Opinion: Jerry Manuel will Make a Difference

Author: Will Sommer (owner)

I know the Mets have only played two games under new manager Jerry Manuel, and their only 1-1 but it's clear, in my eyes that the Mets have more respect for Manuel, rather than Randolph. Here's why.

1. In the first game in the first inning Jose Reyes got on first with a single, but had a stiff hamstring. So as usual the trainers and Jerry came out of the dugout to make sure everything was okay. Reyes wanted to stay in the game, but Manuel made him come out. As you know Reyes threw a temper tantrum by untucking his jersey, throwing his helmet etc. Jerry followed Reyes straight into the clubhouse, and gave him a stern talk, and Reyes apologized to him and the team during inning number four. The next day Jose was 3-5 with 3 runs, a triple and a SB, and what I thought was the best  at-bat is one he got out. Reyes popped-out, but instead of jogging to first like he always does on a routine pop-up, he sprinted all the way to second base, which he never did with Randolph. So clearly the stern talked helped, and lit a fire under Jose Reyes, which Willie Randolph really never did.
2. Also in yesterday's game, as usual Oliver Perez got in major trouble. The bases were loaded in the fifth with no outs with Vladimir Guerrero coming up to bat. Guerrero got a two RBI single which tied the game at three. See that's when Willie Randolph would have taken him out, and hand it over to the bullpen who don't do a great job coming in the middle of innings. Instead Jerry kept him in even though the next batter, Torii Hunter, gave the Angles a 4-3 lead by getting an RBI single. After that though Perez got three straight outs to end the inning, he also pitched the sixth which helps the bullpen tremendously. So clearly, in my opinion, Jerry Manuel has more trust in his pitchers, than Willie Randolph. Randolph would have never let Perez finish the inning, like I said before Willie would have taken Perez after the Guerrero hit, or if not that, definitely the Hunter hit.
3. Now I'm not sure if this reason has anything to do with Manuel, but the Mets had a rare win even after losing after the eighth inning. Which they have only done once before the game. They won by David Wright's game tying RBI single in the ninth against one of the best closers in all of baseball Francisco Rodriguez, who up to that time only blew one save the whole season, which came on April 7th. Then Damion Easley hit solo HR in the tenth, that put the Mets up 5-4, and they wouldn't lose the lead because Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 tenth to win the game. After the game the Mets seemed upbeat & loose. Now is this because of Jerry Manuel, that they won late in the ball game?  Yes, I think it is. I think the players prefer Manuel over Randolph, and I think Manuel has a style of managing  that the Met players prefer. And of coarse calling everyone "gangsta" definitely makes the clubhouse looser.

           The Mets 5-4 win was clearly the best win of the year, and I think this new trend of winning will continue for the Mets, and Manuel will have something to do with it.

Comments

[jonny]

3 Excellent Points. I hope this will continue for the rest of the season. The biggest thing a manager can have is the respect from his players.

[Patrick]

Stretch on all accounts, particularly the completely undeterminable assumption that Manuel gave Reyes a "stern" talking to.

Lets just see him actually manage some games and hope he and the team does well, before we continue to imagine all the things we do not know about him and his predecesor.

[Spoons from MetsRefugees]

Jerry Manuel "has faith in his pitchers" because leaving Ollie in actually worked thanks to a miracle double play. Willie would've gotten slammed if he had done the same thing in that situation, and even if it actually does work out for Willie there, the talk after the game would be about how Willie gambled and got lucky, not "Willie has faith in his pitchers".

[Tyler]

Listen, this is one sided. First, you say he has faith in OLLIE? ha, after tori hunter, its a disappointment if he doesnt retire the next three, and i agree, a miracle double play, manuel just got lucky, and THEY GAVE UP THE LEAD, and they were LUCKY that they were able to get to K-ROD. Horrible, biased article that just undermines Willie randolph, who clearly, is a better manager than Jerry Manuel, who has a 500 record in TWO GAMES, he won one game, BIG DEAL. METS ARE NOT GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS (scott ferall)

[Sports Fan]

3 good points but it's really too soon to tell whether or not they'll play better.

3 points to consider

1. The Mets have no real leader in the clubhouse. If Delgado was my leader, I'd have a US flag in my locker and tell him that he doesn't seem to mind the USA on the dollar bills the Mets pay him.

2. Can David Wright drop his cliche ridden quotes? It's constant drivel with no substance.

3. Chris Aguila is tearing up AAA and they give him a handful of at bats then demote him. Why not see if he can actually hit? It's not like Endy Chavez, Fernando Tatis or Marlon Anderson are tearing things up.

[jason]

only time will tell how manuel does. but still the mets had zero class firing randolph. you should post the daily show video of jon stewart discussing it

[Hazy]

Sports Fan: So, when a US citizen (you are aware that Delgado is a US citizen.... aren't you?) is paid in US dollars, that citizen forfeits the right to have an opinion on US foreign policy and whether it was right or wrong to use the island of Vieques for bombing target practice? How very... un-American of you.

[Lucas]

I think the mets(Omar Minaya) should have left Willie in till the rest of the year because after the game he could've won 10 straight.Out if he win's 3 out 10 after the game he got fired, then you can fire him. But if he going up and down then you should let go till the end of the year.