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According to John from Rhinecliff, during last night’s broadcast, the local Braves radio announcers on WGST described the Mets as looking like a ‘dead team.’
Since taking two of two from the Yankees over the weekend, the Mets have since lost three in a row to the Braves, while 
being outscored 23 to 7.
Willie Randolph, talking to reporters after the game, regarding his team’s lackluster performance from last night, during which they lose 11 to 4:
“Team meetings are overrated, they’re as good as your next day’s pitcher. Like I said earlier, a change of environment is what it is also – you play in Yankee Stadium against a team that is struggling a bit what that type of pitching staff, you come to a new environment where it’s a different pitching staff and they’re pitching well. So, you have to just execute and get it done. You can never assume that because you had a couple of good games in New York that you’re gonna come here and do the same. You have to get it done, and we’ve not gotten the job done the last two nights…
“[.500] is not acceptable. That’s not the way we want to play baseball. We’ve got to find a way to get on a nice little streak here and play more consistently. That’s the bottom line. We’re better than this. But, it’s up to players and all of us to keep working and find a way to get it done…
“No one’s happy where we are right now and how we’re playing. We’ve been inconsistent. I’ve said it before, but we need to find a way to fight through this…I feel like we will, but we’ve got to start now and do it…
“Talking about it is not gonna get it done for you.”
During the discussion, Randolph pointed out Luis Castillo’s inability to put the ball in play in a spot with runners on base, one out and the pitcher on deck, adding, “I’m not necessarily picking on him, but you’ve got to put the ball in play, you’ve got to do those little things so we can get momentum going, put people away and stay in the game.”
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Minaya should be frogwalked out of Shea for assembling this disgrace.
I am sick of this already! Will someone stop the INSANITY! This is BS. This team needs a major overhaul.
“BRING OUT THE TARPS…BRING OUT THE POOPER SCOOPERS!”
Read “The Curse of The Shaved Heads
metsmerizedonline.com
They NEED to shave their heads again to REVERSE THE CURSE!
HA HA HA! REVERSE THE CURSE! SHAVE YOUR DAMN HEADS! I love it! Let’s have people at each gate with clippers and those fans that are willing will have their head’s shaved.
I love it…maybe it would lighten everybody up a bit
Thats what im saying!!! Maybe if we do it first, The team will catch on, and maybe…. just maybe, they can have a little fun while playing and possibly even win a game!
I’m for it….Is there someone willing to shave my head? My usual gate is D…
I’d totally be down for a head shaving at shea
Exactly….All I read there was “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Same old packaged quotes from Willie and his team.
Well, it is getting warm outside.
I am sick of excuses. I am sick of the lack of hustle. I am sick of runners stranded on base. I am sick of this team having no motivation. I am sick of Willie Randolph.
FIRE THIS CHUMP ALREADY. he’s not a good manager, they will never, EVER win a championship with him. its that simple. fire him, fire peterson.
should mr. met go too?
At least he’s taking jabs at Luis…
…Or is it at Minaya for the deal he made with Luis?
Then again, it might all be SNY’s fault. Who knows what he means when Willie speaks?
No I think it was that the veterans on the team have to do the little things and right now they are not. Castillo’s job is to move runners on and get on base, if he does not do that then Willie should say something. However, he needs to be saying something about the other guys too.
I know, just having some fun at our fallguy’s expense, …while we still have him around.
Wow. Pulling no punches, gip…
I’m actually starting to feel bad for Willie, knowing his time has clearly run out…
I’ll feel a teensy bit bad if/when this group continues to stink in the post-Willie era.
The Mets banked on old/worn out players. Nothing is going to save this season. The only thing we have is Santana every 5th day.
Only way i see Willy keeping his job is if the Mets go on a tear for the rest of this road trip if not Willy should not even bother showing up for work at shea.
Jerry Manuel will be named interim mgr…
Good point. One can only hope this group turns it up for ANY coach.
A tear for the rest of the road trip? gonna take a lot more than that! there are only 4 games left on the trip, even if they win all 4 they come home from the 7 game swing at 4-3. Do you, or anyone else, honestly believe that they can win the next 4 in a row?
You never know what this team is going to give you…
matchups for next 4 games:
Santana (5-2) Hudson (6-3)
Perez (4-3) Reynolds (0-1)
Maine (5-3) Francis (1-4)
Vargas (0-2) De La Rosa (1-2)
win all four Willy will survive a little longer…
if they win three of the next four, that’s a 5-4 road trip which would, under normal circumstances, be totally ok
How about we be realistic and hope they can at least finish this trip 2-2 with the last 4 games…
I think santana comes through tonight, they limp out of ATL to coors, the offense comes to life in the mountains, they take two, and then come home to a shower of boos no matter what.
“I think santana comes through tonight, they limp out of ATL to coors, the offense comes to life”
That’s the kind of talk that’s been coming out of my mouth for the last 11 months. My heart’s been betrayed too many times…
c’mon man…do I even need to say it?
I don’t know what else he could have said last night. I don’t have a problem with Willie as a manager in general but
Honestly ask yourself this question, “Can the Met’s be successful this season with Willie as the manager?” If you have any doubt then you have to get rid of him.
To paraphrase someone elses line, you will never know until you fire him.
Been saying that for weeks.
Exactly, I have to wonder if the players just like us are using Willie as the scapegoat. When he is gone, no one will have an excuse anymore.
That could be a good thing, either way. They step up, great. They don’t, then we know it is time to re-tool.
i have been calling for willies head like everyone else…. but when you really think about it.. willies been given a brokedown fraud…….
You know fellas. We keep putting all this blame on Willie and somehow we forget the fact that Beltran is been the most disappointing Met signing off all time. I mean this guy is making over $100 Million dollars to ground out to 2nd base 3 times a game. He for some reason is getting a free pass and to me that is mind boggling, I mean he is paid to be the best player on the team and he is barely the 8th best player in the starting lineup. The worst thing that ever happened to the Mets was that Houston playoff series because that Beltran was a fluke and he will never do that again.
This is getting rediculous and The mets are a scary team right now. We got Alou who can only play for 2 weeks before his next 2 month DL stint. We have castillo who can’t hit the ball out of the infield. 3 more years! That is just awful. We have El Duque and Pedro who at this point can’t be counted on for nothing. Delgado is washed up! Even know this team has the highest payroll in the NL, it’s pretty much the worst money spent.
I pray for a turn around every game but watching this team is hard and can someone PLEASE show some emotion like you care!!
C’mon, are you for real? I am the first one to say that the players and the person who put them there are more to blame than Willie is. But Beltran has been one of the best players on the Mets since he’s been here.
He’s been one of the team leaders in run production for 2006 and 2007, with two consecutive 100+ RBI seasons. How many other centerfielders did that during that time? He’s also provided gold glove defense. What more can you want?
Yes, he’s been a problem this year, but he’s still relatively young. So unless you think his career is over for some unfathomable reason, you keep him long term.
FAH, I agree Beltran is of our least concern. There is not another CF out there that could bring us what he does.
Beltran is not the problem, but with a player as streaky as he is, you do need something else in the lineup. And besides, at today’s salaries, he’s a decent deal.
Castillo hit over .300 in September, but I’d love to see the breakdown. My recollection was that when the hot lights were on the Mets, he completely wilted. A guy who never struck out all of a sudden was striking out. He made errors. He looked scared. How they can then turn around and give that guy a four year deal is well beyond me.
And then there’s the bench. Empty. We have luxuries we can’t afford with a broken-down everyday lineup, liek a top pinch hitter and a one-dimensional defensive outfielder (whose one dimension is sagging.)
