Former Mets manager discusses his controversial departure from team

Buck Showalter spoke with WFAN hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata on Tuesday about the controversial way the New York Mets handled the manager's exit from the club this past fall. 

"Life’s too short," Showalter said during the interview about having no hard feelings toward the Mets, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "I don’t want to be the angry old guy on the front porch screaming at the kids. It’s a good group. I’m pulling for them."

Showalter, 67, told reporters ahead of New York's season finale on Oct. 1 before the club officially introduced David Stearns as its new president of baseball operations that the Mets were going in a different direction regarding the manager position. 

After the Mets chose New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their new skipper, Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media wrote that "Showalter deserved better" from his former employer. 

"Stearns didn’t even give Showalter the courtesy of a face-to-face conversation," Klapisch said at that time. 

"I talked to David two-to-three days after his press conference," Showalter told Tierney and Licata on Tuesday. "He wants his own people. I understand that. (Former Mets general manager) Billy Eppler wanted his people … we all think we can do the job and get the opportunity, but it doesn’t always work out the way you hope or think it should."

Showalter earned National League Manager of the Year honors in 2022, but the Mets famously squandered a 10.5-game lead they held over the Atlanta Braves in the division standings during that season before New York ultimately fell to the San Diego Padres in a wild-card playoff series. 

While the 2023 Mets were responsible for baseball's most expensive squad, alleged clubhouse issues combined with other known setbacks and a losing record resulted in team owner Steve Cohen approving a summer fire sale that essentially removed the club from the playoff picture with two months remaining in the campaign. 

In total, Showalter posted a record of 176-148 across his two regular seasons with the Mets.