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It was also being assumed that Branch Rickey would be the first President and General Manager of the Mets. I read an interview with Rickey in his later years, that in fact he was offered the President -General Manager job of the Mets but turned it down. I wonder if things would have been any different had Rickey and Durocher been the first instead of George Weiss and Casey Stengel?
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:30 pm Posts: 11255 Location: Brooklyn to New Jersey
Very interesting, indeed! I wonder if Rickey turned the post down because of health/age??? The Mets might have had an entirely different "look" in '62 and '63..................
_________________ You can take the DODGERS out of BROOKLYN but you can't take BROOKLYN out of the DODGERS
Very interesting, indeed! I wonder if Rickey turned the post down because of health/age??? The Mets might have had an entirely different "look" in '62 and '63..................
I believe Rickey was in decent health when the Mets started, maybe he just wasn't up to the challenge of starting a team from scratch. I don't think Rickey would have stocked the team with so many no longer in their prime veterans, had he been running things.
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:30 pm Posts: 11255 Location: Brooklyn to New Jersey
tonypug wrote:
It was also being assumed that Branch Rickey would be the first President and General Manager of the Mets. I read an interview with Rickey in his later years, that in fact he was offered the President -General Manager job of the Mets but turned it down. I wonder if things would have been any different had Rickey and Durocher been the first instead of George Weiss and Casey Stengel?
I just finished reading a chapter in Peter Gollenbock's "Amazin'" where Branch Rickey was offered the GM/President job. Rickey wanted $5M and total control. Payson said "I don't think so".....and got George Weiss instead.
_________________ You can take the DODGERS out of BROOKLYN but you can't take BROOKLYN out of the DODGERS
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:30 pm Posts: 11255 Location: Brooklyn to New Jersey
Durocher, by the way, was never even considered for the Mets' managers job. Weiss knew the team would struggle, so he wanted Casey to "deflect" the horrible results. It worked. Stengel at first declined the offer (twice), finally accepting it.
_________________ You can take the DODGERS out of BROOKLYN but you can't take BROOKLYN out of the DODGERS
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:30 pm Posts: 11255 Location: Brooklyn to New Jersey
Truth be told, George Weiss wasn't even the Mets' original GM! Charles Hurth was appointed the GM originally. When Weiss agreed to come to the Mets, Hurth was quickly forgotten.
_________________ You can take the DODGERS out of BROOKLYN but you can't take BROOKLYN out of the DODGERS
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:30 pm Posts: 11255 Location: Brooklyn to New Jersey
Sidebar: When the Mets called a press conference and introduced Stengel as their manager, Casey said: "I'm proud to be associated with the New York Knickerbockers."
_________________ You can take the DODGERS out of BROOKLYN but you can't take BROOKLYN out of the DODGERS
First of all, and I know you know this Pete, Gollenbock is a very entertaining author, but has a lot of not really reliable statements in his books. Mrs. Payson did want Rickey to head up the new team. However, as we all know Walter O'Malley was the real power in the National League, and his hatered for Rickey. No one was going to say O'Malley was behind it, and it was convenient to say Rickey wanted to much power and money. Yes O'Malley was that powerful and influential.
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