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…i’m at a loss…it’s game six of 162, and i’m at a total loss…
…on one hand, i know that Willie Randolph cannot switch his 
message to one of ultimate fight, anger and win-now, because if he does that and the team loses just one game then what…he will not only seal his own fate, but he will seal his team’s fate as well…at the same time, his current message of turn the page, stability and long-season level-headedness may actually be having a worse effect, not just on the players, but on the fans as well…
Randolph, talking to reporters after yesterday’s game:
“There is really no correlation, it’s a new season, last season is over. We get to play these guys 18 more times. You’d like to get the first win, obviously, but, you know, if we go out and win the next 10 then it’s a moot point…Any time you play the division you want to play well, and beat the guys you want to beat. You know, we’ll get ‘em tomorrow…but, no, I don’t think there is any connection like that.”
…well, first off, there is a connection…sure, it’s not an in-print connection in the schedule…but there is an emotional connection, and he knows that…i need to remember that what he says in these press conferences is not necessarily what he believes…these press conferences are a show, whether we choose to accept that or not…it’s not reality, unfortunately…at least i hope, because of course there is a connection…and a person would have to be numb not to feel it…
…at any rate, i think my problem with his message isn’t the even-keel approach, because – unlike football, which most fans want to compare baseball to, and shouldn’t – in baseball that style is necessary for success…my problem, instead, is with the What If-approach…
…sure, what if the Mets win the next 10…or, what if they don’t…what if the Mets are in first for five months, then blow a seven game lead in the standings…
…i prefer the Carpe Diem approach, i.e. seize the day, not just in baseball but in life in general…which is not to say that every game is monumental…not every day deserves a speech from General Patton complete with buffet tables getting flipped over…however, from what i can tell, continually kicking the can down What If Avenue seems only to result in tired excuses, which eventually turns in to laziness…again, not just in baseball, but in life as well…
…what’s more, i had hoped to see this team play out of the gate as though they had no choice but to redeem themselves for what happened last year…because, you know what, they have no choice…they need redemption, otherwise a whole lot of people will be looking for new jobs next season…i hoped that the Mets would remember the Collapse, not brush it off, using it is motivation to start hot, emotionally and in the standings, to send a message to us, the Braves, Phillies, etc, that this year will be different…
…so far, that has not happened…
…that said, it is a long season, and that journey can certainly begin right now…
…Carpe Diem, willie…like you enjoy saying, “Get after it.”…
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Amen Matt!
You’re preaching to the choir!
I’d like to see Willie get more fired up…or you know…fired up at all. He’s so complacent, it’s just damn annoying.
Jim Leyland may be out a job soon. Get on that Wilpons!
CARPE DIEM
SEIZE THE DAY
the Mets, of all teams, should know that EVER game counts, no more even keel, let’s get fired up and piss some people off, when we did that, we were winning!!!!
smile, have fun, play with intensity, clap your hands and do handshakes in the dugouts, do some dances, WHATEVER IT TAKES
SEIZE THE DAMN DAY
Forget about Leyland. This should be Backman’s team. It should have been Backman’s team in ‘05, but the Wilpon’s decided to buy into that Mike and Mad Dog mentality that everyone in NY loves that Yankee magic and would embrace Willie immediately.
The Mets will never win a championship with Willie Randolph!
To be fair, neither Mike or the Mad Dog embraced the Willie hiring, initially.
I agree, as long as Willie is at the helm, it will never happen. Ya know, this might sound a little crazy, but more and more lately I keep thinking that the Santana trade might have been a bad move for the Mets. Let me tell you why. At the rate we are going, with Willie as our manager, the Mets will NEVER win a WS. We will be a mediocre team that is ok but not great. Just like the Phillies of years past. The Cubs, Pirates and Rays will win a world series before the Mets. So get used to it people. But about Santana, he is so good and will help us win games, no doubt, but still not so good that we’ll be WS contenders. Therefore it’s sort of a waste to have him. In 7 years, his contract will be up and/or he’ll be no good anymore and then he’ll be gone. And for what? Whereas if we kept the prospects we let go and maybe in about 2 or 3 years, some of them develop AND we get rid of Willie, then maybe we would have stood a chance. But as it stands now, we have Willie and a mediocre team and that just won’t cut it. Oh well, gonna be a long 10 years or so!
I hope Willie gets fired soon so the mets have a chance to get to the World Series. When the Mets win its in spite of Willie not because of him. He can’t manage a pitching staff, hates young players, and just generally does an all around poor job. The worst part is he doesn’t seem to care. “Oh well its just one game.” Irritating, get someone with some fire in there.
also, completely agree w/ your message Matt…completely agree..and i’ve been a willie supporter for a long time..but i’m getting sick of this pathetic play
THAT CHAMPAGNE IS ONLY GOING TO TASTE A LITTLE BIT SWEETER, RIGHT WILLIE?
what a failure…
huh huh huh Willie supporter huh huh huh huh
I have always been a huge Randolph supporter, but it is time for him to go. He is not right for this team and enough is enough.
The connection is that they are playing the same way, doing the same incorrect things, and Willie sounds just like he did last year.
The only advantage is that it is early enough in the season where Willie can change his tune to get a new response from his guys… or he can be replaced. There is plenty of time, at least right now there is.
