David Kohl/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
At the tail end of the 2002 baseball season, when the Mets were weighing whether to fire Bobby Valentine, the team owner, Fred Wilpon, told Valentine to manage the last week of the season as if it were the World Series. It was a test to see if, after a season of losing and despair, Valentine still had it in him to ignite the team for one last push.
If he were to be judged on the final week, Valentine wanted the team to promote Jose Reyes from Class AA — even at 19, Reyes was the organization’s most dynamic player.