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According to Ken Rosenthal at FOXSports.com, Willie Randolph is among three managers whose job’s could be in jeopardy.
In the report, Rosenthal writes, “Still, the Mets probably will not even consider firing Randolph unless they fall significantly behind in the NL East.”
…for those who are not aware, the Mets are tied in the loss column for first place in the NL East…so bizarre…i am not sure i ever recall a first-place manager coming under such fire before, all while the fire is valid…
In a post to Bugs & Cranks, Brad Bartone lists 20 Things You’ll Never Hear at Shea, such as, “I think Pedro’s pitching tonight,” and, “The alcohol-free section is full.”
According to Jim Moloney at MLB.com, a few teams are currently scouting Reds OF Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr.
Lastly, to watch a video clip of Kirk Gibson’s one-legged home run, as told through baseball cards, go to Big League Stew.
does any ‘expert’ reporter use the phrase “Probably” as a qualifier more than Rosenthal?
Does anyone still long for a manager like Bobby V…Maybe I took too many bong hits in college during his era as skipper but i thought he was great with in-game moves and pitching changes among other things. I know players hated his in your face style but i can’t take Willie’s “gut” decisions, Like he has the kid from Angels in the Outfield as the batboy
I know I’m in the minority who believes you can’t always blame the manager. I just don’t see how this is any of Willie’s fault. Someone made a comment the other day on here questioning Randolph using four relievers in one game X number of times this year. How can that be avoided when starters are only giving you five innings?
As I’ve said before, if last year’s choke job isn’t enough motivation, then nothing is. Apparently getting paid millions to play a game isn’t enough motivation either.
if you can’t blame this on the manager, then, conversely, you can’t credit anything to the manager. so what difference does it make who is manager, then?
14th time this year he has used 4 or more pitchers… This is the culture Willy has created…
Well if getting paid millions of dollars is all it takes to get players motivated enough to win, then they could save a lot of money and just have a bench coach making a lineup and running the bullpen.
Explain Willie’s job to me if it’s not to motivate his players. Can’t be anything he does in-game.
It’s not just his use of relievers, which is beyond horrible, but it’s his spectator-like approach to managing. I used to think that Willie got most of his managerial training by waking up Joe Torre whenever a pitcher seemed to be struggling. Now I’ve learned that it appears most of that training was Joe Torre teaching Willie how to sleep while standing on the top step of dugout with his arms crossed.
A team’s personality flows from its manager. After 2006 when we, to quote Gray Cohen, “ran roughshod over the National League”, this team had zero swagger. Matt even quoted earlier that the Mets are simply a .500 ballclub since last July. How can this be? I’m not asking for Willie to throw bases or water coolers around the field, but at least look like you care. And how about answering a question without saying, “Ya know, my guys gotta…….”
I’ve been a Met fan my whole life and it kills me to watch this team. Even when we didn’t have the talent, we played hard for Bobby V. Willie has been given everything a manager can ask for and he’s killing us. He was wrong choice to replace Howe and he may have caused the Mets to miss a golden opportunity to be great.
Wrong choice to replace Howe? Come on, how many Mets fans were jumping up and down when Randolph was hire? A lot. Who do you suggest they should have hired?
Remember that fans were calling for Reyes to be traded for Pinella. That would have been funny.
Wally Backman. He was the right hire in 2004 and he’s the right choice now.
Just want everyone to know my bags will be kept packed all season in case I get the call from Omar or the Wilpon’s. There have been some grizzlies in the area here in Oregon, and I’d rather be away from them.
And as you know, I have fire! I’d bring a sense of urgency. Hey, is that a grizzly out there in the yard?!!!
They only “give” five innings because after the fifth any sign of “trouble” (that is anyone getting on base for any reason in any manner — okay hyperbole.) Willie yanks them.
Starters are only giving you five innings because that’s the current trend in MLB. Pitchers now a days are on tight “Pitch Counts” and as soon as they approach 100 pitches that’s it, with Willie it’s almost automatic, god forbid he allows one of his Pre-Madonas to throw over 100 pitches in a game. As far as being Willie’s fault, the buck stops at the manager’s door. I really believe a team (regardless of the sport) takes on the manager’s personaity and demeaner. You cannot excuse alway the fact that under Willie Randolph last year his team had the BIGGEST (yes, the biggest) collaspe in the history of MLB, that’s all you need to know. You can blame the players for not playing hard down the stretch, you can say the bull pen was burned out, you can spin it anyway your hearts content, at some point you have to look at the “common” denominator and we all know deep down inside what (who) that common denominator is.
The Mets are only “tied for 1st in the loss column” because of the lackluster division. The team seldom plays with fire and passion, and that comes from their leader, Mr. Cool William Randolph. Well, he never panics, and neither does his players…
I know that. I’m just saying, usually this level of concern and criticism and fire is directed at a team in last place - not first. That’s all. To me, the odd part is not the criticism, but that the criticism is valid - all while the team is in first. I just don’t ever recall seeing this before. And in April, on top of it all.
