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Matthew Cerrone

postGame: Mets 4 Rangers 2
By Matthew Cerrone - Jun 15, 2008 8:11 pm

The Mets defeated the Rangers by the score of 4 to 2 in Shea Stadium this evening.

For a full recap, boxscore, stats, etc., go to SNY.tv.

Despite losing in the first game, the Mets looked up beat and confident in the second game. 

However, in case you missed it, know that Pedro Martinez looked strong, keeping hitters off balance, getting testy with Marlon Byrd, while throwing 92 pitches to 25 batters, of which seven reached base and only two scored; the Mets played some great defense, and some very bad defense; Carlos Beltran and David Wright were a combined 5 for 9 with two RBI; Willie Randolph chose to pinch hit for Martinez in the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, and Martinez on a roll, but Robinson Cancel delivered; and, lastly, Billy Wagner threw a 1–2–3 ninth inning for the save.

Welcome back, Billy – and Willie, enjoy the flight.

The Mets travel to Anaheim to being a three-game series with the Angels tomorrow, with Mike Pelfrey facing Jared Weaver.

234 Responses to “postGame: Mets 4 Rangers 2”

  1. TurboDan says:

    I’d say Bill R. came in to manage the second game, except the Cancel pinch hit makes me think Willie Randolph just got lucky.

    • Gasface77 says:

      No, he went with his gut. Cancel is one of his guys….he knows him, believe me.

      • The Glider says:

        Sheesh. It was the correct move AT THE TIME. The Mets won the game as a result. At least give the man credit when he makes the right move.

        End of story.

    • ness589 says:

      I didn’t really like the move, but I am not going to crucify him or make this a reason why he should be fired. This team is desperate to score runs. We had a bases-loaded, 2 outs situation in a tie game. I rather take the risk taking Pedro out for a hitter in that spot and hoping the bullpen pitches 3 scoreless innings, than giving the Rangers an easy out of that jam and trying to keep the score tied. He did get lucky that Cancel got the hit but better be lucky than good.

    • dammit i went to the first game but couldn’t stay for the second one…arrghhh….at least we won the series :) it was fun watching the Mets almost come back in game 1, been a while since i saw that

  2. mikey says:

    I am in Scottsdale and could not see the game.How hard was Pedro throwing?

  3. Gasface77 says:

    I was never a big proponent of firing willie in the first place, but I did think that it was necessary. I am not as down on him as some people on this site. I must say, however, that these past few days and the way the team has handled the situation has almost made me rally behind him. This weekend I found myself watching more intently and hoping they would win for Willie. It’s weird. A few weeks ago, I was accepting of Willie being gone, now I am hoping he succeeds more than ever. I hope this situation has the same effect on the players and they rally behind him. Maybe the front offic had a plan.

    • ridethesnake says:

      I feel the same way but the flaw with this thinking is that Willie still does not handle the Xs and Os well, and goes with his gut too often when he has poor feel for the game from a managerial standpoint. A lot of that has to do with his loss of confidence, and I guess if he gets that back his gut will be more successful than when he coaches scared, which I think has been the case since Game 7 in 2006 a little, and full bloom in September 2007 when he started really doubting himself. I never thought he could get his confidence back, and I still don’t, and even with the confidence he was still making mistakes with double switches and basic strategy, so as much as I root for him now as a person getting a raw deal from the front office and media, I still want him replaced.

    • YouNeedATissueToo says:

      You would be giving the front office way too much credit to think that they would “have a plan” to motivate their players and manager… Tonight Minaya layed the ground work for firing WR and a few coaches — he had not been so non-committal up until his press conference. It seemed to me like his firing was immanent.

      But I agree with your take on Willie and I hope the players do what they’re being paid to do, what they’ve all proven (at one point or another in their past) they are capable of doing and play some good, inspiring ball. They need to get a pulse and then the bullpen needs to get some balls.

  4. playmaker3128 says:

    Itll be interesting to see how we play in LA. Again as gary mentioned on the air, the angles haven’t exactly been tearing the cover off the ball. 11th in the AL in average and runs scored and Rbi’s. There strength of course is their pitching.

    The next three we get weaver who’s struggled(4.45era), then lackey vs santana which should be a good one. Then garland (4.13). Again the angels record reflects well in the fact that they just find a way to win games, and their bullpen is very good. However i think there beatable.

    Like i mentioned before, we have been getting great starting pitching, the bullpen has been shakey and i think we can somehow get a nice setupman we should pull the trigger as the 8th inning has haunted us.

