Jan 30 2014 01:29 PM
Why Steve Phillips says being Mets GM is toughest job in sports
| Steve Phillips can feel Mets general manager Sandy Alderson’s pain, dealing with mounting criticism as the Yankees spend another offseason loading up with the best players on the open market. “I personally thought the Mets GM job was the toughest executive position in sports,” Phillips, the former Mets executive, said on Radio Row after finishing his morning show on SiriusXM Radio at the Sheraton in Midtown. “The expectations are the same and comparisons are obvious that you’re in the same town [with the Yankees], but it’s a different structure, a different business plan and different history and tradition for the organizations. So I do think it does make it somewhat difficult.” The Mets have spent some money this offseason, bringing in outfielders Chris Young and Curtis Granderson and starting pitcher Bartolo Colon for a combined $87.25 million, though there are plenty of holes that remain, from shortstop to the bullpen. “They’re in the rebuilding process and still trying to kind of work their way back into being competitive,” said Phillips, who also works for TSN in Canada as a baseball insider. “I know Sandy is doing all he can right now and they’re looking to start expanding the budget and add players as they go. This is another step in that process.” Phillips defended Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, who have been under fire for their inability or unwillingness to spend money to improve the ballclub, which is coming off its fifth straight losing season. “I think they get so unfairly maligned,” he said. “I mean, Fred and Jeff want to win. They run it as a business and obviously from a business perspective they took a hit with everything that took place with the Madoff situation. But there’s a passion to win there, there’s a drive to win there. I experienced it firsthand for 13 years in the front office for the organization and I do expect they will own the team for a long time and bring a championship to New York.” Phillips’ tenure with the Mets featured ups and downs. The team reached the World Series on his watch in 2000, but also struggled in ensuing seasons, flopping in 2002 and 2003 after he spent big money to bring in free-agent busts Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz and Mo Vaughn. He was fired in June 2003. “[There are] volumes of things I would’ve done differently, but when you’re in it, you base it off all the information you have,” he said. “I learned a lot from it. I think that, among other things, we made so many moves to dramatically change the team that people appreciated. But we didn’t have an exit strategy if it didn’t work out. “It took some time to turn it around.” |
http://nypost.com/2014/01/29/ex-gm-phil ... in-sports/
