It’s no secret that Mets manager Jerry Manuel’s days are numbered. However, it may be only partly his fault…no significant moves were made before the trade deadline by his general manager to help bolster his team…injuries to Jose Reyes, Jason Bay, and Rod Barajas have more than forced their share of starts and stops causing the organization to be steered in different directions…once a youthful, energetic bunch before the All-Star Break leading the charge to victory eventually has become a slow-moving cast of aging veterans in centerfielder Carlos Beltran and second baseman Luis Castillo struggling to retain what is left of their once-impressive careers…the constant reshuffling of the Mets lineup doesn’t help Manuel’s chances as a vision of stability but neither does finding a place to store a little-used Oliver Perez, Manuel inherited that dilemma.
If the Mets somehow turn this ship around, I guess all the credit has to go to Manuel, he has kept his signature laid-back style and a sense of calm throughout his tenure as what seems like the longest running interim manager the Mets have ever had…I have to admit, I never really believed in the Mets former bench coach under Willie Randolph as anything other than a bench coach…what do I know, players seem to enjoy playing under him.
On the flipside though, if the Mets continue on this downward spiral, Manuel’s seat as manager will be viewed as nothing other than a place kept warm for the next guy to occupy.
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