Sandy’s Mets were supposed to be Billy’s A’s.
They were supposed to become low-budget wonders of the baseball world.
The A’s, under Billy Beane, are just that, again, posting the best record in the majors at 47-29. They have scored the most runs (389) while surrendering the fewest (254).
The Mets were 21st in the majors with 294 runs scored, three below the Yankees, going into Monday night’s action.
The A’s, who visit Citi Field Tuesday and Wednesday, were leading the majors with a 3.02 ERA. The Mets were 11th in runs allowed at 296 and 10th in ERA at 3.54.
Here’s how the A’s do it — in Beane’s own words: “We ruthlessly implement a quantitative approach to the game. That’s who we are and we make no apologies. We put players in positions to succeed and that creates a positive energy.
“This is not a star-driven team, we have 25 guys all contributing. If you put a player in a role he should be in, he usually succeeds in that role. … I have great people around me.’’
Sounds simple, when it works. Everybody knows the “Moneyball” story.
It was Sandy Alderson who first hired Beane as an advance scout with the A’s in 1990, then promoted him to assistant general manager in 1993 and after the 1997 season made him general manager. Alderson mentored Beane. The A’s have had either Alderson or Beane as GM the last 31 years. The last A’s GM not named Alderson or Beane was Billy Martin in 1982. That didn’t go well.
Under Alderson the Mets are not making the type of progress the Wilpons had hoped for when Alderson was hired on Oct. 29, 2010. The Mets are again in fourth place in the NL East.
Alderson is a lot less emotional than Beane and a lot more rigid.
He knows it is much too early to cash in the season, especially in the underwhelming NL East.
The Mets are coming off some small success in Miami, and need to keep it going. Alderson should admit the mistake of signing free agent Chris Young, who just happened to be with the A’s last season.
Beane cut his Young losses and moved on. The Mets need to do the same with Young. In spring training one Mets official said Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was signed under the previous administration, had made great strides shortening his swing and could help the Mets.
He hasn’t been able to do that much because of Young taking up valuable real estate in the outfield. The Mets committed $7.25 million to the free agent.
The Mets have not been able to sustain success but they have won four of the last five. They need to keep it going. After this two-game series with the A’s, they go on the road again to Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
When the Mets won six of seven, and then headed to Wrigley at the start of the month, they lost three straight to the lowly Cubs and then another three in San Francisco.
This 35-41 team loses focus and then loses games.
More than anything, Alderson’s credibility is on the line now. His teams have not turned the corner. He was the one who threw out the challenge of 90 victories to this Mets squad that is six games under .500 in a season of baseball mediocrity.
If the Nationals or Braves had played up to expectations, the Mets would be buried. They are fortunate to be in a division where the top team is only four games above .500.
In his fourth season in charge, Alderson’s Mets look a lot like the Padres, which was Alderson’s previous team destination from 2005 to 2009 as CEO.
The Padres were dead last in runs scored with 225 and 13 ¹/₂ back in the NL West.
The Padres fired GM Josh Byrnes on Sunday.
Sandy’s Mets need to turn it around and start playing a bit more like Billy’s A’s.