By Jordan Heller and Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — With yet another disappointing season in the books, the New York Mets announced Monday that they have removed Omar Minaya from his post as general manager and fired manager Jerry Manuel.
The news comes as no surprise as rumors of Minaya's and Manuel's demise have been circling since the All Star break, when it became apparent that the Amazins were on their way to their second consecutive losing season, despite a payroll of $136 million.
Manuel's contract expired Monday and the team declined to exercise a one-year option. Minaya is under contract for another two seasons at more than $1 million a year. It was unclear on Monday if he would remain with the organization in some other capacity.
Mets fans hope the firings mark the end of an ugly era in the club's history. Prior to their losing campaigns of 2009 and 2010, the Mets finished the 2007 and 2008 seasons with two historic collapses. In 2007, they failed to make the playoffs despite a seven-game lead in the division with just 17 to play. In 2008, they repeated the feat by blowing a three-and-a-half-game hold on first place with less than three weeks on the schedule.
Fred Wilpon, the principal owner and CEO of the Mets, said he had the utmost repect for Minaya and Manuel at a news conference Monday, but regretted the fate of his team under their leadership.
"The last four years have been the most painful to me and probably most disappointing in over 30 years," he said.
"We're on a new road," he added. "We're going to hire a new GM and he will hire the manager."
On Sunday at Citi Field, during what was perhaps a fitting end to the Mets' 2010 season, they lost in 14 innings to the Washington Nationals with the erratic and oft-injured Ollie Perez being charged with the loss.
"I think it's time for a change," said Ivan Martinovic, who was sitting in the nosebleed section. "The Yankees are playing so well and we've been the second team in this city long enough."
Mike Casiano, 57, a season ticket-holder, faulted the players and the ownership for the lack of a winning culture.
"The team has no heart," he said, as he concentrated on his scoring sheet in front of him. "We lose a player for a game here and they stay out forever."
Former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and former Athletics GM Sandy Alderson have been mentioned as general manager candidates in various reports.
However, it's the manager position that has garnered the most intrigue in Flushing.
Wally Backman, a fan-favorite who was the second baseman on the Mets 1986 championship team, has been mentioned and so has Bobby Valentine, the colorful and spirited skipper of the Amazins from 1996 to 2002.
