Bruce's Journal

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Random Thoughts of the Day - September 27, 2026

Today is the last day of the regular baseball season. The Mets finished last in NL East while the Yankees will enter the playoffs as the #1 wild card in the AL. The question is who will go and who will stay on the Mets for 2027? Hopefully David Stearns will not make any bad trades or free agency signings in the offseason. We also have to worry about a lockout if the owners insist on a salary cap while the player don't. Will a lockout cancel all or some of the 2027 season?
As I am writing this we are in the middle of a nor'easter. It is a drag to have to stay in the apartment all day. Yesterday, there was a break in the storm for about 5 hours so Lee and I were able to go to the grocery store.
I still have crazy dreams about encountering people I have not seen in years. Last night I dreamed about sitting in a classroom as my former boss walked in.
I always wonder how many hits to this journal are from real people and how many are from bots. Are the people acquaintances or strangers?

Yesterday, Andy Green was appointed the 26th permanent manager of the Mets after serving as interim manager after Carlos Mendoza was fired in June. Andy was given a 3-year contract. Whenever anyone is appointed as manager, he will eventually be fired. The manager is always the scapegoat when the team falters. The chart below was taken from Baseball Almanac. It includes a few interim managers.

New York Mets Managers \| 1962 - 2026 Mets Managers & Finishes
Year	#	Manager(s)	W	L	WP	Finish	GB	Roster
1962	37	Casey Stengel	40	120	.250	10^th	60½	1962
1963	37	Casey Stengel	51	111	.315	10^th	48	1963
1964	37	Casey Stengel	53	109	.327	10^th	40	1964
1965	37	Casey Stengel	31	64	.326	10^th	47	1965
1965	51	Wes Westrum	19	48	.284	10^th	47	1965
1966	9	Wes Westrum	66	95	.410	9^th	28½	1966
1967	9	Wes Westrum	57	94	.377	10^th	40½	1966
1967	54	Salty Parker	4	7	.364	10^th	40½	1966
1968	14	Gil Hodges	73	89	.451	9^th	24	1968
1969	14	Gil Hodges	100	62	.617	1^st	+8	1969
1970	14	Gil Hodges	83	79	.512	3^rd	6	1970
1971	14	Gil Hodges	83	79	.512	3^rd	14	1971
1972	8	Yogi Berra	83	73	.532	3^rd	13½	1972
1973	8	Yogi Berra	82	79	.509	1^st	+1½	1973
1974	8	Yogi Berra	71	91	.438	5^th	17	1974
1975	8	Yogi Berra	56	53	.514	3^rd	10½	1975
1975	51	Roy McMillan	26	27	.491	3^rd	10½	1975
1976	55	Joe Frazier	86	76	.531	3^rd	15	1976
1977	55	Joe Frazier	15	30	.333	6^th	37	1977
1977	9	Joe Torre	49	68	.419	6^th	37	1977
1978	9	Joe Torre	66	96	.389	6^th	24	1978
1979	9	Joe Torre	63	99	.389	6^th	35	1979
1980	9	Joe Torre	67	95	.414	5^th	24	1980
1981	9	Joe Torre	41	62	.398	5^th / 4^th	18½	1981
1982	31	George Bamberger	65	97	.401	6^th	27	1982
1983	31	George Bamberger	16	30	.348	6^th	22	1983
1983	55	Frank Howard	52	64	.448	6^th	22	1983
1984	5	Davey Johnson	90	72	.556	2^nd	6½	1984
1985	5	Davey Johnson	98	64	.605	2^nd	3	1985
1986	5	Davey Johnson	108	54	.667	1^st	+21½	1986
1987	5	Davey Johnson	92	70	.568	2^nd	3	1987
1988	5	Davey Johnson	100	60	.625	1^st	+15	1988
1989	5	Davey Johnson	87	75	.537	2^nd	6	1989
1990	5	Davey Johnson	20	22	.476	2^nd	4	1990
1990	3	Bud Harrelson	71	49	.592	2^nd	4	1990
1991	3	Bud Harrelson	74	80	.481	5^th	20½	1991
1991	4	Mike Cubbage	3	4	.429	5^th	20½	1991
1992	10	Jeff Torborg	72	90	.444	5^th	24	1992
1993	10	Jeff Torborg	13	25	.342	7^th	38	1993
1993	46	Dallas Green	46	78	.371	7^th	38	1993
1994	46	Dallas Green	55	58	.487	3^rd	18½	1994
1995	46	Dallas Green	69	75	.479	2^nd	21	1995
1996	46	Dallas Green	59	72	.450	4^th	25	1996
1996	46	Bobby Valentine	12	19	.387	4^th	25	1996
1997	2	Bobby Valentine	88	74	.543	3^rd	13	1997
1998	2	Bobby Valentine	88	74	.543	2^nd	18	1998
1999	2	Bobby Valentine	97	66	.595	2^nd	6½	1999
2000	2	Bobby Valentine	94	68	.580	2^nd	1	2000
2001	2	Bobby Valentine	82	80	.506	3^rd	6	2001
2002	2	Bobby Valentine	75	86	.466	5^th	26½	2002
2003	18	Art Howe	66	95	.410	5^th	34½	2003
2004	18	Art Howe	71	91	.438	4^th	25	2004
2005	12	Willie Randolph	83	79	.512	3^rd	7	2005
2006	12	Willie Randolph	97	65	.599	1^st	+12	2006
2007	12	Willie Randolph	88	74	.543	2^nd	1	2007
2008	12	Willie Randolph	34	35	.493	2^nd	3	2008
2008	53	Jerry Manuel	55	38	.591	2^nd	3	2008
2009	53	Jerry Manuel	70	92	.432	4^th	23	2009
2010	53	Jerry Manuel	79	83	.494	4^th	18	2010
2011	10	Terry Collins	77	85	.475	4^th	25	2011
2012	10	Terry Collins	74	88	.457	4^th	24	2012
2013	10	Terry Collins	74	88	.457	3^rd	22	2013
2014	10	Terry Collins	79	83	.488	2^nd	17	2014
2015	10	Terry Collins	90	72	.556	1^st	+7	2015
2016	10	Terry Collins	87	75	.537	2^nd	8	2016
2017	10	Terry Collins	70	92	.432	4^th	27	2017
2018	36	Mickey Callaway	77	85	.475	4^th	13	2018
2019	36, 26	Mickey Callaway	86	76	.531	3^rd	11	2019
2020	19	Luis Rojas	26	34	.433	4^th	9	2020
2021	15	Luis Rojas	77	85	.475	3^rd	11½	2021
2022	11	Buck Showalter	101	61	.623	2^nd	0	2022
2023	11	Buck Showalter	75	87	.463	4^th	29	2023
2024	28, 64	Carlos Mendoza	89	73	.549	3^rd	6	2024
2025	64	Carlos Mendoza	83	79	.512	2^nd	13	2025
2026	64	Carlos Mendoza	34	47	.420	--	--	2026
2026	70	Andy Green *	--	--	--	--	--	2026
2027	70	Andy Green	--	--	--	--	--	2027
2028	70	Andy Green	--	--	--	--	--	2028
Year	#	Manager(s)	W	L	WP	Finish	G