Matthew Cerrone

Read: Willie is on the Hot Seat
By Matthew Cerrone - Mar 27, 2008 11:47 am

According to Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com, Willie Randolph is among six managers who are ‘on the hot seat,’ i.e., men who could potentially be fired this season.

Rosenthal writes of Randolph, among other comments:

“Anything less than a postseason berth - and maybe a first-round playoff triumph - could endanger both Randolph and GM Omar Minaya…Randolph did not deserve to be fired after last season.  His lack of outward passion drew criticism, but if he had shown more emotion, he might have given the appearance of panic…

“Strategy often is less important than personality; Charlie Manuel’s greatest strength with the Phillies is his knack for keeping the team positive through periods of adversity.  Tough-minded players help; the Phillies possess a certain swagger.  Randolph’s most accomplished position players, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, are not leaders…

“No one in the Mets’ clubhouse could rescue a sinking Jose Reyes last September; Pedro Martinez laments that he was absent for too long last season to assert himself in September. Perhaps Martinez, Santana and third baseman David Wright will help the leadership void. One thing is certain: Improved pitching would make Randolph look a lot smarter.”

as i have said before, if the Mets play sound baseball and live up to the talent of the team, but just get beat by a better club, i think willie will survive, regardless of whether his team makes the post-season or not…however, if the club flops around, plays uninspired and falls short at any point in the season, he’s toast…and justifiably so

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52 Comments »

Comment by kowalski69
2008-03-27 11:57:12

isaiah thomas might be looking for a job

Comment by jamie
2008-03-27 12:37:39

now that would be hilarious…he’d play 8 infielders one day, and 8 outfielders the next. (I’ll assume he understands that he needs a pitcher)

 
 
Comment by Jersey Shore Mets
2008-03-27 12:02:07

Willie is “toast” as in a toasted Subway sub or “toast” as in fired?

 
Comment by 31yonkers5
2008-03-27 12:11:07

There is NO WAY GM Omar Minaya is endanger of losing his job… I don’t even have to ask, I know we all know what our past looks like… outside of a couple short sighted moves (Mike Jacobs & Brian Bannister) Omar Minaya has been an absolute blessing and breath of fresh air.

We’re actually contenders again and not because teams around us are weak, we actually have a strong core that fans can cling too. No longer are the Jason Phillips, Karim Garcia’s and Jeromy Burnitz’s running a muck on the field….

As for Willie… I don’t care who manages this ball club so long as Minaya sticks around… I never liked Willie’s propensity to play veterans over surging rookies, but I don’t hold anything against the man. I believe bottomline its the players performance and always will be. Clearly Willie has to put his guys in the best position to win, but it comes down to execution in my eyes and that has been a lot better the past couple years…

Comment by ravi3
2008-03-27 12:13:04

Yea, I don’t see how Omar can be considered on the “Hot Seat”…for anyone who doesn’t agree, look back to the roster in 2004.

Comment by likeitoughttabe29
2008-03-27 12:25:49

He is on the hot seat because the mets are built to win now and he convinced the Wilpon’s to let him make the moves he felt necessary. The reason the roster looks different and is better is because of the Wilpon’s opening up their wallet based on Omar’s convincing.

The Wilpon’s are tight when it comes to money and nothing will get their blood boiling more than $150 Million invested on a third place finish. These are not the Dolan’s where they will invest more and more in sinking ships.

As for the Jacobs comment about it being short sighted, thats awful. Delgado was the move and the man to get. Jacobs is nothing special. Now letting Royce Ring and Heath Bell go thats something that can be noted as a poor move

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Comment by Metsie
2008-03-27 12:30:24

All of Omar’s best moves were because he spent more of his owner’s money than other GMs were willing to spend.

He spent Wilpon $ to get Santana and the only reason why Santana is here is because Hankie Steinbrenner didn’t want to part with Hughes.

Wright & Reyes have nothing to do with Omar.
Julio Franco & David Newhan do.
Omar let Marlon Anderson walk because he didn’t want to give Marlon a 2 year deal (despite coming off a stellar PH season). But he gave old man Franco 2 years and let him be a nuisance in the clubhouse.

