NEW YORK – Buck Showalter’s first hint of emotion came when he, in his own way, announced the news that he would not be returning to the Mets.
“I want to make sure I do this right,” Showalter said in an infectious voice early Sunday afternoon, before revealing that his term was coming to an end. He read a prepared note he had written on a piece of paper.
About an hour later, as Showalter approached home plate to exchange his lineup card for the final time as Mets manager, dozens of his players and staff streamed out of the dugout to applaud him. The crowd at Citi Field followed suit and gave Showalter a standing ovation. Showalter exchanged the card, then turned, bowed his head and quietly walked back to the dugout, where he watched the Mets lose 9-1 to the Phillies in the season finale.
That dugout, where Showalter spent more time than all but 18 men in history, is no longer his home. After the second-to-last game of the season on Saturday, Mets general manager Billy Eppler told Showalter he could either resign or be fired. Showalter, who has one year left on his contract, chose the latter route.
“I think the players know I would never give up or retire,” Showalter said.
Owner Steve Cohen felt the move was necessary out of fairness to David Stearns, whose appointment as president of baseball operations will be officially announced Monday. The Mets’ ownership did not want to remove Stearns from power by forcing him to retain an acting manager, regardless of how popular that manager may have been.
“Buck did everything we wanted him to do,” Cohen said. “Not everything went well this year, but he still remained balanced. The players loved him. These are always difficult things.”
“I can’t tell you right now if it’s the right or wrong decision,” added shortstop Francisco Lindor. “Do I like it? No. It doesn’t feel good to have a man that I love, that my family loves, and he’s unemployed.”
As a manager, Showalter’s legacy is complicated. Of the 838 players who made it to the Major Leagues, only 18 won more games than him. But only 16 lost more games than Showalter, whose managerial career began in 1992 at the helm of a rebuilding Yankees team. After a disappointing playoff performance in 1995, Showalter was fired, but watched the Yankees win four World Series under Joe Torre. He moved to a D-Backs team that also won its first title a year after Showalter’s departure.
Showalter was brought back to New York years later to revive the Mets and played two seasons there, going 175-148.
Overall, he posted a .509 winning percentage in 22 years and 3,393 games as manager. Showalter has only won one postseason series and one wild card game with the Orioles. Only Gene Mauch managed and won more MLB games without a pennant, which doesn’t leave a bitter taste in Showalter’s mouth.
“Baseball for me was very fair under all circumstances,” he said.
One of Showalter’s best chances to break out came last year, when he led the Mets to a 101-win season, only to see the NL East title slip away with just days to go. Instead of enjoying a bye, the Mets lost to the Padres in the Wild Card Series before faltering again this summer. Despite having the highest payroll in Major League history, they posted a sub-.500 record.
“When things aren’t going well in New York, things happen,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “And they happen quickly. It’s just our job as players to try to prevent something like that from happening again.”
What the future holds for Showalter remains to be seen. At 67, Showalter was already one of the oldest coaches in the game, but he indicated he would be happy to remain in the dugout if another team hired him. He spent some time as a broadcaster before joining the Mets, which could appeal to him again. Or Showalter could simply retire to Dallas, where he and his wife Angela have lived for years.
When it comes to the Mets, management options abound. Stearns, who is scheduled to be introduced at a news conference at noon Monday, has a close relationship with Brewers manager Craig Counsell. The longtime Milwaukee manager is only under contract for this offseason, making him an obvious candidate to take over in New York. Others exist throughout the industry.
“Somebody’s walking into a great situation here,” Showalter said. “I’ll pull for her, I can tell you that.”