And then there’s Delgado. Where to begin. . . .? Deciding that fatherhood and being zen-like and all of that are more important than baseball merely shows that you’re a decent human being . . . unless you’re getting paid $15M or so to play baseball. At that point, yes, your family still comes first by a wide margin, but you have a job to do and you need to do it. If you don’t want to do it, stop. Enjoy life. Enjoy the important things, and watch from the stands, like the rest of us.
I am sorry but for over $100 Million dollars I expect more. I mean clutch hitting has not been good since he has been here. he is still starring at that Wainwright curveball. Granted the defense has been great and his RBI’s are there but to me there goes more beyond that. His BA has not been good since he has joined the Mets and his clutch hitting just isn’t great. And again we are talking one of the highest paid players in the game. If your making $100 million I expect you to be the best and you can’t tell me he has, Please post all the clutch he has had since joining the Mets? I am sure there are a few but they are few and far between. I want to love Beltran but I am tired of him not producing in big spots and he is paid and expected to do that..
look, I am a frustrated die hard that watches EVERY single game and this team has worn on my patience. Every night it seems the same results and I am getting sick of it!!
TMU,
That was perfection. TMU for manager!
Dude Beltran was playing hurt last year and still put up good numbers… The guy is coming of surgery on both knee’s that not easy recovery. He could use that as an excuse but he never does. Anyone with any type of foot injury can tell you it takes time for you to regain form…
Delgado is getting old, part of life… I am sure when we got him from FL you were not complaining back then.
docgood — Before you give up on Beltran, consider that last year he started out slowly with an .817 OPS and turned it on the second half with a .968 OPS. He’ll following that pattern this year. And he’s never had a high average for his career before he came to the Mets so why would you expect him to put one up now?
Put aside his salary and tell me that you wouldn’t want him over any other centerfielder in the game right now. Just disregard the money — he’s still a way-above-average ML centerfielder who provides lots of value to a team. He’s not a perfect player, but IMO, he’s still one of the best.
Well I see I am alone on the beltran thing. Oh well! This team needs clutch hitting and I am sorry but I don’t think he gives us that. I am not only blaming him but honestly I think he is a huge reason why the Mets ae struggling. man, I wish we had a Manny Ramirez or Mike Piazza type, you always know when they step to the plate with runners on base that something good is about to happen. You guys can tell me that you get that feeling when beltran steps to the plate?
He’s following that pattern this year.
docgood — since Beltran seems to be a warm-weather hitter as evidenced by last year, maybe we should wait till the second half before answering that question.
I don’t know fellas! I want to believe your right but as good as his numbers end up I still don’t think he can hit in a big clutch situation. To me your cleanup hitter needs to be able to do that because he gets the most opportunities with runners on base. I hope you guys are right but I just don’t trust him…
It’s sad that the Mets have no clutch hitters. Earlier in the year when the Mets were winning, Pagan was that guy. It seems like he would get that hit every game to drive in runs. Since he went cold and went on the DL, that spark is gone, but clutch hitting can only take you so far. The hitting as a group needs to be more consistent and fundamentally sound.
I think the Mets approach at the plate has a lot to do with their offensive problems. They need to take a page from the Brave’s playbook… Be more patient at the plate. In fact, I think the first time through the lineup, EVERY batter should stand at the plate like a statue. Get a feel for the pitcher. Don’t swing at anything but fastballs. Make the pitcher work. Force them to make pitches. I thiink the worse thing anyone ever told Reyes was to be agressive. Pitchers catch on and will throw him nothing good to hit.
Anyways, just my ranting. What do I know? I’m not the pitching coach!
At this rate, there won’t be too many clutch situations this year.
Docgood 86, You’re just experiencing selective memory. Manny Ramirez has gone through spells of hitting .200 just like everyone else, it just seems like he never struggles if you’re not following his team closely every day. Mike Piazza is a NY Legend. I’m such a big fan of his, I’d even love to see him as the new Mets skipper. But that said, Mike Piazza struggled mightilly at times, he was a rally killer at times, and he struck out or hit into DPs more than a few times with the chance to win a game. Let’s not get carried away
Beltran IS a player you build around, and he will put the team on his back at times, but its not fair to expect too much from him. He’s always been a streaky player. Daryl Strawberry was a streaky player too. Doesn’t mean pitchers weren’t afraid of him. Yes, he makes 17 million a year, but he plays on a team with a 130 million + payroll. He’s supposed to have a ton of help. Without even including Johan and Beltran, this is still nearly a 90 to100 million dollar team. We’re supposed to have other hitters to help carry that weight over 162 games
Just wanted to add that TMU had one of the most dead-on and well written posts earlier in this thread and that revamping the bullpen will lead to more wins than firing Willie. I’m unimpressed with Matt Wise, we all know how awful Heilman is and then there was Sosa. Our leftys can dominate. We need 2 righties who can pair with Smith and Sanchez . That alone cure a lot of what ails this team. Getting more useful players for the bench, as TMU suggested, would also do wonders. Can we swap Delgado for Sheffield? I don’t think it could hurt.
Go Mets – I understand what your saying but I can look at Mike Piazza and Manny’s career’s and come up with countless clutch hits that got there team huge wins. The only Beltran moment that i remember was in a Astro’s uniform. Look i like the guy and I know he is a very good player but what I am saying is that he needs to step it up and start getting hits when needed.
I agree there is plenty of guys that need to be accountable right now but for me I look at the Reyes, Wright’s and Beltran’s as the guys that need to step it up when they see the team is struggling. As of right now Beltran definitely hasn’t shown me he can do that. Plus how about just a LITTLE emotion from the guy? Does he even care if he doesn’t hit? He alsways looks like a guy that shows up, does whever he does and then goes home. Can I see something emotional out of him? Sorry to bag on Beltran but with all the Willie stuff going on I feel that some other guys need to step up and take credit for this disaster going on….
I understand there’s no magic words he could have said, but at this rate he can’t just keep saying the exact same thing every day — particularly when its what he said through last September.
The problem to me is that his repeating the same junk over and over is indicative of how he manages the team through these “slumps.” He just keeps hoping they will “get on a nice little streak,” and hoping ain’t working. He needs to do SOMETHING to kick these guys’ behinds. It has become apparent to me that he simply can’t do that, so no, I no longer think the Mets can be successful this year with Willie as manager.
Have to agree.
It might not be ‘normal’ for Willie to flip tables and throw chairs in the middle of the clubhouse but what HE needs to recognize is nothing else has worked. His approach hasn’t worked up until now (no matter how noble he is for protecting the players and believing in them). He needs to do something drastic, for his sake AND his players sake…
“Dead” is an understatement. They can’t get out of ATL fast enough. Could they move the start time up a few hours?
Not to make excuses because it’s the way we have been losing, however Atlanta is 19-5 at home this season. That’s a home field advantage. Honestly I thought getting out with a split would be a great accomplishment, now do you even expect them to win with Santana pitching today?
NO.
yes
…but I’m about at my optimistic limit.
Did anyone ask him in the postgame why he used our top RPs rather than the scrub RPs in this debacle? I thought this was the whole plan with Heilman — use him in blowouts to build his confidence back. I am actually shocked that Wagner didn’t taint his ERA pitching in that game.
P.S. At this point I’m not quite seeing the benefit of Wise over Figgy. Whole lot of roster shuffling for what exactly?
Wow… they scored seven runs and held the Braves to twenty three. Great effort fellas.
The didn’t lose three to the Braves. They were jumped, beaten, robbed, urinated on and left in the gutter for death.
And Louis Castillo, thanks for the hustle – that was the turning point in the game. Pelfry battles a full count, gets a grounder and you can’t put the effort in to run and get the ball? For god sakes, how much do they have to pay you to try?
Carlos was right …you are the team to beat. And they are beating you………………
yeah looks like carlos wont be going down in history with messier and namath anytime soon…..
or Plax.
How can you forget Plax?