Omar has depleted a farm system of Bannisters and Keppingers, who who could be contributing today, for stiffs (Burgos) and guys he is discarding (Gotay).

Omar has a ridiculous habit of obtaining “his” guys (i.e aging Latinos or former Expos/Nationals).

Most damming of all, Omar hired Willie Randolph. Countless teams had passed on Willie and his track record shows those teams were right.

Omar is the Keyzer Soze

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Comment by Metsie
2008-03-27 12:30:51

Omar is the Keyzer Soze of GMs

 
Comment by mrmet it is
2008-03-27 12:34:37

funny how you omitted omar trading Benson and Nady for Maine, Perez, and Duque.

Who would you rather have? the previous regime? the Victor Zambrano regime?

Ed wade?

 
Comment by zen
2008-03-27 12:35:45

fair and balanced

 
Comment by jamie
2008-03-27 12:40:11

and stupid

 
Comment by MetsfanMiamiJM
2008-03-27 12:44:01

I dont understand the sector of met fans who complain about how Minaya has gone about building this team. Yes, we are built to win now, so what. We havent won anything in 22 years. You cant have it all. And if Minaya has added all these players by opening up the Wilpons wallets, then I give him credit for at least being able to convince them to do it, when no one else did it before.

 
Comment by likeitoughttabe29
2008-03-27 12:44:49

One has nothing to do with the other. Omar is good but his a$$ is on the line this year. No one is saying we’d rather have Phillips or Duquette back Omar is obvioulsy better than him, but this is the year to put up or shut up.

Cashan is still alive they rolled him onto the field last year put him in the seat.

 
Comment by Metsie
2008-03-27 12:54:08

Omar traded for Jorge Julio, NOT JOHN MAINE. Maine was a throw in (Orioles gave up on him) to easy the pain of the Mets giving up a starter.

The Pirates trade was Nady for Hernandez. Again, Perez was a salary dump/throw in by the Pirates who had given up on Perez. This trade would have never had happened if Sanchez didn’t go out for Dominican food. So you should credit Sanchez for that trade, not Omar

 
Comment by zen
2008-03-27 13:02:41

revisionist history

 
Comment by jdon
2008-03-28 04:29:44

the revisionist part is claiming that omar traded for these guys when other teams dumped them on him. they were no-lose propositions. projects. omar has done okay with the checkbook–not so okay with the trades. how good has endy been since his first year? answer: no good. he cannot hit and he never could. 2006 was the fluke of flukes. nice catch, though.

 
 
 
Comment by stallion25735
2008-03-27 12:42:45

I love Minaya but he is going to look really bad if Milledge puts up a 30-30 this year.

Comment by likeitoughttabe29
2008-03-27 12:46:45

No he is not. No one in that organization wanted Milledge around. The only reason no one has said anything about that is because they are a veteran team who knew not to open their mouths and because they have a good respect for Acta.

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Comment by cyclone
2008-03-27 12:50:12

LOL @ Milledge putting up 30/30, gimme a break. Milledge is going to get exposed this season as being more hype than substance.

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Comment by extrawhitemeat
2008-03-27 13:24:32

It doesn’t matter if Milledge goes 5/5.. the mistake was trading Milledge when he did… at one time he could of brought us Zito in 06.. or Manny before that.. instead we get two borderline straters.. who make like 7 million combined!

To take on that salary it should of cost us Fernando Tatis’s jock strap!

And who’s catching for the Nats in Schnider’s abscense?? Ex-Met Jesus Flores who was left un protected in the rule V draft…

He just doesn’t finish the job.. why trade for Johan and then ignore the 5 spot?

Why get no OF depth when you KNOW Alou can’t play a full season?

 
Comment by Mister Koo
2008-03-27 14:18:21

If Omar traded Milledge for Zito in 06, then Zito would have undoubtedly been resigned for 07 at ridiculous money. You know what that would have meant? No Johan.

 
Comment by stallion25735
2008-03-27 16:13:19

thank god we didn’t get zito. he can’t even beat the Giants AAA team.

