Watching last night’s Daily Show with Jon Stewart I was drawn to tears (laughter) and then forgot all about it this morning. Well thanks to Mets Blog I was reminded about it and wanted to share it with the readers of this site.
Stewart went on a rant about the way that Willie Randolph was fired and how it was probably the worst firing he has ever seen as well as heard about. Then in a surprising twist he lets us hear the way he thinks it went down. Enjoy:
Ian O'Connor at North Jersey writes about Willie Randolph and his reactions to the media and SNY production:The Mets were about to pound the Yanks by an 11-2 count, and Randolph was working himself into a lather, preparing for a bigger-picture fight. He was defending his style of leadership, criticizing the Mets' own network, SNY, for framing an incomplete portrait of that style, and wondering if the color of his skin contributed to the perception that he's a manager who doesn't have ample control of his team.
"Is it racial?" Randolph asked. "Huh? It smells a little bit."
Asked directly if he believes black managers are held to different standards than their white counterparts, Randolph said: "I don't know how to put my finger on it, but I think there's something there. Herman Edwards did pretty well here and he won a couple of playoff [games], and they were pretty hard on Herm. Isiah [Thomas] didn't do a great job, but they beat up Isiah pretty good. ... I don't know if people are used to a certain figurehead. There's something weird about it.
"I think it's very important ... that I handle myself in a way that the [African-American managers] coming behind me will get the opportunities, too ... ."
Come on Willie... There is no reason why you should have pulled that card out of the deck. I know that us fans aren't trying to push you out of office because of the color of your skin. If last season had a color, then it would have been green, for the way it tied my stomach in knots and made me feel like throwing up! Besides that color, come on man. Look at the whole team. Does he think we want Santana, Reyes, Delgado, Beltran, Pedro and others off the team because of their skin color?
EDITOR'S NOTE - From David: I was hoping, no, praying, that it wouldn't come down to this, to making this about race. I am only speaking for myself right now, though I may as well be speaking for Jonathan and John, whom I know will agree with what I am about to say, just as we agreed with what John posted above. We are New Yorkers- whether we live there now, or were raised there, and that means that things like judging people by "color" or "nationality" are reserved for the very small minority, as the majority of us are, indeed, minorities of one kind or another ourselves. Willie Randolph, in spite of what you think about his management style and success, has long been a great role model in the game, not just for African-Americans, but for baseball fans, period; for Americans, period! He's someone who worked very hard to get where he is, and hasn't forgotten what it took to get him there! His foundation, in addition to the many other things he's involved in, shows this involvement each and every day! I personally loved his style of play as a Yankee, as I've said many, many times on this blog, and he is one of a handful of Yankees' that I actually could say I loved as players, a notch below my love for Mets' players themselves. When he became a Met, at the end of his career, it was a great moment, and I remember talking to Jonathan about it, and we thought it was a great move, as Willie could be like a manager on the field. When he was hired as our manager, we also thought it was a great move - never because of his "skin color," only because of what we felt he'd accomplish on the field. Let's see- on the walls above my desk are autographs of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Oscar Robertson, Willie Mays, Gary Carter, Tom Seaver, Pedro Martinez, Mike Bossy, Ted Williams- to name but a few- and you know what they ALL have in common? They were all great ballplayers that I've admired, and they are all part of my life in one way or another- some due to personal circumstances, most due to being a fan of their talents and achievements; the one thing they all have in common is that they wear a uniform! If anything, perhaps one might say that we're prejudiced against a uniform, be it Phillies, Braves or Yankees- and that, I would summize, is allowable in the world of fandom that we exist within. However, since Willie has worn the orange and blue, I'd say that the vast majority of Mets' fans (outside of the vocal few who seem to embarass any team in spite of everyone's good intentions) have accepted and embraced him as our manager- until the collapse of 2007. Willie is viewed by the vast majority of Mets' fans based on his contributions on the field, as manager of this ballclub, within the context of "wins and losses" and, for the most part, nothing more. I urge everyone in the media, whether you post on a blog, leave comments on a blog, write for a newspaper, broadcast for a network, or simply read/view one of those, to judge Willie simply on the merits of his on-field accomplishments as a manager with this ballclub. Taken by just those standards, especially from this point last season until now, his work so far is no better than that of Art Howe, another manager who was firmly on the hot seat as well.
