Apr 16 2019 09:19 AM
Hello, I'm veteran National League manager Jim Riggleman. I'm now the bench coach of the New York Mets. And after working with our bench all spring on bench fundamentals (keep asses warm, no splinters, be a friend to the marginalized player), I've taken on my true challenge — being a check on the worst impulses of manager Mickey Callaway. (That, and telling the old "bench coach" joke. Man, it never gets old.)
But here we are three weeks into the season, and what are we seeing: top relievers kept out of the most crucial situations, short benches, strange pitch count limits, a surfeit of pointless relievers, et al. But there have been no batting-out-of-order violations, so ... good?
Yeah, the difference in Mickey's behavior hasn't exactly been glaring, but then you remember. ... I'm the Jim Riggleman with a .445 career winning percentage. I'm the Jim Riggleman who threatened to quit as Nats manager if I didn't get an extension. And when they called my bluff, I did! In mid-season! I'm the Jim Riggleman who gets all his jobs by going to work for hapless teams in hopeless seasons and being the next guy standing when the manager gets whacked. No fewer than 4 times have I taken a job as a bench coach or AAA manager, for a team coming off a losing season, and been appointed the interim manager.
The Padres in 1992? I stepped in when Greg Riddoch's head rolled.
The Mariners in 1998? They had the worst record in the league, and it was goodbye, John McLaren, and hello Jim Riggleman! I couldn't have picked and easier job to backdoor my way to a managership.
Except I did. The 2009 Nats, man. When Manny Acta got thrown out a window by Ted Lerner with an amazing 26-61 record, I just happened to be walking down the hall! He was the youngest manager in the majors at the time, so you just knew they'd zag in the other direction and give the job to an old goat like me.
But the fun continued even into last season. Bryan Price was running the Reds, and as usual, they were rounding out their pitching staff with batting practice pitchers, softball players, and (I think) bullpen catchers. So of course they started 3-15. And of course I was the bench coach standing by when they got sick of that shit.
They should call me Mr. Interim. It's not the greatest legacy, but it's a legacy. How have I not managed the Marlins yet? Check the record and make sure I haven't managed the Marlins.
What this all says about the prospects for the 2019 Mets, I'm not sure.
I'm a vulture. I'm Jim Riggleman.
Even in my brief moments of success, a cloud lingers. I'm the Jim Riggleman who looked the other way when Sammy Sosa grew into the size of a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. I'm the Jim Riggleman who rode Geremi Gonzalez his rookie year like I was Christopher Cross making a break for Mexico, only to see poor doomed Geremi go on and lose three full seasons to injuries. You want to talk about riding rookies hard? Guess which Jim Riggleman it was that enjoyed the magic of Kerry Wood's rookie year, only to keep running him out there when his UCL started swelling up, including in the playoffs. Kerry Wood! That's my bad.
So now, yeah, my job is to check Micky Callaway when he's not seeing the whole picture. Or maybe, just maybe, it's to look the other way, and take over this team mid-season when Mickey blows a double switch and ends up having to use René Rivera at shortstop. That's good too.
Which is it going to be? Log in and let me know.