You won’t find many Mets fans jumping for joy after the hiring of Carlos Mendoza.
It’s not the sexiest hire. It’s not the best hire. They probably could have waited it out and tried for someone else.
But in the end, that’s the choice David Stearns made.
In today’s game, a manager just does not have the same importance as they used to. MLB has become more analytically driven and what matters here for Stearns is putting together the best team possible.
The Mets are likely not going to lose because of Mendoza. Fans jumped for joy when they hired Stearns, so they have to trust the process and believe that he gets it right with this hire.
To react to the Mets’ new manager hire, we bring you an emergency episode of the “Amazin’ But True” podcast with Nelson Figueroa and me.
We also bring on “Subway to Shea” podcast host Anthony Rivera.
‘Amazin’ But True’ Podcast with Jake Brown, Nelson Figueroa and ‘Subway to Shea’ podcast host Anthony Rivera:
- MENDOZA REACTION: Underwhelmed by the move. Thought there were better options out there and the Mets could have taken more time to make a decision. Understandable why some Mets fans will be mad going from Buck Showalter to a first-time MLB manager.
- COUNSELL TO CUBS: Pretty clear Craig Counsell used the Mets to drive the price up. Going to the Cubs was a stunner, but it makes sense for him. He stays 90 miles from home, makes more money than any manager in MLB history, has less pressure than he would have here and inherits a really good Cubs team.
- TRUST STEARNS: Everyone loved bringing Sterns in. You have to trust he knows what he is doing. He’s a smart guy and he would not want his first big decision being in charge of the Mets to be a total failure.
- MANAGER IMPORTANCE: The manager is not as important as it once was. The game has become so analytical that managers don’t have the same say as they used to. A lot of fans could not name half of the managers in baseball today. Will a soft-spoken manager like Mendoza work out in NYC? He has experience coaching in N.Y. with Yankees, which could help.
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