Finally, we're also assuming that what was written in the article was 100% accurate, and having read O'Connor's work, I have no reason to assume that it's not. The one area where I'm willing to give a measure of doubt is tone- things like sarcasm, humor, etc., don't often translate well to the written word- I'm sure each of you have misread emails in your lives! However, comparing himself to the likes of Isiah Thomas and Herm Edwards is ridiculous- why didn't he throw Ray Handley, Bruce Coslet, Rich Kotite, Art Howe, Dallas Green, Jeff Torborg and, prior to the Super Bowl, Tom Coughlin? They received a hard drumming on their way out of town- and that, in essence, is what it means to manage/coach in ole NY - it's not about race, it's about victories!
We're going to try not to post any additional issues about "race" on this blog, just as we've stayed away from the ignorant comments regarding the international make-up of this club in years past; we urge everyone else, including Willie, to keep this about baseball, and nothing else! The best thing that could happen would be for the Mets to go on a winning streak, go 12-2 over the next 14 games or so, and let the talk of Willie's managerial demise subside. It's amazing what a nice win streak can do, and perhaps it will make this again about what we're here to discuss in the first place- BASEBALL!!!!
Josh Alper at AOL Sports writes about the home run blunder last night and that the umpire admits that he messed up the call: Umpires like Bob Davidson who, from home plate, overruled third-base umpire (and umpire in position to make the call) Mike Reilly's fair ruling of Carlos Delgado's shot. After the game, he offered this assessment of a job poorly done.
"I ----ed it up. I'm the one who thought it was a ---- foul ball. I saw it on the replay. I'm the one who ----ed it up so you can put that in your paper. Bolts and nuts, I ----ed up. You've just got to move on. No one feels worse about it than I do.
Adam Rubin at The Daily News writes about Luis Castillo and how he might find himself on the DL:Willie Randolph suggested Luis Castillo could land on the DL if his strained left quadriceps, which has sidelined him since he left Sunday's game, doesn't improve soon. Castillo said he didn't need to go on the DL.
This might be the best thing for Castillo and the team as he has just been a sporadic player since the season started.
Adam Rubin at Surfing the Mets writes about David Wright’s opinion on who he feels the captain of the Mets is:Don’t look for David Wright to be named captain of the Mets anytime soon. Despite constant chatter about it by the fan base the past few years, Wright said the topic of naming a captain hasn’t even come up in the clubhouse. Wright also suggested Willie Randolph is, in essence, the captain.
“Willie does a good job of providing that role,” Wright said. “I think that it’s Willie’s team. As far as having a captain, a lot of it is just kind of for show”Way to put that talk to bed fast Wright. I mean you can’t look at him and say are you kidding? Come on Wright, you know you should be the captain without incriminating Willie.
Mike Puma at The New York Post writes about Paul Lo Duca and how him coming back to New York may not be a dead issue anymore:
Minaya said he and his staff are considering free-agent options and trades to fill the catching position. That includes Paul Lo Duca, whose agent Minaya has contacted, although it's believed Lo Duca wants a long-term deal, and the Mets are not inclined to go past one or two years.
Willie Randolph, speaking at the Bowery Mission in Manhattan, where he helped serve lunch to the homeless yesterday, indicated he wouldn't mind having Lo Duca back.
"I'm only the manager, not and the general manager and this is a group decision, but Paulie could play for me any day," Randolph said.
Ed Ryan over at Mets Fever (Network Member) writes about the possibility of the Mets obtaining Orlando Hudson from the Diamondbacks in the Off Season due to their incredible depth of Infield talent.
Hudson is famous for his excellent fielding. Making those diving catches at smokers and ground balls have won him two Gold Gloves (one with the Blue Jays and one with the Diamondbacks). Receiving the Gold Glove in the American and National leagues earned him a spot with only five other Major Leaguers to do so.
