The new Mets manager had an impressive introduction to the fan base. Now the hard stuff begins.
I wasn't planning to watch Carlos Mendoza's introductory press conference but was home at noon, so I decided to tune in. He came across as knowledgeable and enthusiastic and has received good reviews in most things I've read. He clearly knows what he's getting into by taking a manager's job in New York. According to SNY, he'll make about $1.5 million per year for three years, with a club option for a fourth. So, even if Carlos lasts out his entire contract, he'll make less total money than Craig Counsell will make next year alone. Carlos Mendoza will need to enjoy some success as a manager if he hopes to get closer to Counsell's income level.
There was a bit of mild controversy when Mendoza spoke about his friendship with former Mets manager Willie Randolph and didn't rule out considering Willie for the bench coach job. There are Mets fans of a certain vintage who still blame Randolph for the 2007 collapse. My opinion is that Randolph was sufficient as a manager. While he certainly wasn't a revelation running a club, that team crashed for much the same reason as the 2023 Mets did: the lack of a deep roster and an inadequate bullpen.
Randolph's biggest problem was that he had rabbit ears when it came to media criticism. For a guy who spent years in the glare of the New York spotlight, Willie just didn't seem to handle it very well. Willie is older and presumably wiser at this point. He also would be in a lesser spotlight as a subordinate if he's chosen to be the bench coach. I'm not sweating this one, however it goes.
I do find it a bit strange that Randolph never received another chance to manage an MLB club. Inferior managers than Willie had multiple chances, including his replacement Jerry Manuel, who managed for nine seasons in Chicago and New York. I followed the Mets very closely back then and found Willie Randolph to be a much better manager than Manuel. Don't get me wrong, Willie wasn't a perfect manager, but he had some strengths and deserved another shot.
Jerry Manuel suffered through his own collapse in 2008. In fairness, although I felt that Manuel would overuse hot pitchers in his bullpen to the point of physical abuse, like Randolph, he was a victim of a roster that lacked real depth, especially pitching.
GM Omar Minaya got the Mets back in contention in 2005-2006 by getting some stars to come to New York, but the team was a house of cards that was always destined to fail. They got by in 2006 with a bullpen that was so exceptional it papered over some of the other roster ills — including a glaring depth in starting pitching that forced the club to hand out starts to a revolving cast of bad pitchers, including Alay Soler, David Williams, José Lima, and Geremi González.
5 comments:
I was an active member of the press that attended spring training when Randolph was the manager
Always a quiet man
Very well respected by the players
I thought Willie was a decent manager. He made his share of mistakes, but I've seen many worse managers over the years get more chances.
Remember Willie was notorious for his terrible interviews when applying for managerial positions before the Mets hired him.. He never seemed comfortable as the Mets manager..
The game has evolved significantly since 2007. I don't know if Willie Randolph has evolved with it. That is a big question. If he cannot relate to the new younger players and what they have been taught, then it will not help to have him as a bench coach. He could go along the way of Carlos Beltran where he mentors from a "special assignment" position.
Bench coach’s main job is to be managers right hand man,especially for a first time manager.
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