Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – The cleanup hitters in Thursday's game were Preston Wilson and Carl Everett. They have combined to play in more than 2,500 major-league games, hit 391 homers and make more than $80 million.
Wilson and Everett were on opposite sides in the 2003 All-Star Game in Chicago, but this night they were far, far away from U.S. Cellular Field. They were the DHs for the Long Island Ducks and Newark Bears of the Atlantic League, respectively.
And they weren't the only former big-leaguers on the field.
Back at the end of May when we were all waiting for Willie Randolph to get the axe from the New York Mets, former Mets catcher Gary Carter decided to take action. While we all sat on our butts, Gary got out there and went on the radio to let us all know he'd totally take the job after the Mets fired Randolph. He caught a bit of heat for it.
I mean, campaigning for a job while somebody else still holds the position just doesn't happen here in the United States, but maybe it should because it seems to work. Barack Obama did it, and now he'll be the next President of the United States, and Gary is going to get that job managing in New York after all.
Carter, a Hall of Famer and former Met, will manage the minor league Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Carter's previous managerial experience includes two successful minor league seasons in the Mets' organization. He was manager of the year in the Gulf Coast League and the Florida State League in 2005 and 2006, and won the Florida State League title in '06.
Okay, so it's not the New York gig he had been hoping for, but it's in the perfect spot for Gary. Since he'll be working on Long Island, he's always only a cab ride away from the Mets front office should the team hit a four game slide next April and he needs to make another pitch.
But Gary smells a rat, and I'm with him on this. Baseball has clearly colluded to blackball Gary Carter. Yes, that's right. General managers and owners sit in a smoke-filled room as we speak, unscrupulously grasping at schemes to protect their sport from a really good catcher from the 1980s.
Until he ham-handedly interjected himself into the Willie Randolph deathwatch, it was hard to remember the last time Gary Carter's name got mentioned. Now that he's come back into view, it seems that he's going to have to be torn from the, well not spotlight but whatever illuminative device he's under.
He gave an interview to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times and must have done quite a number on the old fella. Simers came away with the feeling that Carter, managing an independent league team in Orange County, has been blackballed by the baseball establishment.
And it's pretty hard to explain. It almost makes you wonder if "Kid," as he was known in the big leagues, has been blackballed by baseball.
"Sure does," says Kid.
As you might have gathered from that quote, the Kid has quite an opinion of his own abilities. If not convinced that his ego might be getting in the way a little bit, check out this bit.
He begins ticking off the names of others who have been given the chance to manage, mentioning the "pictures Joe Girardi must have on Steinbrenner," and so a job with the Yankees is also probably out of the question.
It couldn't possibly have been because Girardi was a coach for the Yankees who went on to win NL Manager of the Year in his one year running the Marlins. No, it must be because of some pictures.
Desperation is a stinky cologne. So even though Wally Backman is well-intentioned and would probably be a very good manager, it is still tough to see him essentially beg for a job. Backman, of course, did have a job in 2004 when he was hired to be the Arizona Diamondbacks manger, for about four days. Then his past haunted him before he could re-make his future. And now he would like back in.
'All I need is an interview," Wally Backman said. 'If they want the best person to take care of their players, I know I'm the right guy. I'll earn my spot.'
On first glance, it seems like he's "Pulling a Carter", whereby as a former Met, you question the job Willie Randolph is doing. But apparently, he's that's not what he is trying to do. In fact, he is actually pro-Willie, just like Gary C [after he got called out].
'No way," he said. "I'm not campaigning for [Willie's job]. I want back in an organization ... But I am not looking for Willie's job. I'm actually a [bleeping] fan of his. He's under a pressure situation there that any little thing could cost him.'
That makes it sound much better, no? And it also makes me wonder (especially when I hear he is a self-professed "'computer rat' who is up on all the numbers) why someone has not given him another shot yet. Tim Hardaway's situation is entirely different. Backman is throughly removed (four years) from his original mistake.
But based on Minaya's statement that the Mets have "all our spots filled" it does not seem likely Backman will get a shot under current management. Of course, if things keep their current pace, it might not be long before someone else comes in that would be willing to give him a chance.
The most dangerous place in the world may well be between Gary Carter and the closest available microphone. A full week after making a pretty naked admission that he called the Mets to offer himself up as Willie Randolph's ultimately unneeded successor, Carter felt it was prudent to issue a press release calling more attention to the issue.
"I want to publicly apologize to Willie Randolph, and the Mets, for my radio comments. Throughout my career, and in many cases to my detriment, I have been open and honest with the media and at times discretion may have been a better choice. I continue to be an avid fan of Willie and the Mets, and have confidence that this team will be successful."
I agree with David Lennon of Newsday who writes that "I'll still be the manager of the Mets before he will." For a guy who admits having problems with discretion, he really doesn't seem to learn from the past. Maybe Keith Hernandez was right when he said Carter was unconscious.
