You're Fired

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Along with the coaches, scouts and other support staff contracts were up yesterday. The following won't be back:

Sandy Johnson, special assistant to Omar and scouting legend
Bob Johnson, Mets advance scout, left for Braves
Russ Bove, who oversaw the fruitful 2005 draft
Duane Larsen, scout

Here's more from Rubin

One scout annoyed, another bolting November, 2, 2010 By Adam Rubin The Mets allowed their scouts' contracts to lapse on Nov. 1, and it has cost them one of their most highly regarded scouts. Bob Johnson, who has served as the advance scout for the Mets in recent years, has defected to the Atlanta Braves in a comparable role. As an advance scout, Johnson stays one to two series ahead of the major league club and prepares reports on upcoming opponents. Meanwhile, Russ Bove, one of the Mets' professional scout, was informed Monday night that his contract was not being renewed. Bove had overseen the 2005 draft that yielded Mike Pelfrey, Josh Thole, Bobby Parnell and Jon Niese and more recently had been assigned to specific teams. The Mets selected Darren O'Day in the Rule 5 draft two offseasons ago at Bove's recommendation. Bove said he wasn't annoyed with being fired, because a new GM is entitled to bring in his own people. However, Bove said, he lost out on other opportunities because the organization kept him in the dark for a month without allowing him to talk to other clubs. "There was no communication letting us know whether we were in or out," Bove said. "They strung us along pretty good. I don't care I'm fired, but to do it on Nov. 1, after the contracts ran out, is totally unprofessional and unprecented. I talked to a million people and they never heard of that. To not be able to talk to othe clubs and leave us hanging is pretty low. But I can understand a new guy comes in and wants to bring in his own people." UPDATE: Also out: professional scout Duane Larson. And special assistant Sandy Johnson, who was leaning toward retirement a year ago, officially has left the organization. ... Also, there are rumblings that the Mets may have started introductory phone interviews with managerial candidates today.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Writing was on the wall, son. Were there really requests to talk you made that were rebuffed?

I'm sure plenty of jobs are open.

[batmagadanleadoff]

But he needed the Mets permission to talk to other clubs.

[Ceetar]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: But he needed the Mets permission to talk to other clubs.

Because they didn't do anything, Johnson was able to get away, but because they didn't do anything Bove wasn't able to talk to other teams?


umm...

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: But he needed the Mets permission to talk to other clubs. Because they didn't do anything, Johnson was able to get away, but because they didn't do anything Bove wasn't able to talk to other teams? umm...

Bove implies that the Mets kept him in limbo -- as a lame duck scout. The team knew for some time that it had no intention of renewing Bove's contract, yet prevented him from negotiating with other teams. That Sandy Johnson was able to find a new employer does not mean that Bove missed out on opportunities. One scout's personal situation is unique to that scout.

[Fman99]

Get in line and get some soup and bread, you whiny fuck. It's going around, read a paper.

[Guest sharpie]

Sandy Johnson gone.
Bob Johnson gone.
Howard Johnson must be getting worried.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Rudy Tertassas, amateur scouting director. Big whacking aand strong rubuke of the Omar Regime.

[metirish]

He had to have known the jig was up when" new fangled" stat guy was hired.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

you wonder what it could mean for the guys selected by Terassas, etc

[Guest Edgy DC]

As far as hitters, his recent draft record seems fine to me, with Davis, Duda, and Havens (who I anticipate getting back on track). It's their pitching selections (Holt, Matz, Kunz) that would seemingly indict him.

[Frayed Knot]

Mets have gotten some decent to good contributions out of recent middle/later round picks such as Thole, Parnell, Niese, Murphy, Gee, Duda, just in the last two seasons.
Tough to know how much the scouting director had over any or all of those as ultimately it's the GM's call but it's certainly not a bad record for a small sample.

But I'm sure the new guys have their own ideas and maybe own people in mind, plus the structure could be different enough to simply eliminate that job title and have the duties absorbed by either Riccardi or DePodesta.
As far as what it means for the guys already drafted I can't see how who drafted them should matter in the evaluation of where they are now and their track record as pro players.

[MFS62]

Where did Howard Johnson buy his Teflon coat?
Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, he hasn't been asked back yet, so I don't see how he's shown himself to be invulnerable.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: Well, he hasn't been asked back yet, so I don't see how he's shown himself to be invulnerable.

I don't remember seeing his name among those whose contracts expired November 1.
Nor was his name among those who have been formally announced as fired.
And that leads me to think he's still around, even if informally.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Mets announced when they fired their manager and general manager that the coaches were on hold.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The buzz has been that HoJo would be removed from the big league coaching staff, but would probably get another job within the organization.

We'll probably get the details about Terry's coaching staff before too long.

[MFS62]

I wish him well in his reassignment in the organization. But I hope it isn't a minor league batting instructor position.
IMO, Johnson was hired because he had name recognition. Then he got a lot of fan support because of his name. There have been quotes that he is a hard worker. (sorry, don't have any links, because I'm using this to set up the punch line)
But since he has been in his current position, there hasn't been any clear evidence of any tangible ability to do what he's supposed to do.
You know, sort of like Bristol Palin on Dancing With the Stars.

Later

[MFS62]

Bristol was a loser yesterday, too.

Later