Buck Showalter will keep his job at the New York Mets for the remainder of the season, after owner Steve Cohen backed the 67-year-old in a press conference.
It's been a shocking season for the Mets so far, as they sit 17 wins behind the Atlanta Braves in NL East with a .450 win percentage. The Mets have the most expensive payroll in the sport’s history this season, but they're not seeing any positive results.
Head coach Showalter and general manager Billy Eppler are understandably under pressure, but Cohen has stood by them. When asked by a reporter if the pair would remain in their roles this season, Cohen replied: "Absolutely."
Frustration continues to show in Showalter, and the coach was ejected for the second time in four games on Wednesday night. Showalter disputed a pitch-call in their 5-2 defeat against the Milwaukee Brewers, and his protests meant he wasn't able to see out the remainder of the game.
Nothing seems to be going the Mets' way this season, and even fans from other teams sided with Showalter on Wednesday. The call from MLB officials appeared controversial, and especially under the pressure Showalter couldn't remain calm.
Results are frustrating Cohen too, especially as his huge payroll appears to be going to waste this season. "It’s been incredibly frustrating," Cohen said. "I see what’s going on.
"Would I have expected us to be in this position at the beginning of the season? No. But here we are." Although Cohen did not expect to be in this position, the owner does not think an emotional decision is justified, and believes in his staff.
"Everybody wants a headline. Everybody says, ‘ Fire this person, fire that person,'" he added. "I don’t see that as a way to operate. If you want to attract good people to this organisation, the worst thing you can do is be impulsive."
The Mets won 101 games last season, finishing with the same record as the Braves. The MLB season is almost halfway through, but the Mets would have to win 65 of their remaining 82 games to match their tally from the previous campaign.
It could be a difficult reassessment next offseason, and unless their roster can complete a miraculous turnaround under Showalter and Eppler then this campaign is already over. Only the Washington Nationals are beneath the Mets in NL East, with a huge second half of the season for both teams.
