Who will manage the Mets? (split from Terry Hot Seat)

[Benjamin Grimm]

If the Mets hire Sandy Alomar we won't be able to refer to the Mets manager and GM by just their first names anymore. It will have to be "Sandy A." and "Sandy A." instead.

[ashie62]

Sandy B. could be Sandy Beach.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

I think like 90% of a MLB manager's job these days is keeping his players happy and maintaining cordial relations with the media. So basically, no assholes who will fight with their players or fight with the press, and we should be fine.

[Frayed Knot]

Definitely. It's much more a people-managing job now than the strategy and direction-setting director for the organization the way it used to be.
As Ron Darling said in the interview that bmfc linked earlier today, in his day a player would consider it a good year if he went the entire season basically without having a full conversation with either the
manager or the general manger. Much more touchy-feely these days with the tone for strategy being set from a level or two above the field manager's head.

[MFS62]

If I were doing the interviewing (OK, I can dream, can't I?) the first question would be "describe your toughest loss".
If the answer contained any flavor of "we battled", my next comment would be, "Next!"

Then, when I ask what they would expect from their players, the key words I'd listen for would be "fundamentals", "Heads-up", "opportunistic" and "Productive outs".
That would at least get them to the second round of interviews.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Tona LaRussa endorses... Chip Hale!

Tony LaRussa: This Mets manager candidate is ‘total package’

Tony LaRussa wrote: “Chip is really an intelligent guy and he’s a competitive guy. You put those two things together, and he’s got some personality, so you go into New York and you have got personality, smarts, toughness, that works there. It works anywhere, but you get tested in New York.”

[Benjamin Grimm]

Jon Heyman says that Brad Ausmus is a candidate for the Mets job.

Jon Heyman wrote: Brad Ausmus, who was let go by the Detroit Tigers following their last-place finish, is on the radar of the New York Mets and is in fact said to be a candidate to replace Terry Collins. The Mets have reached out to Ausmus and they’ve had one conversation to date. Ausmus, the erudite Dartmouth graduate with a distinguished 18-year big-league career as a catcher, is in some ways an opposite of Collins, who resigned after seven years, the longest tenure of any Mets skipper in their 56-year history. Ausmus is believed to be a candidate in multiple places, so the rival Philadelphia Phillies could be in play, too. Coincidentally, like Ausmus, Mets GM Sandy Alderson and Phillies GM Matt Klentak also went to Dartmouth – not that that’s the main consideration.

[Frayed Knot]

'Trapper' John McIntyre also went to Dartmouth where he played ball and even once threw a two-hit shutout vs Harvard*.
Also, like Sandy, he's a veteran and is probably real smart seeing as how he's a doctor and stuff.

Not sure about his current availability though. Given his service in the Korean War he's likely to be around 90 years old by now and of the three actors to portray him on small and large screens
only Elliott Gould survives.





* or so he claimed in the book. He also QB'd the Dartmouth football team and was a low handicap golfer

[Edgy MD]

Anybody taking seriously the speculation centered around John Farrell (in a hot seat following Boston's early exit from playoffs) or Joe Girardi (contract set to expire after World Series)?

Mike Puma says he has an inside source suggesting the Mets are looking at Girardi. If he does, that's one reckless insider, opening the Mets up for accusations of tampering.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I would consider retiring from metsfandom if they hired a discarded Girardi.

[bmfc1]

How about a discarded John Farrell? He managed BOS to the AL East title but was "relieved of his duties" today.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/258211184/red-sox-dismiss-john-farrell/?topicId=27118122

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

3 AL East titles in 5 years. He got ejected in Game 4 of the ALDS on Monday. I wonder if it was his call or acting manager Gary DiSarcina to bring Sale back out in the 8th when it appeared that Sale was gassed getting the final out of the 7th?

[Guest d'Kong76]

bmfc1 wrote: How about a discarded John Farrell? He managed BOS to the AL East title but was "relieved of his duties" today.

Would be crazy not to give him a good long interview imo.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mike Puma wrote: The 50-year-old Long has interviewed with the Mets for their managerial opening, according to an industry source, and will now wait to find out if he becomes a finalist for the job. The expectation is general manager Sandy Alderson will continue his first round of interviews through this week. Others in the mix to succeed Terry Collins have included Brad Ausmus, Alex Cora, Robin Ventura, Mickey Calloway, Joe McEwing, Sandy Alomar Jr., Bob Geren and Chip Hale, but it’s unclear which of them besides Long already has received an interview. According to an industry source, McEwing, the White Sox’s bench coach, will interview with the Mets within the next few days. Cora, the Astros’ bench coach, also will interview this week, according to a source.

