Mets fire top Latin America scout and Luis Aguayo

In a report for the Daily News, Adam Rubin reports that the Mets have fired Ramon Pena, “the organization’s top official in charge of signing Latin American talent.”

The Mets also fired Luis Aguayo, who was the minor-league field coordinator and also served a stint as first base coach last season.  Sandy Johnson, vice president of scouting, also plans on retiring.

Looks like the Mets are none-too-pleased with their minor league system, both in terms of signings and crafting them into major league ready players.

To me, this signals a sort of last-ditch effort by Omar Minaya and the Wilpons to save face in this dismal season.  These firings cast the notion that these people are the reason the team is losing and shedding them will help the team in the future.

This reeks of desperation.

Now you need to keep you eye on who fills these roles.

Coaching staff rounding out

As noted yesterday, Jerry Manuel will retain Dan Warthen, Howard Johnson, and Sandy Alomar Sr. Today, two more coaches were announced.

Randy Niemann and Razor Shines (great name) have been added to the 2009 Mets staff. Niemann will take over the bullpen coaching duties, and Shines will man the third base coaching box.

Guy Conti, the teams previous bullpen coach, Ken Oberkfell, and Luis Aguayo will all stay with the organization. Oberkfell will likely return to managing the AAA affiliate.

Niemann will start his third stint as the Mets bullpen coach, as he was with the team from 2000-2002 and 1997-midway through 1999. This will be his 22nd year with the Mets.

Shines, used to coach with the White Sox organization, which is most likely why he's joining Manuel's staff (Manuel coached the Sox from 98-03).

I'm going to find as many reasons to write about Razor Shines as possible. I like all of these moves, all of these coaches. Well done.

And oh thank heavens, Luis Aguayo will no longer be in the dugout.

Johnson and Warthen are coming back, maybe Alomar too

Good. Even better that there is no mention of Luis Aguayo returning.

Marty Noble has a new article up on MLB.com where he says, "The club has all but decided to retain the respective pitching and hitting coaches, and it is inclined to bring back another incumbent, Sandy Alomar Sr., who served as Manuel's bench coach."

Dan Warthen will continue to do what he does best: fix young pitchers (Pelfrey and Maine) and keep his hands off of the big guy (Johan).

HoJo has no need to go anywhere. Yes, you could complain about the lack of timely hitting and how quiet the bats went during the last week of the season, but there is only so much a coach can do. He did his job, the players just failed to pull through at the plate. I also liked to hear from Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling how broken up HoJo was after the last game of the season. I like that kind of emotion in the game.

Alomar Sr., I really have no problem with. He seems to be a close friend of Jose Reyes, and anything that makes Jose happy, makes me happy too.

Aguayo needs to go. Give me Wally Backman.

Ryan Church, the slide, and how it may have saved the Mets season

This shall be forever known as "Church's Dodge."

Bottom of the eighth, two outs, men on first and second, and the Mets are down by one run.

The crowd is on their feet, as the Mets just pulled within one run of the Cubs. The man walking into the batters box is not a feared hitter by any stretch of the imagination. He has one career home run (which I was lucky(?) enough to see), and is technically the third string player at his position on the team.

But Robinson Cancel came up to the plate, and delivered what the Mets needed most. A hit.

Ryan Church was the player standing on second base when Cancel ripped a single to right field. The field was already soaked, meaning the infield dirt must have felt like cement on the underside of Church's cleats.

As Kosuke Fukudome fielded the ball, Church wasn't more than a step past third base. Luis Aguyao, the man with the quickest windmill this side of the Mississippi, sends him on his merry way toward home plate.

Aside: I think you have to send Church here, unless Fukudome fielded the ball before Church got to the bag. If you don't send him and the team strands a man 90 feet away when he had a chance, even if it was slight, to score on the play before, you will be roasted, toasted, and sent packing either by management or the fans. Luckily, it all worked out.

Church is busting around third, most likely trying not to slip on the soggy grass. SNY cuts to a camera shot of him churning towards home, so we at home have no idea where the ball is in relation to Church. They then cut to an overhead shot of home plate, and Koyie Hill is already fielding the ball and Church isn't even in the picture.

"Uh-oh," I thought.

But as Church approached Hill, and home plate, he pulled a Little League-esque play. As Hill lunged toward him from his knees, Church side-stepped the tag, as momentum carried him away from home, and towards the dugout.

As he turned away back towards the plate, he made a diving stab towards home. So did Hill. Church missed on his first attempt, but he was able to squirm and crawl closer to home, and was able to slap his hand down on the plate before Hill could recover and attempt a tag of his own.

The game was then tied. The next inning, the Mets were able to win it with a Carlos Beltran clutch hit, scoring Jose Reyes.

It would have been a much steeper mountain to climb in the ninth if it wasn't for "Church's Dodge" in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday night.

Game saver? Yes. Season saver? Time will tell.

Help Wanted: Competent third base coach

Position:
A third base coach who realizes when a ball is going to beat the runner by, say, 15 feet, you don't send him.

Must:
Have full sight.
Be able to swing arm in windmill motion.
Willing to wear plastic helmet.
Common sense.

Should:
Speak Spanish.
Have hands.

Not necessary:
Hold prior coaching job...ever. As long as you understand baseball more than Luis Aguayo.

It's 3:11 a.m. Do you know where your manager is?

Jerry Manuel is still the manager of the New York Mets 24 hours later.

Ken Oberkfell, Dan Warthen and Luis Aguayo are also still employed.

Just keeping you as updated as possible.

Coaches shuffle

Jerry Manuel just announced his plans for the coaching staff.

Sandy Alomar Sr. will be the new bench coach.
Ken Oberkfell will be the first base coach.
Luis Aguayo is the third base coach.

As reported earlier, Dan Warthen will be the pitching coach.

I like these moves.

Alomar is more than fit to be the bench coach, in my opinion.

Oberkfell, possibly, is being groomed to take over next year. Omar Minaya likes to promote from within, so it's a definite possibility. Don't count out Howard Johnson for the spot.

Good luck at third base, Aguayo. Don't send Brian Schneider home on a strong arm. His feet are practically lead filled.

Mets fire Willie Randolph

A day that has long been coming, is finally upon us. Willie Randolph has been fired as the head coach of the New York Mets.

Among the other firings, Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto were also fired.

Jerry Manuel has been named the interim head coach. Also, Ken Oberkfell, Luis Aguayo and Dan Warthen have been added to the coaching staff.

Obkerfell was the New Orleans manager, Aguayo was the Mets field coordinator, and Warthen was the AAA pitching coach.

I'm half-relieved the tip-toeing and dance is over. The rest of me is now worried for the future and uncertainty that lies ahead.

[The Daily News has a photo gallery of Willie's tenure as manager]