I suspect Jeff and Fred are not blind and know Omar is more responsible for the team’s current record than Willie is.
As such, Willie is not going anywhere without Omar also being canned. And that means no changes at the helm till the end of the season.
If they want to change the fortunes of the club right now, they have to change some of the players. That’s the only way. No manager can get more out of this old, injured and tired bunch, and thinking a managerial change will make a difference is being delusional.
your right……….. and after hammering on willie for weeks now, i’ve come to realize the same……
Hi FAH,
Omar has been and clearly still is in DENIAL. Delgado, Castillo, Alou, Easley and El Duque are all guys that he thinks equate into a winning team. He likes to depend on these has-beens and this is the result. They suck. Unfortunately … we’re stuck with Castillo for 4 years.
As for the manager … it’s a lost cause at this point. He wore out his welcome. It’s time for him and Rick Peterson and all the rest to go. We need a clean slate.
It’s time to clean house … IF THAT IS EVEN POSSIBLE. They should start by trying to move Delgado and Heilman and go from there. Omar will have til the end of this year to clean up this mess … I’m convinced of that … and if he doesn’t wake up and get out of his denial, he’ll be gone too. And he should be, whether he brought Santana and Church in here or not.
Hey mikey …
I agree that the situation calls for some big moves, but before they try throwing out the manager and the coaching staff, I’d like to see the roster tweaking — ie, Heilman, Delgado, Wise. To throw out Willie and the coaches now — before changing the personnel — might be throwing out the baby with the bath water. For example, what if Ollie and Maine actually do worse without Peterson?
If the roster tweaking doesn’t work, then I think both Omar and Willie need to go at season’s end in one fell swoop.
At least we both agree that, at minimum, something needs to be done with the roster. As long as they tweak that, I’ll be relatively happy. Although if they also make the managerial and coaching changes at the same time, it will no longer be provable that they were not the cause of this malaise.
The only problem I have with that is the trading deadline is not for a while. I don’t know if this team can make it to the trading deadline as is, without a shakeup of some kind.
As for Peterson … I think he’s way over rated. There are plenty of pitching coaches that can get results out of Maine and Ollie. They are good pitchers. That is what I think … I could be wrong.
Some of the moves can be made now before the trading deadline. No one will take Delgado anyway, so either release him or platoon him with one of the kids from Bingo. And if Heilman still has options, send him down to NO to stretch his arm out. This accomplishes 2 things. One, it makes room for Muniz who has been pitching very well. Two, it might increase Heilman’s trade value if he can show he can be a viable starter. And if he does well as a starter, he can also serve as backup for the ML rotation.
They don’t need to wait. They need to make some moves now, even if it is only Heilman and making Delgado a platoon player..
And put Wise on the trade market.
I think somebody will take Delgado if you eat his salary (which you would have to do anyway if you cut him.) Trade him to Baltimore for retreads, or some team that thinks it can win on a budget.
Yeah I’m with that on Heilman … it’s 3 years overdue to make him a starting pitcher. Somehow … I get the feeling they won’t do that though. LOL
I actually think Omar’s decisions were based on a win now pressure put on them by ownership and the fans while still understanding they wanted to win later as well. Though spot to be put in when you came in with practically nothing.
Alou having to come back this season is a great expample of this. Who were we going to sign this offseason to replace him that could contribute this season? Same thing with Pedro? As for Elduque, really no excuse for relying on him other than the fact that they did not think Pelfrey was ready.
A team looking to win has a bench full of veterans too so I can’t fault him there.
If we were the Pirates then Carp would be at 1B and Evans or Fmart in LF. But most likely we would not have Schnieder, Johan, Beltran, Wagner…. either.
Thus what we have is a team that can just hang in there this year and needs to replace those continuous holes with young potential players next season. That being said, If Omar is back will the fanbase and the owners be ok with not having proven players at every position?
Kosuke Fukudome. And I said this way before the season started too. Would have been much more wise than bringing Alou back.
Problem is, this team has a horrible scouting record. The minors are terrible and NO is loaded with major league retreads. The habit of listening to Bud Selig and not paying over slot in the draft is going to be telling next year and beyond. Look at Boston. Big market, big money. They have a new kid coming up nearly every day who makes an impact, and they still sign guys for the big bucks.
And El Duque wasn’t a this year thing … it was a last year thing that carried over to this year.
To me trs86 is 100% right. Omar was trying to win now. Which is what we all moan about. So he but a few band-aids (and one shiny paint job in Santana) in place to try and put the team over the top.
To blow the whole thing up, which may happen sooner rather than later, we as fans will have to suffer with Fmart hitting .210 with 50 SOs in early June. Niese and or Kunz getting lit up while they learn on the job.
We can’t have it both ways. You try to win now or you go young and live with the consequences.
You know what? Theo went to war with his ownership over the “win now” vs. “build from within” strategies. He even quit over it. They made up and now they do both. Successfully.
If Theo can both win now and build from within why can’t Omar? And why can’t Omar stand up to Fred and Jeff the way Theo stood up to his bosses and say — “XYZ is what we have to do to both win now and build from within. And there’s no two ways about it.”
Omar’s whole MO from the beginning has been “putting a winning team on the field now while also building for the future”.
OK … he has not built anything for the future. He put “band-aids”. Way too many “band-aids” if you ask me.
How exactly is signing Luis Castillo for 4 years trying to win now and build for the future? It was an asinine decision which will hurt the team in the long run more than it will help it now … which is not looking good now either.
I am not a Red Sox expert nor am I totally disagreeing with you. But I think they kind of had a win now team that won then that they then added young pieces to.
But I agree with you they should at least try to do that. The occaisional Hanley Ramirezes will get away but if you are winning you don’t care.
Just like, hopefully, we don’t care about Gomez, et al.
I agree but Theo had a lot more prospects to work with. Omar assumed last year that if Alou was injured then our depth at OF would work. They all got injured too. Omar assumed that Humber and Pelfrey would be part of the rotation but Pelfrey started what 0-8? It was more a product of the prospects the Met’s had not stepping up. I am sure that if Gotay could have played good defense and continued hitting then Castillo might not have been here. If Milledge had not gotten injured and Gomez……
Again, Omar knew that we had SP and OF on the way up and put old bandaids on those spots problem is the bandaids fell apart and the new guys weren’t ready.
Theo’s success at building a strong farm system also has to do with his player acquisition policies.
He doesn’t acquire aging, near-retirement players who won’t bring back draft picks when they leave or who he’s afraid to offer arbitration to. Hence, he’s been able to have good draft choices every year while still signing free agents. Because when many players leave (like Millar) he was able to get draft picks out of them.
And maybe Boston’s scouts are just better than the Mets’ scouts.
Also, Omar purposely diverted his resources to the international market. Kids are younger there when they sign. So the payoff is lengthier and riskier. And that leaves the current team in a bind to “win now.”
THe Sox scouts are prob. some of the best in baseball. The Mets were bad before and during Omar. Again why go out and sign and OF for 5 years when you are supposed to have Milledge, Gomez, Johnson, Fmart, etc yet to come?
Same thing with pitching, why sign Silva when Pelfrey is supposed to be a good pitcher?
Omar has had 4 winters now to re-vamp his scouting staff. And besides, wasn’t that supposed to be one of his strengths? There’s no excuse for poor drafts. And, as I said, there are ways to maintain draft picks even while signing free agents (as Theo has done).
I’m not sure what OFer you are referring to on a 5-year contract. But there are other ways to get viable OF players without signing 42-year-old dinosaurs. Church proves that.
And who is advocating Silva?
What players did Omar bring in that you didn’t agree with at the time or thought there was a better alternative? I don’t agree that the any blame should fall on Omar. Any team that is trying to be a “Win Now” team has to bring in veterans to fill roster spots that you can’t fill internally.
the two quotes say it all:
dead team and .500 is not acceptable.
what more is there to say?