    However i’m interested to see the impact of trot a little more. With 3 righties going in LA he should be in their all 3 games. 2 walks and 2 hits today. Also notice he was right in the middle of both our rallies in the bottom of the 8th and 9th.

    • NY Cuban says:

      “they just find a way to win games” and the mets find ways to lose games….
      Scioscia vs Willie…any questions?

      • ness589 says:

        Exactly. The Angels have an enormous advantage in managing.

        Garland and Weaver aren’t as bad as their ERA suggests. Even if their team BA is low, they have Vlad Guerrero. No one on the Mets is as good as Guerrero.

        The rest of their lineup plays small ball and can be tough.

  5. NY Cuban says:

    FIRE WILLIE!!! This cannot go on any longer. Why the black cloud over this team? What are the Wilpons so afraid of? Get rid of them and start over…this season is not lost yet!

    • Keep Willie says:

      Fire NY CUABN from this site!!. Stop whining like a little girl for Willie to be fired. Its annoying! Try rooting for your team for a change.

      Go Mets!!

      Go willie!

      • OrangEandBlue says:

        Normally, I would agree with Keep Willie but the Mets are starting to reach Isiah Thomas proportions and rooting for the Knicks from 2003-2008 was like drinking poison.

      • garykeithron says:

        don’t you mean “like softball girls”?? ;)

      • toomanyuniforms says:

        Fire “Keep Willie”, a guy who obviously signed up for this site just to bash people who state the obvious — manager+team=mediocrity or worse.

        • The Glider says:

          Yeah. You know more about what Cancel can do and not do compared to Willie. Hahaha. That’s is just so funny.

          Pedro was only going one more inning anyhow, you dope. You know nothing about baseball.

        • toomanyuniforms says:

          I love these guys that log on (usually late at night) and just go from one post to the next — rip, rip, rip. Get a life.

  6. Hubie says:

    To Boscov and Sasseroni and all you other yo yos, I told you Cancel was recalled over Pascucci b/c he is a better hitter. If you watched at all this spring, the guy swings a decent stick and Willie liked what he saw. Especially in a spot like today, you want a hitter who puts the bat on the ball, not like Pascucci, who whiffs every 3rd AB in the minors! Maybe all you know it alls will shut your mouhts a little bit.!

    • OrangEandBlue says:

      Robinson Cancel = one big hit = Hubie’s messiah

      • Hubie says:

        No, he’s not a messiah. Orange and Blue, you are another one of those “know it alls”, who just rips and criticizes at every opportunity. Firing Willie is not going to turn this around, and just maybe once in a while, it would be nice to give credit when credit is due. The decision to recall Cancel over Pascucci, just won us a ball game. This whole site ripped the deciison to keep Cancel, when 98% of you have never seen Pascucci swing a bat.

        • kjmcc0729 says:

          Hubie, first of all, the guy has not had a hit in the major leagues since 1999! that is not even in this millenium! so easy on the “i told you so” cuz willie got very, very lucky there.
          And Willie was not the one that recalled Cancel, Omar was. Perhaps you should be giving the credit to omar.

    • Two-By-Four says:

      The guy got his first hit in the majors since 1999. You think there may be a reason for that? The ball had eyes and for once the Mets got lucky. The only thing Cancel is proficient at is eating. I would like to see him at an all you can eat buffet. He would put the restaurant out of business.

    • toomanyuniforms says:

      Hubie, that could be a(n) historically ridiculous post. Satire couldn’t better capture the stupidity and needlessly confrontational tone of some posters when discussing a topic (25th man) of minimal importance. Robinson CANCEL gets ONE HIT and it’s “shut your mouths, haters!”

      Good night. What part of “$140 million 4th place team” do you not understand?

      • Hubie says:

        No, its not about Cancel’s one hit. Its about all the criticism from know it alls like your self who come on here mainly after losses to rip and criticize. Well, keeping Cancel was the correct decision as have been many of Omar’s decisions in his time here. Sure there have been a few screw-ups, but unfortunately, with the Yanks in the playoffs every year, there is tremendous pressure to win and perhaps decisions mainly for today are made.

        We need to keep Willie and Omar, support this team, even though I agree, there is a strong chance we are headed toward mediocrity this year. Bringing in a new regime is not going to help correct what has happened in the past and I still think Omar and WIllie give us the best chance to success in the future. change does not guarantee anything.

    • metsfan119 says:

      Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile. This team is going nowhere fast and the indecisiveness of the the front office isn’t helping things.

      • The Glider says:

        If this team is not going anywhere, it not because of Willie Randolph. This team, as presently constituted, isn’t going anywhere with Jerry Manuel either.

