I went to Google Images to find the perfect Willie photo for this post and, in wonderful serendipity, found it on a most unusual and fascinating sports blog called A Pudge is a Sandwich, from which I filched the image at left. What's fascinating about APIAS is the odd aggregation of teams it covers: "Vols [Tennessee], Cats [Kentucky, not Northwestern or Vermont], Wolverines [Michigan], Cubs, Tigers, A's, 49ers, Bengals, Bears and Mets" (note that the Mets get separated from the rest of the MLB by three NFL teams--does this indicate they were an afterthought?). Perhaps the only thing I can guess from this odd assemblage of rooting interests (as well as their penchant for finding flimsy reasons to include photos of scantily clad, amply bosomed women in their posts) is that the people who put out APIAS are all feisty Appalachian Scotch-Irish lads with a taste for (with the exceptions of Tennessee in football and women's basketball, Kentucky in men's basketball, and Michigan in anything) underdogs. Anyway, I have little more cogent to say about what will surely go down in Mets history as the Midnight (PDT) Massacre than has been said by Smoothron in APIAS. All I have to add is that I mourn the loss of Willie, inevitable though it had become, because he was a genuine local hero, the first for the Mets since John Franco. He grew up in my beloved, adopted Brooklyn rooting for (as any Brooklyn kid should) the Mets, and can be forgiven for having spent most of his professional career with the hated Yanks. Them's the breaks.
Goodbye, Willie. May you find a new gig, one that will bring you success, soon.
Extry: Smoothron himself drops by (see comments) and leaves the following gem:
Nothing like a top-of-the-10th HR to get Jerry his first win!!The Mets have impressed me lately with their ability to come back in extra innings, and I'd like to see Manuel have a successful run as interim (maybe permanent, if he's interested) manager. I still don't see a miracle comeback from their miserable start, and will be happy if the Cubbies take the Series this year. Of course, I'm always open to being surprised.
my prediction is that, in the end, firing willie will not have made a lick of difference. if anything, the way it was handled will make things ultimately worse for the mets.
ReplyDeletethere is an odd sort of cowardice at the core of actions such as midnight firings. it's not like you can conceal the action; at best you delay the news for a few hours. if that, considering how many are online all the time. so what is accomplished by such an action? it's not like omar needed time to prepare a statement or anything; that should have already been done. it's such a bad pr move. people will notice the mets firing their manager; it can't slip under the radar. particularly when predicated by weeks of speculation and axe-gazing. so why not man up and just do it during the day? talk to willie in the morning, then send out a press release in the afternoon. i don't get it.
“Feisty Appalachian Scotch-Irish lads” sounds about right. I must investigate that blog.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a top-of-the-10th HR to get Jerry his first win!!
ReplyDelete