As Ed states in his article, Hudson is a career .278 hitter. However, don’t let this fool you, because ever since 2003, his average has been on a steady increase as his hitting ability catches up with his fielding (’03 - .268, ’04 - .270, ’05 - .271, ’06 - .287; ’07 - .294).
Hudson is everything that Manager Willie Randolph stands for in his Second Basemen and would be a great addition if they decide not to bring Luis Castillo back for next season.
The only potential problem would be where would he bat? For the Diamondbacks, Orlando Hudson has been their leadoff hitter and as we all know, the Mets already have such a player. The only potential place to put him, would be in Castillo’s spot.
This is going to be THE critical off-season for the Mets' under Omar Minaya's short stay as General Manager, one that will determine where the franchise is poised towards for the next few years. Willie is the manager for the forseeable future, nothing I can say will change that, so rather than continuing to debate his obvious short-comings and merits, we are instead going to move forward towards, hopefully, a more successful 2008 season, the last in our beloved (and loathed) Shea Stadium (and namesake). However, that doesn't mean that we can't suggest somebroad, sweeping and potentially controversial changes to the team and the staff for this off-season. Without further ado, here is what we propose: (with apologies to John Delcos, as this was written yesterday and only posted today.)
1.) Once Joe Torre is fired by the Yankees, bring him in as Willie's bench coach. He wants to stay in New York, and he's got a tight relationship with Willie, one of his "pupils," so this might work, and what a positive PR stroke to shove it back at Boss Steinbrenner. Torre could be a positive influence on Willie, and although they are both more laid-back in nature, having Torre around should strengthen some of the areas where Randolph is supposedly already strong, and allow him a cool-hand who has been through the fire for the past 12 seasons and help him not just keep control of the often-fractured clubhouse but also potentially entice some of Torre's soon-to-be former players over from the "dark side."
2.) Sign Aaron Rowand, NOT Andruw Jones! Move Beltran to right, and add this sparkplug to a lineup that needs Rowand's type of hustle. Hmmm, what other outfielder played for both the Mets and Phils, was a dirty-uniform type full of piss and vinegar? Can you say LENNY DYKSTRA? We seem to need better chemistry on this team (read - GAMERS) and perhaps having him at the top of the order allows Reyes to move down in the order and add an entirely new dimension to the line-up. He would also cost a lot less than Jones, and is at least coming off of a career year, rather than a career-hurting year. He'd cost around the price of Gary Matthews, Jr., somewhere around 10 mil per for about 3 years. His signing allows us to move on to ...
5.) With an entirely new front office, the Pirates will probably be loathe to trade any of their few existing, talented players, but a deal MIGHT be possible if we were to eat a large contract of theirs, say someone like Jack Wilson, who could be a role player for us in the event we don't re-sign Luis Castillo and with the retirement of Jeff Conine about to be formalized. Package Wilson with pitcher Tom Gorzelanny in exchange for cash, Jon Niese, A-Hern, Adam Bostick and Jose Coronado. We can also eat another Pirates' contract if need be.
6.) Since the Tigers are going to exercise their option on I-Rod, we can slap the Yanks' again, and reunite Torre with Jorge Posada and re-sign the top back-up catcher in the bigs, Ramon Castro. This combo should keep us going until Mr. Pena is ready to step up to the majors. PLD wont' come back, although this would be my first choice, and Mr. Piazza seems relegated to the A.L., so Posada makes a lot of sense, especially coming off of another great season!7.) As we discussed back in July, we recommend bringing back Moises Alou, re-signing Endy Chavez, and leaving Carlos Gomez in AAA for seasoning. Imagine an outfield of Beltran, Rowand and Alou, with Chavez and Anderson backing them up - not bad at all! Gomez needs a full year of seasoning, as we forget how young he still is and there is no substitution for playing regularly at a high level. Gomez will be the eventual replacement for Alou, in 2009, which would leave us with 3 fantastic fielders and a LOT of speed out there.
