Something important happened in the NL East on Sunday: Manny Acta was fired as the manager of the Nationals.
Yeah, it matters for Washington — but it’s possible that it matters even more for the Mets.
Newsday’s David Lennon has a theory that the former manager could find himself another job in New York once the season ends.
There may not be room for him on the coaching staff now — it may
have to wait until 2010 — but there are myriad reasons why Acta could
be a perfect fit for the organization sometime in the near future.
For one, he wasn’t too shabby holding the reins as a first-time
manager: In 2008, the 39-year-old former Astro was in (mild) contention
for Manager of the Year after leading the Nats to a 73-89 record.
Plus, he already did a recent stint with the Mets in 2005, when he spent two years as third-base coach under then-manager Willie Randolph. He still maintains close ties with some of the players — and with general manager Omar Minaya — and could slip seamlessly back into the familiar clubhouse atmosphere.
Acta had a special relationship with some of those players, and he knows it.
“I treated them the way I wanted to be treated, and our relationship
was professional,” he told Lennon in 2008. “I can relate to them a
little bit because of the age thing. We can talk about the same topics
and stuff, and I get the best out of them that way, too, when it comes
to getting our job done.”
The Mets have underachieved on an epic scale over the past few
seasons. Maybe they need a change. Maybe they need another coach they
can relate to. Maybe Manny is the perfect match.