        If this team does go anywhere, it will be because the teams gets healthy or because Omar makes a few moves – one being to get a productive left fielder WHO IS HEALTHY. We only have about 20 ribbies total this season out of that position.

    • Boscov says:

      Hey Hubie you’re a riot. Real riot

    • ness589 says:

      Cancel was called up because he calls a good game. If he wasn’t injured during ST, he’d have been up instead of Casanova as the backup.

  7. playmaker3128 says:

    I thought the cancel move was the right one. Pedro gave you six solid innings, you go for the win right there. Were not exactly tearing the cover off the ball offensively. That was a golden opportunity to score, you don’t just let it get away. Who knows if pedro gets into trouble if he even finishes the 7th inning.

    For all those that didn’t like the cancel move, whom would you have brought into pinch hit? He was our option from the right side. It worked. Good move from willie.

  8. na9101 says:

    I was at the game and was wondering if anyone knew what was up with the HR apple? It didn’t go up for any of our HR’s….

  9. garykeithron says:

    omg omar’s an idiot. anyone watching his interview on sny?

    • toomanyuniforms says:

      Allowing Bernazard in the clubhouse to undermine his manager pretty much solidified Omar as an idiot in my book. Willie doesn’t need things made more difficult for him, believe me.

  10. MetsFan4Decades says:

    Yes – and I couldn’t agree more. I never heard such double talk in all my life. HE’s making this situations so much worse than it has to be. Either do it or don’t. But it’s so obvious they’re going day to day with Willie. And if he doesn’t realize how much that’s affecting the players – well than he’s a bigger idiot than I thought he was….

    • metsfan119 says:

      I don’t think it affects the players at all, if it did, maybe they would’ve played for the guy at some point over the past 200 games. Please, don’t give the players too much credit, they have guaranteed contracts and they couldn’t care less.

      • MetsFan4Decades says:

        Sorry, I have to disagree with that. I’ve heard a handful of them say in the past couple of days – Beltron and Wagnor come to mind, that all this Willie talk is distracting.
        And you will never convince me these guys do not care at all about winning – no matter how much they’re making.
        That being said, I have no idea why they’re not playing better than they have been (injuries withstanding) b/c I still believe they’re better than they’re record is showing.

        O.K. – all you pessimists and down and out fans – go ahead and yell at me. I know it’s coming….

        • KinersKornerman says:

          MF4D, I got your back. I heard exactly what you said from Wagner in his post-game interview. The Willie-watch is definitely a distraction. In the camp that Omar needs to make a public statement. Be a man and say that Willie stays or goes and that’s your final answer. At this point, the indecisiveness is worse than either decision.

          And of course these guys want to win. You don’t get ot MLB without a strong competitive instinct.

        • MetsFan4Decades says:

          thanks, KinersK. I was beginning to think I was the only one who thinks Omar is really handling this poorly….

        • KinersKornerman says:

          He’s definitely handling it poorly, no matter if you are in the Fire Willie camp or Keep Willie camp.

          Plus, he didn’t do a good enough job of accounting for injuries (Duque, Alou, Wise, Pedro, Church).

          I can’t believe our regular OF includes Tatis and Easley. That’s a big contribution to the current struggles.

        • The Glider says:

          Thank you KK. Well said. You are correct on all points – as usual.

    • garykeithron says:

      if nothing else, it’s affecting the players in that reporters are asking them the same willie question in every interview. I mean, if I’M getting sick of the willie question, imagine how the players feel? it’s got to be draining to have all this extraneous stuff going on instead of focusing on baseball.

  11. TobeRinkler says:

    Re Omar’s conference: anybody think he’s thinking he might fire Alomar for that Schneider tag-up debacle?

    • garykeithron says:

      I hope not. I mean people were getting on Alomar the other day for NOT sending someone from third because the team’s not hitting…poor guy can’t win

    • sherlockcollector says:

      As far as I know when you are a runner at third you get in a position to run/tag up on a fly ball and the COACH says “stay” or “go”. You shouldn’t even be looking at the outfielder. It is similar to Reyes getting picked off second base several games ago. His job is to watch the second baseman and the third base coach watches the shortstop. With another runner [not Cancel lol] and a different right fielder [Bradley has always had a great arm] you might send him but it was a very bad decision in this case.

