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New General Manager Thread

metirish Oct 05 2010 07:09 AM

Do we have one?, looked and didn't see it so here goes.... Oh , firstly , am I the only fool that didn't know Jerry Dipoto pitched for the Mets , just learned that this morning. I don't care for Bill Madden but his article today talks about getting a guy who has not failed elsewhere, and staying away form the older guys, GMing is a young mans game, ask Pat Gillick. You can read his article here Rick Hahn, Jerry DiPoto, Logan White and Eddie Bane should be on Wilpons' short list as Mets next GM Fred and Jeff Wilpon couldn't have been clearer Monday. The Mets mess is their mess. They're the ones who hired Omar Minaya and gave him a free hand to spend $36 million over three years on Ollie Perez, $37 million over three years and an option on Francisco Rodriguez, $25 million over four years on Luis Castillo. And, because of that, they're the ones ultimately responsible for the fact the Mets have not had a comprehensive offseason game plan in recent years, along with a dysfunctional decision-making process, whether they are trades, signings, call-ups or simply handling injuries. Even Minaya himself conceded the Mets were in need of new leadership, but with a record of such fiascos as Al Harazin and Steve Phillips in the past, the Wilpons, who haven't had a whole lot of luck and success overall with general managers since Frank Cashen retired, have to know that this time they really need to get it right. As Jeff Wilpon put it: "We need a new direction, new leadership" and a person "with qualities to reinvigorate the ballclub." One must assume he means that because, if he does, you can start eliminating right now a lot of the usual suspects being bandied about in the media. Sandy Alderson? He's firmly ensconced in cleaning up the Dominican Republic for Major League Baseball with his eye no doubt on running a club for someone, not being a general manager. John Hart? He's 62, having already retired once as a GM with the Indians in 2001, only to come back a few months later when Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks made him an offer he couldn't refuse. In four years in Texas, Hart's teams were 311-337. Josh Byrnes? It ought to say something to the Wilpons that he was fired in Arizona with five years and nearly $6 million left on his contract after Diamondback teams went 349-378 under his stewardship. While Jeff Wilpon said Monday they would be considering all different candidates for the job - veteran types like Alderson and Hart, "second-chance" guys like Byrnes - they're deluding themselves if they don't go out and hire their own man. They need someone who hasn't failed elsewhere - someone, preferably, with a strong scouting and player evaluation background to complement John Ricco, the Mets' very able assistant GM. Someone with strong organization skills, someone under 60 because, ask John Schuerholz, ask Pat Gillick, ask almost anyone, the GM job has become a young man's job. There are plenty of candidates out there who fit that description, none of whom has ever been a GM. That shouldn't be a deterrent for the Wilpons, who, again, need to hire their own man, not somebody else's failed reject. Four such names are White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, Diamondbacks assistant GM Jerry DiPoto, Dodgers scouting director Logan White and former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... blood.html And here he gives a heads up on four guys he thinks the Wilpon's should look at. Rick Hahn - White Sox Has been hailed by many throughout the game as being bright, organized and a workaholic. The White Sox wouldn't let him interview for the Seattle Mariners' GM job two years ago and instead gave him a big raise. His only drawback is that his primary area of expertise has been contracts, waivers, etc., same as Ricco's. That said, the vast majority of today's GMs have player evaluation backgrounds and White Sox GM Kenny Williams has sent the 38-year old Hahn out scouting the past two years. As one White Sox insider said: "Rick's personable, smart and has got all the attributes to be an excellent GM and it won't be long before somebody scoops him up." Jerry Dipoto Even though he's reupping with the Diamondbacks as scouting director under new GM Kevin Towers, the 42-year-old Jersey product would love coming back home to be GM of his old ballclub. The onetime Met reliever did a good job as interim D-Backs' GM after Byrne was fired, getting a nice package of prospects in ownership-ordered fire sale deals for Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Chad Qualls, and is respected throughout the game for his player-evaluating skills. He's also a self-proclaimed baseball history buff. Logan White One of the most respected scouting directors in the game, he's responsible for the core of the Dodgers' homegrown talent - James Loney, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt et al. He has interviewed for a number of GM jobs in the past that went to others but it's only a matter of time until some team taps his vast potential. Eddie Bane Got fired last week in a personality clash with Angels GM Tony Reagins, not for his job performance. The 58-year-old Chicago product and former pitcher for the Twins earned a reputation for having a keen eye for talent in the middle and late rounds of the draft and is responsible for the Angels' signing of Kendry Morales and the drafting of Jared Weaver, the late Nick Adenhart, Peter Bourjos and top prospects Mike Trout, Hank Congers, Michael Kohn and Jordan Walden. The Wilpons seem to know their mission. They need a GM with vision and leadership skills and they know that, the state of the Mets as it is, they can't afford to screw up again.

Edgy DC Oct 05 2010 07:40 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

First episode in the Adventures of John Ricco, Interim GM: John is confronted by an option year in the contract of Jose Reyes. Is it his to exercise? Does Jeff Wilpon have to pull the switch? Is it the perogative of his successor? Will it antagonize Jose and his agent to be put on the back burner while the Mets get their shit together? John wrestles with these issues and the inability of his higher-ups to agree on the pronunciation of his name. (Guest stars: Ron Glass, Paul Williams, Judy Landers.) Viewer discretion is advised. Thursday, 8:00 PM.

Edgy DC Oct 05 2010 07:42 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Oh, and can somebody explain to me why GM-ing is a young man's job without just laying it out there as self-evident? The argument has been around for a decade now with nothing backing it up but attitude.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 05 2010 07:46 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

And one of the guys Madden is suggesting is 58.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 05 2010 07:47 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Meanwhile, we have Darth Klapisch dissing those young guns and demanding Sandy Alderson be lured from the commissioner's office. [url]http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/baseball/mets/100510_Klapisch_Dark_days_ahead_if_Mets_ownership_doesnt_keep_promise.html "Several interesting names have been floated by the Mets as potential saviors. Some are absurd: Former Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola Jr. has no business running a big-market franchise. Neither does White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn. But if the Mets are serious about, say, Sandy Alderson, then their fans have reason to believe change is coming. The former A’s general manager – pre-Billy Beane – is exactly the man the Mets need. Alderson guided the A’s to four division titles, three pennants and a world championship in 1989, which means he has a winning pedigree. Alderson works in the commissioner’s office, assigned to clean up the corruption within the Dominican Republic’s baseball community. He’s Ivy League-smart (Dartmouth) and more than tough enough for the job (a former Marine with combat experience in Vietnam). Alderson would have no trouble standing up to the Wilpons."

metirish Oct 05 2010 07:48 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Edgy DC wrote: Oh, and can somebody explain to me why GM-ing is a young man's job without just laying it out there as self-evident? The argument has been around for a decade now with nothing backing it up but attitude. And those guys are like ten years older now

Vic Sage Oct 05 2010 08:14 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

i don't know that Madden even believes his crap. I think he's just staking out a position that seems slightly less likely to occur (Wilpons hiring an inexperienced GM) so he can beat them up with it afterwards. It's not journalism, it's just stirring the pot. how did this hack get into the HOF?

MFS62 Oct 05 2010 08:17 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Last night I heard Tim Kurkjean(sp?) on ESPN mention Joe Garagiola Jr. (among a list of other names we have heard and discussed here before) as a candidate for the GM job. Later

metsmarathon Oct 05 2010 08:36 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

is "hasn't failed elsewhere" really a criteria the mets should be using in their search for a new gm? doesn't that necessarily mean "inexperienced"? i mean, unless we're somehow drawing, say, brain cashman over from the evils (not advocating, merely offering his name as one who hasn't failed elsewhere), where are these unfailing gm candidates with experience? it doesn't sound like the suggestion is to raid another team's sitting gm, so what could that leave? n00bs, that's what. i'd like to think that "gee, what will the media say?" wouldn't be one of the selection criteria, but i know better, sadly. i'll keep on hoping, regardless. at some point, the mets may eventually come to realize that it doesn't matter what the rabble says, and that, more than anything, nothing wins the hearts and minds of new yorkers like good prolonged and sustained success. but i won't hold my breath.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 05 2010 08:36 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

We'll have to do that "scoreboard" thing to sort all this out, but Martino's article this morning sez Jeff likes Terry Ryan, the former Twins GM and an old-school scout known for spotting talent (Santana, Big Papi, etc) and unloading Luis Castillo on the Mets at the right moment. He's also got Mets bloodlines, he scouted for them & Cashen in the 80s.

