Finally! The Mets Have a GM

According to reports (including this one), the Mets have finally settled on Sandy Alderson as their new general manager. Alderson was interviewed at least three times and was a finalist along with Josh Byrnes, late of the Diamondbacks. The Mets couldn't begin seeking a new manager until the GM question was solved so now that managers are starting to fall into place, the Mets will have to scramble to get a decent hire. The move seems to be in contrast with the industry trend of hiring young hot shots. Teams like the Blue Jays and others have followed the former lead of teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians and others in hiring young talent at the GM position. Alderson is 62 and the label you hear is, "old school."

Alderson has a proven record though. He was with Oakland in the late 80s when that team won a World Series and were a strong presence in the league. Of course, those teams have been denigrated because of the steroid accusations that have plagued that era and that team. Alderson worked for Bud Selig and MLB for a while and was in charge of umpires and other things like growing baseball internationally. Alderson is a CEO type of GM, his Dartmouth pedigree personifies that type of feeling here. But what will Alderson mean for the Mets?

The Fan's first thoughts are that he can't do worse than the last regime, right?  The second is that Alderson, by his experience, age and presence, will help keep Wilpon from trying to stir the pot. This is much like the McPhail hiring in Baltimore that has finally gotten that owner to settle down and let baseball men run the show. If that is one of the results for the Mets, great. That needed to happen. Plus, for Alderson to have friends in high places in the MLB hierarchy can't be that bad a deal for the Mets either.

Now the question becomes who will Alderson get for his manager? There is good news there as well. It was Alderson who brought Tony LaRussa to the Oakland A's during his tenure there. That was a brilliant choice. And before he left the Padres with the Moorad purchase, Alderson was part of the decision making team that brought Bud Black to the Padres as that team's manager. That's a pretty darned good track record.

After thinking about all these things, Alderson seems perfect for where the Mets are right now. Frankly, they have become a mess. They have become the butts of jokes from Letterman to their own fans. Alderson gives the team proven leadership and a winning track record. Plus he brings the Mets enough presence to keep Wilpon away from the pot. All that's left is to make the official announcement. That won't come until Friday during the World Series off day (the Mets don't want to pull an A-Rod). This is good news, Mets' fans.