  12. DMAT89 says:

    yea…omar was making no sense…someone asked “Is it safe to say Willie and his staff will be coaching tomorrow in Anahiem”

    Omar: “I keep answering the same questions, willie and his coaches were our coaches today, it is my job to evaluate them when the team isnt playing well”

    Another funny quote was Wright’s when he said “Theres 25 guys here and we need to start…uh….continue picking eachother up”

  13. MetsFan4Decades says:

    You know, I was never a big proponent of the ‘fire Willie’ bandwagon, fire the coaches, fire Omar, fire everyone. But these past two weeks, more than ever I want to see Willie and the Mets turn this around just to shut Omar the hell up. He KNOWS what the media is gonna ask him every night and this is the best he can come up with??? Good manager or not, Willie is getting my vote for who has the worst boss ever…..

    Omar shoulda been a politician. Someone who can go on for days and not say one damn word. He’s got a real knack for never answering a question, doesn’t he????

    • JNGordon says:

      Just a curiosity? Do the GMs in other cityis get the play like they do in NY? Thomas, Cashman, Omar, etc.

  14. TurboDan says:

    An Omar press conference makes a Bush speech look like the Gettysburg address. Other GMs must have their minds blown during meetings with this idiot.

    The only people who would lose out on Omar’s firing are Latin ballplayers over the age of 35. The rest of us will be OK.

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      ‘An Omar press conference makes a Bush speech look like the Gettysburg address. Other GMs must have their minds blown during meetings with this idiot.’

      Good one – LOL !!

  15. mets2010 says:

    anyone who saw the omar conference would agree beltran is in trouble lol

  16. TurboDan says:

    By the way, I’m supporting Willie 100%. He’s an average manager, and with a $140 million payroll, an average manager should be just fine with the caliber of players that amount of money brings in. See: Torre, Joe.

    SAVE WILLIE! FIRE OMAR! BENCH DELGADO!

    • ridethesnake says:

      I totally agree. He should be just fine.

      But his $140 million talented team blew a 7 game lead last year and then pissed away 65 games the following year. So the average manager underachieved according to your logic.

    • Two-By-Four says:

      If you fire Omar the first thing the new GM will do is hire his own man to manage the team.

  17. Mr. Mets Butler says:

    It’s great that Cancel got the hit, but why didn’t he pinch hit Mike Piazza. Damn… I miss Mikey!!

  18. Church4prez says:

    reports have willie in a brass meeting right now.

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      Where are you reading that?
      That doesn’t sound good. Right about now, they all should be on the bus heading to the airport – or already there.

  19. DMAT89 says:

    reports? what reports do u speak of?!

  20. EliPorter says:

    were facing a right handed pitcher with the DH tomorrow. who should be in the lineup? this is what i think

    SS-Reyes
    2B- Castillo
    3B-Wright
    CF- Beltran
    1B-Delgado
    DH-Castro
    RF-Nixon
    C-Schneider
    LF-Chavez

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      Looks good to me. Like Castro as the DH.

      Can’t think about tomorrow now though after hearing about this supposed meeting with Willie and the brass going on right now. Now, I’ll be surfing the net all night long looking for the rumors and/or outcome….

    • Hubie says:

      I would like to see D Wright DH tomorrow. The guy needs a break. Easley or Tatis could play 3rd.

      • MetsFan4Decades says:

        O.K. – you’ve both convinced me. Good idea – it just never occurred to me.

    • KinersKornerman says:

      Move Endy to RF for better defense against Angels’ lefty sluggers, and as we been saying, flip Wright and Beltran in the lineup.

  21. DMAT89 says:

    If that report is true…i think Willie is a goner…which sucks…cause I think Omar should go…guy built this crap team which cant get out of its own way and is struggling to stay above .500…or even reach it.

    And after hearing Omar talk in his press conference…if theres a meeting….i think its the end of the line for Willie

    • ridethesnake says:

      This crap team was 7 games up with 17 to go last year and added the best pitcher in baseball and a pretty good RFer. That is is struggling is at the manager’s feet. If you disagree, explain when you WOULD blame a manager for a team’s poor play? In this case we have evidence that they were good last year, 7 games up and all. Or do you think the team stunk but Willie was so genius to have them playing over their heads, but somehow lost his touch at the end…..

      • KinersKornerman says:

        Willie is at best average, nobody has been arguing that he is Bobby Cox. But, consider that your closer has blown 5 saves this year, and your starting corner OFers are both on the DL. Can’t blame the manager for those things.

        • ridethesnake says:

          Willie played Alou too much in my opinion for a 43 yr old in cold weather coming off a surgery, and he did play a part in putting Church back in too fast. Both could have been avoided.

          Also, the Mets closer has only lost three games as two BSs resulted in wins. His percentage is above average in baseball.

