Bamberger's managerial career was not over, however. Frank Cashen, another former Oriole executive, hired him as skipper of the struggling New York Mets for . The Mets had gone only 41–62 (.398) under Joe Torre during the strike-shortened season. The 1982 Mets—still in the early stages of a rebuilding process that would produce the 1986 world championship—played at almost an identical pace (.401), led the National League in bases on balls and finished second-worst in team ERA. Then the 1983 edition started even worse. They were 16–30 (.348) on June 3 when Bamberger resigned, saying, "I've probably suffered enough."