10.) The team lacked fire last season - and the additions of Posada, Santana and Rowand would certainly spark this team on their way to the World Series. Wright should be more consistent; Reyes shouldn't disappear in crunch-time again; Perez and Maine are just coming into their own; Pedro will be a more top-flight Pedro this season, good for another 15 wins or so; Beltran, in spite of the fickleness of our fans, is a true gamer and with a stronger line-up, wouldn't have to feel as though he had to play regardless of how hurt he might have been; and finally, Smith and Feliciano, with a lighter workload in the first half and increased inning production from the starters, won't burn out so quickly in the season. There's no reason why this team can't win it all next season - as long as they don't get in their own way!
from MetsLifer.com
Ok, Willie. Now you can go take a vacation since Omar has announced that you're not going to be fired (yet). But don't think that you can go manage this team the same way you did this year.
Nope. Some changes need to be made. There's no negotiating these points. It's my way or the highway. So read them carefully. Memorize them. Tattoo them on your body if that's what it takes. I want these points to roll off your tongue as if you were naming your children.
Here are my demands:
1. Bunt more - You have possibly the fastest team in baseball next year if Reyes, Gomez, & Chavez are all back on the team. And them with Wright, Beltran and possibly Gotay and you have 6 guys who can steal 20 bases. Don't be afraid to bunt, especially if Chavez/Gomez/Reyes are on 3rd base and there's only 1 out. You'll add more runs and avoid more double plays. You'll thank me for this later when you win manager of the year.
2. Erase Guillermo Mota from your memory - Guillermo who? That's right. Never heard of him. Is he a hot shot second baseman? No? Then I'm not interested.
3. Demand bullpen help from Omar - Omar preaches pitching but come the trading deadline we got Jeff Conine. You've got to let Omar what you need to win. Sometimes he gets his own ideas. Speak up, be heard.
4. Bring back Luis Castillo - The guy's legs are going to fall off at any second, but he'd still bat .300 for this team. He's the kind of no nonsense, get the job done while sacrificing yourself type of player that New York loves, and needs. Think Mark Bavaro at second base. He's the only guy who consistently came through down the stretch outside of Wright & Beltran.
5. Defend your guys - Willie you're always quick to say that Mota's "your guy" or these are "my guys" and I'm sticking with them. Well show them some support from time to time on the field. Marlon Anderson & Paul Lo Duca are getting hosed by the umpires and you lally gag out on the field and don't even put up an argument. Get tossed from a game once in a while. The fans will love you for it. I know this against every fiber of your being, but we need to see your passion in more than words in a post game interview.
6. Bring back Marlon Anderson - This guy is our modern day Rusty Staub. He doesn't have to start a game the whole year and he'd come through in the clutch for us. Must have.
7. Have faith in your young studs - Milledge can play. Gomez has got talent. Gotay has got skills. Don't be afraid to let them play. Milledge was leading the team in batting with runners in scoring position and you buried him in the 8th spot or made him platoon with Damion Easley in right. If they show they can play, let them. I want you to protect them and not force them into the spotlight too early, but please let them help us win ball games. We don't want any more Julio Franco's or Jeff Conine's, old veterans who are supposed to add help but end up just hurting. Youth movement my friend. Remember these youths turn into pretty good veterans.
8. Tell Mike and the Mad Dog No More Interviews - Tell WFAN you'll do all your interviews with Steve Sommers or Joe Baningo. Until Mike and the Mad Dog become decent radio personalities again, you're cutting them off. They want to hate the Mets, let them. But you don't have to feed their fury.
Those are my demands, Mr. Randolph. You've got all offseason to work on them.
At The Sports Network they write about the Mets and their decision to keep Willie Randolph on as the manager:The New York Mets have reportedly decided to stick with manager Willie Randolph, despite a historic late-season collapse that left the team out of the playoffs.
According to Newsday, general manager Omar Minaya has decided to keep Randolph, who inked a three-year contract on January 25 that also included an option for 2010.
Under the terms of the deal, Randolph, who received $1.4 million this season, will be paid $2 million in 2008 and $2.25 million in 2009. The option for 2010 is $2.5 million.
