Anyway, I know a lot of people disagree with me on Backman. Reasonable people can disagree on the matter. It just seems that reasonable people who have taken issue with me on the guy have done so for what I’ve actually said rather than invented fantasy reasons like me thinking that Backman deserves to pay penance for filing bankruptcy or whatever. I don’t give a hoot about that. My team was managed for the past 20 years by a guy who was involved in a domestic violence incident for cryin’ out loud. I’m not inviting Bobby Cox or Wally Backman into my home, but I’m not going to say that disqualifies them from a job in which it has been proven that even drunk, violent jerkwads can be effective. It’s business, not personal. And if I’m totally wrong about what I think Sandy Alderson wants in a manager and he goes ahead and hires Backman? Great, I was wrong. I’ll admit it and do my best to understand it.
But I sure would like the crazy faction of Backman supporters — which Costa either is or is pretending to be — to admit that Backman is not the Alpha and Omega of managerial candidates, that he does lack experience compared to other candidates, and that if he is ultimately hired by Alderson, he would be an unconventional pick given Alderson’s track record. That’s all I’m saying.
– Craig Calcaterra, Hardball Talk.
Excellent writeup by Calcaterra recapping his getting accosted on talk radio for “slandering” Wally Backman. If you say that Wally Backman should not or probably won’t be the Mets’ next manager, you are sometimes accused of slandering him. That’s the direction this bizarre, unending debate has taken.
More on Backman coming in a bit.
Tedquarters 
More like getting Costa’d on talk radio, am i right?
Just a general +1 on this take on the Backman silliness going on. I don’t have a grasp on why, but its become Francouerian.
Dammit, Sidd, don’t scoop the Francoeur comp I am planning to make once I write that post after this Beltran conference call.
Something else along the Francoeur lines that I noticed was the mention of him specifically and his 50K tip to Charlie Samuels.
I know most people with general knowlegde of how things work in baseball realize that while 50K might be on the high end, large tips like that are commonplace. But at the same time this seems like the type of thing the media usually runs with, making inferences to how it could be gambling money and how players could be involved etc.
But there hasnt been any of that. I just wonder if it had been Jose Reyes, some other less liked player not named Francoeur, if the papers like the Daily news would have covered that in a different light.
I’ve thought the same thing. Especially given Francoeur’s well-documented love of football and fantasy football etc. The NY tabloids have made a lot more out of a lot less in the past.
Exactly, like I said we all know its a non story regardless, but its just the type of thing the rags would blow out of proportion, and they didnt, and I have to at least think its because of Frnechy’s smile. The guy is just a breath of fresh air.
Yeah, I think it might not be that far out of the ordinary. I mean, I’m all about the opportunity to indict Francoeur and I’d find it hilarious for a variety of reasons if he turned out to have been gambling*, but the only thing I know about clubhouse tipping is that I met a low-level Red Sox clubbie once who told me Manny gave him 30 grand.
*- It would be particularly hilarious if it turned out that Francoeur is actually awesome at baseball and has just been throwing games for the last five years.
It’s quite possible Manny thought 30 grand was the cost of the Happy Meal the clubhouse attendant just brought him.
Ha.
I lifted the premise from you anyway. You made a hell of a case to support him being the future measuring stick for all things impassioned, irrational and Mets.