Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville are back in Starkville to dig into the stunning April firings of Alex Cora and Rob Thomson, breaking down how it unraveled and what it reveals about the ever-shrinking margin for managers. Then, MLB broadcaster Ron Darling joins the show to share his thoughts on the moves, the mounting pressure on today’s skippers, the Mets’ ongoing struggles, and his memories of the iconic 1986 Mets.

Rundown:

0:00 Starkville Is Back!

3:25 April Firings: Alex Cora and Rob Thomson

8:24 Ron Darling Joins the Show

9:18 Darling on Thomson

11:53 Managers in Peril

15:49 Where will Cora Go Next?

17:40 In-season Managerial Changes

18:57 How the Manager Role Has Changed

25:37 What’s Wrong with the Mets?

33:09 40th Anniversary of the ‘86 Mets

39:02 Looking Back at Darling’s Book, ‘The Complete Game’

43:04 Favorite Pitchers

Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social

Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social

E-mail: [email protected]

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels

Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville

With: Ron Darling

Producer: Jason Potere

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.