Again, Louis Castillo was a horrid pick-up and a horrid signing. He is bad on the field and bad in the clubhouse. Why they didn’t get David Eckstein is mind-boggling.
Thanks for that comic relief.
You mean the same Eckenscrappy that did not want to play 2nd base?
The one whose numbers are this
.247 AVG
.315 OBP
1 HR
6 Walks
2 SB
As bad as Castillo has been he looks like an allstar compared to Eckenscrappy.
.262 AVG
.371 OBP
1 HR
20 Walks
7 SB
The only thing to complain about with the Castillo signing is the number of years, but how is that hurting us this season?
castillo is fat and out of shape..
For the first time since 85′ when I first became a Fam of this team I actually turned off the T.V. before the last out was recorded. As soon as Endy made that error I knew that this team is just not gonna get it done with the leadership it currently has, and assembly as it is. Alou goes down..AGAIN!!…… And even on a rare night this season when Jose has it going they can’t get it together. Castillo stinks, Delgado stinks, Beltran is currently stinking (he should not be batting 4th), I can’t fault Wright much since he is top 5 in RBI. But this is certainly a low point for me. Again, I turned off the telly….that is how bad it got for me. DEPPRESING.
“Can’t fault Wright”. I can. His play has been spotty and he’s gone through some streaks of unproductive hitting ( I recall a 4 for 34 stretch). While he’s crushed left handed pitching to the tune of a .457 average, he’s only hitting .224 against right handed pitching.
I say, up until now, the only consistent bat in the Met lineup has been Ryan Church.
This team won’t turn it around until the Big Three, Reyes, Wright and Beltran, of which this lineup is built around start producing at a consistent level. They’ve been spotty. When they are on, the Mets cruise to easy wins. See Yankee Stadium this past weekend.
This is from the Bergen County Record today, which I interpret to mean that Willie is lying now to save his job:
O’Connor responded to Randolph’s claims, stating, “I’m sorry Willie feels the way he does. But when I interviewed him in the visitors clubhouse at Yankee Stadium Sunday he never asked for any part of the conversation to be off the record. Nor did I offer to put any part of the conversation off the record. I asked him pointed questions and tape recorded the interview. If he had made the request for any portion of the interview to be off the record of course I would have honored it.”
Uh, Willie explicitly said he never told O’Connor the interview was off the record. It would be nice if you listened to the FAN interview before calling him a liar.
Signed, Willie’s lawyer. It sounds like you’d dismatle the organization and move the team to Perth Amboy before being the slightest bit critical of Randolph. Man crush?
TMU — You need to read more of my posts. I’ve criticized Willie many times in the past. (Both with this ID and my previous VCarver one.) Including this week over the O’Connor interview.
But why say the man lied when he didn’t?
The main issue I have with the bashing it that it’s way out of proportion to the impact Willie has on the team. Not even close. And I’m not just talking about some of the fans. Many in the media are at fault too.
And you have rampant exaggerations and fabrications such as the above.
TMU — You need to read more of my posts. I’ve criticized Willie many times in the past. (Both with this ID and my previous VCarver one.) Including this week over the O’Connor interview.
But why say the man lied when he didn’t?
The main issue I have with the bashing is that it’s way out of proportion to the impact Willie has on the team. Not even close. And I’m not just talking about the bashing from some of the fans. Many in the media are at fault too.
wow, i never knew FAH was VCarver…. fascinating.
This explains a lot. I remember VCarver as having serious problems with Omar and not as many with Willie. I still think the new VCarver is a little more combative when it comes to Willie, however.
And the Heilman thing . . . it’s just not going to happen. I wish it would, but it won’t.
If I’m a little more combative over Willie now it’s because the whole tenor of the debate has risen a few notches from last season.
Because the Mets have failed to rise a few notches from last season.
Because they are an older team now, the bullpen is just as week, and the other teams have gotten better in the league and the division.
:smile:
willie wasn’t lying. he was just wicked stupid on top of his crazy.
If we are all gonna get on Willie for being flawed and the team for being a fraud, it’s time to look at the process, I say. When the team is doing well and winning, let them get the hell out of there and do what they want – party, sleep, whatever works for them, as long as it does work for them. When they lose, the team should all get together for 30 or 40 minutes with Willie and ALL of the coaches and review it (granted after a game like last night, it might take 90 minutes) – with the video highlights, just like they do on the postgame show. Why are we analyzing this stuff and getting the interviews and they all scatter? I understand that they are there hours before the game, but since these guys are being prodded now into sticking around and being “accountable”, wouldn’t it be more fruitful to go over what went wrong on a bad day and be coached in a constructive way on how to not do it again? That’s what the team needs. More of that and less interviews, I think.
That is a great idea. I would implement it immediately.
Unfortunately, the only guys who would attend are the coaches, Wright and Wagner….
What the hell does Willie believe in? Not team meetings. Not arguing calls. The bats are dead, so I guess he’s not helping much on offense. Is the defense stellar? Point to one or two things that this guy does do, or believes in.
Show Willie the door, and take that stupid watch from him on the way out.
Start the era of Manuel.
Yeah Jerry Manuel will lead us to the World Series.
Love that idea.
2000, American League Manager of the Year.
He believes in trust. He trusts his guys, you didn’t hear.
Bottom line, this team cannot hit. Plain and simple. Carlos Beltran is simply not that good offensively. I’m using him as an example because he is the highest paid position player and cleanup hitter. His numbers at the end of the year ususally look good, but the process he goes about compiling those numbers is not acceptable. Being cold as ice for almost 2 months is unacceptable. Being incredibly hot for 2 weeks and compiling home runs and RBIs is fine, but it doesn’t forgive the long cold stretches he goes on. How about some consistency? Every team seems to have much more consistent hitters than the Mets. Not saying they need to hit .300 every single month, but it would be nice if I didn’t have to hear Gary always say “So and so is hitting .160 over his last 25 games.”
been sayin that for years ^…. hes a compiler …
As I wrote higher up, the only consistent bat in the lineup has been Ryan Church. Everyone has been hot and cold at different points. 8 for 15 followed by 3 for 24 type hitting.
All firing Willie is gonna do is send a message to the team that the players jobs are safe. I think demoting delgado, trading heilman and/or demoting castillo will send a nice signal. Where’s Pagan?
hurt
I agree!
Pagan is on the DL.
And not firing Willie in October, sent the players the message that choking was acceptable.
Castillo has the 4th best OBP on the team one point behind Beltran and only 8 points behind Church. Castillo is not the problem he is our 2/8 hitter. It’s the 1, 3, 4, that is hurting us right now.
“Talking about it is not gonna get it done for you.”
I am glad to see Willie is a big believer in communication!
He means talking about playing better instead of just playing better. Idiot.
troll
Awww, take your 2000 AL manager of the year theory and go to nice blog since your feelings get hurt so easily by words.
Genious, his quote came after reporters asked about having another team meeting, where he replied that “Talking about it is not gonna get it done for you.” Please let me know if you need anything else translated beevis!
funny, he’s always talking about what a great manager he is
I’m trying and trying to keep the glass half full…if we win tonight and take two of three from the rox, we’ll have done a 5-4 road trip, which is respectable. we’ll be 3-6 v. ATL, which is not…but plenty of games to make that up. Then win each series of our homestand, and we’re at 30 wins.
pile on.
I want the name and number of your dealer. That is some amazing stuff you are on!