      • mets2010 says:

        willie cant control the players actions all he can is guide them and do what he thinks is best, he cant tell reyes to stop hitting the ball in the air when more magic happens when he hits it on the ground

      • YouNeedATissueToo says:

        Or that the bullpen has sucked major air for about the same amount of time that the Mets have been mediocre. Although, last year the pitchers in the pen were complaining about “defined” rolls and that they were having trouble making adjustments when they didn’t know if they were coming in the 6th or 8th or 7th or 5th….

        It seemed that WR tried to establish rolls for his pen this year (in the beginning, at least), but they have all choked at the most inopportune times and it wouldn’t matter if the Mgr penciled them into the lineup (like a little league manager might), they still ended up blowing the opportunity.

        It’s in this aspect of the game that I find it hard to put the blame on the manager, though I’m sure there are a lot of people who would argue this. If you can’t rely on any of the pitchers in your pen, how can you ever be sure you’re making the right move as the mngr?

  22. garykeithron says:

    i hope they’re not in a brass meeting when they should be focusing on – what was it again? – oh, BASEBALL! Like, they should be getting their butts to CA so they can play a decent game tomorrow

  23. TurboDan says:

    Someone, please post a link to this “meeting” report…

  24. DMAT89 says:

    ridethesnake, I’d say it was the managers fault if he actually had players in there prime…Beltran is on the edge or out of his prime…Wright and Reyes havent entered there prime yet..and maybe u can consider church in his prime. When you have 5-6 position players and 7 “super” bench players…your going to get exactly what you have now…a .500 team. When 3 of your 6 “regulars” are on the downside of there career…or not a strong hitter (schneider) how is that Willies fault. Is it willie’s fault that he has to keep throwing delgado out there who cant get out of his own way…and hits a homerun then goes on an 0-20 run? Is it willie’s fault that castillo has knee problems and has absolutely no power? Is it willie’s fault that the bullpen looks like they belong in the minors? No, its not Willies fault…its omar and his guys who think building an old fragile team is the way to go, when clearly the better teams are younger…with young rising stars and players in there prime. So tell me how this is Willies fault, maybe he cant motivate them cause they dont care anymore and they are just playing to fulfill there contract.

    • ridethesnake says:

      The Red Sox play cohesively, motivated, and well. Their whole offensive team is on the downsides of their careers, or not yet there like Ellsbury. Yet they win.

      Is it Willie’s fault that he has to put Delgado out there every day? He had to be sat down and told that it’s ok to bench the guy. Delgado finally started to play after that. Why does Jeff Wilpon know to bench Delgado but not Willie. It’s not Willie’s fault about Castillo but instead of making adjustments he bats him 2nd all year, starting after a 4 game win streak with Church batting second. That started a team tailspin. Is it Willie’s fault the bullpen doesn’t always pitch well? Yes. He overused them and doesn’t know their roles. Jorge Sosa is a 5th starter and was a good find last year, a talented guy who was misused in Atlanta, where they tried to make him a bullpen guy and he failed. Willie thought he was Carlos Marmol and threw him out there every day until Omar finally had no choice but to take him away from Willie.

      It is not all Willie’s fault, but he definitely misuses the players Omar got for him, which makes Omar look worse than he has been.

  25. pac_manjones says:

    church for prez is an idiot, there is no brass meeting. They boarded the plane well over an hour ago. People that post “news” in the comments section without a source should not be taken seriously. Cmon guys your better than that, If true itd be all over espn, blogs, sny, wfan, etc. Church4prez should be banned.

    • garykeithron says:

      ya, did you notice church4prez posted that there was a meeting and then disappeared?

    • MetsFan4Decades says:

      Hey , chuch4prez…don’t you think us Mets fans have enough to be agonizing over w/o adding false rumors to the mix?

      Maybe this guy is a Phillies fan in disguise – with entirely too much time on his hands….

  26. tengobotas says:

    Willie isnt the problem its the players, many of them just arent that good. People can say whatever they want about 06 and even last year but honestly, this team is miles from being a world series team. They have no chemistry and they have never commanded wins.

    • metsfan119 says:

      They should still be better than their record. Over the past 200 games this team in under .500, the manager takes blame for that. I don’t care if this guy is from Brooklyn, Beirut, or Mars, he’s done a terrible job over the past year

      • KinersKornerman says:

        Bro, have you seen the roster lately? he had to pinch hit Robinson Cancel today. Forget that it actually worked; no manager should be placed in that despicable condition.

  27. dykstraw II says:

    i’ve actually become more positive re: willie in recent weeks but if he has to go to expose omar so be it. omar can not be in charge of this organization if it’s struggling at the deadline and his job is on the line. it is clear his lack of foresight is the main reason this team is undeniably mediocre and i do not why the wilpons cannot see this.

    it sounds like people are happy because we split a doubleheader and honestly it makes me a little sick.

