Second Round Of Interviews For Mets Manager To Start Next Week: Wally Backman On Tap For Round 2

It's being reported by the Bergen Record that Commander Sandy and company will start the second round of interviews with potential Mets managers next week.

Alderson is set to meet with Clint Hurdle, Don Wakamatsu and Ken Oberkfell to round out the first round of interviews by this weekend.

The Mets have already spoken with Chip Hale, Terry Collins, Bob Melvin, Dave Jauss and Wally Backman.

For all the naysayers out there who said Backman doesn't stand a chance, hopefully this second interview is sincere, and not a ploy to appease fans who want Backman to be the Colonel in the Mets foxhole.

A lot has been said of Terry Collins, and newly hired Vice President of Player Development and Amateur Scouting, Paul DePodesta seems to have a man crush on Collins:

“I think very highly of Terry. I thought he was terrific. I thought he was a rock for us in player development. You know, (former Mets GM) Omar (Minaya) actually asked me about him about a year and a half ago, when the Mets were out here visiting San Diego. He had known Terry and asked me whatmy experience with him was. I told him I thought Terry was an absolute star in player development and was a huge help to the Dodgers organization. I think he was really helpful in the development of a lot of those young kids who are the core of their major league team right now.”

Not that Collins might not be a good hire, but to wax poetic about any candidate for an open position is unprofessional. Once the manager is hired, then the accolades can flow, but before hand is grossly unfair to the other candidates.

As for Alderson and when he plans on hiring a manager, he had this to say:

“I have been very pleased with the conversations. As far as a timetable is concerned, we certainly want to have a manager by the winter meetings (Dec. 6-9). It would be helpful to have it done by the end of the month and a logical deadline is Thanksgiving. I’m not sure we’re going to make that."

It sounds like Commander Sandy is being conscientious in his search for a manager, but there is no need to have this process drag on. Hopefully by the time we sit down to our turkey dinners on November 25th, we will be set with the new manager of the Mets...