Why I Don't Want The Mets To Hire Wally Backman

We should be able to get everything – including media savvy, player advocate, inspirational, statistically advanced, etc. Since we dont have a clue as to how manager intangibles and leadership contribute to winning, if at all, I would love to see the next manager have a recent track record of winning, something that Backman has. If we can find that in another candidate, who would also be a less polarizing figure, that would be awesome.

It’s about time we stop parading 1986 as concealer for these eras of organizational ineptitude. Hiring Backman would totally be going back to old bad habits.

I love Wally. I remember the ’86 season; in fact, the ’86 season is the point around which I associate various events of my childhood (that song came out just about the time the Mets won the WS). Over the years, those Mets have, to varying degrees, disappointed me the dynasty that never was, domestic assaults, cocaine busts, investor fraud you name it, and they have been involved in it – even Wally.

Through all of the scandal and heartbreak, I could still hold on to my memories of that magical season. Watching an ‘86 Met fail personally will never mar those memories. However, I don’t want to take a chance on watching an ‘86 Met fail at baseball. Maybe that wouldn’t harm those great old memories either, but I don’t want to take the chance.

This is not to say that I don’t want wally to have a shot. He’s earned it. I would prefer he got his shot as a non-Met. If he succeeded, I would feel proud; if he failed, at least it wouldn’t be in a Met uniform.

Is he too fiery? Is he too inclined to small ball? Is he the greatest motivator baseball has ever seen? None of us know the answer to these questions. What I do know is that in 1986, he formed a platoon with a nervous little guy and that platoon was part of the best baseball team that I have ever seen play, and that’s how I want to remember Wally.

I can remember the day I lost the trust I once had for every player decision made by the Mets. It was the day Dykstra was traded for Samuel. I haven’t trusted the decision making of any Mets front office since. Hope, yes, but it was like hoping a half blind squirrel would find a nut: you know it’s possible, but you aren’t about to bet on it.

Oh, and Matt Cerrone is a nice guy. I always hope he can find a nut too.

Hiring Backman would be a bad idea and a bad decision making process all around. It would be the best, fastest way to suggest Alderson was not bringing a real change in the way the team does business, and suggest that Jeff Wilpon still can’t get past his daddy issues and has to push his finger in everything.

it’s that you don’t hire managers who played for your last championship team, you hire a player well known for losing that championship to you.

Bill Buckner for manager!

yeah yeah yeah!

this guy was managing the freakin’ joliet jackhammers (an indy team in bumblef**k illinois) 2 years ago and now everyone wants him to manage the mets. lol.

as long as a competent hitting coach is brought in

It’s because of what he represented on a winning team that gives him that aura. Backman was completely emblematic of the team and that era. He was unafraid to play dirty. He did what it took to win, and played unselfishly. He “partied hard and played harder.” He wasn’t very skilled or very big. In essence, he was seen as their David Eckstein, a player who the others could draw inspiration from. But considering Backman no longer plays on the field, I don’t think this Ecksteinian characteristic translates as strongly to the dugout.

And in response to the 1986 complex: It’s not like Ed Hearn has this mystique about him for winning. A Backman hiring would demonstrate a sliver of hope on the Wilpon’s part that the Mets could return to those good ol’ days. No other member of the 1986 team could better channel that hope.

I don’t really care about the 1986 championship issue—I’m just concerned that Backman may not be fit for New York and might not even be smart enough. It was clear in Alderson’s press conference that he wants someone intelligent, and I not sure Wally fits that bill.

Figures. We would no doubt recognize each other by our pen twirls.

That he was an ’86 Met, I could give two craps about. Personally, the only time I want to see former players who just have jobs on the team because they are former players is either in the booth, or as base coaches.

That he renounces smallball.

If he’s willing to embrace the Earl Weaver’s “pitching, defense, and three-run homers” philosophy, then I really don’t see much downside to hiring him.

If he’s still in love with bunting, then the Mets need to look to someone else.

From the first-hand accounts of others who I know who went to games, and from reading about his exploits in Brooklyn here, I think that he hit-and-run too much, bunted in a lot more situations than he really needed to, and went out to argue in a lot more situations than he needed to. I think he only got ejected like twice, which is surprising, given that he probably came out and got into heated arguments with umpires at least triple, quadruple that number. On that, sometimes I think he argued for the sake of arguing, getting people empassioned, whatever, and I, personally, don’t think that’s too good of a strategy. I think he overworked/micromanaged the bullpen, but since that worked out, I really can’t fault him for that. If it didn’t, though, definitley.

I really don’t care who’s manager at this point. I just want Pedro as the pitching coach.