THE BRONX (PIX11) -- Enough with the idiotic pushback of the Mets hiring Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their new manager.
Why so angry?
Because he was a Yankee for the last 15 years? Because he has no Major League Baseball managerial experience?
I get it, you are frustrated. Craig Counsell used the Mets for leverage to get the money he wanted in Chicago with the Cubs, five years and $40 million, and did not have to completely relocate out of the Midwest. The Mets did not offer Counsell the same money the Cubs did and also did not get an opportunity to match. Move on.
The major league manager has become less and less impactful with the impact of analytics and the great collaboration that happens in major league front offices.
Mendoza has no major league managerial experience, but that does not mean he does not have experience. He was part of the team Venezuela staff in the World Baseball Classic. He was with the Yankees in various capacities for 15 years. He was the bench coach for Yankees manager Aaron Boone for the last four years. He is well respected in baseball circles and is known to have a keen eye for player development. He impressed the Mets in two interviews. He also interviewed for the managerial openings in Cleveland and San Diego. He is a good communicator and knows how to handle players and how to handle a clubhouse.
In the end, though, it comes down to the talent on the team, which needs to be upgraded. He obviously shares a similar baseball vision with the president of baseball operations, David Stearns.
So enough with the anger. Get a grip. In the modern era of MLB, the manager’s impact has been lessened and it comes down to the talent on the team and that is where the Mets have work to do. They need to upgrade their roster. Stearns is now running the Mets franchise and if he feels that after losing out on Counsell, Mendoza was the right guy for the job. Until you see otherwise, that should be good enough for every Mets fan in the area.
Until next time New York, I'm Marc Malusis.