New York Mets: 3 potential Buck Showalter replacements to avoid

New York Mets manager candidate to avoid: Wally Backman

This one may seem a little out of the box, but stick with me, Mets fans.

If you’ve followed the team long enough, you know that there are plenty of ties between the Mets and Backman, including nine seasons calling Shea Stadium home between 1980-88. Part of that tenure, of course, includes the 1986 World Series run that Backman played a critical role in (he slashed .333/.429/.333 in 22 plate appearances against the Boston Red Sox in the Fall Classic).

Backman has also been connected to the Mets after moving on from them on the field, including managing the Triple-A team in Las Vegas from 2013-2016. His end with the team was not pretty as he was reportedly fired for not going along with the franchise’s decisions on player usage, with one media outlet reporting it as “a pattern of defiance.”

Obviously that’s not going to set well with any front office, even one that looks vastly different than the current set-up the Mets have. However, even though new people may be in charge in Queens, expect the waves from the past to still wash ashore if Backman’s name was brought up to take over the team.

Now managing the independent Long Island Ducks, even if Backman was brought back, the potential for skirmishes between the manager and front office because of that “pattern of defiance” could bring even more drama in a season that has already had plenty for the Mets. Simply put, bringing back a familiar face, even with managerial and playing experience with the franchise, would not be worth it.