the team and the road they’re going. 2008 is a lost cause save a minor miracle, and there aren’t many (any?) impact players to bring up from the farm in 2009 — which means we’ll see a repeat of throwing good many after bad this winter.
Joe: It just read your Metsblog post and the comments. Interesting is all i’ll say. But very rarely is a manager relieved at the end of a contract. In fact Willie’s extension was specifically so he would not be a lame duck.
Impact players: Jon Nieve had a 3H/9SO game last night. Carp is 21 and hitting .362 and a great shot to fill a void at 1st that looms this off season. I am extremely interested on how/if Obie-Manuel can integrate Muniz Figgy and Kunz into a tired bullpen.
I am interested in as Isuzu points out what trades are made: The expiring contracts discussed earlier could become bait, but so too could Brian Schneider and others. with Ramon and Cancel plus Casanova and Molina in tow Omar could deal from this depth. Schoenweiss is another who is deemed to have market value right now.
Please explain.
Jon Niese might be a nice #4 or #5 and fill out the rotation next year. Good thing, since only three starters are guaranteed to return. I am high on Niese but I don’t see him lighting the world on fire next year. It’s not like he’s Justin Verlander.
I would love to see Carp take over 1B NOW. But again, I’m not counting on him to be a major force next year. He’s having a great year but he’s not pegged to duplicate those numbers in MLB.
Here’s my greater fear: the Mets package Carp and Niese for a half-season rental in an effort to salvage 2008 — then worry about finding a 1B and P when the winter comes (open wallet). If the Mets don’t go on a tear in the next 2-3 weeks, a panic move such as this will be made — because who else do the Mets have as trading chips?
Muniz, Figgy, and Kunz are filler material, though Kunz MIGHT turn into something eventually.
I don’t see any team clamoring for Brian Schneider except possibly the Tigers. Schneider for I-Rod is win-win for both teams.
I belive the opposite the pressure is OFF. In my estimation, the Mets COULD play 500 ball +5 games and possibly make the playoffs. As Isuzu said the Marlins should tail off, and LaRussa’s smoke and mirrors act will run out of mirrors.
It is far more likely that the players i MENTIONED; Del, alou, Ollie, Schneider, Shoenweiss, Matt Wise, are dealt. Then in the off season the $40M represented in those players used on new blood.
I do think the players returned in trades would figure into the off season acquisitions of a SP, and 1B. But Omar might look at Carp at least in a platoon at 1st base earlier. I am much more secure about Carp and Niese now that Willie is gone and Obie is at the big club.
Boottom line i hope the Mets get some games back, get over.500 and start focusing on the other manuel and his phillies.
The Mets will not trade Alou, Del, or Ollie because they will not acknowledge the season is lost with the opening of Citi Field coming in ’09. The Wilpons will want to “play meaningful games in September”. However, if the Mets are far, far back in the wild card standings come late July, they will be forced to change their tune and try to deal away the undealable vets.
BTW, Mic, seriously: who wants Matt Wise?