Jerry Manuel

The Mets have begun their offseason transactions by relieving Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel of their duties.  This came as no surprise to fans as Manuel's contract expired once the season ended, and Minaya still had not proven himself to be a GM that will make the moves necessary.

Owners of professional sports teams are a fascinating set.  Usually wealthy, some charismatic, some stoic, others intensely private.  Only a select few people accumulate enough wealth to own a professional sports team, so naturally they draw a fair amount of interest.

The New York Mets cleaned house Monday, officially parting ways with manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya.

After finishing the season with a disappointing 79-83 record, a whopping 18 games behind the first-place Phillies in the National League East, the writing was on the wall for both men.

Now, in need of new leadership at the top, the Mets suddenly face the prospect of rebuilding from the farm system all the way up to the major league level.

Heading into the 2010 season, this is a team that many had pegged to compete with the Philadelphia Phillies for the division title.

It's safe to say that a few things went wrong.

After finishing 79-83, the Mets are now coming off their second straight disappointing season and are a team in crisis. Sure, the dismissals of General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel will appease some fans, but it certainly won't solve any of the team's woes.

Two years and a day after Jerry Manuel agreed to terms with the New York Mets to replace Willie Randolph as full-time manager, he finds himself out of a job.

After a successful stint as interim manager in 2008 with a 55-38 record, Manuel really struggled as full-time manager, leading the Mets to two consecutive losing seasons with a cumulative record of 149-175.

Just a day after the New York Mets' season ended, the team has already begun to make some major changes.

It was announced today that Jerry Manuel will not have his contract renewed for next season.

Manuel never managed to have much success in New York. Over two-and-a-half years, he had a record of 204-213. This gave him a .489 winning percentage.

According to reports, manager Jerry Manuel and GM Omar Minaya will not be returning to those roles next season. Jon Heyman of SI.com released the news.

This should not be a surprise of anyone around baseball as the two men have been under fire last past two seasons. With yesterday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Mets are assured a second straight losing season.

I have long believed a manager and his coaches know their players better than any fan second-guessing lineups and decisions.

One of the things that boggles my mind about the Mets coaching staff is their seeming inability to see what every fan sees.

Ask any Mets fan if David Wright should bat cleanup in the lineup and I’ll guarantee you most will say no. Wright seems to tighten up when batting fourth. He also seems to go into slumps and strikeout more from the four hole.

The New York Mets have good news and bad news right now. As the season is winding down, they are finally at the .500 mark and for those keeping track at home, 13 games out of the division. That's not the news I refer to.

Another baseball season is nearing its conclusion and for the fourth consecutive October, the New York Mets are absent.  With the front office sending out signs that the team will not make a big free agent splash this offseason, many fans are depressed.

Many have given up on the Mets' 2011 season already, but there are certain things that the team has in place that should keep fans optimistic.

Here are the top five reasons to believe that it will be different for the Mets in 2011.