"It's a blessing to see the sun come up every morning" - New York Mets manager who's never won a World Series, has best chance to win this season
New York Mets manager Buck Showalter's career has been laden with successful moments. Showalter, who began managing in 1990, is a three-time American League Manager of the Year. He has over 1,500 wins in his career, good enough for 24th most in the history of Major League Baseball. Barring any developments that would prevent him from managing this year, Showalter stands to break into the top 20.
The New York Mets have high expectations for their new manager
However, one thing that has alluded the newest Mets' skipper is a World Series title. In fact, Showalter has not even made it to the game's biggest stage. The furthest he has guided a team to a World Series berth was in 2014, when the Baltimore Orioles were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series. That doesn't seem to bother Showalter much however, as he shared his gratitude for the opportunity.
Buck Showalter is asked if it bothers him to be referred to as the best manager to never win a World Series:
"Don't even think about it. It's a blessing to see the sun come up every morning. It's not going to define my life.": https://t.co/YWJLnXoexX
It's hard to determine exactly why Showalter hasn't won the big one. He's helmed some of the most talented rosters in Major League Baseball history. After losing to the Seattle Mariners in the playoffs, the New York Yankees fired the first-time manager in 1995. In 1996, led by Joe Torre, the Yankees won the World Series. From 1996 to 2000, the team won four championships in one of the greatest displays of dominance by a team in that half of the century with the final one of that stretch coming against the New York Mets.
Showalter went on to manage the newly-formed Arizona Diamondbacks, leading them to 100 wins in the team's second season. Unfortunately, the team fired Showalter in 2000. In 2001, the Diamondbacks won the World Series against Showalter's other former employer, the New York Yankees. Thankfully, for Showalter's ego, his next two teams (the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles) did not go on to win it all after he departed the organizations.
Showalter enters the 2022 season replacing inexperienced New York Mets skipper, Luis Rojas. He checks all of the boxes for a team that is looking at its best roster in six years. Showalter has dealt with the New York media. He has also managed stars and egos from every corner of the world. He brings a tradition of discipline, winning, and strategy with him.
"Guys are starting to get that look in their eye"
Buck Showalter says that he's never managed a team with such a sense of urgency as Mets players and that they're enjoying the increased freedoms of this Spring Training as opposed to last year's: https://t.co/sJIePsGcie
The New York Mets are arguably giving Buck the best roster he has ever had the chance to manage, with two of the league's greatest pitchers in Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer to go along with young stars Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. While grateful for the opportunity, it will likely be Showalter's last chance to win a World Series title.