So, who’s next ???

Scroll down, and look on your right, to see a new poll, asking who you would like as next year’s permanent manager ? If you choose someone else, please add a comment to this post.

We started off with 5 choices, Jerry Manuel (the “interim”), Ken Oberkfell (former AAA manager of the year, with the Mets), Wally Backman (popular former ’86 Met), Bobby Valentine (popular former Met manager) & Keith Hernandez (wildly popular former Met player, and current broadcaster for SNY).

Manuel is the safe interim manager, who already knows the current players and coaches. He deserves the opportunity to see what he can do. He was an AL manager of the year, with the White Sox, so there is potential.

Oberkfell is my preference because he’s not tied to the Randolph era, it shows the fan base that they want someone NEW, and because I want the Mets to build the farm system, and promote the next Wright, Reyes, or Pelfrey, to be found within the farm system. Oberkfell knows some of the Mets’ minor leaguers, from managing at AAA.

Backman is a popular former player, and former minor league manager of the year, who was hired to manage the major league Diamondbacks. After some off the field issues became known by Arizona, and publicized by the media, he was quickly fired. I don’t see Backman being offered a major league manager position; however, if the Mets want to hire him to manage in the minors, prove that he can continue to be a good manager, see if he stays out of trouble, and let him work his way through the organization, and be promoted from within, I would like to see that. The Mets have three A ball times, and a rookie team. Wally could start there.

Valentine led the Mets to the 2000 World Series, and is still popular. However, if you saw the documentary about him, “The Zen of Bobby V,” one is led to believe that he has rock star status in Japan, and would be crazy to come back to the states.

Hernandez, has been quoted in a recent post at this site, as saying that he is not interested in the manager position, because he does not want to invest the time needed for the position. He’s a frequent fan request, because of his well-deserved popularity.

So, who’s your choice ? Let us know…