link - Jerry Manuel’s dismissal after the season seems imminent, so discussion about the Mets’ next manager has materialized. One name that consistently pops up, for some reason, is Wally Backman, former Mets second baseman and current manager of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones. I say “for some reason” because at first glance he seems as qualified for the job as a 25 year-old applying to be the Chief Financial Officer of a billion dollar corporation. His snapshot résumé (never coached in MLB, has never managed above Double-A and that was seven years ago) would justifiably be tossed in the initial screening reject pile if he had equivalent credentials while applying for any other job. Regardless, he is a Met fan favorite, and it is possible that my own initial screening is myopic. A more in-depth look at the possibility of Backman, Mets manager, is in order.
link - If he Mets do sever ties with K-Rod and he becomes a free agent, I’m guessing the Angels would welcome him back next season with open arms – though not with an open checkbook – if there has been a satisfactory resolution of the criminal charges and he has fully recovered from impending thumb surgery. Earlier this season, for what it’s worth, I overheard someone high in the Angels organization wishing Rodriguez had never left.
link - But that’s only the start of the housecleaning. The episode involving Rodriguez and his girlfriend’s father — as well as the resulting season-ending injury — represents the tipping point that gets Jerry Manuel fired and Omar Minaya reassigned. An industry source told The Record’s Steve Popper that the Wilpons no longer are committed to the manager, whose contract is about to expire anyway, or to the general manager, who still has two years left. Fred Wilpon recently said Minaya would be returning in 2011, but the climate has changed rapidly since then.
link - The Mets pitcher to come closest to a perfect game was Tom Seaver, whose bid lasted 8 1/3 innings on July 9, 1969, broken by a clean single to center from Cubs centerfielder Jimmy Qualls. When Qualls reached first base, who was there to greet him but Cubs coach Joey Amalfitano -- the same guy who had the only hit in Al Jackson's one-hitter in 1962. Seaver would describe Qualls in his post-game press conference as “a sticky little hitter.” That also seems an apt name for David Eckstein, who had the only hit in the first of two Steve Trachsel one-hitters as a Met, this one featuring the fewest strikeouts (one) against the Angels in 2003.
8-17-10: - from link - A California native, Satin was selected by the Mets in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft. He's logged some great hitting numbers in the Mets farm system, as he is a career .303 hitter and has shown good discipline. The right-handed hitting Satin began the year at Class A St. Lucie, and has since earned a promotion to AA Binghamton, where he has spent half the year. It is almost difficult to think of Satin as a prospect at this point. The 25-year-old is getting to the point where he is just another minor league player. But this burst of solid hitting should start getting him some attention. To say that Satin has hit regularly doesn't really sum his game up enough. He hit .316 with a .406 OBP in 58 games at St. Lucie. Since his promotion, the hits have kept coming. In 56 games with Binghamton, Satin has posted an even higher batting average of .325 and a .417 OBP.
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