Re the earlier Feliciano post — obviously, we don’t know why he had to go to Puerto Rico, but if it has anything to do with his daughter who had open-heart surgery last year, and the Mets punish him for something that wasn’t his fault (his flight being canceled), I don’t know where this organization’s priorities are. Besides, they’d just be punishing all of us by having to watch Schoeneweis out there.
Well this is the same organization that fired Art Howe in the press before letting the man know.
I agree…We do not know Feliciano’s story. Also, if his airline carrier was American Airlines, the FAA grounded over 300 flights entering and leaving NYC.
Look, none of us know what Willie says to the players when not in front of the camera. That said, I am concerned that he is losing (has lost?) some of them. There’s an article in Newsday today about him being so criticial of OP yesterday, comparing his outing negatively with the prior one. Schneider responds that, “There wasn’t much difference between the Perez who took the mound in Florida and the one at Shea. He did great. He was flying along there for a while. A couple of times they got some guys on base and he got the key out that got the inning over with.” (Willie really sounded odd to me in the post-game presser, too — I mean, yeah, in the sixth he was OP being OP, and I agreed with the decision to put Smith in there, but the man threw 5+ of 3 hit, 0 run ball. Was he the problem, or was it the BP who Willie is “not concerned about”??)
Meanwhile, it seems clear as day to me that Schoe cannot be successful here. I don’t even necessarily blame him. The man is booed when he is introduced, and as any human was, has developed a “yeah, they hate me complex” and he simply isn’t able to succeed in that atmosphere. I couldn’t either, and Omar should cut his losses.
Feliciano, whatever his personal situation was, was due into Queens at 9:30 a.m. Isn’t this problematic?? Flights are delayed all the time. Shouldn’t he have had to come back Monday night? That just seems absurd to me.
Finally, just a thought on Castillo: has the knee been bothering him all week? And was it “cold” at Shea? Wasn’t cold where I was watching from.
feliciano has serious issues back home in puerto rico so how dare any of us berate the man for wanting to tend to his family… as far as im concerned he can take as much time as he wants to make sure his daughter is ok (if thats the reason for him gonig and coming back late)
Look, if he has a serious issue at home that’s fine! Give him the day or the week or whatever and make it known that he is unavailable and have someone else ready.
My problem is with the plan of having him due into the airport when the players are reporting to Shea. It just doesn’t make sense.
Certainly agree–I think all of us have shown tremendous patience with Willie over the past few years–but the reality is that the Mets are a .500 team since June 07. .500!!! The talent on this team is not .500 talent. I understand the pen can have its days, but if you can’t motivate these guys to come out breathing fire for the home opener—after last september—against the Phils—-after losing 2 straight in Atl—then nothing’s gonna get them fired up. We’ve been very patient as fans, but this is a win-now team, and he’s not the right guy. I don’t know who the right guy is, but if Larry Bowa (cleary insane) was in the dugout, i’d be afraid to give up a run or make an error–that guy would kill me. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH—SAVE 08—WILLIE MUST GO!
3 out of the current 8 starting position players were not on this team last year. Sure the other 5 guys should be fired up but sometimes this hurts more than it helps. How many times did we say last year that the Mets were pressing and just needed to go out and relax and let their talent do the work. When you press everytime up you start trying to hit the 5 run HR and be the one to get the team out of the funk when its not possible. Its like quicksand, the harder you try and press the farther you fall! The team needs to work together and have fun again and just concentrate on getting on base and letting the guy behind you hit you in. Wright looked like he was swinging for the fences in every at bat yesterday instead of looking at hitting gappers and getting on base. Reyes needs to find a way on base so they can start manufacturing runs again!!!
Enough already guys….its game 7 of 162, there 2-4 off to a slow start….ITS STILL EARLY!! and I’m sick and tired of the panicking and whining…..If there 20-30 after 50 games, then you can say we are in trouble but till then, let them play it out, hit a hot streak and who knows what can happen!!!!
It is not just this season, he hasn’t even changed his attitude from last season and what did that get us. I think he is a great guy and will make a fine manager somewhere just not here. Make a change while we are still in it.
He would be fine for the Yankees. Those guys can manage themselves, and his even keeled approach would work fine over there.
So you’re in the clubhouse everyday when Willie addresses the team?
No?
Didn’t think so.
Neither you nor anyone else, including Matt, knows what Willie’s attitude is in the clubhouse with the players, behind closed doors, where it actually counts. He can’t panic in press conferences, and he can’t show serious concern to the media, even if he is feeling it.
It’s not Willie’s fault that the bullpen can’t get anyone out right now.
It’s not Willie’s fault that Reyes and Castillo aren’t getting on base.
It’s not Willie’s fault that the clutch hit is not being delivered.
And it’s not Willie’s fault that the team is playing Little League-looking defense.
The players are not performing. If you want to blame someone, blame them.
But the thing is, you can’t blame them. You blame the manager. That’s how life is. It’s easy to fire a manager. They don’t make a lot of money (in comparison to the players). They can be fired and replaced. With players, you can trade them, but it’s not that cut and dried. You have to worry about salaries, and whether or not teams are interested and what you get in return. If a team is underachieving, the manager is the first person to take the fall. Right or wrong, that’s just how it works.
Mister Koo, all true, but Krumbledkookie is right also. Changing the manager is not going to change their play. No