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Sports Beat “Sandy to step aside”

Sandy Alderson (Photo courtesy MLB)

     Mets president Sandy Alderson announced last Thursday his plans to step down in his current role. He will do consulting work with the organization starting with this off-season. Alderson, who is 74 years-old and has had health issues, had been the Mets general manager from 2011 until leaving on his own volition in 2018.

At the time, there was speculation he was unhappy working under Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon. His return to the Mets as team president, at the behest of new owner, Steve Cohen, confirmed that. His first order of business was to fire Brodie Van Wagenen, Jeff Wilpon’s handpicked choice to replace him.

Steve Cohen will have no shortage of candidates interested in the position. It will be interesting to see whether Jon Daniels, who grew up in Fresh Meadows, and was let go last month as president of the Texas Rangers, will be on the list. On the plus side, Daniels who studied economics and management at Cornell University, is well-versed in both the player personnel and business aspects of baseball. One possible negative is Daniels’ decision to fire Buck Showalter as Rangers’ field manager in 2006. Showalter, of course, is currently the manager of the Mets. It’s safe to assume Steve Cohen will seek his input.

Longtime Mets fans were saddened to learn of the passing of John Stearns at age 71 last Friday. Stearns remains one of the best catchers in the team’s history even though he had the misfortune of playing in Flushing during the team’ bleak late 1970s and early 1980s period. As a clubhouse leader, he was a go-to guy for the media for quotes. He was also known for pummeling opposing players who understandably disrespected the Mets. John Stearns remained gritty even in the last month of his life. He attended last month’s Mets Old Timers’ Day despite being frail from years of battling cancer.

On Wednesday night, the Mets joined forces with the NHL team which shares the Amazin’s blue and orange colors, to have an Islanders night at Citi Field. The longest-tenured Islanders player, center Josh Bailey, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Accompanying Bailey was Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky who grew up in Bayside. “I was, and am, a huge Mets fan. I remember taking the Q28 to the last stop and walking over the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge to Shea Stadium. I collected the coupons on the back of the Dairylea milk cartons which got me into the upper deck for free. My friends and I would eventually sneak down to seats in the loge section.!” Ledecky said with a chuckle

You can hear the voices of Mets television voices Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, and Gary Cohen when riding the 7 train to Flushing. They’ll be assisting the conductors through October.

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