718-507-6387
Come on Gip there is a decent chance that we win tonight with Santana and take 2/3 from a struggling Rockies team. At this point there is a good chance we could lose all 4 too but……
Since when did we become the Yankees? Since when is playing .500 ball hitting “rock bottom”? We’re still patting ourselves on the back for winning in ‘86: 22 years ago! And being one game from the WS does not mean we will dominate the following seasons. We are not a great team this year obviously. But how is that different from past seasons (pre ‘06)? We had a strong ‘06 so all of a sudden if we’re not winning the div, we suck? NO. We’re Mets fans and this is part of the territory. Nothing new here. Sure, the manager need to keep the focus on the field (though no one is denying that what he said is true. Especially about Herm. Everyone is just “shocked”)
We need to get over ourselves and respect that fact we are not a good team this year. Overpriced… No hustle, no fire, no ‘big’ hits. It happens. It will happen again. The scapegoating is reaching Yankee proportions and the ‘goat is someone new each day (Luis is apparently today’s ‘whine du-jour’).
I’m hurting as much as the next fan right now but I still wear my blue and orange proudly. Growing up in NY, I choose the Mets over that OTHER team here not for the championships but because their heart and fire they almost always exhibit. (That and the DH sucks but I digress…) The fire will be back , hopefully sooner than later. Until then, take the bad with the good. It’s a part of rooting for this team what makes us Mets fans tough.
Very well put. We all have to remind ourselves that we are fortunate to 1) have a team and 2) have a team that is in contention. I lived in Virginia Beach for 4 years and missed the Mets and major league baseball terribly. Surprisngly, the Norfolk Tides didn’t satisfy my fix. Think of the people who travel 3 hours in the midwest to go to Cardinal and Royal games. We are very fortunate and need to support our team. They need us as much as we need them.
I just bought tickets for a day game in July which is going to be my son’s first game. He’s 1 1/2 and I want to instill in him that the game of baseball is a beautiful thing even when played poorly.
Yay, let’s root for mediocrity!
I’m not saying root for mediocrity but be realistic here… IT”S THE METS!
I was fine with mediocrity with no-talent Mets teams. I have had the “we’re lovable losers,” “we’ll get them next year.” attitude as a Mets fan for most of my life. Managed to be that sort of fan in the late 70s and early 80s, most of the 90s, half of the 2000s.
But, on the rare occasions when we have a talented team (talented enough to be one sing of the bat from the WS in 06 and have a big lead in the division most lof last year), I would like to be able to win. It’s been 21-plus years since we had a title!!
I might have been able to be more sanguine about this year’s poor play if The Collapse hadn’t happened and nobody was he;d accountable for it (hello, Willie) and that style of play hadn’t continued into this year.
Can you understand that?
And, for the love of Mookie and all else that is holy in Metsland, can we refrain from calling each other Skankee fans?
Who is rooting for it? It just looks like this team was not built to win this season.
Yeah!
has anyone else noticed that the turning point of last year was pretty much when we traded for castillo? whether he is a bad influence or reyes, in the clubhouse in general or its just that he cant play anymore and is wasting ABs in the 2-hole, we have been a horrible offensive team since he joined us. its just too hard to ignore the timing.
i was SHOCKED when omar gave him a 4 year deal
Everyone else has noticed.
But Valentin (not a Second baseman) got hurt and we needed a someone @ 2nd. Everyone was hailing the deal as Luis got off to a good start. Yes, a 4 year deal was a bit excessive but that what you get signing past prime players. Plus, he’s the least of our worries right now. How about where our hitting as a team? What is HoJo doing with the batters not named “Church”?
i also thought it was a good deal at the time, but looking back, that is where our problems started. maybe he cant be faulted for the lineups problems, but I definitely have noticed much more lacidasical play from the team since we got him. Even through the middle of last year, the team hussled and worked hard (sans delgado), and we rarely had conversations about work ethic. Now, that is all we talk about
Dump HoJo. Ever since they let Rick Downs go….this team does not hit consistently! Especially Reyes.
We were struggling WAY before that.
Try sometime around June 1st.
It was the “Curse of The Shaved Heads”
May 11th 2007… since then they are 88-84… they need to shave their heads before they reach .500 again…. that could be by this weekend, they way they are playing!
Precisely!
I agree with chan ho about beltran above- read it everyone.
beltran is ina cold streak for 2 months and then has a hot
streak for 2 weeks that brings his stats to average.
he is way overpaid. I do not feel sorry for a team or manager that will not bech delgado. 0 for 3 again last night.
cast illo is a waste, heilman embarrassing. what else?
fellow met fans don’t get too worked up- way more important things in life.
enjoy your holiday weekend. get outside and enjoy the weather.
don’t stay inside and suffer watvching the mets
Change of manager…change of coaches…a trade…firing the GM…whatever….
This team seriously lacks players with the ability/wherewithal to get the big hit when it counts…..who is the guy on the team that is this player?
This team needs a freaking hero…as corny as that sounds….WHO is going to step up? I’m looking at you Beltran and Wright
oh, one more think- delgado laughing in last nights dugout.
their pay should be based off current production.
lets see how much he’s laughing.
it’s going to get ugly.
once met’s are down by a run or more- its over you can tell by their body language
Is that true? I wouldn’t know, I turned off the game in the 4th inning because it was essentially over.
Please, what he heck would you have Willie say?
“The players are lazy and the GM has to go”?
I posted this below, but thought it had equal relevance here.
I’m probably in the minority here, but as an early Willie critic, I thought he did OK on FAN yesterday. He should have said that from the beginning, “Look, I was frustrated and said some things I shouldn’t have”. Also a hattip to Fatso and Fruitloops, as they did not duck tough questions,, but were generally fair and supportive.
I think it is well past time to move past the “racist” comments, but we need to address the product on the field. It stinks. This team has no life, and once they get down, as Mike Nichols said, you know it’s over. That is not a good sign for a manager. Even after last night’s debacle, Willie came out with that monotone, “We have to play better”, “the guys are working hard”, etc. I’ll give him credit for pointing out Castillo’s horrid AB, but the message he is sending the team is it’s business as usual, keep working hard and everything will be fine.
But everything is not fine. This team has no life. As I’ve said many times, a lot of this is Omar’s doing; he has stocked the roster with low-key, quiet guys. If you’re going to do that, you need a more charismatic manager to take the press heat off the players, and to motivate them when they are down, and rip them when they are playing poorly. Think Bobby V with the ‘98-01 Mets. That team had a lot of low-key players, but Bobby’s charisma made him the center of media attention, and took the glare off the team when things weren’t going well.
“We’ve got to find a way to get on a nice little streak here and play more consistently”
– Willie Randolph said to reporters after last nite’s game
—————————————————————————————-
We’ve been waiting for this to happen for about a year now….
de-po-des-ta!
N-n-n-o
Lets look at the numbers. When you go 76-78 in 154 games, you are NOT under performing, you are not the product of inept managerial decisions. You are what your record says you are, to quote Bill Parcells.
This team is constructed on quick sand. Its foundations are old, injury-prone, and past its prime. Beltran is not a star and Reyes and Wright are not yet ready to carry the team.
I am now of the belief that Omar and Tony Bernazard have instigated this firestorm on Willie Randolph to hid the fact that they have assembled a bust while tradiing away a farm system that was at one time highly regarded.
Willie has taken the bait and may have sealed his own fate. The swirl around him is buying Minaya some time to save his own neck. If Minaya get away unscathed this year, then come this off season he had better win some battles against Cashman and the Yankees who have the same team needs and 80 mil to play with. If Minaya doesn’t get the young, in-their-prime stars like Tex or Sheets or Sabathia, his head is going to be on the same platter that Willie’s is about to go out on.
76-78 means this team missed its chance in 2006 and Minaya chose to add Alou and Santana to revive old bones. It hasn’t worked and Minaya should have to answer for that.
Santana is in the prime of his career at 29! Old? Please!
I said Santana was brought in to revive old bones. Not Santana is old.
