By Geoff Walter / SNY.tv

 

 

As if not getting to the World Series wasn't bad enough, Mets fans had to endure another slap in the face, this time a personal one against manager Willie Randolph. Willie came in second to Joe Girardi in the voting for NL Manager of the Year by a wide margin. Was it writers simply being biased against New York? Did Girardi do that good of a job? Here's your chance to see my take on the award and respond with some thoughts of your own.

 

The Mets came in first place in the National League, and first in the Majors (tied with the Yankees). The Mets also never had a losing streak longer than three games in 2006. They handily won the division, and took the NLCS to a full seven games against the Cardinals. Meanwhile the Marlins ended the 2006 season with a losing record.

The Mets had to use 14 starting pitchers in 2006, and Wille still got the job done. That kind of stress is enough to make anybody quit after a year. He got it done without Brian Bannister, and without Victor Zambrano. He got it done with Duaner Sanchez pitching out of the bullpen. And he did it all with nine — nine! — wins from his ace Pedro Martinez. You don't hear about 14 starting pitchers from a division winner or a first-place team. You usually hear about it with certain teams in smaller markets with a lot of rookies on the roster.

Randolph and the Mets easily got into the postseason, their first time in six years, and within one game of a World Series. Meanwhile, Giradi and the Marlins were in the hunt for the wild-card but never got there. Remember when the Mets clinched on Sept. 18 at Shea? Remember which team they beat to do it? That's right — the Marlins.

Girardi had the coaching staff work with players hours before each Marlins game to help them continue to improve. Eventually, the extra practices and drills stated to pay dividends as the players started to live up to their potential. Girardi was only there for a year — so whether he shook things up, decided to go in a new direction, whatever — he was able to put his players in a position to perform to the best of their abilities. That's the job description of any good manager.

Bigger town, bigger market, bigger bank. The Marlins certainly got a good return on their money — all $15 million of it — and kept fans interested because of the possibility of the wild card. Randolph and the Mets could afford to coast to the postseason after handily winning the NL East. Girardi was still managing his butt off down to the very last week of the regular season. Fact is, no other manager did so much with so little.

An MVP award-winner helps his team to a winning season. Without that player, the team wouldn't have gotten where they did. The Manager of the Year award is the same principle — you're supposed to have a winning record. Jim Leyland won the American League version of the award as the Tigers were tops in the AL in 2006 and went to the World Series.

Randolph was the winningest manager of the winningest team on the 2006 list. Girardi, the rookie, was the losingest. Randolph turned the Mets around in two years, Girardi did it in one, and for that he won the NL Manager of the year — the only year he was a manager. But Girardi got a pink slip to go along with the honor. That's something Willie is thankful not to have received.