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David Wright, regarding today’s drama involving Willie Randolph, while talking to reporters before today’s game:
“As players, we need to pick up our teammates, and Willie is one of our teammates and we need to go out there and play better. Wins solve everything.”
Billy Wagner, on the same subject, also before game:
“If Willie could pitch and he could catch, he would. You know, we have to play well for him. Every one knows, when the team plays well the manager looks good and when you play bad the manager looks bad. It has nothing to do with manager. We haven’t held up our end of the bargain.”
Carlos Delgado, on the current state of the team, talking to reporters prior to tonight’s game:
“I think we need to be responsible, and turn it up a notch and do whatever we need to do on the field to win some games.”
SI.com’s Jon Heyman then asked Delgado what he thinks of the situation, and whether he believes that Randolph should remain as the team’s manager, to which Delgado responded…
“I’ll tell you what I think, we need to play better. This is not about the manager. I’m not in the position to think or not think, they don’t pay me to think. They pay me play baseball.
Asked to answer the part of the question regarding Randolph, 
Delgado told Heyman, “If you wanna be an ass, I can be an ass too.”
Carlos Beltran, asked a similar question, said:
“We have to go out there and play the game. He has done his job. The thing is, when the team is winning, the manager always looks good. When they’re losing, the manager always gets the blame. I believe it should be the players. We’re the ones that are going out there and not playing at the level that we should be playing.”
Asked why more players are not coming out and demanding that Randolph keep his job, Beltran said:
“That’s not in our hands…It’s not my decision.”
…woh…okay, then…well, that is not exactly a whole ton of support now is it…message received…
…the thing is, who cares if some players support willie and some players do not…this isn’t a popularity contest…
…for these guys, it is about winning and playing exciting, entertaining baseball…end of story…if they win and hate their boss, or they lose and love him, it’s all the same…wins, and fun…that’s what counts…i could care less if they all get along…
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you’ll find the exact same comments and worse when Davey Johnson’s head was on the block nearly two decades ago, contrary to Darryl Strawberry’s awful memory of his own misgivings.
same with Bobby Valentine in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 when his job was on the line each and every year.
you also would have heard the exact same (if not much worse) comments from the Giants players a year ago about Tom Coughlin. Worked out for them…
I don’t think the players could have made a response that would not have been picked apart by the media for one reason or another.
I liked that fact that the players took responsibility. That is a healthy team for doing so, and referring to Willie as a team mate.
I for one do blame Willie for certain things, but I do not blame Willie for everything. Is this a run away team? I dont think so. This is a team that was built more on age than youth, and the team (and fans) are paying for it.
Fault has to go equally to Omar for fielding an aged team, and not having adequate back up.
Who could have predicted that Wright would fall off. Or were we wrong to assume that he would continue his hot ways.
Delgado is not the same since 2006. There was no indication that he would return. Though is HR total is quietly increasing, his average is woeful.
Alou cant stay on the field. That is an Omar issue. Especially since Alou was expected to provide offense.
Who could have expected injury to Church? No one. But then again, who would have expected at the beginning of the season, that Church would have the year he is having and not a member of a platoon?
Who would have expected Pedro to get hurt in his first game, or El Duque not to be ready for the start of the season? Omar should have given their track records. Sure starting pitching has not been that bad, but we have been lucky.
Who would have thought Heilman would be such a head case? No one.
Defense, that is an issue. Too many errors. Perhaps Willie should be held responsible for that.
Offense, that is a HoJo issue as well as a Willie issue. Should Hojo’s head role too?
What i am trying to show is that Willie is not solely to blame. There are things that have occurred that are partly Omar’s fault and some no one’s fault.
The media will not let you see that. They are all over Willie, and Matt seems to be on that band wagon.
One thing I hope he realizes is that when he speaks on SNY he is there to speak for the fans, not himself. I hope he reads the responses on with respect to blame and reports accordingly.
so instead of giving credit to the players for saying it’s their responsibility, you’re going to create some sort of controversy and imply that they don’t support Willie. Good job there Matt.
How is it creating controversy? Everyone reading that will obviously take it as the players not rallying to defend Willie. Don’t make Matt out to be something he isn’t. To quote Delgado, if you want to be an a**, I can be an a**, too.
I did not take it that way either.
Uh no. The players comments don’t read to me like they are not rallying around Willie.
Wright, Reyes and Wagner have already been personally supportive of Willie. That’s enough for me.
Wright gave an ambivalent statement saying it’s a separation of powers that decides Willie’s fate. Beltran gave an equally ambivalent response.
Did you see them say this or just read it? I saw it. They definitely came across as not being excited or happy Willie didn’t go.