Respectfully disagree Metdamage. This team may have flaws, but they are not this bad.
Underachieving/slumping/poorly managed. Or all of the above, take your pick.
RPs.
I agree that they’re all related but when you have 154 games over two seasons to judge this team by, then it cannot be that simple.
They are not bad but they have proved to be an average team. They have not played a full month of above average baseball since April of last year.
Based on that you cannot just fire the manager and then it all goes away.
Its been a nearly a whole season’s worth. I’m beginning to believe that this really is what the team is. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck…
The time to fire Willie was in the offseason. I am so not a fan of firing managers in season. If they do decide to let Willie go in the next few weeks, I can’t really argue about it, but I don’t think another manager would squeeze a lot more out of this team.
I agree with RPs…but Metdamage has a point about Bernazard/Minaya. If it were up to me I’d can Willie and Bernazard and allow Omar enough rope to hang himself with or to pull himself out of the quicksand. Either is fine.
But canning Willie is step one in any process going forward. It may be that the team is what it is, and not even Gil Hodges would get better play out of them. But, the only way to tell is to fire Willie first and see how they respond. If they continue their craptastic play, the spotlight falls on Omar, juuuuu know what I’m sayin’?
Did he say anything about Castillo’s lack of hustle on Larry’s ball?
it was not a lack of hustle. He was positioned wrong. He was playing on the grass deep and to pull even though Pelf was throwing him outside sliders. Which makes a well sturck pulled ball into the hole very unlikely.
It was positioning. Baseball 101. Why he, nor anyone in the dugout didn’t correct this prior to that 2 strike pitch is beyond me.
Is it me…or is Randolph at fault too? He sure enjoys throwing people under the bus, but when you can’t manage team properly, then he needs to be held accountable. Hell! Girardi took responsibility for his team losing the Mets this past weekend. Randolph HAS TO GO!
“Team meetings are overrated, they’re as good as your next day’s pitcher. Like I said earlier, a change of environment is what it is also – you play in Yankee Stadium against a team that is struggling a bit what that type of pitching staff, you come to a new environment where it’s a different pitching staff and they’re pitching well. ”
Not that I think team meetings are a cure-all, but the facts are working against Willie’s point here – Wang came into that game pitching as well as anyone, and the Mets beat him up.
Willie’s been recycling the same post-game comments for a full calendar year now.
Enough.
He’s not entirely to blame but short of a firesale, he’s the last bullet in the gun to shake things up, he’s got to go.
If they fire that bullet and it doesn’t work I think we’re in worse shape for the sheer fact that the Wilpons won’t agree to a firesale before openning Citi. I think the organization is going to be spinning it’s wheels for the next season or two.
The entire managememt of this team, from the Wilpons to Omar to Randolph, have been in a 12-month denial that the exciting, fiery brand of baseball played by the 2006 Mets is LONG gone, and that this cast of characters just doesn’t have “it.”
It’s not about Willie. These guys lose pathetically, without a fight, and 10 minutes later they are dressed and gone. I’ve said it for 2 years with Delgado, but he’s not alone. Too many guys have priorities way above winning.
This season is not over, but it’s time to shake this bunch up. Delgado should be released. If the Blue Jays could afford to eat Frank Thomas’s salary to keep him from dragging down the team, so can we with Delgado.
Ditto Castillo. I’m always thought he was awful with Florida despite what numbers he put up. Turns out I was right.
Heilman needs to be removed from this roster, be it a trade or demotion. We don’t have the freedom any longer to let him work it out on the mound.
The combination of Easley, Anderson, and Chavez has been utterly lifeless, worthless, and disappointing. I thought this was the best bench in baseball. Not sure what’s up with these guys, but they are contributing nothing.
And lastly, a move needs to be made to eliminate any and all reliance on Mo Alou. I love the guy’s bat, but you’re a fool if you put yourself in a situation where anything you get from him is anything more than really good gravy. And Omar is a fool.
Firing Willie will do nothing, and I’ve come full circle on him deserving it. This cast just does not work. They are no different than the 1992 or 2002 Mets. Veterans are great, but sometimes veterans get so used to not winning Championships that they get comfortable with the fact that they never will. This team is just like those past Mets teams, where they think something is going ot happen just because htye all have resumes…they never MAKE it happen.
It’s time to clean a little bit of house.
Dave, how exactly are we going to part ways with Castillo, who has a 4-year contract?
It’s a good question, but what’s always killed me about this team is that they think they get a better return on their investments by letting guys drag the team down rather than just cutting their losses. What difference does it even make – are we getting our money’s worth for Luis Castillo?
I’d still love to see this team talk to the Rockies about Todd Helton. I know his contact is abysmal, but if you could unload Delgado and Castillo to even it out a bit, it’s not like the guy can’t still play. And it’s still alot of savings for the Rockies. All the goodwill they rebuilt with their fan base last season, and the young talent they have, makes it easier to trade a franchise icon.
Bottom line – I don’t know, but that’s not my job. It’s Omar’s. Get creative. This franchise is beyond rich. Unfortunately the Wilpons just don’t like to throw anything out.
I agree with you on one point – it’s time to eat our losses and cut Delgado, and I think we need to do what it takes to bring the X-Man back this year to take over at first. The fans love him, his old mates love him, and maybe he’ll give us a shot of life and some much-needed goodwill with the fanbase.
which will goes down as the worst signing of Omar’s tenure. And we get to live with it for 3.5 more seasons. And knew it before the first season began.
Chad Bradford was the worst non-signing.
hitting .262 and .371 for the season. Those are average numbers for an NL 2B. The problem was the years but either way he is not what is wrong with the Mets this season or last.
I think he is part of the problem. Can’t really run, doesn’t really hustle, doesn’t give you good at-bats. Just part of the wonderful tapestry that is the 2008 Mets.
And don’t forget, has zero power.
The guy that can’t run still has 7 SB.
The guy that does not hustle? If anything you can’t say that. You are seeing what you want to see.
Does not give you good AB’s? He takes more pitches than anyone on the team and has the 4th best OBP.
Again, he is no allstar but he is the least of our concerns. He is a role player but has no role without the stars being stars.
Castillo was supposed to bat 2nd, take pitches and not strike out so Reyes could steal, and move runners over.
Tough to do when your leadoff hitter stinks.
And his defense is still very good, regardless of what happened last night.
Exactly right. The problem is that its not going to get better. The yankees will crush Minaya in the off season for Tex and Sabathia and the Wilpons won’t draft out of the slotting system, meaning more Joba Chamberlain types will go to the Yankees.
There is no easy fix.
Delgado laughing it up in the field and the dugout when getting embarassed by another team just goes to show this team accepts losing gracefully and does not care about the ramifications afterwards.
There is still no accountability! Until that changes….this team will be incredibly frustrating the rest of the season.
Delgado and Castillo to begin with should both be benched for a couple of games. I know we don’t exactly have the best of backups… but a message needs to be sent to this team.
Boo-Boo Alou needs to be cut. He is stealing so much money from this team. Great hitter….but non-existent. I was against this signing from the start because of his injury history. Always thought we should have kept Cliff then if we were content with an oft-injured left fielder. At least he played more, was much cheaper salary-wise, and was a great influence in the clubhouse.
The culture of this club needs to change. And unless Willie starts to put his foot down(make sure the camera is on SNY) , he will lose his job.
But in all honesty, I’d rather see a change to the lineup and discipline enforced on the players first before Willie gets dumped. If Omar needs to step in and do that either by himself or putting the pressure on Randolph, then so be it.
I seem to get the impression they feel they won their championship when they clinched the division in ‘06.
This is a team that is full of themselves for the wrong reasons.
I turned off the tv in middle of a game for the first time since the hailed ‘Alomar’ days!
Sad….just Sad!