…the team is not really in first…
Agree Matt, it’s way too early for this panic that has set in….it’s over-reaction based on last year’s collapse, and I guess we can’t blame the fans who over-react b/c of the teams lackluster start…we all hoped they’d come out like gang busters this season, ticked off at the world….and that has not happened….and the onus always falls on the team’s leader.
PS- I got this ridiculous orange Mets jacket at the clubhouse in Roosevelt field….Mitchell & Ness, great stuff!
Even if the Mets were in first right now and had a little distance between themselves and the rest of the pack, you would have to be concerned with what you are seeing on the field.
By now everyone has learned that you can’t just look at first place at anytime of year as permission to phone it in.
I don’t even look at the standings before Memorial Day. Not for this division. I know it’s going to be close. I look at what’s going on during the games.
The best thing that could have happened to the Mets last year would have been to NOT be in first for so much of the season. They allowed themselves to get full and fat while other teams got hungry.
Agreed, and who do you blame for allowing the team to “get full and fat?” I wonder.
I recall seeing it. Seeing it many times. Over in that house that Ruth built, called Yankee Stadium. Seen it there many a time. So I guess you can say that the fans have become to act like what they hate the most….Yankee fans.
Don’t blame the fans.
My grandfather took me to my first game in 1978. I was a little kid, but I remember a few things about that day.
The team wasn’t very good. The fans booed a little. They cheered a little too. The Mets lost. People complained on the way out… a lot.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win. If I ever stop caring, I’ll just stop going.
There is nothing wrong about wanting to win. Mets fans have always wanted to win. Yankee fans have always been of the expecting to win, that its their entitlement and birthright that they win. Which of course is why Met fans as a whole, never really liked Yankee fans. Thing is, Matt said the level of concern, criticism, and fire is usually directed at a last place team, not at a first place one. Pretty much all of this is coming from the fans. You’re reading the threads, most everyone here is calling for Willie’s head, saying changes have to be made, because we’re suppose to be winning. Sounds like the sense of entitlement to me, thus my comparison to Yankee fans. Just remember that its just one person’s opinion.
OK, I understand what you’re saying.
I don’t expect this team to automatically win anything because every game has to be played on the field.
What I do expect them to do is play hard. By their own admission, at least Delgado’s, they were so good they got bored.
A team with this much talent that plays hard will win. Then we don’t have to expect it. We can just watch and enjoy it.
Look at the division, Matt. We aren’t in first.
actually, now we are.
The funny thing is that if the Mets were 15-11, they’d be on pace to win 93.5 games this season. It’s Willie’s job to motivate the team to get back on that pace. While WIllie should feel some pressure, we as a fan base need to relax. Baseball is supposed to be an escape from our real world stresses and problems. Otherwise, you won’t enjoy the season at any point this year since you’ll constantly be waiting for the other shoe to drop like Cubs fans do and pre-2004 Red Sox fans did.
Matt, honestly….you could have managed this team thus far to a 14-12 record. It’s sub-par, considering expectations and team-wide talent.
And they have looked worse than the record. That’s why you can’t just go by the standings. The answer is not “everybody panic”, but it’s not “everybody just relax” either.
Not that I’m sticking up for Randolph or anyone else but a 14-12 record is just about par for both leagues right now. Scan over the leagues and you’ll see just about every team, with the exception of D-Backs and the Angels, have similar records. Maybe, just maybe, that teams around the league are better and therefore everyone is fairly competetive. That is the point of having a luxary tax and revenue sharing.
The Mets are playing some bad ball but give some credit to the oter teams for being just as good as the Mets.
That’s kind of the point. This team shouldn’t be on par with the the other teams in the league we should be way ahead of the pack like the Angels and the D-backs, obviously it’s possible if they’re doing it. Especially when our payroll is so large compared to most other teams and we just traded our top 4 or 5 prospects to get players in order to win now, and I know the Santana deal was a steal but there was no point in making that deal if we thought even with him we’d only be a few games over .500.
There’s probably going to be too many holes to fill in one off-season next year, especially with little minor league talent to call up or trade and not much going on in free agency, so if we’re going to win in the near future it has to be this year. Other wise we just wasted a year we could have used rebuilding so we would be able to win soon.
“the Mets would have benefited from the infusion of energy that the White Sox gained by acquiring outfielder Nick Swisher and shortstop Orlando Cabrera, and the Angels gained by signing Torii Hunter.”
i disagree, ken. i think all three of those moves blew. swisher is looking OK so far though.
I love how sportswriters love “guys with energy” more than “guys who are good at baseball” (see also: David Eckstein).