The Chicago Cubs are in the playoffs. For the New York Mets, the season was a game or two too long. That's OK. Each team had a good regular season. There's a common thread between the two teams. Both Willie Randolph, manager of the Mets and Lou Pinella, manager of the Cubs played under the direction and, er, guidance of Billy Martin. Martin was a gifted manager who was the prize pupil of none other than Casey Stengel. That's right! If there could be anything like royalty among baseball managers, this would be it! If I could speak with any person, living or dead, Casey would be in the top 10. If you ever heard the ol' perfessor speak, chances are that I wouldn't be doing much talking.
So, that's it. Just an observation. The more things change, the more things stay the same. As I watched either the Cubs or Mets this season, I saw many nuances in the managers' decisions that reminded me of when I saw Stengel at Yankee Stadium. Casey Stengel lives - in Cooperstown, in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium and in the minds of the men who played for the men who played for him.
