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As a Mets fan, I’m embarrassed this morning, and I feel a little dirty.
I understand why Willie Randolph was fired. In fact, due to the time I spend talking to people connected to the team, I am probably aware of why he was fired better than most people.
The problem is that, like in so many cases during this team’s history, the story today will not be about replacing Randolph with Jerry Manuel and moving forward, it will be about the way this situation was handled – and rightfully so.
On one hand, most things end badly – otherwise they wouldn’t end, especially in baseball.
I have already been sent e-mail from Yankee fans mocking the Mets, which is pretty funny coming from a team that ran Joe Torre and his four rings out of town, and is notorious for the Billy Martin Merry-go-Round.
Nevertheless, the Mets took so long to make this decision that it made them look foolish, classless and disorganized.
For instance, I’m convinced information was intentionally leaked to the media in an effort to force Omar Minaya’s hand, which is quite disingenuous, because I still believe Minaya would have preferred to keep Randolph – all while having to spin the media night after night. There are reporters I have talked who all feel the exact same way.
What’s worse, from what I can gather, several people in the clubhouse, from players to trainers to security guards, all knew Randolph would eventually be fired on this road trip.
Lastly, yesterday, a person I know, who talks with the team’s front office on a regular basis, asked me when I feel Randolph would be fired. I was under the impression that Randolph would be fired on the off day between Los Angeles and Colorado later this week – win or lose. However, the way the question was asked, I could sense it was going to occur a lot sooner than that.
In other words, this was not a secret.
And so, the team’s ownership should stepped up and fired Randolph last week, when it is was obvious they had already reached a decision.
Instead, they dismissed their manager at midnight in a hotel room, after he had just won four of his last six games.
That said, I do not feel bad for Randolph. He will live to fight another day, he’ll get another job in an industry based on a kid’s game, and he’ll earn close to $3.5 million doing so, which is a lot better than you and I will ever be treated.
I know this is all part of the deal, in business, but especially in baseball. But, like I said, it just makes me feel a little dirty and a bit embarrassed knowing that so many people knew of this in advance, and that it occurred in the middle of the night, making it all stink of an extra level of smarminess.
I’m not totally sure why I feel this way, but I do.
I’m probably just being emotional.
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Let’s just turn the page and start a new chapter. The Mets had a great win last night and we aren’t even talking about it? Come on boyyysss…….
LETS GO METS!!!
Agreed. Even as an ardernt firing supporter, I spent about w minutes questioning the timing. Now, it’s time to move on. Let’s keep this momentum going.
yes, I jut posted below how it’s maybe nicer for Willie to go out on a winning streak of sorts. Four games means nothing in the overall determination of if he stays or goes — it’s just four games in a four year span, but for the Mets, going into a new regime with some momentum is a good thing too.
Momentum? How can a team with players, that have emotions by the way, play well after their manager has been fired?
I think personally that this could ruin our season. A season that so many were looking forward to.
It’s a damn shame.
Because they wanted Randolph gone and now they will play loose. Unless you were hoping for a sub-.500 season, I don’t see how this ruins anything.
Snake, are you saying you think the players wanted him gone so they tanked the season thus far? Eh, I guess it’s possible….
I wouldn’t go that far. It was not conscious. Think about how you are at a job with a boss you like a lot vs one you didn’t like as much. You never tanked your responsibilities, but if you could stay late to make something perfect, you might go home to your kids if you don’t like the guy or especially if you knew he was going to be fired soon.
Gotcha…. good point, makes sense…
Nonsense. The assumption that the core of Mets players dislike Willie and wanted him gone is completely unfounded.
At this point the timing is irrelevant, probably shoulda been done on Friday, but it wasn’t…agreed, now just move on and win games. It’s sad, the Mets be one of the best teams in baseball last night, with another gem by Pelfrey and all we have to talk about is firing Willie.
This was an absolute disgraceful way of handling this. I wanted Willie fired as well, but the way they handled this was Mickey Mouse at best. I am glad the NY Times had an article this morning that called the Mets out as t the amateur hour operation they are.
This firing is not going to change the way this organization operates and instead makes them look like an absolute embarrassment. Easily the most bush-league front office in baseball right now.
Oh and why was Hojo not fired as well? He did a worse job than Rick Peterson!
Ask David Wright.
OMAR MINAYA SHOULD FIRE HIMSELF!!!
THIS IS HORRIBLE!!!
You hit it right on the head Jim, the problem in this organization is Minaya. The cream rises to the top, and soon we’ll see the real problems: no team chemistry, no leadership, old players in decline. I really hope Willie gets a good job somewhere else, and watch, he’ll get to a world series.
I agree with you, Almar1965. If Minaya knew Randolph’s days were numbered, shouldn’t the plug have been pulled before boarding a plane to California? Don’t get me wrong, I supported the overhaul of the coaches and manager.
And I agree, shouldn’t the majority of the coaching staff been fired too? HOJO gets a reprieve! What the F’ is that? I dunno what to think. If I was embarrassed about the Mets play earlier in the season. I am embarrased to be a Mets fan over the higher ups handling of Church’s concussion and Randolph’s firing. This is bush league and indeed it’s lacks class!