I find that I'm rooting for Alex Cora to get the job. But I'd still be happy with Chip Hale.

Who's Mickey Calloway?

[seawolf17]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Who's Mickey Calloway?

Pitching coach for the Indians. 4-11, 6.27 in 130 innings over parts of five AL seasons from 1999-2004.

[Edgy MD]

His hair hasn't turned gray yet. Also, he's got a nice, big Art Howe mandible.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mike Puma reporting in the Post that the Mets will interview Manny Acta this week, and... that Brad Ausmus has declined an interview request from the Mets.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And Anthony DiComo, quoting Jon Heyman, says that the Mets are NOT interested in Robin Ventura after all.

[Edgy MD]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Mike Puma reporting in the Post that the Mets will interview Manny Acta this week, and... that Brad Ausmus has declined an interview request from the Mets.

I don't care if the Mets are somehow seen as a stinky turd of a résumé stain, wtf can afford to turn down MLB manager job interviews?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The Hey Man report made it seem as though Ventura and Ausmus were turning the Mets' interviews down but I think his sources are those guys and not Sandy.

Maybe Robin forgot to update his resume.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Kristie Ackert reports today that the Mets will interview Cora today, but he's "not considered high on the Mets' list of candidates" and is more likely to end up in Boston.

On Wednesday, she says, the Mets will interview McEwing, Acta, and Mickey Callaway. I believe they've already interviewed Kevin Long.

I haven't heard any recent speculation at all about Chip Hale or Bob Geren. Perhaps they're no longer being considered? Or maybe they never really were?

[Edgy MD]

Getting spurned by Ausmus is kind of sticking in my craw a little bit. I can't tell you much about him, but he's certainly one of the handsomer managers around.

Maybe he's already been promised the Boston job, but they can't hire him until they go through an official hiring process, and interview X amount other candidates.

[Guest 41Forever]

Edgy MD wrote: Getting spurned by Ausmus is kind of sticking in my craw a little bit. I can't tell you much about him, but he's certainly one of the handsomer managers around. Maybe he's already been promised the Boston job, but they can't hire him until they go through an official hiring process, and interview X amount other candidates.

There wasn't a ton of love for him in Detroit. People have been calling for him to be fired for a couple years.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

just in a matter of taste i'd prefer a street-smart high-school dropout in the dugout and leave the Ivy League guys to apply for jobs in the front office.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Is Lenny Dykstra out of jail?

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: Is Lenny Dykstra out of jail?

yes I believe he was "me too"ing someone just the other day on Twitter.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I haven't heard any recent speculation at all about Chip Hale or Bob Geren. Perhaps they're no longer being considered? Or maybe they never really were?

According to Newsday, "sources" say that Hale and Geren are, in fact, not under consideration.

Ausmus doesn't want to manage the Mets. Ventura doesn't want to manage at all.

From what we can tell at this point, it looks like there are five, or perhaps six, actual candidates: Long, Cora, McEwing, Callaway, and Acta. Alomar's name hasn't come up recently, but I haven't seen where he's been ruled out.

The current buzz seems to indicate that Long may be the front-runner. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[Centerfield]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I haven't heard any recent speculation at all about Chip Hale or Bob Geren. Perhaps they're no longer being considered? Or maybe they never really were? According to Newsday, "sources" say that Hale and Geren are, in fact, not under consideration. Ausmus doesn't want to manage the Mets. Ventura doesn't want to manage at all. From what we can tell at this point, it looks like there are five, or perhaps six, actual candidates: Long, Cora, McEwing, Callaway, and Acta. Alomar's name hasn't come up recently, but I haven't seen where he's been ruled out. The current buzz seems to indicate that Long may be the front-runner. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I find I'm not thrilled about it for silliest of reasons. Like I've said before, I think I want a smart guy. And Kevin Long doesn't seem smart to me. I mean, I haven't heard anything about him being smart, but I also haven't heard that he isn't smart. But for me, he doesn't look smart. Something about him. So I find myself less than thrilled.

I told you it was silly.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I have the same feeling. Kevin Long has been around for a few years now, and I haven't gotten any kind of a "smart vibe" from him.

That doesn't mean that he isn't smart. He may be very smart. He may know all the best words. But I am hearing a lot about how smart Alex Cora is, so I'm more interested in Cora than Long.

But who knows? Maybe Kevin Long will become the greatest manager in Mets history. Even with his dumb face.

[Edgy MD]

I want Brad Ausmus because supporting him is the least I could do after all those years using his photos for my Match.com profile.

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