Mets GM Omar Minaya and field manager Jerry Manuel are most likely lamer-than-lame ducks, a status WFAN’s Howie Rose (above) openly admits to (“based on the results, no one could logically argue that they shouldn™t be removed”). However, the Mets’ radio play-by-play voice decries a modern tenor that routinely holds both men up to ridicule and abuse ; “read the message boards, listen to the radio, even the occasional newspaper article or column will suggest that these men are buffoons or bad people, and that™s just not the case.”

I realize that we live in an angry world, and that it™s no longer fashionable to say anything nice about anyone, but I am going to do that anyway. Omar Minaya may have left the Mets with a bunch of bad contracts that severely hamper this team™s chances for significant improvement next season, but he remains one of the nicest people in baseball who doesn™t have many, if any enemies in the game. Even Adam Rubin likes Omar, in spite of what happened last season. He™s a hard worker whose abilities in scouting and talent evaluation will serve him well in his next assignment, whether with the Mets or some other team. Quite simply, Omar Minaya is an impossible person to dislike.

I™m sorry if I™ve ruined your day with a few kind words on behalf of a couple of internet pinatas, but sometimes we need to remember that there™s more to a man than wins, losses, trades and signings. Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya will be fine, because they are fine people above all else.

Believe it or not, Rose might be onto something here. For instance, James Dolan is routinely lambasted in this space as one of the world’s owners in professional sports, but what about his dogged efforts to find spots on the Bonnaroo bill for struggling young talent? Jeff Francoeur might have shown all the knowledge of the strike zone of a latter-day Dave Kingman (sans the pop, of course), but how many of us took the time to consider his splendid public service on behalf of The Pepsi Refresh Project — possibly the most important social endeavor since the civil rights movement? Howie’s right — who really gives a shit if these incompetent boobs are shitting all over the teams we love? As long as they’re well-mannered and don’t make inappropriate allusions to “Love & Basketball”, everything’s cool.