It was one of George Young’s many memorable quotes, and since it was so good, it was frequently quoted. One day, when Ernie Accorsi was still George’s assistant, this one showed up in his office. George was complaining about one of his coaches in particular as well as the overall status of the team’s offense.
When does the guru begin guru-ing? George asked Ernie that day.
With the Mets, when does David Stearns actually do that?
Or, to put it another way, following a week in which Pete Alonso became the Mets’ all-time home run leader after hitting a historic home run and surpassing Darryl Strawberry:
To date, how many home runs has Stearns hit with his own players?
Steve Cohen acted as though he had recruited someone who had contributed to the invention of baseball at the time, and not just with the Brewers, demonstrating how frantic he was to bring Stearns here from Milwaukee. We are aware of the high price Cohen paid to acquire Stearns because Uncle Steve, starting with Juan Soto, always pays high prices to obtain what he wants.
Additionally, we are aware of how close the Mets were to winning the World Series during Stearns’ first season as manager at Citi Field. One year after winning 101 games, he took over a team that had only won 75. He brought Luis Severino in as a rental and watched Jesse Winker create some excellent work. The Dodgers got everything they wanted from the Mets.
They had fallen so far that they were only a half-game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the final National League wild card spot going into the weekend, and they were now essentially as close to the Marlins as they were to the Phillies in the National League East. Furthermore, it has come to the point where you must say the same thing about a Mets club that right now appears to be such a huge letdown as you do about the Yankees:
This roster wasn’t put together by itself.
This initial rotation did not come together on its own.
Stearns will receive all the recognition he merits if the Mets reverse this trend and manage to be as dominant throughout the remainder of August and into September as they were a year ago. Perhaps we should give him the game ball.
However, this is a referendum on David Stearn’s first two years at Citi Field if the Mets continue to deteriorate like they did in 2023. For Yankee supporters, making fun of Brian Cashman on social media is the true national pastime. Cashman receives this constant but positive criticism. Stearns doesn’t receive as much support from his team’s supporters. But after how badly the Mets have performed over the past month, trust me when I say that he is improving.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Stearns did a lot with the Brewers. Two years after he left, though, they are still where they are for reasons other than him. Just take a look at the Brewers’ performance since he left and Matt Arnold took over. Actually, it was Arnold who won the Major League Baseball Executive of the Year award the previous season.
This does not imply that Stearns has lost all baseball knowledge or that he will become just another small-market individual who fails in the big metropolis. There is still too much baseball to be played, thus his grade for this year is still completely unfinished. Furthermore, the Dodgers, who defeated the Mets in the NLCS last October, haven’t exactly been blazing a trail lately. As they were losing a 9-game lead over the Padres and getting good and passed in the NL West, the world champions actually looked a lot like a dumpster fire.
However, Stearns’ corpus of work has proven intriguing. Carlos Mendoza, who I really admire, should have won Manager of the Year in 2024, even more so than Pat Murphy, who will take home the trophy this year. However, Stearns did not initially select Mendoza to lead the Mets. After Stearns failed to have the decency to inform Buck Showalter of his termination in person, Craig Counsell was brought in. That also becomes part of Stearns’ permanent record.
Juan Soto was not brought to the Mets by Stearns. That was Uncle Steve. Steve Cohen also brought Alonso back, so Stearns didn’t. Furthermore, it’s impossible to say if Stearns would have been happier if Alonso had chosen to play baseball elsewhere last winter.
What are the achievements of the Stearns staff thus far? Severino? Winker? Maybe Ryan Helsley will end up being what Stearns believed he was receiving at the deadline from the Cardinals. The jury is still very much out on him, though, for the time being. Cedric Mullins, too. At the time, I enjoyed both of those bargains. Many Mets supporters did the same. However, public opinion polls are not relevant here. It’s all about the outcomes. Of course, Helsley, Mullins, and Tyler Rogers—another player who was meant to help the Mets bullpen their way to the top—have time to do quality work. All of the Mets’ pitching currently appears to be a shambles in New York. Behind Kodai Senga, Stearns has put together a starting lineup consisting of the No. 3 and No. 4 starters. The Mets are said to have this pitching lab going for them, and we keep hearing about it. Clay Holmes is the face of that. Holmes will wind up back in the bullpen if he continues on his current trajectory.
