Mets to WOR 710 in 2014...

[bmfc1]

From Raissman:

METS RADIO SHAKEUP Ed Coleman will be back covering the Mets, but won�t be hosting the pre- and postgame shows, or doing play-by-play, on WOR-AM. He will be serving strictly as WFAN�s Mets beat reporter. WOR suits did not look for continuity in their first broadcast season. A radio source said they wanted to shake things up and even were reluctant to bring Howie Rose back. Mets brass stuck its beak into that situation, but apparently didn�t go to the mat for either Coleman or Josh Lewin, who likely will be back but not under a long term deal.

From Puma:

Mike Puma ?@NYPost_Mets Jan 18 Mets/WOR Radio plan to speak with Cliff Floyd about some kind of role. Howie Rose almost slam dunk to return. Less clarity with Josh Lewin.

In sum, Josh Lewin might not be back because someone that likely knows nothing about baseball wants to make a change for the sake of change.

[Frayed Knot]

The Coleman decision makes sense. First of all, he's still WFAN property so WOR would have to have to hire him just to do the pre & post stuff and arrange some sort of time-sharing agreement with FAN. Plus, no matter what you think about Eddie C., it has long been awkward having the same guy being part of the broadcast crew on one hand yet also play the role of a reporter about the team on the other, and to be expected to switch between those roles from one side of a commercial break to the other.


I suspect their dalliance with making a change with one or both of the others is a desire to get a "name" guy in there. Radio mgmt, particularly one that is national in scope like Clear Channel, often thinks that nationally known names trump local ones even if the subject at hand is local. WFAN made this same mistake in their early days.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd bet anything it's not "change" being sought for the sake of change but affordability disguised as change. Pros like Howie and Josh probably don't come as cheap as Clear Channel would like.

Eddie C added very little to the team from my perspective and can remain providing news-free news to Mike Francessa's listeners. I'd like to have a pregame show but he wasn't essential to do it IMO.

[Ceetar]

This is dumb, because any real research should reveal that the Mets/WFAN had it right last year with Josh and Howie. And they worked in Jim Duquette plenty. There is room for Cliff Floyd without jettisoning Josh.

I liked Eddie C well enough but I also doubt he's a guy I'd miss.

[Frayed Knot]

Cliff's been doing some TV work for the Marlins, mostly sideline stuff although some booth as well - I'm not sure how regularly.
From what I've heard (admittedly not a lot) he's a typical ex-jock, not bad but also not someone who adds anything unique.
I assume he lives in south Florida full time so I'm not sure what his commitment to NYC radio would be. He also likes to talk football a lot. He might disappear once September rolls around if he had his choice.

[Lefty Specialist]

Saw my first WOR commercial as the new home of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and oh yeah, the Mets. Threw up in my mouth a little.

[Edgy MD]

Cliff would, I guess, be the first Mets English-language announcer of color --- well, of a color more vivid and marginalized than half-Polynesian, anyhow. It would probably play into the WOR and Mets thinking a little, no?

Wright can make him carry his luggage.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I doubt anyone would miss Eddie C at this point after all
these years. I would love to see Cliff Floyd get into the mix
somehow.

Can't find the bang pow on my server.

[MFS62]

I like Eddie C from the days of the "Cole-man ans Soul-man" show (with Dave Simms?) on WFAN.
He did the Mets report and Suzyn Waldmann did the Yankee report.
She would give interesting updates - clubhouse happenings, trade rumors and even reports on some minor leaguers.
Ed was on with Massive Mike and the Cretinous Canine. The wouldn't let him do his job. The comments were "Hey Eddie, how's the hotel bar, har har har", "Hey Eddie, the (newborn) twins keeping you up all night? har har har" He never got around to talking about the Mets. I felt he would have done that if given the chance.
Later, he must have grown a set of balls, said something, and they let him report on the Mets. He did a respectable job at it.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

Yes, he is/was respectable enough. He just doesn't really
say much at this point. Listening to him on, say, Francessa's
show is like listening to paint dry.

Kinda like how many here feel about me.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Every Ed Coleman Mets update, ever:

FRANCESSA: (blindingly ignorant and easily disproven opinion disguised as a question about the Mets) COLEMAN: You could be right about that, Mike

[Guest d'Kong76]

FRANCESSA: Of course I'm right. COLEMAN: But on the other hand, you never know.

[G-Fafif]

Howard Megdal: Jeff Wilpon fails to embrace Howie & Josh.

Apparently, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon has big plans for one of the few things in his team's orbit that's seems to be functioning fairly well: the radio broadcast. According to sources familiar with talks between the team and WOR-AM, Wilpon is pushing to find a replacement for Josh Lewin, who partners on Mets broadcasts with Howie Rose [...] With the Mets moving up the dial from 660 WFAN to 710 WOR, after the former booted them for the Yankees, Wilpon is apparently unhappy with the situation. And with just weeks until spring training, the situation is still unresolved. [...] The sources who spoke to Capital say there's a desire from Wilpon to incorporate an ex-player into the booth, a change from the pure-announcer backgrounds of Rose and Lewin. It's hardly a revolutionary idea, and in fact the ex-jock formula has worked exceptionally well for the Mets on TV, with the extrordinary, anti-homer combination of Gary, Keith and Ron. But it flies in the face of how the Mets have typically deployed their radio announcers for the half-century they've been around. Consider that for most of the team's 52 years, the Mets have excelled on the radio side with a broadcast-first approach to their radio team's background. Bob Murphy, Gary Cohen, Lindsey Nelson, Howie Rose are all iconic names in Mets broadcasting, without a single M.L.B. game played between them. Only Ralph Kiner stands apart as a Mets radio broadcaster of note with playing experience. It's generally considered to have worked well to team Rose's analysis with Lewin, who excels on the play-by-play side of things. There's no downtime in a Mets broadcast with Rose and Lewin. But with a month until their first spring training game on February 28, the Mets haven't finalized arrangements with Rose, Lewin, or a replacement for either one. Which means that, after all this, they may have a hard time lining up any alternatives. This may be typical for the Mets, who hired Lewin to replace Wayne Hagin two years ago in early February, but most other broadcast teams are already in place, limiting the free agents available for the Mets and WOR to hire. Then there's the reality of the job itself, which would require someone like Cliff Floyd, one rumored Mets/WOR target who is currently an analyst for MLB Network, to travel with the Mets for months, at a wage far lower than what he ever received as a player, not to mention MLB Network. "Unless Cliff Floyd really, really doesn't like his family, why would he take a pay cut to leave his mansion in Miami for months at a time?" was how one of the sources put it to me.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The combo of anonymous sources, no quotes and Megdal's POV make me skeptical of this story's truthiosity.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The combo of anonymous sources, no quotes and Megdal's POV make me skeptical of this story's truthiosity.

