John from Albany - NO TONY. YES FONZIE AND ENDY FOR METS COACHING STAFF!

With Hensley Meulens as Bench Coach, and Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach., the Mets have almost completely filled out filling out Carlos Beltran’s coaching staff. 

They are still looking to fill a few more.

The Mets Police posted the Mets Help Wanted ad for a Mental Performance Coach. 

Now reports are that they are looking at Tony DeFrancesco as first base coach.

Reportedly Tony is well liked in the organization.  He sure was great letting Sam Haggerty know that he was a September call-up. 

However, he also was the manager of the Syracuse Mets in the heart-breaking loss at the end of the season. Blowing leads of 7-1 and 13-6 to the likes of Nick Rumbelow, Brooks Pounders, and Eric Hanhold while better alternatives Matt Blackham and Blake Taylor sat in the pen. 

With Syracuse not winning a championship since 1976, it was a big game that was blown.  During the game, Mack’s Mets Reese texted me that “Heads should roll after this…”  Roll they will, all the way to MLB First base coach.

Mr. Brodie, Sir, it is time to reconsider your biggest mistake this off-season.

Bring back Edgardo Alfonso and put him on the Major League coaching staff as the 3^rd Base Coach.

And while you are at it, bring Endy Chavez to Queens in 2020 as well as the first base coach.

From top to bottom, the 2019 Brooklyn Cyclones were the best managed Mets affiliated team I have seen since Gil Hodges passed away.

As I said previously, The Cyclones did not have the best pitching (5th out of 14 teams), they did not score the most runs (6th most in the league), they didn’t even steal the most bases (rank 5th) though they were aggressive on the bases all year.

What did they excel in?  For one, fielding.  They were ranked first in the NY Penn league in fielding percentage.  With Fonzie working with the infielders and Endy working with the outfielders players like Wilmer Reyes and Yoel Romero excelled at multiple positions.

Wilmer Reyes - Shortstop (38 games), Second Base (2 games), Third Base (10 games), First Base (2 games); Yoel Romero - Shortstop (23 games), Second Base (7 games), Third Base (19 games), Left Field (1 game).

Endy also coached the running game and Brooklyn excelled in manufacturing runs.  Not only did they take extra bases to get themselves in scoring position, they scored runs on outs time and time again. 

They hit against the shift.  Took extra bases when the shift had players out of position and bases uncovered.  Scored from third if the ball got by the catcher.  They even stole 5 bases in the first inning one game! Even when they were thrown out by being a little too aggressive, it was great to watch.

Remember that Sunday Night ESPN game against the Dodgers when Rajai Davis went into pinch run in the ninth and the ESPN crew kept saying that of course Rajai was going to steal?  The Mets fans knew better.  Rajai Davis wasn’t going to steal.  I don’t think they stole a base down a run in the ninth since Mookie Wilson and Lenny Dysktra were on the team.  Of course they did not and the last out was made with Rajai standing on first.

If only they had a 1^st Base coach that loved to run.  Perhaps one that coached a team that way in the minors and won…and a 3^rd base coach to help runners score on outs who also won in the minors.

Wait they do, Fonzie and Endy.

Let me share another Tony vs. Fonzie comparison:

As I stated in another post:

In Syracuse this year I was at a game when the backup catcher, Colton Plaia, with men on second and third and one out, hit a pop up to the catcher that landed in fair territory.  Colton did not run and was tagged out.  (He also hit about .150 and stayed on the roster all year when Patrick Mazeika spent his second full year at Binghamton but that is another story).

In the first Brooklyn playoff game, first baseman Joe Genord (not a speedster) hit a pop up to the infield that the Hudson Valley catcher did not handle and it landed in fair territory.  When it did land, Genord was standing on second like he should have been.  He later scored on a single.

Players ran hard for Fonzie, not for Tony, but you want to put Tony on the MLB staff.  Huh?  

2020 will be the 20^th anniversary of the 2000 National League Championship Mets.  What better way to celebrate than put Edgardo Alfonzo as the third base coach.

And what better way to offset Beltran’s strikeout to end the 2006 National League Championship series by having the man that made THE catch that day on the staff, Endy Chavez.

Was Tony the reason Syracuse Mets did not run hard or why they blew the final game?  Maybe, maybe not, but he should not be promoted after the 2019 season.

Fonzie and Endy were a big reason why Brooklyn played the way they did.  It was fun.  It was good baseball.  

It makes sense to bring them to Queens.