Manager of the Year????

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

It's interesting that the Post's Joel Sherman just had a piece called "Willie win it?" Putting aside the pun, which is a continuous annoyance, he was referring to Willie Randolph who he says should be named the National League Manager of the year. This entire page was devoted to Randolph's credentials. There is no questioning the fine job that Randolph has done, but the entire article is much too premature.

Willie Randolph

Here's the Mets, 15 games in first place, with superior players like Jose Reyes, Jose Valentin, Paul LoDuca, the Carlos guys, Beltran and Delgado, and David Wright. Do I have to complete the lineup and mention the Pedro Martinez gang? Every manager has to learn how to control and get respect from his players. It's a pre-requisite.

The only award that can be given to Mets' personnel at this moment must go to their general manager, Omar Minaya. He's the man who acquired those players with the permission of the Wilpon family.

Omar Minaya

But you can't make Randolph a real winner until the season is over. And even then, it is difficult to lose with such a potent New York Mets ball club. I don't mean to defuse Randolph's success, but there are managers around the league who might squeeze out a championship without the strength of the Mets, or even if they lose, a manager becomes far more important when leading a team to a pennant that really shouldn't win. The manager becomes GREAT when he is not expected to win and then does it without the help of the big stars. That makes him Manager of the Year.

What would happen if the Mets should falter and lose a short Wild Card series? Then the reasoning could work the other way. How could Randolph have lost the Wild Card with such great players? If this happens, unless there is another fielding error that will be remembered for years, Randolph would no longer be considered the genius on the field. In fact, he would get the blame, period.....

Sherman also comments that Randolph's work OFF the field is superior. I can't see how this has anything to do with what's going on during a game. He also says "...It was easier, for example, to be the 2005 White Sox than the 2006 White Sox....." What does this mean? It so happens that nobody expected the White Sox to win that year. And the manager, a brilliant tactician for at least that year, was Ozzie Guillen. Now THAT was an accomplishment.

Ozzie Guillen

In other words, Joel Sherman could have written a more convincing article. Let the season end, with all its surprises, and only THEN can we really analyze who deserves what.

HEY...........THIS COLUMN ACTUALLY DID GET THE SCOOP. With the help of the West Coast's Sy Sussman, we were the first in the United States to announced that Derrick Hall was named the new President of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Grover Cleveland Alexander

In 1917, the great Grover Cleveland Alexander went the distance in both games of a double header. His Phillies beat the Dodgers 5-0 and 9-3. Today, this could NEVER be big news because it would NEVER be allowed. There is only ONE pitcher in the major leagues today who would dare to ask if he could pitch a double header...................Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs.

He is a true CHARACTER. As for the Cubs, they haven't had a complete game ALL SEASON. This could soon amount to a major league record.

Pitchers in years gone by pitched more complete games simply because major injuries to the arm weren't yet discovered. After the game, the trainer would ask, "How do you feel?" The pitcher would say, "How do I know? I just finished. Ask me in November."

We mentioned last week that the shortest game in major league history was 57 minutes. Well, the LONGEST was on May 9, 1984. It ran 25 innings between the White Sox and Brewers. Time? How about 8 hours and 6 minutes? Who won? I dunno.