Willie Randolph

This isn't the way Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya drew things up in the offseason.

The Mets put yet another star on the disabled list, this time center fielder Carlos Beltran. He joins Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes on the DL, and that's just in the lineup.

Continue reading "The 2009 New York Mets are Finally the Underdogs"

reats of the same.  Starting with the first loss of the season, rumors and uncertainties about Willie Randolph’s job security swirled around the Mets and ran rampant throughout the intense New York media.

Continue reading "In the Aftermath Of The Collapse ..."

     With Willie Randolph already fired mid-season, fans and media types have had to search elsewhere for a scapegoat.  As a result, many have opined that the Mets’ core of offensive talent (Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran) is simply unable to take the team to the next level, and should be broken up via trades.  Let’s take a look at what getting rid of those players would mean for the Mets, one by one.

Continue reading "In The Aftermath Of The Collapse ..."

feat for this Jerry Manuel-led Mets team.  If certain players were simply not playing hard for Willie Randolph, then that's a shame, and it's inexcusable on the part of those players.  But since the managerial change the Mets have shown a newfound resiliency, and an ability to get up off the mat after being hit hard.  Tuesday's extra-inning loss was devastating, but the Mets stayed in last night's game from a mental perspective and bounced back.

Continue reading "Delgado's Two Bombs Save The Day"

; Aside from the 10-game winning streak, the Mets have lost just as many excruciating games as when Willie Randolph was at the helm, and even with the streak they are still only 24-18, which is better, but still not spectacular.  Since the managerial change the Mets have seemed to play harder and fight more once they fall behind, but who knows if that is attributed the the manager himself or the feeling of ease created by the lack of uncertainty surrounding the manager’s job?  This next homestand will be an interesting test, as this four-game losing streak is the first real period of tribulation the team has experienced under Manuel.

Continue reading "Shaky Pen Gets Mets Swept By 'Stros"

These are the types of situations that get managers fired; if this type of move didn't work out for Willie Randolph and the team ended up losing the game, he would have been one step closer to the unemployment line, whereas if it worked out for Jerry Manuel, he would be venerated as the next John McGraw.

Continue reading "David Wright Bails Out Poor Pitching, ..."

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    The Mets are now 14-9 with Jerry Manuel at the helm, after going 34-35 under Willie Randolph.  Over the last six games the Mets have shown a newfound confidence and swagger that they had been lacking since early last season.  But before we start comparing Manuel to Leo Durocher, let's remember that just six games ago the team was 8-9 under the new manager, Jose Reyes was slamming his glove down in frustration after a throwing error, hitters were not coming through in the clutch, the bullpen was blowing games left and right, and the starting pitching was inconsistent.  Sure, there is a lot to be happy about over the last six games, but it is best to remain cautiously optimistic because everything always looks a lot better during a six-game winning streak.

Continue reading "Mets Go For Seven Straight Tonight at Shea"

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If unlike me, you're not yet sick of talking about the Willie Randolph firing, this is an interesting and all-encompassing discussion on ESPN.com:  http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=21106

Continue reading "Dust Off Your Brooms, Tatis Comes Through Again"

It's been a long time since I've posted and so much has happened that it's almost impossible to summarize my reaction in a single entry. The Willie era is over, some would say mercifully, and the Jerry "Gangsta" Manuel era has begun. So far this season I've already been burned too many times by the "maybe this is the turning point theory". Just look at my post after the Yankees series. But while I'm still wrestling with my feelings toward Randolph's tenure--the feel good story aspect of it at the beginning and the tragic fall from grace at the end--I must admit that I'm just a little excited about the team's new direction.

Continue reading "Death and Rebirth"

In some ways, this was handled better than the Mets’ embarrassing and insulting firing of Willie Randolph. At least McLaren wasn’t dangled for weeks before a midnight assassination, and there were suitably kind words for McLaren upon his dismissal, with new GM Lee Pelekoudas obviously distressed about having to fire his longtime friend and colleague.

Continue reading "Down Goes McLaren"

>Beginning in the East and the earlier time zone is appropriate to the biggest story: the firing of Willie Randolph. Say what you will about Willie, he’s been a classy guy in both New York teams (he earlier served as a Yankees’ bench coach) and deserved better. That Minaya reportedly declined to fire him on Father’s Day, only to axe Randolph in the middle of the night on Monday, replaces a reprehensible act with a cowardly one.

Continue reading "Two Brief Bits"

ht that Minaya would have canned Willie after the Mets won 2 straight and actually won a series?!

Willie Randolph came to New York in 2004 with a fresh start for the Mets.  Just 2 years later, he led them to win the NL East and the fans were proud.  That was the season that we should have won it all.  The following season rolled around and we thought the same thing again, but as I would rather not recall, one of the biggest collapses in MLB history occurred. That is when the loving fans of NY began to have their doubts about Willie.

Continue reading "Randolph....WTF?"

iest lot, and he's still one of the best out there.  He'll be fine.

So, should the Mets fire Willie Randolph?
Ah, yes.  The million-dollar question (or, in the Mets' case, the $135 million question) surrounding this team.  Personally, I never got why a team would make any rash moves a month into the season.  Rash moves are for the off-season and the trade deadline.  If you go into the season with a manager, that manager should have at least two or three months to prove himself.  Besides, it's not as though there are a plethora of quality options out there.  Who are the Mets going to replace Willie with?  Jeff Torborg?

Continue reading "Mets FAQ - April 2008"

 Who do Mets fans want up with the game on the line more than David Wright?  It was the bottom of the 11th and after a lead off walk to Jose Reyes and letting two other runners on base by

Continue reading "David Wright does it right in bottom ..."