The 3 worst managers in Mets history ranked

2) Art Howe

Bobby Valentine was one of the most successful managers in Mets history. He replaced Dallas Green and immediately the Mets became fun to watch again…and significant. But, after 7 seasons, the act got old and with Valentine becoming too boisterous, and looking for more control, the Mets went in a different direction and grabbed for a more subdued character in Art Howe.

Howe was a puzzling choice from the beginning. He had absolutely no ties, no connections to the Mets organization. He was not a recognizable name as a player, nor as a short-time manager. The only thing anyone could point to was that he was the manager of the Oakland A’s…the Moneyball Oakland A’s.

Howe was a decent player during his time, nothing special. He spent the bulk of his career playing for the Houston Astros and after he retired, he was offered the job to manage there. In five seasons, his teams never finished above third place and he finished there with a sub .500 record of 392-418.

Which brings us, or rather Howe, to the A’s. Howe was puzzling for the Mets, but also odd for the A’s. No ties whatsoever. Yet, he brought a calm demeanor that was probably perfect for the Bay Area team that was trying to emerge from the doldrums. And under the direction GM Billy Beane, and his Moneyball philosophy, the A’s turned things around midway through Howe’s seven year run as manager.

The A’s did not win a World Series during that time. But it was the tension between Beane and Howe that was festering. Howe was portrayed as a defiant malcontent in the movie Moneyball. Whether that is true or not only those parties involved will know for sure. What IS known is that Howe eventually became estranged from Beane and, well, that doesn’t work very well.

So after Howe leads the A’s to a 103-win season, he is dumped and is hired to replace Valentine, his friend, and with whom he served on Valentine’s coaching staff with the Texas Rangers. It was a disaster.

After leading the A’s to 102 wins in 2001 and 103 wins in 2002…he led the Mets to 66 wins in 2003 and 71 wins in 2004. Wait…to better understand it…95 losses in 2003 and 91 losses in 2004. There…that’s better.

Howe was not right for the Mets. He was not a great fit for New York. And there were some pretty decent players on those teams including a couple of Hall of Famers. And, to be honest and objective, the Mets were in the midst of a transition, as Jose Reyes and David Wright were making their debuts, and Carlos Beltran was about to be acquired. But if Howe were any good, he would have survived the down years in order to enjoy the success.

Apparently, even though he was given that chance in Oakland, he was still shown the door after consecutive 100-win seasons. He wasn’t going to be giving the same wiggle room in New York. And rightfully so. Two seasons of Howe was enough.