Hour 3: Could Wally Backman Save the Mets? Plus Yankees' Fenway Meltdown

**Chris McMonigle** (0:06)
Wally is Wally. He is as confident in his ability to lead a group of men as anyone I've met. He certainly is.

**Craig Carton** (0:14)
Sometimes you need change, right? Not all the time, but sometimes you need some change and old school stuff.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:18)
I honestly, I think Wally would be a really good, like Don Mattingly, and now Green. I agree. You put him in there in a team that's floundering for the half season. Not that he couldn't do more than that, but I think that's really where I could, you could make a strong argument, a Wally, obviously him specifically, but a type like that, old school, hard nosed manager comes in to help a floundering group that's far better talent wise than they're showing on the field. I think that would be an absolute home run.

**Craig Carton** (0:46)
The best line was, I think a manager can give you 15 extra wins a season. How many games out of the Mets? Oh, 15?
Yeah.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:53)
Clever. I also love the idea, when you ask them what's easier, young kids or veterans to manage, both easy.

**Craig Carton** (1:01)
That's right. I know what I'm doing.
I don't think the day is ever going to come, but I would be thrilled, and I think most Mets fans would be thrilled too, if Wally Backman was here. Look, one of the reasons outside of winning, not a World Series, but winning, that Mets fans love Terry Collins was that fiery attitude. Absolutely. I don't know if you heard him driving up to Boston. He's never changed that fiery attitude. Fans are attracted to that because we feel like that guy knows how we feel. That guy is not going to tolerate lollygagging, right? I don't think Wally Backman is that type of guy.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:39)
No, no doubt.

**Craig Carton** (1:40)
So he also is going to play in our softball game against Major League Baseball. I'm not sure if he's on MLB's team or our team, but he's playing, so we'll get some dates of that. That will be sometime in August when Big Mac is here, which is only a couple of days for the month.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:57)
You're gone in a week, buddy. What are you talking about? And you're taking this Friday.

**Craig Carton** (2:00)
What?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:01)
What?

**Craig Carton** (2:02)
You're doing a solo show Friday?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:03)
No, I'm gone Friday.

**Craig Carton** (2:04)
Oh.
There you go. Let's take some calls. We'll get to the Yankees. I said 3.30. I lied. We'll get to the Yankees closer to 4.30. At least your take on a lost weekend.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:16)
We got to talk about the Yankees. There are things to discuss about the New York Yankees. This weekend, obviously, what's going on with the team.

**Craig Carton** (2:23)
Let me take two calls.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:24)
The overreaction from the fan base as well.

**Craig Carton** (2:26)
Oh, I like it. You're going to attack the fan base.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:28)
Of course I am.

**Craig Carton** (2:28)
Two or three calls, then we'll get Big Mac attacking the Yankee fan base. Here's Steve in Newark on the fan. Steve, how are you, buddy?

**SPEAKER_1** (2:37)
We're Yankees.

**Craig Carton** (2:39)
There you go.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:40)
Now, I'm just going to ask out of curiosity, was Grimace not available today for our interview?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:45)
Is that where you guys have Wally Backman on?

**Craig Carton** (2:46)
Grimace is coming on Tomorrow Show.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:49)
Okay, I mean, Wally Backman, a complete clown.

**Craig Carton** (2:52)
No, you read that completely wrong. You read that completely wrong.
Yes, we're idiots. You're a genius. Because all the Mets moved have worked out year after year after year.

**Chris McMonigle** (3:07)
I'll be totally honest with you. I don't know if Wally would be my hire either, but he certainly would be a viable candidate for someone who isn't what that last caller called him. He's a great baseball man.

**Craig Carton** (3:16)
Yeah. Listen, there's a respect that he brings to the table.

**Chris McMonigle** (3:21)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (3:21)
And there's a guy that won't... Listen, just put it this way. If you think he's a clown, you want to feel the way you're entitled to feel the way.
I have no stake in that outcome. If you actually think he's a clown. But what would you say about a manager...

**Chris McMonigle** (3:33)
Minority of an opinion.

**Craig Carton** (3:34)
What would you say about a manager that doesn't know that his best player isn't sitting in the dugout during games?
What would you say about that manager? Because everyone loves Carlos Mendoza. Great guy. Great guy. I'm sure he is a great guy. What would you call a manager that isn't aware that his best player isn't in the dugout?