Reality check for us all…..this is not Willie’s fault–maybe 10–20% tops. Reasons why:
1) Spring training—Alou, Delgado, Schneider, Beltran, Castillo, El Duque, Castro, and Sanchez were all not ready for camp—they all got hurt, and in at least some cases, if not ALL cases, they clearly spent zero time with off-season conditioning. NOT Willie’s fault.
2)Last night—both teams were playing the same shift for Teixeira and Delgado, and each hit a similar roller to second—Teixeira ran like his family was on fire and the only extinguisher was at first base, and Delgado trotted his usual half-hearted way. NOT Willie’s fault.
3) The Schoeneweis, El Duque, and Castillo contracts are embarrassing–Castillo’s decline is obvious, and Schoeneweis is just mediocre—he has been in the bigs for nearly a decade and his career ERA is OVER 5.00—he just isn’t very good. No comment needed on El Duque. NOT Willie’s fault.
4) Omar traded away Bannister and Lindstrom for absolutely nothing. The point is NOT how good they are, but that they had significant trade value. NOT Willie’s fault.
5) Easley and Anderson were great the last couple of years, but have nothing left. NOT Willie’s fault.
6) Omar has assembled a unique collection of guys, who while being nice human beings, just do not really have the fire that previous Met teams have had. Delgado, Castillo, Beltran, and many others are certainly talented pros, but they just do not live and die with winning like the 86 team did. If and when Willie gets canned, I sincerely hope he lets everyone know that it is impossible to motivate someone like Delgado to run hard if he doesn’t care. This is the beauty of the NFL’s non-guaranteed contracts—it kind of gives motivation to hustle.
7) As much as I hate to face reality, Omar’s best moves have been Pedro, Beltran, and Santana, all of which were 100% due to the Wilpons’ $$$. Yes, getting Maine and Ollie were good moves, but how many other really shrewd moves has Omar made in this vein?
8) The team does not care enough to win, and the juxtaposition of Teixeira’s and Delgado’s efforts on the grounders last night were the signature moment for reality to set in. 2009 beckons, and it beckons without Delgado, Alou, Anderson, Easley, El Duque, Pedro, Schoeneweis, Wise, etc. A nucleus of Wright, Reyes, Church, Schneider, Santana, Maine, and Wagner, with the best we can do from the minors is the future. Neither Gil Hodges or Davey Johnson or Bobby V could lead this team to the winning streak we all are futilely waiting for.
—–Mets fan since 1970, when I sent to my first game at age 4. I don’t boo the Mets, except in 1993, when Bonilla, Murray, Saberhagen and Coleman led the vilest team in Met history.
You make some good points, but I think #2 and #6 can be traced back to Willie without a doubt. On #3, you’re forgetting that Show has been very good this year. On #7, you’re forgetting Church/Schneider for Milledge, which is looking like highway robbery.
Bottom line is Omar’s made some mistakes – the worst of which is his suicidal contract to Castillo – but I honestly think his successes outweight his failures. Let’s not forget he played the Santana game to perfection over the offseason, got Maine for Anna Benson, and Duaner Sanchez for Jae Seo.
Yes, I was writing quickly—the Milledge deal might eventually rank almost near the Hernandez for Allen/Ownbey one….thanks for pointing it out.
#2 — there’s no way any manager can get a vet like Delgado to run out every ground ball. Physically it’s just not easy for him to do, And it’s against his personality. These are not school kids.
#3 — Show has been better because he’s been used in fewer situations. He’s still not pulling his weight for his contract. This has put an extra burden on other relievers such as Heilman. Overall he’s been a big disappointment.
I recall reading that Schoenweis played the entire 2007 season with a torn tendon or ligament in his leg and could not push off..he was using all arm. Supposedly he is pitching much better this year because he can push off again. He never told the Mets about his injury until recently.
Agree completely. Except I would add Chruch-Schneider and Sanchez to Omar’s plus column. (It’s not Omar’s fault that Sanchez got into a cab accident which may have ruined his career.)
And I would put Wise in his minus column (not to mention last year’s Mota debacle).
I’d say getting Church and Schneider for Milledge was a good move as Milledge has been awful, corkscrewing himself into the ground on outside breaking balls as usual.
Because of Willie’s comments I don’t know how much scrutiny Minaya and the front office will get.
At this point, Willie would have to get fired and the team has to continue to fail for Minaya to get any heat.
WAH WAH WILLIE.
Willie was dead wrong on the .500 baseball not being acceptable quote.
Because, most recently, his team is actually playing .000 ball
the diamondbacks, “most recently,” are playing .000. what a terrible team. fire melvin.
another gem from the brilliant brain of danny1986.
BASEBALL GAMES ARE WON WITH HEART, FIRE, AND GRIT. WE NEED 8 DARIN ERSTADS OUT THERE. GET IT DONE OMAR.
bedwetter.
lol
Erstad lacks the range to play shortstop.
Don’t you mean 2B?
i <3 punters
i’m slow. what does that mean?
Erstad was a punter in college. Uninspired sports writers like to bring this fact up to illustrate Erstad’s so-called “grit.”
Mr. Randolph, you keep using the word “inconsistency” but I do not think it means what you think it means.
omars always getting a pat on the back for ollie perez trade.. but for a inconsistant headcase who’ll most likely be gone next year…. and nady being a solid player the mets could desparately use…. the deal was a wash nothing to hold a parade over…
You’re looking at the deal with ADD and 2008 colored glasses.
The pat on the back is for how he pulled it off.
Sanchez gets injured and he pulled off a 1 for 2 deal without anyone outside the club knowing about the injury.
And remember Perez kept us in game 4, and game 6 before Heilman lost the game for us.
This whole thing has even exhausted me, but here we go again. Willie needs to go. The problem here is that I don’t know if he will go. I’m getting mixed messages. First, why would he go on the “fix-the-image” tour if he wasn’t going to be kept? Why the Burkhardt interview, if not to soften his image to the fans? But on the flip side, you can usually sense when everyone is on board for a change when the announcers of games start to hint at things. Gary was just short of saying “Willie Sucks” last night. From what I have read here, it sounds like Howie mentioned things like its time for a change in the managerial office. The hosts on the FAN and ESPN radio who normally protect Willie (Benigno excluded) are even saying that maybe it is time for changes. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I do often think that they get hints at the directions of the team that we, the fans, don’t always get. So, if thats the way they are leaning, I always think that its because they are just sowing the seeds because ownership wants to get a feel for what the fan really wants.
Well…note to the Wilpons and Omar, 80% of the fanbase wants him out. I think its time.
They need to say or do something. If he is staying, they need to say that. Many may scream or disagree, but I think its hurting the team.
If he is toast, just do it already. Show some leadership.
This I completely agree with.
If they have any doubt in him and think that if he continues to struggle they will get rid of him midseason then do it now. Stop talking about it.
If they are going to stick with him then get up on the stage and say that come hell or high water Willie will be the manager this season.
Stop holding the team in limbo.
agreed………
Agreed.
totally agree, this twisting in the wind is hurting the team, the fans, and the orginization as a whole. make a decision and live with it til the end of the season.
I cant remember Cuban, do you want Willie fired?
I think he is undecided and weighing his options.
Hey, I’ve been pretty quiet for the past 2 days. I’ve let everyone else come around. :-)
I will say this though…this team has gotten so bad that I don’t know if firing Willie will even fix this anymore.
I’m pretty sure that no manager is going to fix this broken team. It’s beyond repair.
In that case, since I like to be ahead of the curve…FIRE OMAR!!!