I agree completely. This front office is despicable!! Not only do they not know anything about running a baseball operation, what’s even more scary is that they pretend they do. They didn’t have the balls to take a stand or have a plan for Willie they had to cowardly wait til they are on the West Coast away from the fans and media to fire him. And I agree too that HoJo should have gone too but most of all Omar. Yes he made some good deals but he also made some VERY bad ones. I have been a Mets fan since they started and Matt is right, I am embarrassed, angry and dirty!!!!!!!!!
Last night, Baseball tonight has a round table discussing the Mets.
They indicated that that Tony Bernazzard and Willie never got a long, and that may have been a big part of the issue.
I think the move was wrong, but other will disagree.
What is absolutely clear is that the Mets bungled this and made themselves look cheap and unorganized.
I am embarrassed for them.
What gets me is that the team was playing with a lot of emotion.
That is what you want.
Its not like they are just going through the motions.
I thought the team was battling.
Thats what you want from you players.
Hi Matt…I cannot answer the second question to the poll. While I agree Randolph should have been terminated, I do feel that the question is a bit vague! The way it was handled was classless. Randolph definitely didn’t deserve that. I know I am going to get some flack for saying that, but c’mon!
I’ve been a Met fan since I was 10 yrs old. I’m 50 now. I’ve seen alot to be embarassed about. THIS IS THE WORST!!! Willie never had a chance ! all he’s ever done is win and now he has to go? BULL! The Wilpons are a joke! And I don’t look foward to thier new too expensive stadium! Here’s the best… IF Willie was white he’d still be there no doubt in my mind SHAME ON THE ENTIRE MET ORGANIZATION!
No surprise here, but why did it take so long? This should have been done at the end of last season (not last week). Instead, this organization mucks that up just like they muck everything up.
Now I actually feel sorry for the guy. I never wanted him as this team’s skipper (and it has nothing to do with his Yankee “roots”), so I’m glad this era is over. But this was not the way to handle the situation.
Now it all falls on Omar’s head. Now if they fail to make the playoffs, Omar has to be held responsible for the team he has put together this season. Then I wanna see sonny boy, Jeff Wilpon, step up and can him!
And why the heck was Nieto canned?!? Who the hell is he? What has he done wrong? What about Alomar? He’s done an AWFUL job at third, yet the first base coach goes? What was that? A throw in?
Also, as much as I don’t care for Peterson and his ‘I can fix anyone’ attitude, he doesn’t deserve to be fired. Although I can certainly understand why he has to go. I don’t think he can stick around if Willie goes, so I get it.
I just don’t get the timing. The timing is awful, and these men deserve to be treated better then this.
On a better note, the Oberkfell era begins! Would love to see him get a shot to manage the club. I think he deserves it.
I assume they wanted to keep Alomar because players respect him. So, Nieto was canned to make room for Oberkfell.
SHould have made it a trifecta of coaches and replaced Hojo with the AAA hitting coach too.
At least it seems that they have set Obie up as the ultimate successor. No way Manual gets the permenant job, and no reason to bring up Obie if he isn’t being groomed. May also happen during the season.
Let them respect Alomar as a 1st base coach. He is horrible at 3rd base. Actually, nobody really talked about him much during the offseason because we all got caught up in the Randolph saga. But it was clear last year that he was indecisive and showed bad judgement in sending runners and that runners were often ignoring his signs. I thought that the willingness of the Mets to accept this poor level of performance showed that they just weren’t going to hold people accountable and I thought it was an omen that bad things were on the horizon.
Completely agree on many of your points. Willie should have been gone last Oct not mid season.
Alomar should have been given his walking papers a long time ago. His reads on sending/holding runners is terrible. How does he continue to make the wrong call.
I also think that Hojo needs a kick in the pants. Our offense has been inconsistent since he took the rank of hitting coach.
Unreal. So it finally happens and they make a move like that. Really unprofessional and classless how they handled this one. I just hope the move of the jacket doesn’t come back to haunt them.
It will. Peterson gets more blame for the Kazmir thing than fixing pitchers like Perez and Maine.
True about OP and Maine, but what about the bullpen? Who has he helped in there?
HoJo and Peterson should share in WR’s fate.
You can also look at the bright side I guess — a classy guy got to go out off a big road win and his team playing well. Had he lost five straight games he would not have the support he has now, which has to feel a little better. Not much, I know, but so many people are on Willie’s side based on how this was handled, and I’m sure he’ll read/hear about how everyone agrees this was mishandled. Even the people (like me) that thought it was Willie’s time to go because he lost the team for good believe this was done completely wrong and makes the Mets look like the bad guys here.
Omar should be a talent scout. He is great at it. He is not a front man, he lacks the know-how to do the right things publicly and doesn’t know how to handle tough spots.
Willie had Yankee blood and deserved to be fired in true Yankee style!!
Once a Yankee… Always a Yankee!!
LETS GO METS!
RE…
TARD…
ED.
Willie was a Mets fan long before becoming a Yankee player. Once a Mets fan…
Could have been worse.