Randolph - Reader comments at The New York Sun

Reader comment on:
It's Time To Fire Willie Randolph

Submitted by Bob Kelly, May 2, 2008 16:35

Let me preface this by saying I like Willie Randolph. I think he has carried himself with dignity during the 32 years he has been in the New York baseball spotlight. Having said that, I think Willie is in over his head. Hindsight is 20/20. The decision to bring Willie back after September's debacle, in hindsight, does not look like the right decision where we stand almost eight months later.

We can debate Willie's in-game decisions until the cows come home. As a matter of fact, in this town whether you're playing .600 baseball or .400 baseball, all manager's in-game decisions come under scrutiny, ask Joe Torre or Davey Johnson.

The problem is this for Willie: this team, for whatever reason, has tuned Willie out. Once your team has tuned you out they ain't tuning you back in.

I'm sure the Wilpons are thrilled with the fact that since May 31, 2007 their nine-figure payroll's won-and-loss record is 68-68 (in that same period of time the Mets are respectively six and seven-and-a-half games better than the Nationals and Marlins; nine-and-half games behind the Phillies). That is 84% of a regular season for those keeping score at home.

The underpinning of this record has been uninspired play. Billy Wagner, after Wednesday's debacle, stated that the Mets were not ready to play. That is a damning indictment of the manager...from his own clubhouse no less. Carlos Delgado remarked in August of last year, "we're so good, we're bored." When the team was falling off the cliff in September the manager never showed a sense of urgency. Instead, he reassured us that everything would be "fine." Even now, in post-game press conferences, we get the same happy-talk after we've witnessed another uninspiring effort.

Sadly, and I hope I'm proven wrong, I've come to the conclusion Willie has lost this team. If things don't turn around very soon, Minaya is going to have to make a huge decision. A decision that will probably have a bearing on Minaya's future as well.

Who do you bring in? The Astros were floundering a few years ago in June, brought in a fiery manager in Phil Garner and started playing to their potential winding up in two straight NLCS and a World Series. Garner wasn't the greatest strategist in the world, but he got the most out of a talented roster...a team that, on paper, this Met team is better than. Are there any fiery-Garner types out there (actually, Garner himself is available).

I think the month of May will be moment of truth for the Randolph administration. Another lackluster month of .500 ball will not be survivable for Willie, especially if the Phillies are five or six games up on Memorial Day. But, sadly, I think his days are numbered.

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