We have long hoped Wally Backman, the obstreperous veteran of the 1986 World Champion New York Mets, would someday manage the Amazin's in the balls-out manner he evinced on the field and in court depositions. He's a step closer now, as the Mets organization announced yesterday that Backman will manage the Brooklyn Cyclones, New York's Short-Season-A farm team at Coney Island. Backman was hired in 2004 by the Arizona Diamondbacks to manage in the bigs, then fired when they found out about his DUI and domestic-violence arrests. He's also been known, in his previous minor-league managing career, to throw a few bats and threaten an announcer. Just the man this mopey franchise needs! We hope he's on the fast track to the big job, though he may have some '86-vintage competition: the Mets have also promoted Tim Teufel to manage their double-A team, the Binghamton Mets.

Update: Backman interviewed! "When I was in New York, we took winning and losing personally... I'd like to have 30 guys that played like I played: hard." W00t!