Can someone answer a question for me: how has Willie Randolph managed to keep his job as manager of the New York Mets this long?
I found it totally shocking when Mets GM Omar Minaya opted to bring back Randolph after the ballclub’s historic collapse last September, losing a seven-game lead to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East with a mere 17 games to go.
There was no questioning the talent on that ballclub. The Mets just flat-out choked down the stretch.
So Minaya merely tweaked in the off-season. To his credit, he was able to land the biggest fish in the pond, bringing in Johan Santana to cement a decent stable of starting pitching. The offensive nucleus remained in place, led by Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and David Wright. Gone was the outspoken Paul LoDuca, replaced by Brian Schneider. Meanwhile, Randolph would remain in his post as Mets skipper, getting a second chance to make things right in a town not known for offering reprieves.
During the first quarter of the 2008 MLB season, it has become obvious the problems that plagued the Mets down the stretch last year have not gone away.
Through Friday’s games, the team is nothing more than mediocre, hovering around .500 with a 20-19 record and losers of six of their last 10. At the forefront are Beltran (.257 BA, 3 HR, 23 RBI), Reyes (.258, 22 R, 12 SB) and Carlos Delgado (.222, 5 HR, 17 RBI), who haven¹t shown up everyday, either on the field or in front of the media post-game, which prompted closer Billy Wagner’s tirade to reporters this week.
"You should be talking to the guys over there ... Oh, they're not there. Big shock," said Wagner, following the Mets’ loss Thursday night.
So the truth rears its ugly head again: The Mets aren’t winning and the clubhouse still remains divided.
When Friday’s game against their cross-town rivals, the Yankees, was washed out, Randolph decided to hold a players’ meeting so the team could air out their differences. The meeting lasted for 35 minutes, which is practically the equivalent to a 14-inning ballgame in baseball terms. Lots to talk about, no doubt.
Mets All-Star third baseman David Wright, who is emerging as one of the leaders on the squad, had this to say afterward: "Nobody's going to hit any better, nobody's going to pitch any better, but I think we have greater appreciation for each other as teammates."
Well, that was productive ... sort of. The team emerged as a bunch of happy losers as opposed to unhappy ones.
Despite Minaya’s assurances that Randolph’s job is safe, his time to turn things around is clearly running out. For a manager to succeed in New York, it’s imperative he keep all the egos of the various multi-millionaires in check and not let internal turmoil play itself out in the media, as we saw this past week. Randolph needs to consistently get more out of his players and have the group play better as a team in order to win, something he’s failed at miserably since September of last season.
Do you think Randolph should go? Or are the Mets' on-field and clubhouse issues the responsibility of the players? Have your say.