Did you miss Wright’s unequivocal support of Willie during the last few weeks? Are you saying because he didn’t reiterate those statements today that now they don’t count?
And this is what Reyes said this past week:
“He’s one of the best guys in the game,” Reyes said. “I love Willie. We are the ones to play. He don’t play. He has to make the decisions. We’re the ones performing in the field.”
Wagner has also been clear he doesn’t think Willie should be fired.
John Delcos on his blog said that if there are players who don’t like a manager, usually you would hear whispers by now. He says he hasn’t heard anything.
Also,, you would have players giving anonymous quotes critical of the manager. We haven’t seen any.
There just isn’t any evidence that players don’t like him. There is some evidence that at least a few like him.
Seems like you Willie critics are trying too hard to make something of nothing.
The “something”: a glimmer of hope. The “nothing”: the manager.
Is anybody on the Mets payroll paid to think?
does anyone on the mets payroll know how to think?
Fred Jeff and Omar just made a move that will not only hurt the franchise but will destroy the fans and players already fading relationship.
Shea is going to be brutal, dark and unmerciful. We don’t have much left. David already looks like he’s 55 years old. He’s exhausted from all this. For the future of this team and the young superstars you needed to make a change. David looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. This was supposed to be fun! Now fans are so fed up and the players look like there ready for the offseason. This is too much pressure… Just by dragging this out you are securing that even a new manager will struggle to be able to get these guys going again. David is clearly not ready to be a leader. He’s too young and new york is too intense.
That last line by Matt makes me for the first time question his motive. None of these players said anything negative about Willie. They are right it’s not up to them, it’s their responsiblity to play better.
Matt, it seems like you are trying to spin these comments into a lack of direct support for Willie … as if you personally are upset Willie wasn’t fired today.
But that’s not fair to spin the comments. I bet there are very few managers today where a lot of the players feel personally tied to them. You might have had that with Torre and some longtime Yankees but that’s because he went through a few championship seasons with them. But otherwise, forget it. It rarely exists.
You will always have a few players who directly go to bat for a manager and we’ve already had that for Willie with comments by Wright, Reyes and Wagner. What more do you want?
Exactly has it ever occured that some players are like me and could not care less who the manager is because they realize it’s their problem?
The press will ask all 25 guys looing for what they want…and if they have to run with “Tatis thinks Willie Should Go” or “Nick Evans No Fan of Willie!” they will.
At the end of the day, there was no story coming out of today’s meeting, and these guys are going to do whatever they can to find one.
Seems pretty obvious Delgado was dodging Heyman’s direct question regarding Willie. Also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Willie has lost the Latino players. Reyes gave a canned comment of support he knows his buddy Wright would’ve given. How he truly feels we don’t know. But w/ all the Bernazard talk that came out last year- it seems somewhere along the line Willie lost the Latin players. Feliciano badmouthed him in 06. Franco was let go, in part, because of it too. Word was he was undermining Willie by 2nd guessing everything he did.
Stupid question for the press to ask, but we can’t expect any better. I’d honestly rather watch more “Beer Money” (where they ask 90% Yankees trivia questions - gotta love SNY) than watch losers like Jon Heyman digging around for a “scoop.” No wonder players hate these guys.
I think Pelfrey has to be pitching for his spot in the rotation if Pedro is truly going to be ready soon. I’d much rather see Vargas - who may have the 2nd most career wins on the current rotation (I’d have to check his numbers vs. Ollie) - than Pelfrey right now. Vargas has proven to be a pro who knows what he’s doing out there…and a nice pickup by Omar.
I read it as them taking responsibility for their actions and deflecting the blame from Willie. I don’t see what you say they’re saying.
blah blah blah blah, BS BS BS BS. Show us something Mets, have the guts to prove everyone wrong since the ownership clearly doesn’t have the balls to fire Willie
Firing people is mean.
OK Jose, way to settle down the boo birds.
I know the team doesn’t have a stretching coach, but do they have a team psychiatrist?
Julio Franco
Another unearned run courtesy of Mr. Jose Reyes. Way to get the homestand started off right, boys.
Finding it very hard to like this kid right now…maybe I need to see one his commercials again to remember he’s supposed to be a superstar.
We all knocked that column by Wallace Matthews (I think), but he really does look like his head isn’t in the game, or anywhere near the tri-state area, in fact.
This team is running to stand still.
They have NO IDEA how to fix this. NOT A CLUE!
Look Mets! Good things can happen when you put the ball in play!
I’d complain about how often this team gets dinked so much if they didn’t strike out so many times themselves. And if they didn’t give away so many outs.
Can’t wait to see Jose swing out of his shoes 3 minutes from now. This is his SIXTH season in the majors and he hasn’t ma