An MLB manager is only as good as the team he fields. To that point, the Orioles' manager Dave Tremblay sucked and they got rid of him. This was because the players didn't perform. You can't fire the players, so they gave 'em a kick in the pants by replacing him with Juan Samuel. This is a classic case of changing captains on the Titanic.

Jerry Manuel's decisions were under the microscope more when the Mets were losing. I like to believe he was two losses away from being fired during the first Yankees series. Now the Mets are winning. And Manuel isn't making any different decisions. The players have just collectively responded.

I can't imagine a situation where a manager is worth more than a couple of wins a year by in-game managing, even The Genius Tony LaRussa, whos decisions in the 20-inning game earlier this year lowered my opinion of him significantly.

True. I'm always flabbergasted when The Genius That Is Tony LaRussa makes boneheaded moves that nobody remembers after the game is over. The April 20-inning Met win was a perfect example of that.

VORM? More like keeping the bench VORM for Bob Melvin or Wally Backman. If Jerry makes it through 2010, I'll be surprised.

Agreed. And while they're at it, they should bring up one of Parnell/Dessens/Calero for a week too and give Valdes a rest in AAA.

That's awesome.

I think some of what's playing into this is that the Mets want to keep a long-term relationship with Buffalo as their AAA outpost, and they've agreed to keep the team more competitive this year. We're talking about the 10th-12th pitchers or the last couple bench guys that the Mets could keep rotating out so that Buffalo gets some players that would be able to help THEM win.

This shows that local outlets can't keep reporters away from the lure of face time and more money. If Rubin joins ESPN he'll be writing AND on camera, which is the way journalism as a business is moving toward. I'm hoping that new blood in the local papers will keep local sports journalism alive, but I'm not optimistic that 10 years from now local newspapers in their current form will still be viable as a business.

Of course it's early and things are up for debate. I'd say Santos is not on the team or in the organization by the end of the Spring -- traded for some spare AAA pitching. Chris Carter might be the last bench guy.

As far as pitching, we have Nieve, Niese, Figueroa, and Misch really looking at the last two spots. Did I hear Escobar might be injured? If so then it's three spots. I'm not sure Niese will make it unless he's lights out. He might get more value of being in Buffalo than the rest, and one of the other three would make #5 starter.

Koufax as a #5 starter might work.

I agree. I might try to make it a little less with added performance bonuses, but if we can pay Oliver Perez 12M Sheets would definitely have positive return at 8M.