The New York Mets announced that General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel have been relieved of their duties – in other news, the sky is blue and Christmas will come in December this year.
After yet another year of sub .500 baseball, uninspired play and off-field drama, Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon made the inevitable official early on Monday, October 4.
“We are extremely disappointed in this year’s results and the failures of the past four seasons,” said Wilpon. “We need to hire a new general manager with a fresh perspective who will transform this club to a winner that we want and our fans deserve.”
Minaya, who also held the title of Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, will be replaced by Assistant General Manager John Ricco on an interim basis. Ricco will assist ownership on the search for a new manager and general manager.
The two most talked about names to replace Jerry Manuel are former Met manager Bobby Valentine, who managed the Mets to a 2000 World Series loss to the Yankees, and former Met second baseman Wally Backman, who helped the Mets win the Series in 1986.
Both Valentine and Backman’s fiery personas stand in stark contrast to Manuel’s laid back managerial style. While no decision has been made on either position, Wilpon said that the new general manager will work closely with ownership in choosing the Mets’ next manager.
Wilpon also said that despite the Mets’ poor season, the decision to let both Minaya and Manuel go did not come easy.
“We appreciate all that Omar and Jerry have done for the organization and thank them for their time and effort,” he said. “Changes like these are never easy, especially when you are dealing with people you like and respect.”
The Mets finished with a record of 79-83 – bad enough for fourth place in the National League East. They have missed the playoffs four years in a row after reaching the National League Championship Series in 2006.
