Talking Points Memo: Willie Randolph
Borrowing a page from the O'Reilly Factor......
* After the 2007 collapse, Weekly Mail called for the immediate dismissal of Willie Randolph as Mets manager. I felt that while the whole team was responsible, some were more responsible than others. Willie's insistence on using an overtaxed bullpen, and his failure to motivate a team that was falling apart, led me to conclude that the best way for the 2008 Mets to go forward as to remove the manager. For the record, I also thought removing Carloses Delgado and Beltran, and most of the starting pitching and bullpen was also necessary.
* The Mets decided after 24 hours to give Willie Randolph another season. This was decried in some circles as inhumane, even as the Yankees made Joe Torre, a man who won four World Titles as Yankee skipper and oh, by the way, hadn't missed the playoffs in 12 seasons a whole 12 days to twist in the wind before making him a lukewarm offer.
* The Mets did manage to rid themselves of punks like Paul Lo Duca and Lastings Milledge, and of washed up has beens like Tom Glavine. They also were able to swing a deal for Johann Santana, quite possibly the only reason why I'm not screaming for Omar Minaya's head right now.
* Sadly the Mets have played the first 3 months of this season like they did the last moth of last season, like they just don't care. They have no heart, no guts and sometimes I wonder if they can even fog a mirror since they look like they have no pulse. Weekly Mail believes if the Mets had made more of the changes that we recommended, the Mets may at the very least be more interesting to watch, if not more successful.
* Having said all of that, the way the firing of Willie Randolph was handled by Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya was an absolute disgrace. As much as I wanted a change, I don't feel it should have been done in that manner. Making him fly across the country to mange one game then cut him loose at 12 AM local time and 3 AM in New York City is beyond classless. And this franchise should be ashamed of themselves.
* Mike and the Mad Dog have this crazy notion that anyone who wanted Willie Randolph fired is a hypocrite for saying that they don't like how it was done. That just shows you how unbelievably stupid they are. There is a right way and a wrong way to handle things and the Mets handled it wrong.
* That said, Mike Francessa did have one good idea.. He proposed Wally Backman as Willie Randolph's replacement. Wally is a take charge hero from 1986 who would fire up the fan base and light a fire underneath the ass of all these players. He's also a former drunk and tax cheat who is down on his luck. Francessa idea was to give him the rest of 2008 to turn it around, no more than that. I could have dug that. I also think that Buck Showalter would have been a good choice. Think Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes would be allowing balls to get by them if Buck was in the dugout? Me neither.
*The wrong choice for managing the team is Jerry Manuel. I know he was 2000 Manager of the Year and all that but to me he is more of the same, and an indication that the ownership really doesn't care if the Mets win or not as long as they save face and make money. That's too bad.
*Willie Randolph is a good man and a New Yorker who made good as a player and in the beginning as a manager. He deserves another shot at managing, and I believe he will get one. The bottom line is, when you have a 7 game lead in the middle of September in the Wild Card era, you have to make the playoffs. They didn't and he should have lost his job on October 1st 2007, not June 17th 2008.
* After the 2007 collapse, Weekly Mail called for the immediate dismissal of Willie Randolph as Mets manager. I felt that while the whole team was responsible, some were more responsible than others. Willie's insistence on using an overtaxed bullpen, and his failure to motivate a team that was falling apart, led me to conclude that the best way for the 2008 Mets to go forward as to remove the manager. For the record, I also thought removing Carloses Delgado and Beltran, and most of the starting pitching and bullpen was also necessary.
* The Mets decided after 24 hours to give Willie Randolph another season. This was decried in some circles as inhumane, even as the Yankees made Joe Torre, a man who won four World Titles as Yankee skipper and oh, by the way, hadn't missed the playoffs in 12 seasons a whole 12 days to twist in the wind before making him a lukewarm offer.
* The Mets did manage to rid themselves of punks like Paul Lo Duca and Lastings Milledge, and of washed up has beens like Tom Glavine. They also were able to swing a deal for Johann Santana, quite possibly the only reason why I'm not screaming for Omar Minaya's head right now.
* Sadly the Mets have played the first 3 months of this season like they did the last moth of last season, like they just don't care. They have no heart, no guts and sometimes I wonder if they can even fog a mirror since they look like they have no pulse. Weekly Mail believes if the Mets had made more of the changes that we recommended, the Mets may at the very least be more interesting to watch, if not more successful.
* Having said all of that, the way the firing of Willie Randolph was handled by Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya was an absolute disgrace. As much as I wanted a change, I don't feel it should have been done in that manner. Making him fly across the country to mange one game then cut him loose at 12 AM local time and 3 AM in New York City is beyond classless. And this franchise should be ashamed of themselves.
* Mike and the Mad Dog have this crazy notion that anyone who wanted Willie Randolph fired is a hypocrite for saying that they don't like how it was done. That just shows you how unbelievably stupid they are. There is a right way and a wrong way to handle things and the Mets handled it wrong.
* That said, Mike Francessa did have one good idea.. He proposed Wally Backman as Willie Randolph's replacement. Wally is a take charge hero from 1986 who would fire up the fan base and light a fire underneath the ass of all these players. He's also a former drunk and tax cheat who is down on his luck. Francessa idea was to give him the rest of 2008 to turn it around, no more than that. I could have dug that. I also think that Buck Showalter would have been a good choice. Think Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes would be allowing balls to get by them if Buck was in the dugout? Me neither.
*The wrong choice for managing the team is Jerry Manuel. I know he was 2000 Manager of the Year and all that but to me he is more of the same, and an indication that the ownership really doesn't care if the Mets win or not as long as they save face and make money. That's too bad.
*Willie Randolph is a good man and a New Yorker who made good as a player and in the beginning as a manager. He deserves another shot at managing, and I believe he will get one. The bottom line is, when you have a 7 game lead in the middle of September in the Wild Card era, you have to make the playoffs. They didn't and he should have lost his job on October 1st 2007, not June 17th 2008.
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