Davidoff: Wilpons care; now, can they get this right?

If the Wilpons achieved anything Monday, the first day of a long offseason without baseball at Citi Field, it is this:

They made it clear to their fan base that they care. That they cry and cringe along with their fans whenever incompetence rears its ugly head in Flushing. That they're not just in this to turn a profit.

But with Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel officially gone, and Fred and Jeff Wilpon shedding a pint of blood each, the hard work begins now for the Mets. The owners must prove not only that they know what must be done here, but that they're the ones to do it.

"We're going to look for somebody that has some new ideas and a new leadership quality here to reinvigorate the franchise, to give our fans the hope that they deserve and figure out some ways to do some things to try to turn it around and try to move it into the new direction that we want," COO Jeff Wilpon said. "Create a winning atmosphere and culture within the organization. And we're going to listen. We're going to do a lot of listening at first to see how it comes out."

Perfect. Except that, well, the Wilpons' judgment in people has been questionable, at best.

Minaya returned to the organization six years ago as a New York feel-good story, a Queens native with charm who had a knack for spotting baseball talent. He departed as someone who turned out to be thoroughly overmatched by the job.

Along the way, he brought in Willie Randolph (poor interpersonal skills), Manuel (an enthusiastic detester of statistical analysis) and the notorious Tony Bernazard, who enjoyed free rein to do other people's jobs in addition to his own.

I can't sit here and opine that the Wilpons should hire a smart person whom they don't like, because a good working relationship is essential. But if they find someone with a true vision who can offer both a one-year plan and a five-year plan, they should work hard to like him.

For too long, they've gone with familiar faces; they haven't hired a GM from outside the organization since Frank Cashen came aboard in 1980.

The new GM should plan to share core beliefs with his or her manager and institute those throughout the organization. The person should be able to think proactively, anticipating next year's problems rather than simply throwing a Band-Aid on last year's condition.

The person should be more willing to exert authority on the manager, coaches and players, and also more able to stand up to ownership when, say, there's a crying need for Oliver Perez to be released.

Plenty of such candidates exist. You already know the names: Sandy Alderson, Josh Byrnes, Rick Hahn and Terry Ryan are my four favorite, realistic recommendations.

What the Wilpons said offered plenty of positive prose, but at times, they still make you wonder if they fully appreciate the task at hand. Jeff Wilpon said the "money we misspent" constituted Minaya's biggest crime, but I'll say it was his lack of organizational structure that led to the bad signings of Perez and Luis Castillo.

Fred Wilpon noted "the way we do business" with not only the Mets but their real estate ventures; he referred to the interaction among himself, Jeff Wilpon and Fred's brother-in-law, Saul Katz. The way they do business, though, has led to myriad baseball heartbreak. They need to work faster and with more fluidity, particularly during the winter.

They've got the pick of the litter - the Mets have the only GM opening - and they say they're willing to spend money for the best executive.

Caring is good. Competence is much better. Which is why this will be one of the Mets' most intriguing, important Octobers in their history.