New York Mets 2019 roller coaster ride ends, bring on 2020!
By Joe Noa
2019 ended on a high note for the New York Mets with a three-game sweep of Atlanta. Here is a look back at a season to build on.
Sunday was September 29, 2019, exactly one year earlier New York Mets Captain, David Wright played his final game. Last year the Amazins were in a quagmire of uncertainty. They had little direction and lacked motivation. Additionally, there wasn’t much viable talent available to come up from the minors and contribute when injuries came. Any hope of a good summer was non-existent, like a cool breeze on a New York City August day.
New York Mets fans were demanding change. Sandy Alderson stepped down as general manager for health reasons. Skipper Mickey Callaway was Alderson’s guy. Callaway was hired because he made use of analytics as well as his ability to communicate with younger players.
Being a former pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians and highly regarded by his former boss, Terry Francona, he was ready to wow the Mets faithful. Unfortunately, Callaway seemed to be over his head. I mean, this isn’t the Midwest, Mets fans are about results and effort. since it was his first year in charge, he was given the benefit of the doubt in 2018.
That was then, and this is now. The Brodie Van Wagenen Era began when the 2018 season ended. Changes in culture and attitude were coming. BVW made it clear that this team and organization, as a whole, would have a winning culture from the bottom to the top. The focus would be to take care of the players. Give them the best tools in preparation to become winners.
The Mets front office decided to keep Mickey Callaway for a second season in spite of his questionable managerial decision-making. I called it Summer Camp Kumbaya Callaway because the Mets would be handed their lunch and Mickey would always look at the positive. This is not what I or most fans wanted to hear.