Discretion would have been for Carter to reach out to Randolph privately, and he may have, and then let the story die a quick death. Alas, that would have meant no one was talking about Carter so that wasn't going to work.
It would seem that the recent history of saying one thing and then trying to backpedal from it days later isn't reserved for current Mets. Former Mets can get into the fun as well. Gary Carter made headlines last week when he went on Sirius Satellite Radio and said he'd called the Mets to let them know he was just a phone call away if they wanted to drop Willie Randolph.
That move caused Keith Hernandez to lash out at his former teammate and, now, Carter is back on the airwaves defending himself. He went on XM Radio this time, a novel twist to the retraction angle, and said that he wasn't campaigning for Randolph's job.
"I just simply wanted to know, am I being considered? Was I campaigning for Willie's job? Absolutely not!...Of course the New York media will blow it up that way. It was one simple question, 'Will you be interested?' I said, 'Well yeah, if something happens' I didn't say,'Oh, gosh, yeah I'm campaigning, and I want that job!'"
Um, Gary, calling to ask if you're being considered for a job that isn't open is what most of us define as campaigning for a job. And it was you that broke this story, not the evil media, by telling it on the radio.
Fat lot of good it did Carter as well. Randolph avoided the guillotine yesterday and it's hard to think the way he handled this would help recommend him whenever the job comes open again.
When I wrote about Gary Carteropenly campaigning to replaceWillie Randolph as manager of the New York Mets, I said that I found the move to be somewhat classless and sleazy. It's one thing to publicly state your intentions if the job is open, but when Willie Randolph still has the job, it's just uncalled for.
"I have great respect for Gary as a player," said Hernandez, now a TV analyst. "He's a Hall of Famer. When Johnny Bench left the game, he was the premier catcher in the National League.
"But that being said, and I've kept quiet for such a long time, but for the people out there listening, just go in the dictionary and look up 'unconscious' and you'll find a picture of Gary Carter.
"I know that's strong, but it just happens too many times and it's just, you're walking around unconscious."
Well, Gary may be unconscious, but Keith Hernandez is a liar. I just went to dictionary.com and looked up 'unconscious' and I did not see a picture of Gary Carter. That being said, I don't think Keith is going to be asking Gary to help him move anytime soon, nor do I think Gary will be willing to help.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups
New York Mets (23-25) vs. Florida Marlins (29-20) -7:10PM Est.
Ahh, Memorial Day. The day where Americans everywhere honor and celebrate the memories of those soldiers who died for our freedom by using that freedom to take the day off of work, drink beer, and eat hamburgers. It truly does bring a tear to my eye.
It's also a day to spend watching America's pasttime.
Rumors continue to swirl in New York that manager Willie Randolph is hanging by a thread, and could be fired any minute now. Whether the rumors are justified, or if they're just the work of the New York media machine, we can't really be sure but whatever the case, Gary Carter is working the phones this afternoon.
Of course, the Mets start a very important series tonight against the division-leading Florida Marlins that could go a long way in deciding Willie's future.
As the Willie Randolph Death Watch enters day 238, Willie is maintaining a stubborn approach, and just refusing to die. Sure, the owners of the team he works for don't even want to talk to him, and he just got the dreaded vote of confidence from his general manager, but Willie just keeps on keepin' on. Is it fair that Willie should have to pay the price for Omar Minaya investing money in a rapidly aging Carlos Delgado? Is it Willie's fault that Carlos Beltran isn't producing? Is Willie the reason Pedro Martinez has been hurt all season?
No, but this is baseball, and in baseball, blame rarely is placed on those who truly deserve it. So unless the Mets get things turned around very quickly, he's just about gone. Former Mets catcher, and Hall of Famer, Gary Carter is well aware of this and, like a vulture, he's circling above Randolph waiting for him to drop.
On "The Mike & Murray Show" on Sirius Satellite Radio, the former Met Gary Carter campaigned to replace Randolph. Carter, a Hall of Famer, is the manager of the Orange County Flyers of the independent Golden Baseball League.
According to a transcript of the program, Carter said that when he heard of Randolph's troubles, he "immediately" called Jay Horwitz, the Mets' vice president for media relations, and asked if he should call the team's principal owner, Fred Wilpon. "I just want them to know of my availability." Carter said. "I'm only a phone call away. I could be in New York tomorrow."
I get the fact that Carter wants the job, and he may turn out to be a good manager should he get it, but I'm somewhat put off by the fact he's campaigning for it so openly considering Randolph hasn't actually been fired anywhere but in the media yet. If he wants to call the Wilpons and let him know he's available, fine, but to go on a radio show or any other public domain and do it seems kind of sleazy to me.
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