Edgy DC Oct 05 2010 08:40 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Vic Sage wrote: i don't know that Madden even believes his crap. I think he's just staking out a position that seems slightly less likely to occur (Wilpons hiring an inexperienced GM) so he can beat them up with it afterwards. It's not journalism, it's just stirring the pot. how did this hack get into the HOF? The same way Elena Kagan got on the Supreme Court. Hookers and blow.

Frayed Knot Oct 05 2010 08:40 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

i mean, unless we're somehow drawing, say, brain cashman over from the evils Whether a typo or sarcasm, this is funny either way.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 05 2010 08:46 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Well, you don't necessarily need to buy the whole conceit of Madden's article, but from what I've read either Logan White or DiPoto seem like good ideas. Madden's a douche but I don;t think he's writing this merely to set up a bludgeoning if they get an Alderson or Ryan in here. He wait till the first losing streak for that.

HahnSolo Oct 05 2010 08:52 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Haven't heard this guy mentioned, and have no real opinion either way on his GM abilities, but here is a Bleacher Report article on JP Ricciardi's tenure with the Blue Jays. [url]http://bleacherreport.com/articles/431435-jp-ricciardis-tenure-with-jays-bad-general-managing-or-just-bad-luck

86-Dreamer Oct 05 2010 09:07 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: We'll have to do that "scoreboard" thing to sort all this out, but Martino's article this morning sez Jeff likes Terry Ryan, the former Twins GM and an old-school scout known for spotting talent (Santana, Big Papi, etc) and unloading Luis Castillo on the Mets at the right moment. He's also got Mets bloodlines, he scouted for them & Cashen in the 80s. Ryan is at the top of my wish list. Since 2001, Twins have churned out winning teams featuring home-grown or modestly priced talent. Hist first six years (1994-2000) were rough, but it sure seems he figured out a winning formula.

Frayed Knot Oct 05 2010 09:17 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

The worst black mark against Ryan was waiving David Ortiz just before he exploded into a monster.

MFS62 Oct 05 2010 09:29 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

The worst black mark against Ryan was waiving David Ortiz just before he exploded into a monster. He also traded FOR Boof Bonzer. I'd call that at least a dark grey mark. Seriously, he got some other very good pitchers in that trade. As seen on the Inside Pitch board: Notable trades July 6, 1995: Traded closer Rick Aguilera to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Frank Rodriguez and a player to be named later. The Twins were able to re-sign Aguilera on December 11. July 7, 1995: Traded pitcher Scott Erickson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Scott Klingenbeck and a player to be named later. July 31, 1995: Traded pitchers Kevin Tapani and Mark Guthrie to the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Ron Coomer, pitchers Greg Hansell and José Parra, and a player to be named later. The Dodgers sent outfielder Chris Latham to the Twins on October 30 to complete the trade. August 29, 1996: Traded Dave Hollins to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later. On September 31, the Mariners sent David Ortiz to the Twins to complete the trade. August 20, 1997: Traded Roberto Kelly to the Seattle Mariners for players to be named later. On October 9, the Mariners sent the Twins future all-star Joe Mays and a minor leaguer to complete the deal. February 16, 1998: Traded second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Brian Buchanan, shortstop Cristian Guzman , pitcher Eric Milton, pitcher Danny Mota, and cash. May 21, 1999: Traded Rick Aguilera and Scott Downs to the Chicago Cubs for pitchers Kyle Lohse and Jason Ryan . December 13, 1999: Under the Rule 5 Draft , the Twins sent minor leaguer Jared Camp and cash to the Florida Marlins in exchange for future Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. September 9, 2000: Traded pitcher Hector Carrasco to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Lew Ford. July 30, 2001: Traded outfielder Matt Lawton to the New York Mets for pitcher Rick Reed. July 12, 2002: Traded Brian Buchanan to the San Diego Padres for shortstop Jason Bartlett. July 16, 2003: Traded Bobby Kielty to the Toronto Blue Jays for Shannon Stewart. November 14, 2003: Traded catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash to the San Francisco Giants. Received pitchers Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser. December 3, 2003: Traded pitcher Eric Milton to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Carlos Silva, infielder Nick Punto, and a player to be named later (Bobby Korecky). December 2, 2005: Traded Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler to the Florida Marlins for second baseman Luis Castillo. December 9, 2005: Traded J.C. Romero to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for infielder Alexi Casilla. July 30, 2007: Traded second baseman Luis Castillo to the New York Mets for minor league prospects Drew Butera (catcher) and Dustin Martin (center fielder). Later

metirish Oct 05 2010 09:58 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ryan stepped down form the GM role in 2007, apparently still is an advisor for the Twins, is he still in the game or is that like a cushy non-job with a title?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 05 2010 10:07 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

As seen on the Inside Pitch board: And wikipedia.

HahnSolo Oct 05 2010 10:07 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Could he bring his manager with him?

MFS62 Oct 05 2010 10:14 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

As seen on the Inside Pitch board: And wikipedia. I didn't notice the person there cite Wiki as his reference. I saw it on IP, so that's the reference I gave. Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 05 2010 10:42 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

HahnSolo wrote: Could he bring his manager with him? I like the prospect of Ryan (however unlikely it feels). But the Mets just fired the poor man's Gardy.

metirish Oct 05 2010 10:47 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: HahnSolo wrote: Could he bring his manager with him? I like the prospect of Ryan (however unlikely it feels). But the Mets just fired the poor man's Gardy. See, the media would have you believe Gardy is the best thing ever.....you don't rate him LWFS?

A Boy Named Seo Oct 05 2010 11:14 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Not understanding all the Josh Byrnes love. Here's a blurb on him that sways me not. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... nch-fired/ Like Hahn Solo's digging out JP Ricciardi. He's intriguing to me. 2 years a Met farmhand, too, so he's got 'the pedigree'.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 05 2010 11:25 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

metirish wrote: Could he bring his manager with him? I like the prospect of Ryan (however unlikely it feels). But the Mets just fired the poor man's Gardy. See, the media would have you believe Gardy is the best thing ever.....you don't rate him LWFS? Ask anyone who watches him on a regular basis (especially Twins fans)... or poor Matt Guerrier (their Pedro, only with more innings logged), or Nick Punto (TRUE FACT: career -39 OPS+). But he does seem to be a fantastic manager of men, and one can't argue with non-ill-gotten results (all those friggin' division titles), I suppose.

Frayed Knot Oct 05 2010 11:40 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Gardenhire seems to put on his dumb hat whenever playing the Yanx. That's probably an unfair view - and the fact that Joe Nathan always folded up his tent at the sight of pinstripes certainly didn't help - but I'm sticking to it anyway.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 07 2010 11:52 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

First up... Sandy Alderson? From the Daily News: Andy Martino wrote: The first strong candidate to replace Omar Minaya as the Mets' general manager has emerged, and former A's GM Sandy Alderson likely has the backing of commissioner Bud Selig should Alderson decide to pursue the job. According to league sources familiar with the Mets' hiring process, Selig has given the Mets the OK to talk to Alderson, who now oversees Major League Baseball's efforts to improve operations in the Dominican Republic. In turn, the Mets are also interested in talking to Alderson, according to the sources. Newsday first reported Thursday that Selig would likely approve if Alderson wanted to seek the Mets' job. Credited with building the A's teams that reached the World Series from 1988-1990 and won in 1989, Alderson worked more recently as the CEO of the San Diego Padres. Although the Mets are also believed to be considering younger assistant GMs, such as Logan White of the Dodgers and Rick Hahn of the White Sox, an older candidate like Alderson would allow the team to retain John Ricco and groom him as the team's eventual GM. Ricco was passed over when the Mets cut ties with Omar Minaya, because ownership wanted a fresh voice from outside the organization. Still, the Mets value Ricco, and could see him as a future GM. Another experienced possibility, former Cleveland and Texas GM John Hart, is not believed to be a serious candidate at this time.

bmfc1 Oct 07 2010 11:58 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'm concerned that Alderson, as one of Selig's Lieutenants, would follow the MLB line on the slotting system for the draft.

metirish Oct 07 2010 12:06 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

bmfc1 wrote: I'm concerned that Alderson, as one of Selig's Lieutenants, would follow the MLB line on the slotting system for the draft. The Mets do that anyway......is that because Fred and Bud are big buds?

