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October 16, 2007 07-08 Offseason Joe Janish

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.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. RockStar78 October 16, 2007 at 1:58 pm
    Good hypothetical. But how about Bowa getting the manager gig instead of LaRussa? At least that way, we can be assured of one thing that Bowa would not allow – his players getting bored.
  2. Coop October 16, 2007 at 2:13 pm
    You had me till Tony LaRasshat. I hate him and not just b/c of 2006.
  3. joe October 16, 2007 at 2:49 pm
    C’mon, if you don’t like Tony that’s OK, but you can’t HATE him when he does such great things for the animals.

    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).

  4. Micalpalyn October 16, 2007 at 5:01 pm
    Damn, late AGAIN.

    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

  5. joe October 16, 2007 at 5:12 pm
    Omar and Carter don’t mix. In fact I’d be surprised to see ANY manager with a strong personality (i.e., Carter, Bobby V., LaRussa, etc.) under Minaya. There’s a reason he chose Willie, and it had little to do with his abilities as a baseball manager.

    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.

  6. GaryG October 16, 2007 at 5:56 pm
    Why would the Yankees hire Willie with Don Mattingly in waiting and Joe Girardi right behind? Plus Omar would ask for compensation which makes it even more of a long shot.

    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.

  7. Micalpalyn October 16, 2007 at 6:05 pm
    http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Mattingly-is-interested-in-managers-job;_ylt=AjdLi73h76XHp94d8l6d3RM5nYcB?urn=mlb,49334
  8. joe October 16, 2007 at 8:42 pm
    Gary, this article was about la-la land, not reality. We don’t have much reality to work with until after the World Series and the Hot Stove League opens.

    Dream with us!

  9. Micalpalyn October 17, 2007 at 9:44 am
    Why would the Yanks hire Mattingly who has no ML coaching experience and Giradi’s abrasive attitude got him run out of Florida.

    Just like the proffessional beat writers we are contemplating, suggesting and hoping.

  10. joe October 17, 2007 at 10:03 am
    Why does anyone get hired in corporate management? 10% qualifications, 90% someone above likes him/her. George LOVES Donnie. That’s why he gets hired.
  11. julie October 17, 2007 at 4:36 pm
    I don’t want Torre, Maz, LaRussa, or Valentine. The Yankees can have Randolph. I’ll take Mazzone and Mookie. Maybe we need to get rid of Omar. Why is he GM if he really wants to manage.
  12. joe October 17, 2007 at 10:28 pm
    Well Julie, look at it this way … Omar can be the GM, micromanage the manager, and if things don’t go well, he has the manager as a scapegoat and save his own skin for at least a year or so beyond failure.

    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.

  13. Mets Today » Blog Archive » Glavine, Johan, etc. October 23, 2007 at 11:04 am
    […] as soon as his contract with the Rangers lapses at the end of this month. But, we’ve already covered […]
  14. Alexce Davis Equity June 23, 2010 at 6:36 am
    You are such a good friend that if we were on a sinking ship together and there was only one life jacket… I’d miss you heaps and think of you often.