SAVAGE VIEWS – DON’T BLAME BUCKY

May 8, 2023

As many of you know by now, I am not a huge fan of Buck Showalter.  

I’ve often criticized his bullpen management and his reluctance to make needed changes to the lineup.  There are those who feel Buck is the best manager to ever wear a Mets uniform.  Better than Hodges, Johnson and Valentine who make up the top four (there is no number 5).  

I’ll admit to being prejudiced about Hodges since I was a huge fan during his Brooklyn years.  Remember, he took a team of perennial losers and crafted them into WS champs.  He was a leader among men and the right man for the job at the time. 

Davy also had traits that let the team to a WS championship.  Not only did he want to win, but he wanted to dominate.  It sure helped having the Straw and Doc and Nails on a very talented roster.  However, the fact is that he was a winner.  Bobby, on the other hand, thought he was the smartest man in the room.  Loved his attitude and he, too, was a winner.

Unfortunately, both Davy and Bobby clashed with the folks upstairs and left before their times.  In each case, these managers had relatively talented rosters and credit must be given to the General Managers that built these teams.  Frank Cashen deserves credit for building the Mets teams of the 80s and Steve Phillips for providing Valentine with a talented roster.

Of course, it’s almost impossible to rank managers from different generations.  Back in the days of Gil, Davy and Bobby, your starter was expected to complete the game.  It was not unusual for a pitcher to throw in excess of 150 pitches a game.  And I don’t remember pitchers spending time on the DL following TJ surgery.  Perhaps you had a couple of strong arms in the pen.  Like I’ve said we live in a different world.

My point is that it’s difficult to judge a manager simply based on wins and losses in any given season.  On one hand, the Mets have the highest payroll ever while on the other hand they are not that talented.  Billy Eppler may or not be the right man for the job, it’s too early to say.  It’s certainly not his fault that we have no MLB ready pitching prospects and that he was forced to sign expensive FA’s.  

We have a team whose legacy was built on developing pitching whose top prospects are at least a year away from making an appearance. Give Billy at least two more years before rendering a judgement.  Buck is in a difficult position since he is saddled with a number of older players past their prime.  No matter how this season ends, I will not blame Bucky if we fail to make the playoffs.

We all agree that the purpose of minor leagues is to develop prospects.   I’ve made the point that winning is also important.  Not only should we be interested in the physical and mechanical development of players but also in their mental development.  As of today, none of the minor teams boast a winning record.  Take St. Lucie winning 25% off their games.  Imagine the stress of being a player on a team where losing is routine.  Or being on a Binghamton team with very limited offensive talent.  Or a Syracuse team that has Dylan Bundy taking the mound every 5^th day.

I keep hearing that the Mets farm system is top-rated.   But the results are not there.  We seem to have a handful of highly rated prospects, but the fall off is steep once you get past the top ten.

However, hope springs eternal.  Time for us to follow the Braves playbook and draft wisely and be aggressive in signing international free agents.

Ray