bmfc1 Oct 07 2010 12:19 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

metirish: Yes, I think that's it. Adam Rubin told me that I might not be right: "Frank Coonelly devised the system, and is now one of its biggest violators with the Pirates. And he's only a consultant with MLB."

metirish Oct 07 2010 12:36 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Heyman - Newsday also had the story that the Marlins have refused permission for the Mets to speak with Jennings. Byrnes, Alderson believed to be among names on Mets' GM list The Mets' GM search has about seven names at the top, and it is believed they may include ex-Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, MLB consultant Sandy Alderson, Diamondbacks VP Jerry Di Poto, Rays executive Gerry Hunsicker, Twins executive Terry Ryan and Marlins VP Dan Jennings. There are some suggestions the Mets favor someone with GM experience, but they are considering a variety of candidates, possibly partly because they are understandably uncertain about their chances to lure proven former GMs such as Alderson, Hunsicker and Ryan. Their top list may be pared down further, as the Marlins are believed unlikely to grant permission to the rival Mets to speak to Jennings, who's under contract through 2015. Both Alderson and Hunsicker, two intriguing candidates, have told people they are happy in their current roles, but Mets people still seem to believe their chances are slightly better for Alderson or Hunsicker than Ryan, who has deep Midwestern roots. Alderson and Hunsicker both are said to have enjoyed their time living in New York -- though it's still no certainty, either, that they'd want to dive back into a GM job in New York. Ryan, like Hunsicker is a former Mets employee, but people close to him say they don't expect him to want to jump at such a job. (Ryan, whose Twins team is facing the Yankees in the ALDS, didn't return a text Wednesday). Hunsicker has told people recently he is enjoying his role with the Rays. Alderson is said to want to finish a big job he began only months ago with MLB aiming to fix Latin American signing issues, and furthermore, Mets people have to wonder whether Alderson would perceive GM to be a high enough job for the accomplished baseball man. Ryan would be a coup but is seen as perhaps the biggest long shot of all. Hahn is a well-regarded longtime assistant in Chicago who has previously turned down previous GM opportunities (Pittsburgh was one) and has been mentioned as a strong candidate to become GM with his hometown White Sox at some point in coming years. Byrnes remains well-regarded after a surprisingly abrupt ending in Arizona. Di Poto is of interest to the Mets as a former Mets player from New Jersey who did a nice job as the D-backs interim GM before being passed over for the established Kevin Towers. Jennings is seen as an excellent evaluator but the Marlins have in the past rejected teams from trying to hire him, so there's little reason to believe they'd grant it to the rival Mets The Mets intend to try to interview the seven or so people at the top of their wish list before moving on to their longer list, which is said to be about 30 names, and is believed to include another established GM, John Hart, who served in that role for the Indians and Rangers and is now a Rangers consultant and MLB Network personality who told the New York Post he is interested in the Mets' job. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, who will make the big hiring decision jointly with owner Fred Wilpon and club president Saul Katz, has said that they will consider younger candidates who may have some or no GM experience as well as more experienced candidates. John Ricco, the Mets' longtime assistant GM who is currently heading the team's baseball operations department, has a big role in sorting through the candidates, though he himself is not seen as a GM candidate at the moment. Mets people are in the process of getting interview approval from current employers. Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/b ... z11hQtE1oB

Edgy DC Oct 07 2010 12:56 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Love it.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 07 2010 01:04 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'll save the "l" word for further progress/the eventual result. But I'm comforted by all this, assuming it's accurate. Is withholding permission for execs to speak with potential employers that common in MLB? Seems to me it comes up rarely if ever at the professional ranks, and that granting such permission is almost de rigueur.

Ashie62 Oct 07 2010 01:08 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Bobby V for GM, Manager and platoon Rightfielder.

seawolf17 Oct 07 2010 01:10 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ashie62 wrote: Bobby V for GM, Manager and platoon Rightfielder. Good by me. I just don't see myself getting excited about a GM. Every GM with any level of experience is going to have positives and negatives on his/her record. I know it's a major decision, but I honestly don't have any particular pull towards any one candidate, unless it's Time Machine Frank Cashen.

seawolf17 Oct 07 2010 01:13 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I wanted RA Dickey to win the pitcher award because we could actually present him with a trophy and he'd be thrilled, because he seems like a really good guy. He'd probably even take pictures with it and list it on his resume.

Farmer Ted Oct 07 2010 03:25 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'd give Alderson a look if it weren't for the fact his best teams were stacked with juiced goliaths.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 07 2010 04:57 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Source: Mets to interview Rick Hahn By Bruce Levine ESPNChicago.com CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox vice president/assistant general manager Rick Hahn will interview for the New York Mets general manager position next week, according to a Major League Baseball source. The Mets fired Omar Minaya on Monday, and decided not to renew the contract of manager Jerry Manuel. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon will conduct the search for the next general manager. Hahn is a highly respected baseball executive who has been on a fast track to a GM job over the past five years. Baseball America voted Hahn the No. 1 general manager prospect in its March, 2010 issue. In past years, Hahn interviewed for the St. Louis Cardinals general manager's job, but he withdrew his name after two interviews, and he also declined to be interviewed for the Pittsburgh Pirates GM job. Before hiring Jack Zduriencik as GM prior to the 2009 season, the Seattle Mariners asked for permission to interview Hahn, but the request was denied. Hahn, along with White Sox GM Ken Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf collaborated on all important baseball decisions in Chicago. Hahn's expertise blends a firm grip of sabermetrics and physical scouting of players. He is a Michigan graduate and has a Harvard law degree and graduated from Northwestern's Kellogg graduate school of management. Prior to joining the White Sox in 2002, Hahn was an agent at Steinberg, Moorad and Dunn sports agency in Newport Beach, Calif., for two years. His expertise in negotiating contracts and learning the scouting end of the game was essential in the White Sox promoting him to a vice president post in 2007.

Edgy DC Oct 07 2010 05:26 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I'll save the "l" word for further progress/the eventual result. But I'm comforted by all this, assuming it's accurate. Is withholding permission for execs to speak with potential employers that common in MLB? Seems to me it comes up rarely if ever at the professional ranks, and that granting such permission is almost de rigueur. I'm just all for teams actually acting competitive with each other.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 07 2010 07:02 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Adam Rubin wrote: The New York Mets will interview former Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes, former Kansas City Royals GM Allard Baird and Chicago White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn next week for the organization's vacant general manager position, a team spokesman announced Thursday. The Mets have indicated they plan to interview five to seven candidates, with finalists coming back for a second round. The hope is to have someone in place by the time the World Series starts... 20 days from now.

metirish Oct 07 2010 07:23 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Allard Baird?.......really?

Edgy DC Oct 07 2010 08:23 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Works for the Sawx now. Somebody must think he knows a thing or two. And if you want a guy to trade Beltran, well, there's only one guy on Earth with experience in that job. Or, it's a big show before they hire back V.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 08 2010 03:10 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Good God. We were chugging along so nicely there. What about an Alderson as President/Baseball Ops head and someone like Hahn as GM? Hahn has cover from a potential DePodesta-ing at the hands of local media vultures, while Alderson-- who's been away from day-to-day running a team for, like a decade and a half, right?-- has someone to handle said day-to-day.

metirish Oct 08 2010 05:48 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Good God. We were chugging along so nicely there. What about an Alderson as President/Baseball Ops head and someone like Hahn as GM? Hahn has cover from a potential DePodesta-ing at the hands of local media vultures, while Alderson-- who's been away from day-to-day running a team for, like a decade and a half, right?-- has someone to handle said day-to-day. I don't care for that idea, by all accounts Hahn and Ricco have the same skill-set in that they are experts on the paper work , you hire a GM and is there any reason why Ricco doesn't stay in that role? The new GM would of course want to keep him. I think DePodesta had bad timing as much as anything but I see what you are saying.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 08 2010 09:36 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I just don't believe in Ricco... at least not as an heir apparent. Admittedly, though part of it's grounded in something like fact (that he was a big advocate for bringing in-- and keeping-- Francoeur doesn't speak volumes for his talent-evaluation skills), a lot of it is hunch-y. Maybe it's just figurative residual Bad-Omar stink.

