Jul 16, 2008 11:55 pm US/Eastern
Mets' Manuel: Family, Team, It's All Relevant
Under Interim Manager's Guidance, Amazins To Come Out Of All-Star Break As The Hottest Team In Baseball
Reporting
Sam Ryan
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Interim manager Jerry Manuel of the New York Mets looks on during batting practice prior to a game against the Seattle Mariners at Shea Stadium in Flushing, N.Y., on June 23, 2008.
Jim McIssac/Getty Images
Less than a month after the major shake-up, which included the firing of manager Willie Randolph, the Mets have won nine straight games.
Jerry Manuel has quietly led his team from an embarrassing state to a legitimate contender. CBS 2 HD recently caught up with the Mets' "interim" manager and made it into a "family" affair.
Mets-Reds Game 1 PreviewCBS 2 HD: "In the few weeks you've had this new title, how has your life changed?"
Jerry Manuel: "Well, obviously I'm a little more busy than I was before, just a little. Preparation is a big key for me so I try to do a lot of preparation. "
CBS 2 HD: "You have the "interim" tag on your title. Does that change your approach?"
Jerry Manuel: "No, no, not at all. I really disregard the title. I think even when you have a contract you're interim."
With the added responsibility and pressure of the title "interim" manager, Manuel is spending more time dealing with the media, which includes his youngest daughter Natalie, an intern at WCBS-TV.
Natalie Manuel was recently in the media room during one of her father's press conferences and managed to sneak a question in.
Natalie: "After a 52-minute rain delay was there any possibility of bringing Santana back?"
Jerry Manuel: "No, Natalie. That's my daughter (laughter). I thought I told you that last night (laughter)."
So, we here at CBS 2 HD decided to hand the mic over to Natalie and give her the opportunity to go one-on-one with her dad.
Natalie: "A couple of weeks ago you stated in a press conference that you had four beautiful children and you stated the way that you discipline them … you kind of compared it to how you discipline your players. Can you tell us about that?"
Jerry Manuel: "Well that's a good question Natalie. The most important thing about discipline is to first have a relationship because, you know, if I put some rules on you guys and I haven't established a relationship that equals all that rebellion y'all used to have … so I gotta get that relationship first and that's the same with a team."
Not bad. Right now, Jerry Manuel has his family and his team on his side.
The Mets are a half-game out of first place and will look to extend their nine-game winning streak Thursday night in Cincinnati, while daughter Natalie continues her internship here in New York.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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