Rolaids Antacid Tablets presents: Find Us a Manager (Grp. G)

[Edgy MD]

Heading to the Korean place for lunch, you begin filling your tray, and your eyes catch a see-through version of your reflection in the sneeze guard. This tells you two things. One: You are still Sandy Alderson. Two: You haven't been as transparent in your search process as you could be.

Mets insiders! That's all you've called! Well, isn't it the same old Mets insiders that have gotten us in this predicament?!

You get back to your office, wondering briefly why we have such faith in the scales at these luncheon-by-the-pound places. Does the Department of Consumer Protection check on that sort of thing periodically? And aren't some of these dishes a little watered down? "I don't want to pay for water weight," you think. "That's like signing K-Rod all over again."

But transparency! Transparency was the thought on your mind. Involve interested outsiders!

So you call Greg Prince. He picks up on the first ring, God bless him. He's in the middle of writing 8,000 words on Ray Ramirez, so he can appreciate where you are right now — you know, existentially."

"Greg," you say, "I need a manager."

"I can appreciate where you are," he responds.

"The Wilpons say I need a guy with MLB experience."

"The Wilpons and the KATZ," he corrects you.

"The Wilpons and the Katz," you agree. "HEY! How do you know who ... ?"

"I have sources. I can't name names," he retorts. "So we're looking for a manager?" he sums up.

"With experience," you remind him.

"Everyone whose ever been hired has been fired, Sandy." Greg doesn't play around.

"Yeah, I know," you admit. "Do you have the names that we're already bandying around?"

"I have sources," he repeats

"Good. Can you have them by ... Holy shit, they're right here on my desk." They weren't there before you went to get your lunch. You're so stunned that you get soy sauce all over the list. Total Oscar Madison move.

"I've been thinking, Sandy," Greg says, dead serious-like. "I think about the Mets."

"I know you do, Greg ...." you mumble, your thoughts starting to drift away from the conversation and back toward the task before you.

You stare at his list. The now-brownish list, dangerously high in sodium content. Which four guys get called in for an interview?

	Mgr	Age	Team(s)	Yrs	From	To	W	L	W-L%	Ties	G > .500	G	W Post	L Post	W-L% Post	Best Fin	Wrst Fin	Av Rk	Plyof App	WS won	Penn Won	ASG	Mets Connection
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/2/2500208c_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Walt Weiss	54	COL	4	2013	2016	283	365	.437	0	-82	648	0	0		3	5	4.3	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/4/4985b709_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Matt Williams	52	WAS	2	2014	2015	179	145	.552	0	34	324	1	3	.250	1	2	1.5	1	0	0	0	Originally drafted by the Mets in 1983, but didn't sign.
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/7/7f7f269f_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Manny Acta	49	WAS, CLE	6	2007	2012	372	518	.418	0	-146	890	0	0		2	5	4.1	0	0	0	0	Third base coach, infield coach 2005-2006.
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/e/ecd1956b_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Don Cooper	62	CHW	1	2011	2011	1	1	.500	0	0	2	0	0		3	3	3.0	0	0	0	0	New York native, Queens-reared.
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/e/ee398aa0_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Ken Macha	67	OAK, MIL	6	2003	2010	525	447	.540	0	78	972	5	7	.417	1	3	2.0	2	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/9/9bcd3c96_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Dave Miley	55	CIN	3	2003	2005	125	164	.433	0	-39	289	0	0		4	6	4.7	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/1/183be2f2_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Don Wakamatsu	55	SEA	2	2009	2010	127	147	.464	0	-20	274	0	0		3	4	3.4	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/8/8bb5c5b7_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Carlos Tosca	64	TOR	3	2002	2004	191	191	.500	0	0	382	0	0		3	5	3.6	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/a/a3356252_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Luis Pujols	62	DET	1	2002	2002	55	100	.355	0	-45	155	0	0		5	5	5.0	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/1/1c4baf33_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Tony Perez	75	CIN, FLA	2	1993	2001	74	84	.468	0	-10	158	0	0		4	5	4.3	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/c/cee2ca65_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Tom Lasorda	90	LAD	21	1976	1996	1599	1439	.526	2	160	3040	31	30	.508	1	6	2.5	7	2	4	4	Played for Brooklyn once upon a time; mentored future Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/c/cea9aa47_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Tom Trebelhorn	70	MIL, CHC	7	1986	1994	471	461	.505	0	10	932	0	0		3	6	4.3	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/7/7fa1e87d_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Joe Morgan	87	BOS	4	1988	1991	301	262	.535	0	39	563	0	8	.000	1	3	2.2	2	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/a/aa537ee8_manager.jpg[/fimg]	John Hart	69	CLE	1	1989	1989	8	11	.421	0	-3	19	0	0		6	6	6.0	0	0	0	0
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/1/1245e7ca_manager.jpg[/fimg]	Jim Frey	86	KCR, CHC	5	1980	1986	323	287	.530	1	36	611	7	7	.500	1	5	2.5	2	0	1	1	Mets hitting coach, 1982-1983. Consistently praised by Darryl Strawberry for his mentoring work.
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/0/0a3985c3_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Bill Virdon	86	PIT, NYY, HOU, MON	13	1972	1984	995	921	.519	2	74	1918	6	9	.400	1	6	2.9	3	0	0	0	Mets minor leaguer for five games, 1966; managed Yankees during their one year at Shea in 1975.
[fimg=90]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201709071/images/headshots/d/da3e74f9_davis.jpg[/fimg]	Norm Sherry	86	CAL	2	1976	1977	76	71	.517	0	5	147	0	0		4	5	4.6	0	0	0	0	Born in New York; former minor league Brooklyn Dodger; Mets player, 1963.

[Frayed Knot]

One vote cast for the [crossout:8rhchcra]man[/crossout:8rhchcra] men named 'NOT Matt Williams'

[G-Fafif]

Can't reveal the contents of my imaginary conversations with Met higher-ups, but I can suggest Bill Virdon knew the way to Flushing once upon a time and still very well might.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: One vote cast for the [crossout]man[/crossout] men named 'NOT Matt Williams'

Yes, yes, a thousand times this.(Or one for each of the other candidiates, whichever comes first)
I voted for Bill "Quail" Virdon, just because he was on the Pirate teams I liked after my team deserted Brooklyn and before the Mets were born. And his 1960 team beat the MFYs in the World Series, too.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

How many letters are there in this managerial alphabet?

[seawolf17]

I was positive Bill Virdon was dead. Apparently not.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

I had no idea that world was populated with so many geriatric former MLB managers.

[Edgy MD]

They practically have their own country.

[Edgy MD]

d'Kong76 wrote: How many letters are there in this managerial alphabet?

Ten. It's like Hawaiian.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Brownish, yes, but loaded with umami.

Frey, Virdon, Sherry, Morgan. I REALLY am curious now about whether we can kill a guy just with lack of fundies.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Took Acta, someone will need to break up that 4-way tie I created.

[Centerfield]

Frayed Knot wrote: One vote cast for the [crossout]man[/crossout] men named 'NOT Matt Williams'

Me too. I find I can more easily come up with a list of names that I don't want to be the Mets manager, rather than actual candidates themselves.

[Edgy MD]

Matt Williams has done the Mets as much service as you can ask by damaging the Nationals. I feel the same way about Fredi Gonzalez, who has negatively impacted two division rivals, but other folks are fingering him in for an interview, so what do I know?