Apparently Backman really impressed with his second interview and is smack dab back in the managerial race. 

Wally wowed em with his preparation and knowledge of stats. No one doubts Wally’s passion so i’m psyched to hear he’s getting traction in areas some likely assume are weaknesses.

All of a sudden this is becoming quite the exciting managerial hiring process, ain’t it? 

Melvin, Collins and Backman seems to be neck and neck coming down the stretch with the up and comer Hale running 4th.

The way I see it Melvin leads by a nose, Collins is a strong second and Wally’s on the outside gaining with every step.

There’s a news conference Tues afternoon… Who’s it gonna be???

I can’t wait!!

***

Meanwhile BMF is getting the chance of a lifetime for a private tour of the White House fri eve. 

This fell into my lap thanks to my mother who was a NYC elementary school teacher for 30+ years. Last month she got an email from an old student who said she was his favorite teacher and he never forgot her 5th grade class.

All these years later the student became a speech writer for President Obama and wanted to invite her and 5 guests for a private tour of the White House.

I don’t even know what that means, or what I’ll get to see but I had to give my social security number for a background check. 

Was also told I’m allowed to take pictures in an outside room but not once the tour begins.

Crazy right?

And props to the met s
No disrespect but I’m gonna have a hard time getting excited about Bob Melvin. 

Looks like we’ll have a decision on manager by Sun/Mon with a press conference on Tues.

Since we’re in the homestretch BMF is posting the odds for each man.

Terry Collins 2-1 Looking like the clear front runner

Bob Melvin 4-1 Def in the mix but I just don’t see him getting the gig.

Chip Hale 5-1 Might be the right combination of savvy and cheap to pull off an upset.

Wally Backman 9-1 Sorry, as much as I’d love to see it I just don’t think Sandy is handing the Keys to Wally.

These odds are the result of great deliberation, hours of highly scientific research and a lot of instincts based on nothing more than a hunch.

It was a typical Atlanta Brave move, pick up Dan Uggla on the cheap and again take another stride further ahead of the Mets.

Omar Infante is a nice player but he along with RP Mike Dunn seems like a pretty damn good deal for Uggla who smoked 33 HR and 103 RBI while hitting .287. I don’t care how porous his defense is I would take Uggla at second base in a heartbeat.

But we got Castillo so that’s cool.

With Clint Hurdle signing with the Bucs Alderson intimated there may in fact be more 1st round interviews. 

He’s scheduled to meet with Jose Oquendo, who to me feels like the token minority candidate brought in to satisfy MLB rules. 

But who else would he choose to interview? Valentine is still out there but I just don’t know if Alderson would want a power broker like Bobby V as his first skipper in NY. The good news is word is the Wilpons would be open to Valentine so maybe… 

Regardless if Sandy is adding more candidates it doesn’t sound like he’s too enthusiastic about the first crop. 

All this leads me to believe Wally’s chances are slipping away. But that wouldn’t be so bad if Bobby V is in the mix…

In a tragic twist of events Sandy Alderson’s 87 year old father was struck by a car and killed near his home in Florida.

Of course Alderson and his family must be devastated and his public statement said as much. BMF’s extends my deepest condolences to Sandy and his family. I’ve lost my father so I know how awful of an experience it can be. And to lose a parent to the violence of being hit by car must only compound the agony.

I genuinely feel bad for Sandy from a personal standpoint but if we can step away and look at this from a baseball standpoint… it’s really bad timing for a new GM.

I guess the silver lining is that Alderson has already hired 2 other GMs to work beneath him but this still comes at a time when Alderson is remaking a franchise from top to bottom.

Of course people deal with loss differently. While some may throw themselves deeper into work others may be swallowed by depression. 

Either way its realistic to think the next 12 months will be a mourning period of sorts for Sandy.

Everything you hear about Charlie Samuels from players, both ex and current, is that he was a great guy. A real friend and mentor to generations of players who came through the organization. A friend who would help a player in any way he can including allowing them to stay at his home if needed.

But it turns out good old Charlie has been betting with the mob, betting on baseball no less, feeding them information, skimming money on team hotel deals, and liquidating Met equipment to memorabilia dealers.

Now that word is out so is Charlie and as a Met fan BMF is happy to see it. I’m sure he’s a great guy and all but now that the Mets are in reorganization mode I’d like to see the franchise fumigated from top to bottom.

So if there are any other clubhouse guys, groundskeepers, hot dog vendors or shake shack employees with Mob connections and/or selling steroids can we please root them out now.

Because the Mets seem to lead the sports world with the most crooked employees that end up being outed on national news.