Not too long ago, were the Mets in first place? Indeed, they were. Now, however, you can only image how far over their skis they must have been. After 121 games, their record was actually two games better than it was a year ago going into the weekend. But please apply the eye test to the Mets of August 25, look at all these blown leads, and tell me you really think they re better off this year than they were last year.
Boy, did we witness their comeback last season. They have plenty of time to repeat that action. Maybe Helsley and Rogers and Mullins will turn into personnel triumphs for David Stearns. We re going to see about that.
Here is what you hear about Stearns, nearly two years into this: He s improved the Mets on the margins. The margins? What margins? He s working for Daddy Big Bucks. The Mets were supposed to get a lot better with Soto. They haven t. It hasn t been the manager s fault, not by a long shot. This isn t somebody else s roster now for David Stearns. It s his. For better or worse. Root for better. Sooner rather than later.
If the Mets want to grasp at history, here is history for which they should be grasping these days:
The 2000 Yankees, who lost 15 of their last 18 games, ended up with 87 wins, and still won the World Series.
Hey, I m trying to help here.
Kyle Schwarber is MVP.
Remember this about the Padres:
They were ahead two games to one in their division series against the Dodgers last October.
The Dodgers had to go with a bullpen game in Game 4.
After that the Padres, out of nowhere, just stopped hitting.
Never scored another run last season.
That could have crushed them.
Obviously, they didn t.
Lucas Giolito s grandfather, Warren Frost, played Susan s father on Seinfeld, and I d like to know where else you get fun facts like that?
Wouldn t it be something if Jaxson Dart really is the one for the Giants?
I know how much the Cowboys are worth.
I know how much oxygen they take up on ESPN, almost on a daily basis, as if Jerry Jones is never out of season.
They just no longer matter on the field.
And haven t for a long time.
As passionate as their fan base is.
There are times and this is one of the, with Micah Parsons when they look like the biggest clown college in the league.
The Cowboys are run by an 80-something man who needs attention the way the rest of us need oxygen.
People say, oh, but look how much they re worth.
Only if Jerry sells the team.
He won t.
I m starting to feel a little hurt that Mike Brown hasn t added me to his coaching staff.
If it s a Spike Lee movie and Denzel s in it, I m there.
Like, so there.
The competition only I m watching three-quarters of the way into the season, just for fun:
Juan Soto, 70 RBI.
Anthony Volpe, 65 RBI.
I believe the Yankees are a lot more worried about No. 99 s elbow than they re letting on.
Once Aaron Boone and Carlos Mendoza make that first call to the bullpen, I can hear something my Hall of Fame pal Bill Madden used to say in the press box all the time:
And so begins the endless search for the guy who doesn t have it tonight.
Guess what?
Both local football teams could get better on the field this season and not be able to prove it very much in the standings.
Whatever happened to the Miami Heat?
They never write, they never call.
Kind of fun not having to hang on Aaron Rodgers every word anymore, right?
Put me down as thinking the Lions are going to miss both of last year s coordinators more than somewhat.
Not sure when Michigan is going to win another national championship in football, but they sure are leading the league in coaching suspensions, right?
Has anybody asked Jalen Brunson how he feels about playing fast?
Asking for Knick friends.
Taylor Swift is one appearance with the Kelce brothers away from having her own football show on ESPN.
James Patterson and Mike Lupica s new Jane Smith thriller, The Hamptons Lawyer, remains in the Top 10 of New York Times Best Sellers and Publishers Weekly in its third week on-sale.