 
 
 
Comment by extrawhitemeat
2008-03-27 13:16:51

The Santana deal aside omar had a craptacular off season.. we are no depth.. we’re starting an un known in left to start the season.. Church and Schneider are both big question marks and way too small a return for Milledge.. and the 5th starter spot is a giant question mark as well…

I’m not impressed with Omar’s body of work…

 
 
Comment by VCarver
2008-03-27 12:13:49

OT: Go to the NY Times where there is a terrific article on Cutter Dykstra. Apparently he’s a highly touted HS prospect who could be a first round pick this June. I hope the Mets look into him.

The article says of Lenny vs. his son::

The two have some differences. Cutter’s mother, Terri, said her son was “not a pigpen away from baseball, like Lenny.”

“He’s more refined,” she added.

His wife calls Lenny a pigpen. :lol:

 
Comment by VCarver
2008-03-27 12:21:11

In terms of who should be on the hot seat, if the Mets don’t win because of terribly low production from El Duque, Delgado, and Alou … and the offense does end up to be a fatal flaw, then I don’t know how you can pin the blame on Willie. Omar deserves most of the blame then, because he’s the one who decided it was a good idea to put so much age risk on the team.

It will be a tough call of course, either way, but I think both should be on the hot seat this year. Having said that, I can’t foresee the Mets not winning the NL East despite the flawed offense because their pitching is so strong this year. So I can’t foresee any scenario where either Willie or Omar get canned.

 
Comment by mrmet it is
2008-03-27 12:24:58

Anyone who trades Anna Benson for John Maine should never be fired!

Comment by Metsie
2008-03-27 12:33:46

That trade was going to be Benson for Julio straight up.

Maine was a throw in…no credit for Omar.

Comment by mrmet it is
2008-03-27 12:37:37

a throw in? maybe a “throw-in” from baltimores perspective. not a throw in from omars perspective. he got a guy he saw potential in, and he was right.

you’re an idiot.

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Comment by MetsfanMiamiJM
2008-03-27 12:47:32

Metsie, you are the same person, that would complain even if the Mets won the WS, because they couldnt sweep. lol

 
 
Comment by K-Hern
2008-03-27 12:38:06

and then Julio for el duque….

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Comment by ravi3
2008-03-27 12:43:17

um actually, Minaya insisted on Maine being a part, as he did with Perez

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Comment by mattygreen
2008-03-27 12:45:20

i’m genuinely ignorant– what are you basing that on?

i’m sure the orioles didn’t just say “hey, i know it’s benson for juio straight up, but if you want we can throw in this 23 year old pitcher”

i seem to remember a lot of talk about maine’s potential even back then…

and omar flipped julio for duque and a benson for duque trade clearly benefits the mets

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Comment by VCarver
2008-03-27 13:00:10

The trade originally was Benson straight up for Julio. Then word leaked out and it was panned in the media and on talk radio. Then nothing for a month or two until the trade resurfaced with Maine thrown in.

According to Olney, the Mets went back to ask for more after the initial trade was bashed in the media.

While Maine was a throw in, at least Omar asked for the right throw-in. He still deserves credit for Maine even though he was an afterthought.

 
 
 
 
Comment by haplo
2008-03-27 12:35:37

How can a clubhouse be expected to “rescue” a slumping player?

Sometimes players just slump.

 
Comment by Gaspar
2008-03-27 12:35:48

Someone in that clubhouse has to step it up when the team struggles. DW said the PC/vanilla/bland thing a while back that “Willie is our leader,” which is true in the technical sense because he’s the manager. But in the emotional sense it’s gotta be one (or more) of the players, the guys on the field, who have to lead. Doesn’t have to be a loud guy or an older guy. Quiet leadership can work. DW is young, but he could do it — he’s at the point where he’s earned the respect of others.

I love what Pedro said yesterday about being a leader. Sure, he’s not on the field every day but he has stature with his teammates.

As for Willie and Omar, I wouldn’t like to see either go. But if this team performs poorly I think Willie is going to be in big trouble. Not so much Omar, though.