MFS62 Oct 08 2010 09:37 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Hahn's expertise blends a firm grip of sabermetrics and physical scouting of players. He is a Michigan graduate and has a Harvard law degree and graduated from Northwestern's Kellogg graduate school of management. Prior to joining the White Sox in 2002, Hahn was an agent at Steinberg, Moorad and Dunn sports agency in Newport Beach, Calif., for two years. His expertise in negotiating contracts and learning the scouting end of the game was essential in the White Sox promoting him to a vice president post in 2007. He worked for a sports agency under Jeff Moorad? I'd love to be a fly on the wall during one of his negotiation sessions with a player's agent as a GM. It would be like "Spy VS Spy", each one having a black bag full of weapons. I'm chuckling just thinking about it. Also- isn't at least one of the Wilpons a Michigan grad? Later

Edgy DC Oct 08 2010 09:48 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I've got no problem with the acquisition of Fancoeur. He clearly outplayed Church dollar-for-dollar through the end of each team's commitments. The subsequent over-commitment to him in terms of lettuce and playing time and promotional identiy, I certainly have problems with, but I'm not hanging much of that over Ricco.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 08 2010 11:33 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

MFS62 wrote: Also- isn't at least one of the Wilpons a Michigan grad? Not only is Fred a Michigan graduate, he's got a stadium named after him!

MFS62 Oct 09 2010 03:46 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

metsguyinmichigan wrote: MFS62 wrote: Also- isn't at least one of the Wilpons a Michigan grad? Not only is Fred a Michigan graduate, he's got a stadium named after him! No wonder Jeff was able to get in. Later

Benjamin Grimm Oct 09 2010 03:49 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jeff doesn't need nepotism. I'm sure his helmet-of-hair opens many doors for him.

metirish Oct 09 2010 08:38 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

All this radio talk and twitter talk that LaRussa would be rejoing Alderson in NY if he took the GM job is funny, can't see that happening.

Edgy DC Oct 09 2010 11:02 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I actually can.

Number 6 Oct 10 2010 02:24 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'd happily deal with La Russa micro-managing the lineup and passing out at traffic lights so long as Duncan is included in the deal.

Frayed Knot Oct 10 2010 08:26 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Joel Sherman makes the case for Sandy Alderson http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/met ... xiMChSMqSK

MFS62 Oct 10 2010 09:05 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Frayed Knot wrote: Joel Sherman makes the case for Sandy Alderson http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/met ... xiMChSMqSK This sounds too good to be true. Sherman is usually anti-Met. This must be part of a plot to finally destroy the Mets, Alderson really being on the payroll of the Yankees. Later

Benjamin Grimm Oct 11 2010 06:53 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Andy Martino in the Daily News this morning thinks that Alderson is very likely. Said something about it being hard to foresee any other outcome. He also says that if it is Alderson, Omar would be more likely to stay in the Mets front office as some kind of scouting guru.

Fman99 Oct 11 2010 06:53 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Rotoworld (via Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, whomever that is) reporting that Alderson as GM is a done deal, even before the interviews are done, FWIW.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 11 2010 07:30 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

MFS62 wrote: Joel Sherman makes the case for Sandy Alderson http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/met ... xiMChSMqSK This sounds too good to be true. Sherman is usually anti-Met. This must be part of a plot to finally destroy the Mets, Alderson really being on the payroll of the Yankees. Later I generally distrust all columns with headlines beginning with METS MUST... but Sherman makes a good case for the circumstances favoring an Alderson hire. I also think Sherman is probably the best sports columnist left in NY, and not a pro-MFY hack.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 11 2010 07:38 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Isn't Sherman the one who is always pleading the case of the chop shops in the iron triangle?

Gwreck Oct 11 2010 08:01 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Isn't Sherman the one who is always pleading the case of the chop shops in the iron triangle? I thought that was Wally Matthews.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 11 2010 08:10 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ah! That's right.

Edgy DC Oct 11 2010 08:14 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Fman99 wrote: Rotoworld (via Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, whomever that is) reporting that Alderson as GM is a done deal, even before the interviews are done, FWIW. Ed Price is THE SOURCE. Don't sell the guy short. He's the Crazy Eddie of internet pseudojournalism. The lengths he'll go to get the scoop are INSANE!

metirish Oct 11 2010 08:16 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Joel Sherman makes the case for Sandy Alderson http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/met ... xiMChSMqSK This sounds too good to be true. Sherman is usually anti-Met. This must be part of a plot to finally destroy the Mets, Alderson really being on the payroll of the Yankees. Later I generally distrust all columns with headlines beginning with METS MUST... but Sherman makes a good case for the circumstances favoring an Alderson hire. I also think Sherman is probably the best sports columnist left in NY, and not a pro-MFY hack. Agree on Sherman...

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 11 2010 09:23 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

This year, Sherman's been generally more on point and more reasonable in his assertions-- and he does make a lot of 'em-- than any of the Mets beat writers. In my mind, it's Vaccaro and him at the top, then Rubin (maybe), then the others. Also, you can trust Ed Price on this; he's been living inside Sandy Alderson's shorts for almost a month now.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 11 2010 09:42 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'm really starting to wonder if, as speculated above, Alderson will lead to LaRussa. As often as I've said I want the Mets to have a smart manager (which they haven't had in eight years!), and I do think LaRussa might actually be smart (although the way he was outmanaged by Jerry Manuel in that 20-inning game raises doubts), I can't get enthusiastic about Tony as Mets manager.

metirish Oct 11 2010 09:49 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm really starting to wonder if, as speculated above, Alderson will lead to LaRussa. As often as I've said I want the Mets to have a smart manager (which they haven't had in eight years!), and I do think LaRussa might actually be smart (although the way he was outmanaged by Jerry Manuel in that 20-inning game raises doubts), I can't get enthusiastic about Tony as Mets manager. The reason I keep hearing that LaRussa woould not come to the Mets is that Pujols is resigned for 2011.

HahnSolo Oct 11 2010 09:50 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

While I do agree that a guy like Alderson can be the baseball voice of the organization, and the kind of guy who would command a certain degree of respect from the Wilpons, I can't say I'm doing cartwheels. His best As teams were more than 20 years ago, and they were tainted by both the steroid scandal (looking the other way, Sandy?) and underachieved mightily in two of their three world series. So yeah, he may be the best guy available, but I'd hardly call him a can't-miss.

Edgy DC Oct 11 2010 10:29 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

The best guy available is likely somebody who none of us have ever heard of.

Frayed Knot Oct 11 2010 10:32 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

HahnSolo wrote: While I do agree that a guy like Alderson can be the baseball voice of the organization, and the kind of guy who would command a certain degree of respect from the Wilpons, I can't say I'm doing cartwheels. His best As teams were more than 20 years ago, and they were tainted by both the steroid scandal (looking the other way, Sandy?) and underachieved mightily in two of their three world series. So yeah, he may be the best guy available, but I'd hardly call him a can't-miss. You want your GM to assemble the talent to get you the strongest team possible and into the playoffs. What they do once they get there is pretty much out of his hands.

Centerfield Oct 11 2010 11:04 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I don't pretend to know anything about these candidates, but from what I'm reading, Alderson sounds like a smart guy. This is good. I think they should hire a smart guy.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 11 2010 11:40 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

AND he's got gravitas*. *"Gravitas" = "enough rings around the tree to have Social Security recipients call him 'sir.'"

metirish Oct 11 2010 05:32 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Baird was interviewed today, Hahn tomorrow.Gillick ruled himself out...

Valadius Oct 11 2010 05:44 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I really don't see the point in interviewing a miserable failure like Allard Baird when there are so many other choices out there.

metirish Oct 11 2010 06:01 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I guess we need to take the "failure" that is Baird in the context of trying to do that job in miserable Kanas, did he draft the big name players that he traded? From what I am reading about him he is highly thought of in the game, heads up scouting for the Red Sox, and they are no mugs.

Valadius Oct 11 2010 09:55 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I just went over the Royals' drafts from Baird's tenure. Baird took over in June of 2000, after the draft. Going over the drafts from 2001-2005, here are all the players the Royals drafted that have gone on to do anything of note in the majors: 2001 Draft Taylor Tankersley 2002 Draft Zack Greinke 2003 Draft Mike Aviles 2004 Draft Billy Butler J.P. Howell 2005 Draft Alex Gordon That's it. That's all he has to show for five years' worth of drafts. Not a very encouraging record.

metsmarathon Oct 12 2010 07:36 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

could any of that record be related to an inability or unwillingness to sign players who would demand exorbitant signing bonuses or the like?

