Normally I wouldn’t note the addition of September coaches to the staff as official jersey issues except in passing but we’ll make an exception here for Class AA skipper Wally Backman, who beginning today and continuing through the end of the season will assume Mookie Wilson’s duties as first base coach. Wilson departed Metville Saturday as a result of a death in the family.
Backman, you may have noticed, was wearing the appropriate No. 86, and would be the first uniformed staff in a game to wear that number. Buffalo manager Tim Tuefel (who might replace Backman coaching against left-handed managers?) is also in town and wearing No. 81.
Terry Collins, who’s done a pretty good job keeping this team in a winning mindset despite frequent violations of his pledge to “play this game the right way,” has said he’d like to have his staff back again next year, although there’s been speculation that Chip Hale might join Bob Melvin in Oakland. As we said a year ago when Hale was considered for a managerial job with the Mets, his departuire would be leave a palpable void in the third base coaching box, considering some of the clowns who proceeded him. His replacement could be Backman, but maybe not unless the Mets consider a little more security for Collins first.
Submitted by gored82 on Mon, 09/26/2011 – 12:04am.
Speaking of the A’s, I saw Moneyball, and there’s a cool (though dramatized) cameo scene from c. 1984 in which Billy Beane strikes out wearing no. 35 and is followed to the plate by Strawberry.
Cool
Submitted by Jon Springer on Mon, 09/26/2011 – 2:32pm.
I can’t imagine Beane ever batted in front of Strawberry, I’ll look it up!
Nope
Submitted by Jon Springer on Mon, 09/26/2011 – 2:35pm.
Creative license from those Big Hollywood types again: Beane as it turned out only struck out 3 times while wearing No. 35, and all three times someone other than Straw followed him in the order. Who were they playing against?
Gotta see the movie!
On the road again…
Submitted by gored82 on Mon, 09/26/2011 – 6:31pm.
Beane is wearing road gray in the game – but I didn’t take note of the opponent. On 9/29/84 in Montreal – http://ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=3684 – Mookie batted 3rd and Straw hit 4th. Beane came in for Mookie late in the game and had 1 at-bat ahead of Straw. He popped out to 3B. Come to think of it, he may have popped out in the film, so that could have been the game. On the other hand, Beane wore 43 in 1984, so it may have been artistic license. But it didn’t detract from the film at all.
Wilson is now gone for good
Submitted by Dave Mackey (not verified) on Thu, 10/06/2011 – 8:44am.
Mookie’s out, along with Ken Oberkfell and Chip Hale. Tim Teufel has already been announced as the team’s new third base coach. I’d like to see him back in #11 again….
Jon Debus is also out and
Submitted by Ranjrz5 on Thu, 10/06/2011 – 8:57pm.
Jon Debus is also out and Ricky Bones is the new bullpen coach.
Debus
Submitted by gored82 on Thu, 10/06/2011 – 9:28pm.
Just as well, his name sounds too much like Dweebus, lol.
New bench coach
Submitted by gored82 on Fri, 10/14/2011 – 8:49pm.
I assume Bob Geren will wear something like 58.