Cleaning House
As a follow-up to the previous post, let’s go one step further.
Let’s pretend that today in Tampa the Yankee “braintrust” (ha!) decides not to bring Joe Torre back as manager.
Now let’s pretend that the same braintrust believes they have the perfect replacement. He’s a “winner”, a longtime Yankee from their Championship teams, has already managed a MLB team to the postseason, and has already proven he can manage under the microscope of the New York press.
And they won’t have to pay any relocation fees, because he lives in Upper Saddle River, NJ.
They hire Willie Randolph.
What an amazing coup for the Yankees — an ultimate backstabbing and move of disrespect on their crosstown adversaries.
For Randolph, it would be an ultimate fantasy. First, he returns to the Yankee pinstripes. Second, he’s blessed with the highest payroll in baseball history. Third, he gets to stick it to Omar and the Wilpons for making him sweat about his job in the early days of October. Finally, he gets to re-hire Rick Down to be his batting coach.
Now imagine just for a moment that this happens, and Omar Minaya turns right around and hires:
1. Tony LaRussa, the best manager in baseball
2. Leo Mazzone, the best pitching coach in baseball
3. Rudy Jaramillo, the best hitting coach in baseball
4. Larry Bowa, the best third-base coach in baseball
… and then goes and signs
1. A-Rod, the best player in baseball
2. Mo Rivera, the best closer in baseball
OK, we all know that Willie’s not going to the Bronx, and LaRussa probably can’t handle the New York media. And A-Rod probably wouldn’t move to rightfield to play in Flushing. Just throwing it out there for meaningless discussion — the possibility of the Mets bringing in “the best” of everything.
I figured I’d get more pushback if I identified Joe Torre as the best manager in baseball … and neither Jim Leyland nor Bobby Cox are on the market (yet).
1. Check to Coop.
I can see all of the above EXCEPT:
a. Manager: Here I see Gary Carter, HoJo, Lee Mazili & possibly Giradi.
b. …Mookie returns? imagine Henderson as a 3rd base coach……
c. Arod….in a pig’s eye
Personally, I think Gary Carter is EXACTLY the right man for the job. But it won’t happen on Omar’s watch. Probably the same deal with Girardi, and possibly even Bowa. But we can dream.
I’ll take Mazzone, Jaramillio and Bowa though. That’s three upgrades right there. And oh yes, this guy Joe Torre for bench coach, so Willie can have a partner when he goes to Subway.
Dream with us!
Just like the proffessional beat writers we are contemplating, suggesting and hoping.
It’s really not that different from the rest of corporate America — you have hands-off bosses and hands-on bosses. Omar would likely fall into the “hands-on” category.