Edgy DC Oct 12 2010 07:54 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Valadius wrote: I just went over the Royals' drafts from Baird's tenure. Baird took over in June of 2000, after the draft. Going over the drafts from 2001-2005, here are all the players the Royals drafted that have gone on to do anything of note in the majors: 2001 Draft Taylor Tankersley 2002 Draft Zack Greinke 2003 Draft Mike Aviles 2004 Draft Billy Butler J.P. Howell 2005 Draft Alex Gordon That's it. That's all he has to show for five years' worth of drafts. Not a very encouraging record. There's some others. From 2001, there's Angel Sanchez. From 2002, there's Donnie Murphy (who tore the cover off the ball in part-time work for Florida this year). Others are still simmering or on the options shuttle. My main concern is that he turned his players over to Tony Muser, a pretty Jerry-riffic manager from my perspective.

metirish Oct 12 2010 07:55 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Valadius wrote: I just went over the Royals' drafts from Baird's tenure. Baird took over in June of 2000, after the draft. Going over the drafts from 2001-2005, here are all the players the Royals drafted that have gone on to do anything of note in the majors: 2001 Draft Taylor Tankersley 2002 Draft Zack Greinke 2003 Draft Mike Aviles 2004 Draft Billy Butler J.P. Howell 2005 Draft Alex Gordon That's it. That's all he has to show for five years' worth of drafts. Not a very encouraging record. Out of six players you get a Zack Greinke and Alex Gordon , Howell was flipped for Joey Garthright who was granted free agency. Billy Butler still only 24 has shown some pop... http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... al01.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl/pl ... ch=Greinke http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... bi03.shtml I'd take that I think

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 12 2010 09:02 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

m could any of that record be related to an inability or unwillingness to sign players who would demand exorbitant signing bonuses or the like? See: Hochevar, Luke. (A pick/holdout from the previous year, selected over higher-rated Longoria, Morrow, Kershaw, Lincecum, Scherzer, Travis Snyder... and selected due primarily to signing concerns/his being pushed by Boras, who also repped Longoria and several others in the draft.)

metirish Oct 12 2010 09:32 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Tracksuit has this Mets eye Dodgers exec Logan White as scout, possible pair with Sandy Alderson as Minaya replacement The Mets have long had an eye on Los Angeles Dodgers assistant GM Logan White, but not to replace ousted general manager Omar Minaya. According to major league sources, the team is looking at White as a possible scouting hire to work with the team's next GM. An ESPNLosAngeles.com report said that White would interview with the Mets Friday for the GM position. Mets officials would not confirm Tuesday morning that they planned to meet with White, but other league sources maintained that while the team is interested in White, the Mets don't view him as a GM candidate. White has been the director of amateur scouting with the Dodgers since 2002, and could fit nicely in a Mets front office run by Sandy Alderson, a strong candidate to be named GM. Alderson has experience as GM of the Oakland A’s and CEO of the San Diego Padres, but his background is not originally in scouting. He will meet with the Mets Thursday or Friday, the same basic time frame that White is expected to interview. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... z129vBaqFV

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 12 2010 09:39 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Tracksuit with the scoop. White is credited with unearthing many of the young Dodgers players (Kemp, Ethier, Kershaw, Billingsley, etc).

Edgy DC Oct 12 2010 09:44 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

And while that has been a strong, impressive crop for the Dodgers, it seems unusually short (for them) on Latin American talent.

Frayed Knot Oct 12 2010 10:23 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

m could any of that record be related to an inability or unwillingness to sign players who would demand exorbitant signing bonuses or the like? See: Hochevar, Luke. (A pick/holdout from the previous year, selected over higher-rated Longoria, Morrow, Kershaw, Lincecum, Scherzer, Travis Snyder... and selected due primarily to signing concerns/his being pushed by Boras, who also repped Longoria and several others in the draft.) Yeah, Hochevar was drafted 40th by the Dodgers the year before but didn't sign. He played that year in independent ball and then re-entered the draft where the Royals drafted him 1st, getting him more money than he had been offered earlier but probably less than a "real" #1 could command. Other than him I don't think their 1st round picks have been "reaches" for guys who didn't deserve to be there. With real high picks in most years they had mostly top-10 picks but some just haven't worked out. Maybe the more disturbing trend is that those years yielded almost nothing in later rounds. The more recent Drayton Moore drafts have KC's system on the verge of producing a lot of good stuff according to those in the know.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 12 2010 10:24 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

True. That said, the talent that he's found-- regardless of source-- has developed. I'll take ripe Antarctican talent, s'long as it's good and efficiently wrangled.

Valadius Oct 12 2010 05:57 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Hahn was up today. The New York Mets have interviewed Chicago White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn in their search to hire a GM. Hahn spent several hours Tuesday at Citi Field talking to chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, assistant general manager John Ricco and other team executives. Former Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes will meet with the Mets on Wednesday and longtime baseball executive Sandy Alderson will speak with the team later this week. The Mets say they also got permission from the Los Angeles Dodgers to talk to scouting director Logan White in the search to replace Omar Minaya. The Mets interviewed former Kansas City GM Allard Baird on Monday.

Edgy DC Oct 12 2010 09:29 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

"And what would you say your favorite breakfast cereal is?" "Mr. Wilpon, I believe we discussed this already, and I said Cap'n Crunch." "And if there was only one box of Cap'n Crunch, and you knew somebody else liked Cap'n Crunch...? What then?"

Benjamin Grimm Oct 13 2010 09:26 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

The latest speculation (as seen in today's Daily News and elsewhere) is that Logan White might make a lateral move from the Dodgers to the Mets and would work under Sandy Alderson.

metirish Oct 13 2010 09:31 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: The latest speculation (as seen in today's Daily News and elsewhere) is that Logan White might make a lateral move from the Dodgers to the Mets and would work under Sandy Alderson. It would be interesting alright , word is that he has agreed to a new deal with the Dodgers but has an out.....with the McCourts so dysfunctional he would relish the Wilpon's.

Edgy DC Oct 13 2010 11:43 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

It really seems to me that the Mets could have had a new GM in place the day after the season ended. Can you tell I'm a little nervous about the Mets being the last team into the manager market? Because I am.

TransMonk Oct 13 2010 11:54 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Edgy DC wrote: ...I'm a little nervous about the Mets being the last team into the manager market... Ding, ding. Me too.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 13 2010 11:56 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'm a little concerned about that too, mainly in how it affects the outside chance that the choice might be Bobby Valentine. But I do think that there are more qualified managers than there are open positions, and some of the open positions will go to guys we (meaning our group here) probably would prefer not to see manage the Mets anyway. I think if the Mets hire a GM who knows what makes a good manager, that he'll be able to find a guy even if he were to wait until February. (Which of course he won't do.)

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 13 2010 12:11 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I want Valentine as much as the next guy, maybe more, but if we lose him because we wanted to be sure we had a competent GM in place first then so be it. It's probably more important that they only avoid hiring the wrong manager.

A Boy Named Seo Oct 13 2010 01:20 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Like their approach so far. Seems to be including dudes from wide varieties of background & experience, and they seem to be neither dillying nor dallying with their search. Feeling pretty good about either Sandy or Hahn (I like the idea of Sandy a lot more than I thought I would) and feel like either of those would bring in a solid manager, too. Also don't think (if he's around still) that a smart, competent GM would exclude BV for 'personality' reasons. If they think he's the best dude, they'll bring him in. White, Hahn, Baird are done. Byrnes today and Sandy by week's end? I bet they'll dig up a couple more dudes to meet, and whether they can officially announce it or not (via playoff tight-lippedness) is a whole other issue, but the Mets will have figured out who they want by end of next week, doncha think?

Edgy DC Oct 13 2010 01:31 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I want Valentine as much as the next guy, maybe more, but if we lose him because we wanted to be sure we had a competent GM in place first then so be it. It's probably more important that they only avoid hiring the wrong manager. Good points. It's just I'm over-reacting to the the thought of losing him to the Marlins, which would feel like something analgous to missing the layup and not getting back on defense --- the managerial-hiring version of the four-point turnaround. Just about every team that has him on the interview list is reported to be leaning toward him right now, so I shouldn't make too much of the Marlins rumor. But how much is too much?

The Second Spitter Oct 13 2010 01:45 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Edgy DC wrote: . It's just I'm over-reacting to the the thought of losing him to the Marlins, which would feel like something analgous to missing the layup and not getting back on defense [...] This reads like a quote from a scorned lover.

Edgy DC Oct 13 2010 01:52 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'm a lover, certainly.

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2010 02:33 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Season has been over for all of ten days at this point. Not exactly foot-dragging here.