  28. garykeithron says:

    if willie gets fired, i think sny should hire him and he can enjoy torturing omar from the other side of the mike

  29. TurboDan says:

    How much do you wanna bet that if Willie is fired, he’ll be hired by a team with a bunch of young players, he’ll win a World Series and be named Manager of the Year?

    • metsfan119 says:

      It would have to be with an AL team so that he wouldn’t have to think.

    • ridethesnake says:

      what are you basing this on? even people who are in willie’s corner can only go as far as saying he is an average manager.

  30. mets2010 says:

    where did beltran get the message that willie was the manager for the season, he doesnt seem like one to make up a story, i think omar should make up his mind already before jeff makes up his mind on him, i could see a few coaches being fired soon, i dont see the benefit with firing peterson and call up a guy from AAA who would have to learn all the pitchers, the players realize its on them, everything will be fine

  31. MC Censor says:

    Awesome to see Robinson Cancel party like it was 1999.

    • KinersKornerman says:

      Best Prince reference ever on Metsblog. Even better than Darryl’s Strawberry beret.
      Good work.

  32. metsfan119 says:

    If only the Wilpons were as hesitant giving up on young phenom pitchers as they were shtty managers…

    • KinersKornerman says:

      see, now you’re talking crazy. Wilpon and Doubleday bought the team in 1980. He has been part of hiring both Davey Johnson and Bobby V.

      • kjmcc0729 says:

        Kiners,
        ???????? WTF are you talking about????

        • KinersKornerman says:

          Wilpon’s positions with the Mets:
          Team President 1980 – 2002,
          Chief Executive Officer since 1980 Chairman of the Board since 2003

          You don’t have to believe me. Check the Mets MLB site. Click on history or check Wiki. Do your own research.

          Either way, Wilpon was involved in hiring every GM and manager since 1980.

        • metsfan119 says:

          So what does that have to do with my original comment?

      • Lets_Go_Mets says:

        Wilpon only owned 5% until December 1986.

    • Mex_17 says:

      That’s hilarious!

  33. AlreadyMissShea says:

    I had to go out for a quick dinner and it seems like I missed a lot. What did Omar say? What did Beltran say? Was there really a meeting with Willie or did someone just post that and run? I miss all the good stuff when I leave to do stuff like eat and sleep and stuff.

    • mets2010 says:

      omar just said the same garbage he always says you could probably get the whole interview on sny.tv, the beltran thing is one reporter said he was told by beltran that the players were told two weeks ago that willie will be the manager for the season and he looked at the reporter like he was nuts.

      • AlreadyMissShea says:

        Ah, OK, thanks.
        So I don’t even need to find the interview. I already know it from seeing it so many times before. Did Beltran actually answer the reporter? Maybe they were told that at some point. Maybe not. Nothing this organization does ever surprises me.

        • garykeithron says:

          they didn’t show a beltran interview – just a reporter saying that beltran told him that. omar’s interview was worse than his previous ones. When he was asked if he could guarantee Randolph and the current coaches would be there tomorrow, omar sidestepped it with “randolph is the manager right now….etc.”

          Someone just posted the thing about the meeting and ran

  34. ajenkins18 says:

    ill bet you 2,000 dollars that if willie is fired he wont be hired by another teamthis season and definetly wont bring another team to a world series

    • ridethesnake says:

      Well, he’d have to be passed over by the Blue Jays, Brewers, Orioles, Rockies, Phillies, Reds, Blue Jays (again), Pirates, Twins, Brewers (again), Mariners, Tigers, and Rays before someone hires him.

  35. ajenkins18 says:

    this is off topic but can can you start your own blogs on here?

  36. mets2010 says:

    one thing with game 1 is bothering me, why didnt nixon steal with first and third they werent going to throw down with wright on third, then the single following would of brought him home

    • Mex_17 says:

      Because that would require having a manager who understands how to put his team in the best position to win the game?

    • Hernandez_1B says:

      i was at the game and a lot of things bother me about game 1. Scneider should have been pinched run for in the 8th. I mean we do have 3 catchers on the roster. I also thought Castro should have pinched hit in the 8th instead of the 9th. Willie also needs to stop making so many pitching changes. Its ridiculous.

  37. DMAT89 says:

    reason u dont send nixon is…how do u know they dont throw down? Nixon doesnt have that much speed and if he gets thrown out…game over….and then everyone will come out and say “why did willie send him” but since he didnt send him..people think hes dumb…wow this is funny

  38. ToastyJoe says:

    From NYDailynews.com:

    Mets on verge of firing pitching coach, first-base coach

    • ToastyJoe says:

      Sources have told the Daily News that principal owner Fred Wilpon and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have authorized Minaya to fire Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. Bench coach Jerry Manuel would ascend to manager if Randolph is ousted, while Triple-A New Orleans manager Ken Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen would join the major league staff.

