Will the Yankees regret letting Carlos Mendoza go to Mets?

“There’s winning, and then there’s misery.” While this quote has been attributed to both Pat Riley and Bill Parcells, there’s another notable New York sports figure who certainly felt the same way: George Steinbrenner. The Boss has now been gone for more than a decade, but his ghost still lingers about the Yankees. What transpired over the last week is probably making him roll over in his grave.

Not only did the Yankees lose valued member of their coaching staff Carlos Mendoza, but they lost him to their biggest rival this side of Boston: the cross-town Mets. Mendoza had been a member of the Yankees organization since 2006, starting as a player in their farm system and eventually becoming a minor league manager and then the team’s infield coach. For the past four seasons, he’s been the club’s bench coach.

The move came as a blow to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who called Mendoza a “tough loss,” via Manuel Gomez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. However, Cashman also expressed surprise that it had taken Mendoza so long to get a shot. “I cannot tell you how much feedback I’ve gotten from everyone he’s interviewed with. It’s been, ‘I cannot believe this guy has not gotten a manager job yet.’”

Mendoza leaving the Yankees may have the biggest impact on manager Aaron Boone, as he’s been Boone’s right-hand man for years. Boone said that he’s not just losing a colleague, but a friend. The Mets were interested in Craig Counsell before he joined the Chicago Cubs, and Mendoza may seem like a consolation prize to some fans, but Boone said he completely understands why a team would want him:

“He is the complete package, man. He’s the real deal. He’s smart, tough, prepared, and works his butt off. He has grown in the job [as bench coach]. He has managed in the minors. He has earned this opportunity.”

While the Mets may be taking a bit of a gamble on a first-time manager, it might end up being the Yankees putting themselves at the biggest risk. Every year since Boone became manager, rumors always seemed to arise that he was on thin ice, especially after a losing streak.

What happens if the Yankees stumble out of the gate next year? What happens if they miss the playoffs again? There’s a good chance that Boone will be gone, and it may turn out that they had the perfect replacement sitting right next to him the whole time.

Perhaps worst of all for Yankees fans: What if Mendoza is a huge success with the Mets? George may never be able to rest in peace.