Edgy DC Oct 13 2010 02:55 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

No, but if one's hope is a specific guy, and mine is, and the others are interviewing him, that suggests we're behind. I accept that if the team is able to avoid the wrong guy, that in itself is an accomplishment. Though looking back, I was convinced Art Howe was not the wrong guy. (Pinella.)

metirish Oct 13 2010 06:25 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Metsblog BY MATTHEW CERRONE ON OCT 13, 2010, 6:02 PM Jeff Wilpon told reporters tonight on a conference call that he, John Ricco and team executives will meet tomorrow with Sandy Alderson. He said the team is looking to hire a GM, and no candidate – from this group – is being considered for another role. So far, he says, “We are extremely happy with what we’ve seen.” Updated at 6:10 pm: Wilpon also said many names have been mentioned by the GM candidates about potential managers, some of whom he had not been considering. Updated at 6:15 pm: Ricco said the three candidates so far have all said Ownership’s level of involvement with the Mets is similar to what occurs with other teams around the league. Updated at 6:18 pm: Wilpon acknowledged – without naming names – that there had been interesting candidates, who are under contract with other teams, who the Mets are no longer considering for their vacant GM position. http://www.metsblog.com/

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2010 07:54 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

"Jeff Wilpon told reporters tonight on a conference call that he, John Ricco and team executives will meet tomorrow with Sandy Alderson." -- Certainly a good sign. "He said the team is looking to hire a GM, and no candidate – from this group – is being considered for another role." -- I guess that knocks aside those scouting roles that have been rumored for some of the names. "So far, he says, “We are extremely happy with what we’ve seen.” " -- Would hardly expect him to say anything else. 'Man that last guy was really a dimwit!' ... Now THAT would be a newsmaker! "Wilpon also said many names have been mentioned by the GM candidates about potential managers, some of whom he had not been considering." -- Very good to hear in that I think one of the weaknesses of Wilpon^2 was their reluctance to go out of their comfort zone for these important hires. "Ricco said the three candidates so far have all said Ownership’s level of involvement with the Mets is similar to what occurs with other teams around the league." -- Probably at least partially a pr statement, but I also suspect that this issue has never been as black & white as it's been portrayed in some quarters. An owner who doesn't maintain some sort of interest in what's going on is probably a bad owner. That's not to say there haven't been mistakes made along those lines (the comfort cocoon mentioned above, the unwillingness to take the training wheels off Duquette's GM car, etc.) but I think part of these complaints are along the lines of 'why does our closer always make us nervous?' ... because he's the one we pay attention to ya dummy!! "Wilpon acknowledged – without naming names – that there had been interesting candidates, who are under contract with other teams, who the Mets are no longer considering for their vacant GM position." -- The Florida guys for whom they supposedly couldn't get permission to talk to? ... Other asst GMs?

Willets Point Oct 13 2010 09:25 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Frayed Knot wrote: An owner who doesn't maintain some sort of interest in what's going on is probably a bad owner. The counterexample that comes to mind is Tom Yawkey whose team got better when he lost interest in them.

metirish Oct 15 2010 06:30 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jon Daniels stirs the pot, however mildly.I would really be chuffed if he got interviewed, he's done some great work in Texas and under Hicks it can't have been easy. Queens native and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels doesn't dismiss Mets speculation Jon Daniels' Rangers begin the American League Championship Series against the Yankees Friday in Texas, and the 33-year-old GM is focused on that exciting moment. But the Queens product did not exactly dismiss speculation Thursday that he could be considered to replace Omar Minaya and run his hometown team. Although the Mets have not requested permission to speak with Daniels, league executives following their search expect they might do so after the Rangers' postseason run has concluded if they have not yet hired a GM from the current pool of candidates. "It's not appropriate for me to comment on this during the playoffs," Daniels said at first. When pressed further about the Mets, he added a more lighthearted comment, "My mom is loving this." The Mets are a family interest for Daniels, whose mother still lives in Bayside. Daniels grew up a Mets fan, rooting in particular for Dwight Gooden and Lenny Dykstra. Asked if his mom, who is currently in Texas for the playoffs, regretted being away from home and missing the New York newspapers mentioning his name in connection with the Mets, Daniels offered another playful answer, "That's not a problem for her. She's tech-savvy." The Mets Thursday interviewed Sandy Alderson, a strong candidate for the position. COO Jeff Wilpon said in a conference call on Wednesday that he hoped to hire a GM by the end of the World Series, but was flexible with that deadline. Daniels, meanwhile, has an out clause in his contract that went into effect when the Rangers underwent a change in ownership. In 2005, then-owner Tom Hicks named the 28-year-old Daniels the youngest GM in baseball history. After enduring serious financial trouble, Hicks was forced to sell the franchise, which eventually went to an ownership group led by attorney Chuck Greenberg and former pitcher Nolan Ryan. Because of that transfer, Daniels has the right to leave, at exactly the time that his boyhood team is looking for a new leader. Thursday, Greenberg signaled that he intended to be aggressive in retaining Daniels, telling FoxSports.com that "Daniels isn't going anywhere. ... We're a family, and we're going to stay together." If Daniels and the Mets became serious about one another, Daniels would compete with an impressive list of candidates. Alderson is the highest-profile interviewee, and sources say he has the backing of commissioner Bud Selig's office. Still, the former Oakland Athletics GM and San Diego Padres CEO is no lock to earn, or decide in the end that he wants, the job. Beyond Alderson, the Mets have brought in many talented assistant GMs from around the league. On Monday, the Mets interviewed Boston assistant GM and former Kansas City GM Allard Baird. They spoke on Tuesday with Chicago White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and on Wednesday with former Arizona GM Josh Byrnes. According to a team official, the Mets were still in the process of seeking permission to speak with candidates, and will meet with Dodgers assistant GM Logan White Friday. Wilpon and assistant GM John Ricco are leading this first round of interviews. Finalists could return as soon as late next week, when CEO Fred Wilpon and team president Saul Katz become involved. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... z12Qih4p9R

Benjamin Grimm Oct 15 2010 06:43 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

It's good to be chuffed? If someone walked up to me and said, "I'm chuffed!" I would think that they were angry or irritated. Guess not.

metirish Oct 15 2010 06:47 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It's good to be chuffed? If someone walked up to me and said, "I'm chuffed!" I would think that they were angry or irritated. Guess not. I kid the Brits, that's what they say, chuffed as hell mate....chuffed is happy....

Willets Point Oct 15 2010 08:09 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

metirish wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: It's good to be chuffed? If someone walked up to me and said, "I'm chuffed!" I would think that they were angry or irritated. Guess not. I kid the Brits, that's what they say, chuffed as hell mate....chuffed is happy.... Funny. I had the same conversation with a friend from London on Facebook a couple of years ago. For me "chuffed" sounds unpleasantly like "chafed." For a long time, I also thought "bloke" was an insult but turns out it just means "guy."

Vic Sage Oct 15 2010 09:12 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

amusing thumbnails of GM candidates: http://www.patrickfloodblog.com/2010/10 ... dates.html

Frayed Knot Oct 15 2010 12:25 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ken Davidoff via Twitter: Heard that Alderson's interview with the #Mets yesterday went very well. He remains the favorite to become their next GM. If Alderson becomes the #Mets' GM, I don't see how Wally Backman would be a serious candidate to manage. Perhaps a spot on coaching staff.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 15 2010 12:37 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Now why would Alderson not want Wally? I can't shake this whacky notion I have that Lee Mazzilli is the next Met manager.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 15 2010 12:42 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Frankly, unless the two men have some sort of great, hidden prior relationship of which I'm unaware, I don't see Bobby Valentine getting within 200 miles of the managerial seat if Alderson's the team GM.

metirish Oct 15 2010 12:51 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Now why would Alderson not want Wally? I can't shake this whacky notion I have that Lee Mazzilli is the next Met manager. I bet Logan White would hire Wally....

Edgy DC Oct 15 2010 01:21 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Frankly, unless the two men have some sort of great, hidden prior relationship of which I'm unaware, I don't see Bobby Valentine getting within 200 miles of the managerial seat if Alderson's the team GM. Now why would Alderson not want Bobby?

Centerfield Oct 15 2010 01:42 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

He subscribes to the "Managers should not be strong, but just carry out the intentions of the Front Office" line of thinking. Didn't the A's hire Howe? I don't think that was under Alderson's watch, but he is supposedly the type of manager he likes.