Jose Reyes suffers from Willie Mays Hayes Syndrome. Jose has been hitting the ball in the air almost every at-bat. The Mets suffered and ended up loosing the division in part because of the sloppy play of Reyes. After batting .307 before the all star break with 4 home runs, 9 triples, and 35 rbis. Since the all star break Jose had an average of .251 with 8 home runs, 3 triples, and 22 rbis. In the month of september Reyes was awful batting .205 with 2 home runs, 8 rbis, and had just 5 stolen bases while being thrown out 4 times. Jose needs to learn that in order to be successful he needs to hit line drives and not home runs. He needs to get singles and steal, not hit triples every time. He needs to be the catalyst he was all of last year and that he was in the first half of the season if the Mets want to win and if he wants the boo's to stop.
In nearly 40 years of watching baseball, I can’t remember a weaker N.L. playoff bunch then this year’s version. This is not sour grapes because the Mets’ didn’t get in, as I am including our beloved orange and blue right in that mix, as they didn’t even GET to the play-offs. What does that really say about a team that we all thought was far better than this? Growing up, my favorite 2 days of the year, after my birthday, of course, was the All-Star Game and the first game of the World Series. With names like Morgan, 
Schmidt, Garvey, Seaver, Carlton, Bench, Rose, Concepcion, Bowa and Simmons in the mix every year throughout the 70’s, there were always familiar names throughout the roster, many of whom became Hall-of-Famers. It’s not like the N.L. won every year, as the A’s and Yankees were just as memorable as the Big Red Machine was, but whichever N.L. team made it to the Series’ at least looked like they could go all the way to the championship.
This year, it is as far from certain as I have ever seen it (and yes, that includes last year’s under-achieving Cards, who in spite of their record had a lot of great players who came through when they had to.) Who looks powerful this year- the Cubs? Please – they simply out-lasted the Brewers, in the worst division in the game. The D-Backs? Their roster is laden with youngsters and beyond Webb, their pitching isn’t going to scare anyone. The Padres? IF they make it after today’s game vs. the Rockies, after Jake Peavey, there’s not a lot to be scared of, especially with the losses of Cameron and Bradley. The Phils? While their hitting can surpass anyone this side of the Yankees, their pitching, especially in short series action, leaves much to be desired and isn’t set up for a championship run. That leaves the Rockies, who have to beat the Padres in that one-game series today. Their offense is as potent as the Phils, especially with now-probably MVP winner Matt Holliday in their line-up, and their pitching is a mite bit better than the Phils and their momentum could very well carry them all the way to the Series…
…and that is EXACTLY where it seems like it would stop, or any other National League team’s momentum should stop, as it doesn’t matter if it’s the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels or Indians, the A.L. should have no problem rolling over their senior circuit counterpart. IF the Mets’ had made it all the way to the series, they probably wouldn’t have been able to defeat the A.L. team, either; at least we would have had an opportunity though. If Commissioner Bud really wants parity, well, he’s got it…it just seems more parody than parity to me right now…
I wish I could say it was a great season, but it wasn’t, and the reality that we didn’t deserve it with the kind of play we showed in September is evidence that all of the advancements we thought we’d made might be more illusory than reality…but we’ll talk more about that tomorrow. In the meantime, I have to figure out how to get rid of a pair of Padres tickets for Sundays’ game – I thought it was going to be a Mets- Padres game and John Y was going to fly out here to see the game…there’s always next year, because we’re all Mets’ fans and we’ve only been to 4 World Series in 45 years of existence – what’s another few years (or year, hopefully)? (LOL)
Some quick notes: After tomorrow’s recap column, and one more with our long-awaited (and long-promised) awards nominees, we’ll be taking about 3 weeks off. That will just about bring us to the GM meetings in November, followed by the Winter Meetings in December, and we’ll be speculating with the best and the rest as to what moves we might make this off-season to right this ship.
Anthony Di Como at Mets.com writes about Willie Randolph and how Omar Minaya thought of his job this season:
General manager Omar Minaya praised his manager after Sunday afternoon's season-ending loss to the Marlins, but wouldn't say whether or not Randolph's job in New York was safe.