There was a story last week that the team was instrumental in Howie keeping his job. A lot of this seems to be coming from WOR execs, not Mets ones. They're ultimately going to be radio employees, not Mets ones.

And I love Josh, I think he does a great job and I'll be pissed if they don't keep him, but he's been here two years. It's not like they're kicking Bob Murphy to the curb in '95 or something.

also "radio free agents"? How many thousands upon thousands of candidates must their be? This isn't like "Snap up Stephen Drew now or their will be no SS for you to sign!" They did just announce 15 games for Spring Training (or not announce, @MetsBooth tweeted it) so they must be wanting to finalize soon rigiht?

[Edgy MD]

Wilpon's interference can be gleaned from the bits of breakfast cereal spotted around the radio booth.

[Gwreck]

Ceetar wrote: And I love Josh, I think he does a great job and I'll be pissed if they don't keep him, but he's been here two years.

How long he's been with the Mets is irrelevant. He is FANTASTIC and the Mets and/or WOR would be idiotic to replace him. Losing him would be be an unquestionable travesty.

[Guest themetfairy]

Gwreck wrote: Ceetar wrote: And I love Josh, I think he does a great job and I'll be pissed if they don't keep him, but he's been here two years. How long he's been with the Mets is irrelevant. He is FANTASTIC and the Mets and/or WOR would be idiotic to replace him. Losing him would be be an unquestionable travesty.

This!

[Edgy MD]

Gwreck would be devastated, not disappointed.

[HahnSolo]

The Immortal Chris Majkowski will be making his way to WOR. The streak goes on.

[bmfc1]

Gwreck wrote: And I love Josh, I think he does a great job and I'll be pissed if they don't keep him, but he's been here two years. How long he's been with the Mets is irrelevant. He is FANTASTIC and the Mets and/or WOR would be idiotic to replace him. Losing him would be be an unquestionable travesty.

Correct. The Mets: mediocre. The Mets radio team: best in baseball.

[Lefty Specialist]

Getting rid of Josh would be stupid. He and Howie work flawlessly together, and actually sound like they enjoy each others' company. But I'm sure they can find a way to screw it up, because we're not allowed to have nice things.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: Gwreck would be devastated, not disappointed.

Me too, frankly.

It's such a good broadcast and-- sacrilege alert-- Howie isn't the better half of it anymore.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Josh Lewin has been a very pleasant addition. Hope he
can stay. I find Howie annoying at times, but he's our
Howie and I hope he stays forever.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Gwreck would be devastated, not disappointed. Me too, frankly. It's such a good broadcast and-- sacrilege alert-- Howie isn't the better half of it anymore.

I don't think that's at all unfair: Howie needs a younger, more progressive thinking guy as a teammate or there's a risk he comes off too fuddyduddyish. He's a great member of the Mets universe but his perspective isn't getting any modern as he ages. And I'm not sure a jock is the right partner for him either since Cliff Floyd or whoever isn't going to ride the same history and pop culture tracks.

All this said, this isn't the first time the broadcast team has been in limbo at this time of year. I guess the nature of the biz makes it unlikely to strike deals until they absolutely have to and the money is probably a concern. Radio stations are cheap bastards and the Mets are broke.

[Frayed Knot]

Y'know, if everyone here is so adamant about the need to hang on the Josh, it wouldn't hurt to write the Mets and tell them that.
It might not make a difference, but it would be even worse to worry over the move without at least saying something.

[Edgy MD]

And perhaps indeed write to WOR, who likely would have less than no clue.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Y'know, if everyone here is so adamant about the need to hang on the Josh, it wouldn't hurt to write the Mets and tell them that. It might not make a difference, but it would be even worse to worry over the move without at least saying something.

write WOR you mean, since they're the ones actually doing anything here. The Mets are well aware of how we all feel about Josh Lewin, especially now that they've hired Will Carafello and have stepped up the social media game.

I did submit a contact me form somewhere when someone tweeted it though.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: write WOR you mean, since they're the ones actually doing anything here. The Mets are well aware of how we all feel about Josh Lewin, especially now that they've hired Will Carafello and have stepped up the social media game.

Well, I suppose it depends on who (if anyone) you believe is pushing Josh out the door.
Either way, don't assume that the brass of either team or station knows what we're all thinking out here in cyberland or in the cheap seats. If nothing else, some of the logic espoused here (Howie needs a younger, non-jock to make him better, etc.) might give the decision makers a new angle on things.

[G-Fafif]

Edgy MD wrote: And perhaps indeed write to WOR, who likely would have less than no clue.

Here's your guy:

JoePuglise@clearchannel.com

WOR's GM.