TransMonk Oct 15 2010 01:53 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

A's managers under Alderson: Steve Boros Jackie Moore Tony LaRussa Art Howe I think LaRussa is as "strong" as they come.

Edgy DC Oct 15 2010 01:54 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Patzachry.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 15 2010 02:00 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Tweets out of Seattle that Bobby Valentine will NOT be the next Mariners manager. I think the stars are aligning for BV the sequel.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 15 2010 02:16 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I'll be more optimistic about Bobby coming to Queens once the Mariners hire somebody not named Bobby Valentine.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 15 2010 03:47 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jeff just sent me an e-mail. October 15, 2010 Dear Mets Fans: We have heard from many of you over recent weeks offering suggestions and ideas on how to assemble a winning team. Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Your interest and support of the Mets is greatly appreciated. We have been hard at work since the end of the season exploring ways to improve our club. As you likely know, this week we interviewed five candidates for General Manager - Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, Sandy Alderson, and Logan White. They all are intelligent, creative and passionate about winning. They conveyed their honest assessment of our franchise and discussed how we can move forward on our pledge to give our fans the winner that they deserve. We are continuing our search and expect to hire our new GM in the next few weeks. We will be in contact with you with more information and details soon. Thanks again. Jeff Wilpon

metirish Oct 15 2010 03:54 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Nolan Ryan said he'd be shocked if Daniels didn't stay with the Rangers.

Frayed Knot Oct 15 2010 04:42 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jeff: "We have heard from many of you over recent weeks offering suggestions and ideas on how to assemble a winning team. Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Your interest and support of the Mets is greatly appreciated." Translation: STOP SENDING US YOUR "SUGGESTIONS"!!! Particularly those of you who are writing them on bricks and throwing them through our windows.

Edgy DC Oct 15 2010 05:48 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Really. He thanks them for their time writing. No false assurances that due consideration (or even reading) was done. Good for him. Or Horwitz or whomever.

G-Fafif Oct 15 2010 05:57 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Good fan relations. I wonder if any of the GM candidates suggested it. Doesn't seem like a Met idea.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 15 2010 08:37 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

They've been unusually open since season's end. Perhaps they're belatedly getting the hang of this customer service business.

Willets Point Oct 15 2010 08:39 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: They've been unusually open since season's end. Perhaps they're belatedly getting the hang of this customer service business. They still haven't show us The Plan. Show us The Plan, Fred. C'mon!

metsmarathon Oct 16 2010 10:57 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

if they'd just sweep up all those old hot dog wrappers, it would be so much easier for us to see the plan.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 21 2010 02:58 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jeff Wilpon wrote: Dear Mets Fans: As you may know, earlier today we completed the initial round of interviews with six talented candidates to become the new General Manager of the New York Mets. Each was extremely impressive - Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, Sandy Alderson, Logan White, and Dana Brown. All reiterated their desire and interest in pursuing this opportunity. We will be in direct communication with each as we narrow the candidate pool by early next week. We subsequently will invite the leading candidates back to meet with Fred, Saul, and me. We have an outstanding group from which to select our new General Manager. We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.

Valadius Oct 21 2010 04:05 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jeff, you bum, you better not reach a decision before you talk to Jon Daniels or I swear to God...

Benjamin Grimm Oct 22 2010 06:35 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

My guess for the Round Two callbacks: Alderson, Hahn, and White.

HahnSolo Oct 22 2010 06:43 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Reading Jeff''s note struck me...how much power/influence does Saul Katz wield in situations like this?

Benjamin Grimm Oct 22 2010 12:59 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Wow! Looks like it's either Byrnes or Alderson: Jeff Wilpon wrote: Dear Mets Fans: We are bringing back Josh Byrnes and Sandy Alderson for a second round of interviews with Fred, Saul and me. Josh is scheduled for Monday and Sandy for Tuesday as we continue our search for the next General Manager of the Mets. John Ricco and I spoke personally with Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Logan White and Dana Brown earlier today to thank them for their interest and taking the time to interview with us. We will be back to you with more information regarding our new GM soon.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 22 2010 01:29 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: My guess for the Round Two callbacks: Alderson, Hahn, and White. Not such a good guess, huh? The only one I got right was Alderson, which was a gimme.

metirish Oct 22 2010 01:30 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: My guess for the Round Two callbacks: Alderson, Hahn, and White. Not such a good guess, huh? The only one I got right was Alderson, which was a gimme. Pretty sure this qualifies you for manager

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 22 2010 01:34 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Heck, I'd say this helps Chip Hale's case to be the next manager.

metirish Oct 22 2010 02:10 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Alderson looks like a Joey Sindelar layup for this.....or so people think.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 22 2010 02:34 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Byrnes is the only one of the six who doesn't currently have a baseball job, correct? Baird is with Boston, Hahn with Chicago, Brown with Toronto, and White with Los Angeles. Maybe the reason Byrnes made the cut is because they're considering him for another front office position, working under Alderson.

metirish Oct 22 2010 02:47 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I think the Mets have said at the start of this process that they were being interviewed for job of GM only. I would not be disapointed with either one but now that it looks like one of Alderson or Byrnes I would want Byrnes, it's been so long since Alderson was a GM that it concernes me.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 22 2010 02:51 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Byrnes is the only one of the six who doesn't currently have a baseball job, correct? Baird is with Boston, Hahn with Chicago, Brown with Toronto, and White with Los Angeles. Maybe the reason Byrnes made the cut is because they're considering him for another front office position, working under Alderson. Well Byrnes was whacked only a couple of month ago by AZ ...evidently for refusing to fire his controversial hand-picked manager.

Gwreck Oct 22 2010 03:18 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

I find Byrnes to be an intriguing candidate and he was my vote on the poll taken here. I don't know a ton about him personally but I like the idea of a GM who has less of a history of success and legacy of achievements to fall back on, simply for the idea that I could forsee him as the GM in 10 years, presiding over a long-term plan of success, and that he's playing for his job, so to speak.

metirish Oct 22 2010 03:46 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

From twitter.....one hopes this is a fake @sandyalderson @SI_JonHeymanRT @SandyAlderson I'm absolutely well-versed on today's players. That Bobby Bonilla kid is a terrific talent. I'd build around him.

metirish Oct 22 2010 04:57 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

don't think I knew this @SI_JonHeyman one advantage to byrnes as mets gm: less cost, as arizona's already paying him (presumably about a mil a year) thru 2015.

Frayed Knot Oct 22 2010 05:01 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Thru 2015 ?!?! That's pretty long term for a GM, especially considering that that's only the remainder of his deal.

Valadius Oct 22 2010 06:41 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jeff Wilpon, you're a moron. Josh Byrnes will fill your club full of strikeout machines at the plate.

seawolf17 Oct 22 2010 07:11 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Yeah, like Adam Dunn. Eff that guy and his 40 home runs and 100 walks pretty much every year since 2004. And Dan Haren, too. Dude strikes out in like a quarter of his ABs. And Mark Reynolds and Chris Young, who were drafted before Byrnes even got to Arizona, but we'll give him credit for them.

Ashie62 Oct 22 2010 07:50 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Whoever is GM. Please, Pleeez do not hire Chip Hale as manager, Pleez.

Edgy DC Oct 22 2010 08:11 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ok, I understand preferences, but I don't get how not gobbling up Jon Daniels makes a guy a moron or what the pereceived terror is of Chip Hale.

Valadius Oct 23 2010 11:41 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I honestly could care less between Alderson and Daniels, Edgy, other than a "hometown boy comes home" story. I just would like them to at least talk to Daniels. That's all I ask.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 23 2010 01:01 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Daniels is busy and unavailable, and the Mets need a GM. Unless he's clearly a much better candidate (and I don't see how he is) then I wouldn't wait on him.

A Boy Named Seo Oct 23 2010 03:40 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

The World Series might not be over til Xmas anyway. Can't wait too too long to pick a guy and get the ball rolling. For the record, I'm all the way on board the Sandy-train.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 23 2010 06:22 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

And if you miss it, I'll feel sorry, sorry for yooooou.

metirish Oct 23 2010 06:41 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Yeah , let's get a GM so he can go get a manager....

Benjamin Grimm Oct 23 2010 06:50 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

And maybe some players, too!

metirish Oct 23 2010 07:07 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: And maybe some players, too! yeas, I am really interested to see how a new GM and manager will shape next years squad.