"I owe it to sit down with my ownership and tell them what I think," Minaya said. "But I'm telling you that I am happy with the work that Willie Randolph has done here for the past few years."
Now before you read this post, I am not saying that Willie Randolph, in my eyes, deserves to be fired over what has transpired over the course of this season. I am merely running through a “what if” scenario. What if the Mets don’t make it to the post season and the Met management feels that Willie Randolph is the primary source for the blame? Will they fire him?
According to an article written by Bill madden in the New York Daily News, they had the following to say about Willie Randolph and his managerial skills as the Mets skipper:“Rumor has it there is growing disenchantment from above with Randolph,” adding, “Those familiar with the mind-set of the team’s hierarchy contend the Met bosses believe any manager could have achieved what Randolph did last year, given the talent he had.”
Those are some pretty strong words from a front office that is supposedly backing Willie up one hundred percent.
If Willie Randolph were to be fired by season’s end, myself as well as David Rubin feel there should only be one candidate to take his place.
Joe Girardi, who guided the baby Marlins, in 2006, in a surprising Wild Card chase and an over achieving season (finished 78-84). For that act alone he was awarded the Manager of the Year for the National League.
Because of his hard nosed attitude towards the game and his conflicts with the Marlins front office he was relieved of his duties as the Manager. This had nothing to do with his ability to get the most out of his players because of sheer demand.
Now a part of the Yankees broadcast team, Girardi would definitely not turn down the opportunity to once again coach a Major League Team and he may be just what these lackadaisical Mets need.
One thing is for certain, Paul Lo Duca would have no problem playing for a manager who is as fiery as Joe Girardi, as they share the same passion for the game and being a former catcher sure doesn’t hurt.
John Heyman at Sports Illistrated writes about Jeff Wilpon and how he views the Mets struggles recently:
"I'm disappointed with the way the team is performing overall, and that's everyone, top to bottom,'' Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told SI.com before Wednesday's much-needed win expanded New York's NL East lead over Philadelphia to 2½ games. "I'm disappointed in Omar, Willie, the players ... that's everyone. We shouldn't be in this position. But we are. We've got to fight our way out and pull this out.''
Michael Phillips at Mets.com writes about Mike Pelfrey and what Willie Randolph had to say about his maturity:
"He's maturing, and he's still finding his way, but we need his stuff," the manager said. "He might give up a few hits here and there, but he also broke some bats. It was a good outing for him. It's nice to see him progress."
Pelfrey recorded four strikeouts, three of them against leadoff hitter Nook Logan. He gave up hits, but was able to make pitches at key times, stranding five runners while allowing just three to score.
Michael Phillips at Mets.com writes about John Maine and why Willie Randolph left him in past the fourth:
Manager Willie Randolph said that he didn't consider taking starter John Maine out of the game in the fourth inning, because he didn't think the right-hander was struggling.
"I thought he was throwing the ball pretty good, actually," Randolph said. "I didn't think he was losing it."
"He's one of my better pitchers," Randolph said. "So you let him ride, you let him go."
John Heyman at Sports Illistrated writes about Julio Franco and the internal problems when he was with the Mets:
Some people around the Mets say things are better in the clubhouse with Julio Franco gone. They say he was a divisive influence who was constantly second-guessing manager Willie Randolph. "It was obvious he wanted Willie's job,'' one uniformed Met said.
Jim Malony at MLB.com writes about the Manager of the year award and the candidates:
The Mets have had more injuries to deal with this season than last. They've had setbacks on the pitching staff and inconsistent performances from several players, but through it all Randolph has kept his team atop one of the toughest divisions in baseball.
John Delcos at Lo Hud writes about David Wright and the posibility of him becoming the Mets captain:
I recently spoke with several Mets about the possibility of David Wright being named team captain. Manager Willie Randolph said he’s not inclined to name a captain now, but if he were Wright has the qualifications.
Wright told me that just his teammates believe he could handle the role is an honor.
Atom Feed (xml)