We all know that Sanatana is going to save him today. And then they go to Colorado and perhaps win 2 of 3 against an awful team. That gets some heat off WIllie. Then they come home against the Marlins and the Dodgers, and win 4 of 7. Not bad, but not great. But hey, they defended their turf agasint the mighty first-place marlins, right? Maybe there is some life in this squad afterall. Then another road trip against 2 awful subpar coast teams. They go 3-3 on that trip. This is caled the .500 dance. It’s not enough to justify keeping or firing Willie. So no decision will be made. We’ve been dancing to this one for 162 games, folks. You should know the steps already!
Only way Willie gets fired anytime soon is if they lose today, and then lose 2 of 3 in Colorado. This has got to be a DISASTOROUS road trip for a decsion to be made. Especially with that race card (which cannot be taken back) laying on the table.
Playing the race card would be saying “We suck because I’m black” or “I’m gonna get fired because I’m black,” neither of which Willie said.
He needs to go, but I don’t think he played the race card. He’s not that kind of guy.
To you, and in the position you are in, sure. I feel the same way. No big deal.
Now put yourself in the Wilpons shoes. You have to deal with PR issues and pressure from sponsors who HATE to be associated with anything negative or non-pc. It’s perception. So they need to consider the perception angle to firing WIllie as that big neon CITI logo gets hoisted on the front of their stadiium. “Tongue and Cheek” still creates an issue.
Sure, he created a sort of firestorm around the team that the team doesn’t need, and he needs to go, but I think he needs to go because the team is failing, not because the sponsors are getting uncomfortable with some minor comments he made that were probably taken out of context. That might play into it a little bit, but the biggest issue is the team’s under-performance.
and i seriously hope you are right.
Is there a way the Mets can just, like, forfeit the rest of their games this year?
I like this idea. Put us out of our misery now. I can’t survive a full year of September 2007-quality baseball. I just can’t do it.
Would someone mind posting Keith’s tornado story from Tuesday’s nightcap to youtube? Keith is all I have left….
“I have seen the future of rock n’ roll, and it’s name is Bruce Springsteen.”
- Jon Landau, 1973
“I have seen the future Mets manager, and its name is not Willie Randolph.”
- Gentry, 2008
We don’t get a Landau reference everyday. I love it. Landau has done very well for himself on that prediction too,
This guy has posted it in every thread this week it seems. Don’t know how you missed it.
Keith Hernandez for our next manager!
I think he’s be an excellent manager, if only he wanted to do it, which I’m sure he does not.
I’m a watch every pitch, every at bat type a fan, like most of us nut jobs.
I gotta girlfirend, who is pretty understanding.
I looked at the game then looked at her and said, “I think we’ll be interacting a bit more”
Maybe this team is a second half team.
It doesn’t make much sense, just no execution.
If I’m Willie, I would tell them, “Lets get loose, Jose have fun, work your game, give the pitchers a fit while your on base. Hitters look for a pitch in a particular zone and go for it, whether its the first pitch or last. Know your strengths and work with them.”
Who knows, I know we all would love to talk to this team.
When you care this much about a team, its nice to have thousands to sulk with.
lets go mets . . blah blah blah
Can anyone honestly say that Mike Carp or Danny Murphy would be worse than Delagado at first?
The team needs youth.
As for Willie, clearly it’s over so let’s just focus on getting through 2008 (Fregosi is the name I keep hearing) and look to the one and only Davey Johnson for 2009 (after the Olympics).
I just came back here to post something similar.
With Pagan, Alou, and Church not available right now, and some of those returns are unknown, this would be a nice time to call someone up. Just give one of the young guys a couple of at bats and see what he does. Get him a little bit of major league experience. Seems like every other team does it.
Who knows if these kids can handle major league pitching? Do you really want to rush them up and take the chance that you stunt their growth and development? I don’t.
I’m talking about bringing them up and gettting a taste of it. Not to stay. Let them know that’s all it is. Then they go back down to develop. You think letting one of these kids come up for a week or two and get their feet wet, see what it’s like to travel with the big ball club, etc is really going to hurt them?
and it might even rekindle a spark in the vets, to see the young guys, many of whom would step over their dead grandmothers to be in the majors.
Eddie C sounds like he can’t take this anymore. This is taking a toll on all of us.
Hello, my name is Albert, and I’m a Mets fan.
Hello Albert
Hi Albert
By the way, as of May 22nd of last year the Mets were 28-16, a game and a half in front of the Braves coming off an 8-1 loss in Atlanta.
The next night Oliver Perez shut them down for 7 innings and the Mets won 3-0 (Wagner earning his 11th save)…
Thanks for reminding me of a better time.
Anyone have a spare DeLorean lying around? I want to go back to 2006.
The Mets were always lovable, even and especially through their lean years (I go back as a fan to 1967). Kranepool, Buddy Harrelson, Agee, Grote, Eddie Charles, Swoboda, Cleon, etc…
Now, it seems to me (maybe it’s the money and/or the long-term contracts) that the players don’t care as much…
Yes, there do seem to be exceptions – Wright and Wagner for example – but, frankly, it’s hard to watch players like Beltran and Delgado seemingly sleepwalk through the year…
Last night the Mets are down 11-2 and there is Reyes in the dugout laughing and joking!
Am I being too sentimental? Am I being to hard on the current players?
I don’t think Beltran and Delgado are sleep walking, I think they’ve worked really hard and just can’t seem to get it right. Delgado can’t even catch up to a 76 mph Glavine fastball over the meat of the plate. His career looks to be done. Beltran will likely come around.
But overall, the team looks flat and frustrated, like many of us fans are.
Maybe you’re right, I just can’t get the memory of Delgado saying he was bored last year during the collapse out of my mind…
Nobody can. Nightmares of it.
It’s not Willie’s fault.
Here is an objective list of the players that should be the starters for the NL Allstar Game…
1B Berkman
2B Utley
SS Ramirez
3B Jones
LF Holliday
CF McLouth
RF Ludwick
C McCann
Notice that there is not a single Met on the list. This team is just not good enough. Willie’s doing what he can with the group Omar gave him.
Yet, nobody would deny that Wright, Beltran, and Reyes have the talent to be All Stars. Yet Willie doesn’t get them to play up to their talent level. Oh, and Church is arguably an all-star this year. Wags is a no-brainer. Johan will be there too. So, there is talent on this team.
Enough of the Willie bashing! It’s not his fault that he has a crappy team to work with. I was a huge Omar supporter, but he is mostly to blame for this problem. This team as too many injury, prone veterans! I think the Red Sox are smart, never sign long term veterans. One or two years max!
Omar deals the cards, Willie works with what he’s dealt. It’s not his fault he has a team full of guys that he can’t depend on to play every day. Did you notice that the Mets actually won when all the regulars sat on a couple of those Sundays? Just like in spring training, the B squad was winning!
To anybody who is still defending Willie saying that the manager doesn’t hit, run, or catch. HEAR THIS: The bleeping Cardinals are 27-21, the Bleeping Marlins are 26-19. Also go to the WFAN website and listen to the Dave Trembley interview with Mike & Dog and drool with jealousy as you hear what a real MLB manager sounds like. Enough of Willie period.
Why doesn’t Willie ever change the damn lineup. Clearly as it is nothing is working and nobody is producing. Why can’t we switch it up to get out of this funk with something like Reyes, Wright/Beltran, Wright/Beltran, Church (when he is hot), Alou Delgado and so on. I know Beltran and Wright are our RBI guys but nobody is hitting right now. Something needs to be switched up to get some of these guys a few fastballs to turn on.
Soulsea,
The Marlins have young players with talent, possibly overachieving. Not sure about the Cards. Mets have old players underachieving (when they are actually playing and not on the DL). You can’t compare. Let’s see you try to teach a 40 year old veteran to change his ways. Not gonna happen!
Airjord,
Nobody is hitting any way you slice and dice it… no matter what order you put them in. What they need to do however is learn to hit again and maybe take pitches more!