In recent years The New York Mets
have fallen on hard times with the consecutive losing seasons. It was
evident that a change needed to be made. After a subpar 2010 in which
The Mets won 79 games, Met owner Fred Wilpon parted ways with general manager Omar Minaya
after six disappointing seasons. Wilpon may have changed the course of
Met history with hiring Sandy Alderson as the new general manager.
Alderson has a history of turning around franchises. He was the
architect of The Oakland Athletics dynasty
on the 80’s which produced three consecutive trips to The World Series
and one World Title. Alderson was the general manager when The San Diego Padres won consecutive division titles in 2005 and 2006.
The Mets and their fans hope that he can bring that winning recipe to
Flushing. It is early in the season, but Alderson has already left his
stamp on things.
Alderson hasn’t wasted anytime in getting rid of “the dead weight”. In past seasons players such as second baseman
Luis Castillo and pitcher Oliver Perez would have languished on the
bench all season due to their large contracts. Alderson showed both men
the door in spring training
and was willing to eat the contracts. Previously on Minaya’s watch when
players were injured they generally were kept on the active roster for a
few days before being placed on the disabled. This practice caused
problems as The Mets to lose ballgames. The Mets were either short a
pitcher or a position player and late in games it was tougher to make substitutions. In one 2007 contest against The Washington Nationals, The Mets used pitchers Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Tom Glavine to pinch run and pinch hit respectively because they were short of position players. It wasn’t a shock that The Mets went on to lose this contest. That is not the case this year.
As soon as players have gotten injured this season they have been
immediately sent to the disabled list. There is no more waiting around
to try and get “the hitch out of your giddy up.” Alderson doesn’t have
any patience for underachieving players either. Relief pitcher
D.J. Carrasco and his 5.91 earned run average were sent down to
Triple-A Buffalo. Many thought Dillon Gee who was given a spot start in
the rotation would be sent down, but Gee and his 2.31 earned run average
will stick around. The bottom line is if you do not perform, Alderson
will replace you with someone who will. Gone of the days of fans
groaning when the bullpen door opened to see Aaron Heilman
and Scott Schoenweis constantly blow games. Mets fans will not have to
see people like Castillo and the calamity of errors in the infield.
Alderson is a marine, the best of the best, and he expects results.
Alderson asks no quarter and gives no quarter. It is still early and The
Mets are scrapping to get to the .500 mark, but Alderson has made a
difference. Manager Terry Collins has lit a fire under this team and
they have heart and passion. Collins in an extension of Alderson. The
Mets fell behind The Philadelphia Phillies
earlier this season 7-0 and came back to tie the game. They lost the
game but they showed the passion and they never gave up. This team
started 5-13 and got a five game winning streak going. All of this goes back to Alderson as he is shaping this team in his mold, the mold of a winner.
It looks like a long road back for The Metropolitans. Ultimately The Wilpons just need to sell the team.
As a life long met fan, these past 5 yrs have been toture, between an absolutely horrible bullpen, poor johan, and perez forgetting how too pitch and for whatever reason giving castillo an 4 yr deal, i cant watch this team and that sucks. Its obviously gonna take a few yrs to get this team turned around, so untill then…..lets go mets.