Haverstraw, NY—We get a repeat of the fabled 1986 World Series this weekend at the big C! Mets, RedSox duking it out for 3 games between two teams going in opposite directions. I received a rebuke on Twitter yesterday (@aldersonfake) when I questioned why guys like Anthony Recker and Eric O’Flaherty were still on the major league roster. One follower of mine, with vitriol, tweeted to me…”How can you question anything Terry Collins is doing these days? He’s pushing all the right buttons!” Can you imagine someone saying this in June? Can you imagine someone saying this period?
How much impact does a Manager really make in baseball anyway? This year, Buck Showalter doesn’t look like a great manager without Nelson (clean as heck) Cruz. Last year, Buck was being canonized as Baseball’s best on the bench. Joe Maddon? Well, everyone is quick to anoint the quirky, bookish-seeming field general of the Cubs the best manager around. But is he really? Doesn’t he have undeniable talent oozing out of the ivy at Wrigley? He’s got the Pitcher no one talks about, but should be the NL Cy Young award winner in Jake Arietta. He’s got offensive talent that overwhelms with power. Maddon gets more TV air time than any other manager, that’s for sure. He’ll question every umpire’s calls. He wants everything reviewed. And while these challenges are being reviewed, you can find Maddon out of the dugout preening for the cameras; insisting on being viewed as the genius he believes he’s become. Overrated just a tad IMHO.
Terry Francona was considered as good as they came as a skipper. Check out his Indians team though. A top 5 Starting rotation; all-stars around the diamond. But his team floats below .500 Bob Melvin was viewed as terrific manager last year. And maybe he is. But once GM Billy Beane tore the team down and inexplicably traded away the 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson, Melvin looked a lot dumber. Don’t get me started on the fraud that is Beane, by the way. I have lots of thoughts on him for another time.
So ultimately is Terry Collins really that bad? He did keep them afloat while Sandy Alderson gave him Eric Campbell and John Mayberry, Jr as his 4 and 5 hitters in July. Who knows? They do get lots of undeserved credit and probably too much blame-like Quarterbacks. 
Speaking of QBs, Jets vs Giants this weekend. Playing for nothing. Both will look bad-at least this time around.
