Reese Kaplan -- Reading Between The Lines Regarding The Coaching Changes

Tuesday the Mets announced several personnel changes that include:

• Terry Collins becoming a special assistant to Sandy Alderson
• Dan Warthen being dismissed as pitching coach but offered a role in the organization
• Ray Ramirez being terminated as head trainer
• Kevin Long and Pat Roessler being retained as hitting coach and assistant hitting coach respectively
• Glenn Sherlock being retained as 3rd base/catching coach
• Ricky Bones, Dick Scott and Tom Goodwin are being allowed to interview for other jobs

The first one is puzzling to say the least.  After all, it was reported that Sandy wanted to fire Terry on multiple occasions.  Is the "special assistant" gig the compromise he worked out with Fred Wilpon, apparently the only person left who didn't want Collins gone?  That should make for some fairly awkward meetings when the guy who now publicly revealed he wanted to fire you is still your boss.

Warthen being canned had been rumored for a long time.  While I don't think you can lay the blame for the myriad of injuries on his shoulders -- after all it wasn't he who decided to run pitchers into the ground.  However, you'd think he would be more aware of the condition of his pitchers, when they were on their game and when they weren't, and that he'd have some influence over the guy with the lineup pencil.  Regardless, after the worst pitching since the legendary 1962 team, someone had to be the scapegoat and Danny boy got the nod.

Ray Ramirez is most definitely being targeted (some might argue unfairly) for the injury epidemic facing the club.  It's my understanding that the trainer is there to handle injuries as they happen and to help recovering athletes by participating as a health professional to ensure that they are making progress and not doing themselves further harm.  They must pass a professional certification exam and are recognized by both the American Medical Assocation and the Profesional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society for their acumen.  Personal trainers do not need to meet any qualifications whatsoever.  While making a change is good for the public perception, the fact remains that a great many Mets players were working outside the recognized channels in training and recovery.  THAT is what needs to stop.

The hitting coaches being retained is understandable as the club set records for home runs.  However, the club also seems to be holding steady with their historical worsts in strikeouts.  When Long was hired the Mets had come off two seasons in which they average 1319 strikeouts per year.  Under his tutelage the Mets have registered an average of 1294 strikeouts per year -- a slight improvement of less than 2%.  To be fair, during the two years preceding his hire the Mets averaged just 127.5 HRs per season and since coming to New York they've clubbed an average of 206 HRs.  That's a whopping 62% improvement.  In fact, this year they set a club record with 224 HRs.

Glenn Sherlock is a case of being in the right place at the right time.  He has a two year contract and rather than have to pay him for leaving, they're keeping him around.  You'd think the catching coach would at least bear some of the responsibility for the awful pitching but calling the game and framing the pitches doesn't matter if the guy on the mound isn't executing.

The most interesting part of these announcements is the triumvirate at the end who essentially are being told to look for a new job because whomever the new manager is may want to bring in his own guys.  In the case of Bones, that's a clean sweep of all coaches involved in pitching.  Dick Scott is probably not a great loss.  Tom Goodwin was a little surprising though with pitiful stolen base numbers put up by the Mets I can see why they may feel a change is needed there, too.  The 2017 Mets swiped 58 bases which actually bested the World Series team of 2015 who had a mere 51.

Time are indeed strange when there is so much in flux, but change is welcome.  Let's hope it's for the better.