      • mattfromPA says:

        thanks for the old news Sherlock.

      • dykstraw II says:

        because tom nieto is exactly what’s wrong with this team.

      • mr.gee21 says:

        “Ken Oberkfell … would join the major league staff.”

        And if Willie is still around, he’ll feel Ken breathing on the back of his neck…

        • dykstraw II says:

          yeah this is the only good thing here. ownership may favor oberkfell for manager and may be easing a transition. there is no other good reason to fire nieto. maybe peterson’s firing is less about him and more about getting oberkfell’s pitching coach up with him.

        • ToastyJoe says:

          Maybe they’re upset that Nieto insisted on having the N with the squiggly mark as the first letter of his last name on his uniform.

        • garykeithron says:

          well that would have been a “Stitches” issue. Did you see that segment on Mets Weekly this week?

        • garykeithron says:

          Hmmm, so maybe you’re right….Stitches had a problem with the N and complained to Omar and that’s why he’s getting canned. Or maybe Omar wanted the same N for his uniform and they wouldn’t give it to him.

    • garykeithron says:

      good pickup

      • ToastyJoe says:

        Are you sure? mattfromPA said “thanks for the old news sherlock” and really hurt my feelings.

        • garykeithron says:

          yes, i’m sure. We didn’t know they were gearing for the coaches > randolph, so i thought that was good, new info. mattfrompa neeeds to stop taking out his aggressions on random people

    • YouNeedATissueToo says:

      Well, it seems more understandable to cut Peterson right now, since the whoas of the bullpen are a direct reflection on his record. I’m sure plenty of people blame WR for his choice or frequency of relief pitcher usage, but the Mgr relies on his coaches input. Yes, WR always says “I had a feeling about so-and-so today” but that’s usually in reference to starting a bench player or using a pinch hitter….

      • dykstraw II says:

        whatever. ownership should make it clear to omar that this is the last round of firings that will not include him. this team is mostly his fault.

        • YouNeedATissueToo says:

          I agree.

          Though I can’t help but think back 3 years ago when OM became GM and hired WR. The only articles you could read were about the Mets “heading in the right direction”. It seems like a long, long time ago right now.

        • YouNeedATissueToo says:

          Maybe OM can only work it on a shoestring budget?

  39. garykeithron says:

    ny post says church is going to start workouts tomorrow

  40. So guys i have decided that i will not cut my hair until the Mets get 15 games over .500 this year. Wish me luck :)

  41. Mex_17 says:

    That Daily News story is funny. Minaya, the master at doublespeak. Has it gotten so ridiculous that Omar is giving hourly non-commital votes of confidence to the first base coach??

    This team is so mis-managed it’s getting hilarious.

    Reporter: “Fans reported some burnt popcorn today, is the popcorn vendor going to be on the plane to Anaheim?”

    Omar: “As General Manager, all I’m going to say is that we have a popcorn vendor today, Sunday. Popcorn was sold by a vendor. Beyond that, I’m not going to get into speculation, other than to say that I would expect popcorn to have a buttery goodness, and our goal is to have every kernel popped.”

  42. dykstraw II says:

    they’re on a plane to california, so there’s no chance this is getting resolved tonight, right?

    • garykeithron says:

      well that article did say that omar and randolph did meet today and were the last ones on the bus to the airport. So who knows if they settled anything then.

      I just went back to the article and it disappeared “page not found”….Hmmm, mysterious

  43. AlreadyMissShea says:

    According to Adam Rubin, some coaches are close to being fired and Willie will “escape the first round of firings”

    In other words, let the racial tensions continue.

  44. DMAT89 says:

    They are gunna fire 2 white coaches?! DAMN U OMAR! Actually i dont care not a big deal…though i have no idea what this will do for the team, Peterson? a new pitching coach might help…but 1B coach? HUH?

    • AlreadyMissShea says:

      I’m not talking about race from my point of view. I’m just saying if you don’t think that is something that will come up if Willie stays and those two guys go…

    • garykeithron says:

      yeah, i didn’t even know his name until now

    • AlreadyMissShea says:

      Yeah, what the hell is the point of firing the first base coach? So the Wilpons gave Omar the green light to fire Willie and he’s apparently close to firing a guy who… well, what could he have done wrong?

    • ToastyJoe says:

      Tom Nieto is Latin.

