# Starkville | Is It Ever Too Early to Fire a Manager?

An episode of [Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1486883874), 2 May 2026, 55 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/69f4d5b0a51cc7d847825ea0/media.mp3

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: starkville@theathletic.com 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.

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