The new general manager of the Mets, Sandy Alderson, was the smartest person in the room during yesterday’s press conference. He was also the one who contradicted himself the most. This is not a coincidence.
The balding 62-year-old Alderson was amiable, occasionally funny (though mostly in a cheesy sort of way), and wore a goofy yellow Mets tie. But it still seemed as if he could scare the hell out of you with a look, if he wanted. He was easy-going, yet stern. Affable, yet unyielding. Basically, Alderson felt like your dad.
And, like your dad, at times it seemed as if Alderson was talking down to everyone. But it didn’t seem as though he was doing so because he thinks we’re all stupid. Rather, he did so because he wanted to ensure his message was clear to everyone (because we are all stupid). He understood he wasn’t really speaking to the media gathered in the room — he was speaking to the fans watching on television and listening on the radio. Unlike many of his predecessors, Alderson clearly understands that the media is a means and not an end in itself. He knew that yesterday was about rebuilding the Mets brand for the fanbase, and he delivered his message accordingly.
But his intelligence was also evident in what he said, and not just how he said it. When asked about possibly moving some of the Mets core players, Alderson said this: “Just as an aside, one of the reasons that fans like baseball is because it provides a certain consistency and continuity in their lives that maybe doesn’t exist otherwise. It’s important to recognize that. There’s a bond that exists over time. But, at the same time, I think fans enjoy change. I mean, in our lives today there’s a lot of change. I don’t think we want overwhelming change, but I think fans like to know what’s new. That’s what we have to balance — that desire for continuity with that desire for the next new thing.” Click Here To Continue Reading
