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.
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.
You had me till Tony LaRasshat. I hate him and not just b/c of 2006.
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).
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
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.
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.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Mattingly-is-interested-in-managers-job;_ylt=AjdLi73h76XHp94d8l6d3RM5nYcB?urn=mlb,49334
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.