  45. AlreadyMissShea says:

    “Rick Peterson, Tom Nieto facing ax but Willie Randolph safe – for now”

    Yeah, fire Tom Nieto, Omar. That’s the answer.

    • KinersKornerman says:

      Firing coaches is an empty gesture, as we saw last year.

      • AlreadyMissShea says:

        Nieto has got to go. He’s the worst first base coach EVER. For starters, not one guy has stolen first since he took the job.

        • KinersKornerman says:

          True, and he fails to yell SAFE on every close play to “influence” the umpire. He’s awful.

        • AlreadyMissShea says:

          I didn’t realize this was posted already. I just heard Rubin on the radio. Anyway, this is a completely meaningless move. Firing people just for the sake of firing people. That should really turn things around.

        • KinersKornerman says:

          I’m confused. Isn’t that why posters want to fire Willie?

        • AlreadyMissShea says:

          For the sake of firing someone? I don’t know, I think people have made pretty valid reasons for firing him. I don’t think they should fire him at this point, so I can’t really speak for them. I think they should leave him in place for the rest of the season. Outside of a handful of players, they can start over again for 2009 and roll a lot of heads out the door.

        • KinersKornerman says:

          I agree…just messing around with the comments anyway.

          Seriously now, how interesting will it be to see the Scioscia vs. Randolph matchup over the next 3 days? Scioscia is supposed to be an actual tactical genius.

        • AlreadyMissShea says:

          This has the potential to be a very scary series. It’s really too bad the Mets record is what it is, because they just don’t have any wiggle room. This could be very ugly.

        • KinersKornerman says:

          Need to get 1 in Anaheim, then it’s Rockles and Mariners series. Hope we get better there. It’s get rough after that.

  46. KingWright says:

    Are we seriously firing the first base coach?

    Seriously?

  47. dr jones says:

    If this report is true, You have to really wonder wtf is going on in this front office. Omar is so hell bent on keeping Randolph that he’s going to give him another shot with a few of his own coaches. Why does this organization owe Randolph anything.

    This is not about Willie Randolph its about the Metropolitans and whatst best for them. If these reports prove to be accurate, then we might as well change the name of the franchise. I’m thinking

    The Williot’s

    • QueenOfQueens says:

      The only thing I can say is that we only know what is presented to the public. What goes on behind closed door and in the clubhouse is a mystery. Nieto may be going for reasons we will never know. Just a thought…but I am sorry to spoil all the complaining around here…please return to your regularly scheduled whining.

  48. metaje says:

    i bet with nieto gone…..oberkfel coaches 3rd and alomar first….then when willie is gone oberkfel becomes manager….gives him transtion time…

    if thats breathing on willies neck….too bad he earned it

    • MetsFan21 says:

      Willie has more than enough breathing down his neck… Jerry Manuel, HoJo and now Oberkfell with Mazz and Darling in the TV booth. Not that I would think they’d leave the booth to join the mess that is unfolding before their eyes.

  49. MetsFan21 says:

    From what the NY Daily News is reporting, Tom Nieto and Rick Peterson are goners… coming up are Ken Oberkfell and Dan Wharten. Which makes me beg to ask: Why Tom Nieto? Peterson I’d understand if it is bullpen issues, but of all people, Nieto? So who becomes the first base coach? HoJo? Unless somehow Minaya managed to convince Julio Franco to become the first base coach.

    • ToastyJoe says:

      Nieto will be fired because Minaya hates Latins. Oh, wait…

      • AlreadyMissShea says:

        Well I’m the only one who mentioned race, and said it was not from my point of view but how it might be received, so was that directed at me?

        I know who Tom Nieto is… And I hate the whole racial thing that seems to hang over this team when it comes to the opinions of some of their fans. What I was saying is that if Willie stays and some coaches go, there are going to be a lot of people who say it’s because of his race. He opened up that can of worms himself with that article last month. I’m not saying I agree with it, but it’s going to come up.

      • Dirtysanchez says:

        lmaooo good 1 toasty i needed that this morning

  50. JDuelz (Athens, GA) says:

    I feel like the Mets’ chances of winning this season is going to be better if the team rallies around their manager and each other than if they hire new personnel.

    With this theory in mind, I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet on Bill & Co.

    • ridethesnake says:

      I’ll admit this is true. While I want a replacement, it is very possible for this team to collapse under a someone new. But I also believe it is more likely for it to continue a collapse under Willie, mainly due to the last week of media and signals from the front office that has undermined any remaining clout WR had. So a turnaround seems possible but unlikely, and more possible with someone who comes in with a plan.