Ashie62 Oct 24 2010 10:42 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Edgy DC wrote: Ok, I understand preferences, but I don't get how not gobbling up Jon Daniels makes a guy a moron or what the pereceived terror is of Chip Hale. I'm searching for Bobby Valentine.

bmfc1 Oct 25 2010 05:45 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

If Francesa says it, it must be so--tweeted this morning: francesa speculates/reports on mike'd up #mets will name their new GM on friday, which is the off day of the world series

G-Fafif Oct 25 2010 05:55 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

What a scoop by Francesa! David Lennon wrote that Saturday in Newsday, so Mike obviously did a little detective work, both picking up the paper and opening it. I love Phil Mushnick's latest pet name for him: Fran-say-so.

seawolf17 Oct 25 2010 05:57 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

bmfc1 wrote: If Francesa says it, it must be so--tweeted this morning: francesa speculates/reports on mike'd up #mets will name their new GM on friday, which is the off day of the world series You forgot to mention that Jon Heyman actually tweeted that WHILE fellating Francesa. He's an incredible journalist.

metirish Oct 25 2010 06:39 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

seawolf17 wrote: If Francesa says it, it must be so--tweeted this morning: francesa speculates/reports on mike'd up #mets will name their new GM on friday, which is the off day of the world series You forgot to mention that Jon Heyman actually tweeted that WHILE fellating Francesa. He's an incredible journalist. Just that mental image of pulling back, or should I say rolling back the fat to get to his little dick makes me gag.......much like Heyman I imagine.

Frayed Knot Oct 25 2010 07:10 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

The opening line from Mushnick's column today: First things first: Before the Yankees can make roster changes, ownership must decide whether to bring back Mike Francesa as general manager and manager, no?

metirish Oct 25 2010 07:15 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

The opening line from Mushnick's column today: First things first: Before the Yankees can make roster changes, ownership must decide whether to bring back Mike Francesa as general manager and manager, no? He is the only reason why I ever pick up the NY Post.

Gwreck Oct 25 2010 10:33 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

I honestly could care less between Alderson and Daniels, Edgy, other than a "hometown boy comes home" story. I just would like them to at least talk to Daniels. That's all I ask. So you would like them to: 1. Wait until the World Series is over (Daniels is a little busy right now) 2. Then ask the Rangers for permission to talk to their very successful GM (with little to no guarantee this would actually happen) 3. All the while, preventing the team from hiring a new manager (unless you'd like Ricco to do that himself) and 4. Putting the Mets behind the eight-ball on the offseason transaction market (because we can't talk to Daniels until after the World Series). I get it. He seems like a great fit, but he's simply not available.

metirish Oct 25 2010 08:14 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Just saw on SNY , Rosenthal reporting that both Byrnes and Alderson submitted a list of managers that they would consider and that Backman was high on both lists.

seawolf17 Oct 25 2010 08:19 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

But where was Bobby on the lists, Rosenthal? How about you do your job and get us this info rather than posting stuff we don't care about?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 26 2010 07:59 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Tracksuit speculates in today's Snooze that the decision will be announced on Friday. Someone on the Internets speculated that Byrnes would be Jeffy's preference and Alderson is Fred's guy, meaning that Saul Katz is the ultimate arbiter.

Edgy DC Oct 26 2010 08:43 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

It sucks to see the team get attacked simultaneously on the Mets are tone deaf and Mets care too much about image fronts. http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/10/ ... t-to-work/

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 26 2010 08:55 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Is this the same douche who wrote that other douchy thing?

MFS62 Oct 26 2010 08:56 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

When a player with a long team contract is released, the team that picks him up only has to pay the pro-rated minimum salary- the player's original team is on the hook for the rest of the contract. Is it that way for all baseball salaries? Byrnes is currently signed to a multi-year contract with his present club. I wonder if the same thing would be in effect. Later

Benjamin Grimm Oct 26 2010 09:06 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Almost. There's no minimum salary for General Managers. The Mets would have to pay him a "reasonable" salary. (They couldn't give him an honorary $1-a-year contract, for example.) But Byrnes will make the same income whether he works for the Mets next year or spends his time playing golf.

metirish Oct 26 2010 09:11 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

It sucks to see the team get attacked simultaneously on the Mets are tone deaf and Mets care too much about image fronts. http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/10/ ... t-to-work/ I've a pain in my head from reading that, show us you care but don't send out emails telling us.....stealth please.

MFS62 Oct 26 2010 09:13 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Almost. There's no minimum salary for General Managers. The Mets would have to pay him a "reasonable" salary. (They couldn't give him an honorary $1-a-year contract, for example.) But Byrnes will make the same income whether he works for the Mets next year or spends his time playing golf. Then if the Mets hire Byrnes, I can just see the papers now - saying that the Mets made a decision based on money rather than on ability. And even if they feel he is the best candidate - the "cheap" stigma will be attached to the choice. Yuk. Later

G-Fafif Oct 26 2010 09:21 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

"OMG! Somebody actually responded to what I wrote!"

Vic Sage Oct 26 2010 10:23 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

basically, he's complaining because he has too much spam in his e-box. just shut up, you douche. I've got to much spam, too. so what? It's like that scene in 1776: "all because of your petty complaints, your taxes are too high... well, sir, so are mine!"

Edgy DC Oct 26 2010 10:28 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Yeah, but wait... that was Dickinson and he wasn't talking to the douche. He was the douche.

metirish Oct 26 2010 07:19 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Do we have a Bobby V thread? @SI_JonHeyman. valentine told folks he enjoyed #brewers people but isnt expecting job. another bold stroke for attanasio? rosenthal says V's a "finalist.''

Edgy DC Oct 26 2010 08:44 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Yup. "Our Daily Bobby."

Frayed Knot Oct 26 2010 09:53 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Jon Heyman tweets: * #mets are hiring with alderson as gm, sources say. (9 minutes ago) * #mets went with the chalk. alderson getting the call is tough to dispute. announcement could be friday. alderson gives mets instant added credibility. (6 minutes ago) * will be shocked if alderson hires wally back as manager. will show right away he isnt running things, and i dont see him doing that. (1 minute ago)

Valadius Oct 26 2010 10:12 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

At least we averted Jeffy's Josh Byrnes clusterfuck-in-the-making.

Ceetar Oct 26 2010 10:32 PM Re: New General Manager Thread

Boggles me that the Yankees get away without even telling people why Eiland was gone for a month and/or was fired, but every tidbit that happens at/near Citi Field is instantly reported by Heyman,etc.

metirish Oct 27 2010 04:53 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Edgy DC wrote: Yup. "Our Daily Bobby." Of course

Edgy DC Oct 27 2010 07:40 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Valadius wrote: At least we averted Jeffy's Josh Byrnes clusterfuck-in-the-making. Easy, boss.

bmfc1 Oct 27 2010 07:53 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ceetar wrote: Boggles me that the Yankees get away without even telling people why Eiland was gone for a month and/or was fired, but every tidbit that happens at/near Citi Field is instantly reported by Heyman,etc. Excellent point. I asked a MFY fan in my office and he said "personal business." I guess with the MFYs, the dispatches from on high are accepted at face value.

Ceetar Oct 27 2010 08:02 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

bmfc1 wrote: Ceetar wrote: Boggles me that the Yankees get away without even telling people why Eiland was gone for a month and/or was fired, but every tidbit that happens at/near Citi Field is instantly reported by Heyman,etc. Excellent point. I asked a MFY fan in my office and he said "personal business." I guess with the MFYs, the dispatches from on high are accepted at face value. Winning cures all ills or something? I dunno. Sometimes it seems like Jon Heyman and other sharks are in the operating room with Beltran, or working as Jeff Wilpon's shrink.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 27 2010 08:09 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: Boggles me that the Yankees get away without even telling people why Eiland was gone for a month and/or was fired, but every tidbit that happens at/near Citi Field is instantly reported by Heyman,etc. Excellent point. I asked a MFY fan in my office and he said "personal business." I guess with the MFYs, the dispatches from on high are accepted at face value. Winning cures all ills or something? I dunno. Sometimes it seems like Jon Heyman and other sharks are in the operating room with Beltran, or working as Jeff Wilpon's shrink. Lots of ways to find a leak. Maybe they went to Byrnes' wife?

soupcan Oct 27 2010 08:16 AM Re: New General Manager Thread

With the Eiland thing I'm curious too, but I've got to believe that all the reporters, tweeters, etc. know what the deal is and have been respectfully asked not to report whatever it is. That's cool with me. It's refreshing to think that some requests to not report a salacious but not necessarily newsworthy story can be honored. If in fact that is the case.