Should Willie Randolph get Fired?

[GordonGecko]

Should Willie Randolph get Fired?

The word out this week is that Omar Minaya has 1 month to decide whether or not to sack Randolph. According to ESPN:

"Mets ownership is giving the GM only one more month to establish control over a weak National League East. If the club is still a middle-of-the-pack team on June 1, Minaya will be asked to assess whether Randolph is getting the most out of his players and if he's the right man for the job"

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=klapisch_bob&id=3381866

I've said it since 2006 that the Mets can't win with mopey bumblef**k at the wheel. I think he should be fired immediately, even without a replacement on deck. He can't manage his pitchers, he can't call a hit & run or squeeze play, and he can't motivate anyone. I think Gary Carter might be a good fit, but regardless the Mets need someone who loves the team and will bring desperately missing passion to the club.

[whoisonit]

Wally Backman

[NJMetfan4life]

Jesus, lay off Willie. I've always supported him and I'll stick with him till the end. He's doing a good enough job.

[GordonGecko]

Jesus, lay off Willie. I've always supported him and I'll stick with him till the end. He's doing a good enough job.

"Good enough" ain't good enough here. You either win or you're out

[penncentralpete]

Willie is ultimately going to get sacked. I would prefer NOW rather than in October after the Mets have failed again. Save the season. He's a nice enough guy, but he is lacking what the team needs. LEADERSHIP.

[NYMets523]

He's the wrong guy for this team. Today he bashed the fans for being annoyed with how the team has played (inconsistent and horrible in losses). Guys have tuned him out. He did NOTHING from June on last year when they began their downward sprial. All he kept saying was "It just makes the champagne taste sweeter". Any manager who has that mentality when everything is coming down around him should be fired. They made a mistake not firing him last year.

[whoisonit]

"Good enough" ain't good enough here. You either win or you're out

Slow down there Gordon. This is Flushing, not the Bronx. This is baseball, not the win method.
The problems with this team run deeper than any flaws people may feel Randolph has.

From the time he took the helm, he has been sadled with an incompotent, unsucessful pitching coach who he himself did not chose.
Last season as things began to turn sour, the reports of Miniya & Tony Benazard undercutting his authority with certian players were plentyful.
There ARE players who appear to have completely tuned Willie out. These are the same players it is whispered know Tony Bernazard 'has their back'. The very presence of the farce that is Peterson confirms to these players that Randolph is a toothless tiger. Why should they listen to him ?
It shows a serious lack of baseball smarts to call Willie an incompotent manager. Incompotence is not the problem for this professional, smart, baseball lifer, who has ALWAYS been a winner.
Randolph's problem, which now may well be irreversable, is that his position of authority has been undercut. No management figure in any field could get the best from his staff under those circumstances.
All managers get fired. Willie's turn is comming. Without more systemic changes, it will be the same story with the new guy. The only hope for a true difference is if they were to hire someone who's ballsy enough to not give a dam weather or not they like him or fire him. Someone who's maybe just a bit crazy. Think Ozzie, or Wally.

[NYMets523]

From the time he took the helm, he has been sadled with an incompotent, unsucessful pitching coach who he himself did not chose.

He didn't choose HoJo, let's fire him for the team being in the bottom third of the league in most offensive categories. Omar and Willie selected the coaching staff together. Rick Peterson was here before either of them. The organization kept him because of his credentials in Oakland.

There ARE players who appear to have completely tuned Willie out. These are the same players it is whispered know Tony Bernazard 'has their back'. The very presence of the farce that is Peterson confirms to these players that Randolph is a toothless tiger. Why should they listen to him ?

Rick Peterson has nothing to do with it. Tony Bernazard does. He should not have been in the clubhouse. However, Willie is not innocent of what happened last year. Regardless of who is their, it's still his team. If that was not the case, that is his failure.

It shows a serious lack of baseball smarts to call Willie an incompotent manager. Incompotence is not the problem for this professional, smart, baseball lifer, who has ALWAYS been a winner.

He was all of those things as a player. He is none of those as a manager. Other than a division, he's won nothing. He's lead this team to 2 disappointments in as many years. He has made some terrible choices with the bullpen (yes, he doesn't have the best options. But explain to me how bringing in Heilman, who has struggled all season long, in a close game is a good idea).

Randolph's problem, which now may well be irreversable, is that his position of authority has been undercut. No management figure in any field could get the best from his staff under those circumstances.

Willie's problem was he had 0 managing experience which has shown even 3 years into this job. If his authority is undercut, it's his job to get his players back. He didn't.

Think Ozzie, or Wally.

Ozzie Guillen? He's a clown. He can't even take Chicago. He is passionate which is good but he's got a lot of screws loose in his head.

[moebarguy]

A good manager lights a fire under his players butts when they're slumping. Willie is not capable of doing this. A change is needed because before you know it, the Mets will be well down in the standings.

[whoisonit]

Hey Moe ! Where you been hiding lately ?

I agree - if changes are comming, best to do it now.
It has to be more than just Willie that goes. Otherwise, they shouldn't bother.

[moebarguy]

Hey Moe ! Where you been hiding lately ?

I agree - if changes are comming, best to do it now.
It has to be more than just Willie that goes. Otherwise, they shouldn't bother.

I've been traveling in Europe...I'm now trying to catch up on baseball. :atthepc

[LostMet]

Slow down there Gordon. This is Flushing, not the Bronx. This is baseball, not the win method.
The problems with this team run deeper than any flaws people may feel Randolph has.

From the time he took the helm, he has been sadled with an incompotent, unsucessful pitching coach who he himself did not chose.
Last season as things began to turn sour, the reports of Miniya & Tony Benazard undercutting his authority with certian players were plentyful.
There ARE players who appear to have completely tuned Willie out. These are the same players it is whispered know Tony Bernazard 'has their back'. The very presence of the farce that is Peterson confirms to these players that Randolph is a toothless tiger. Why should they listen to him ?
It shows a serious lack of baseball smarts to call Willie an incompotent manager. Incompotence is not the problem for this professional, smart, baseball lifer, who has ALWAYS been a winner.
Randolph's problem, which now may well be irreversable, is that his position of authority has been undercut. No management figure in any field could get the best from his staff under those circumstances.
All managers get fired. Willie's turn is comming. Without more systemic changes, it will be the same story with the new guy. The only hope for a true difference is if they were to hire someone who's ballsy enough to not give a dam weather or not they like him or fire him. Someone who's maybe just a bit crazy. Think Ozzie, or Wally.

Willie is going to be the fall guy for an incompetent organization. They undermine him, both Bernazard and Minaya. That kind of pure crap is the Wilpon's fault for allowing it. The problem is they foster that kind of stuff...remember Franco and Lieter doing their little numbers a few years ago? The team is poorly constructed, and the team as is is not performing. Willie isn't the guy giving up bombs to lose games... Willie isn't the guy not driving in runs when the bases are loaded and there are no outs. Ho Jo has a bunch of way underperforming hitters. How come he is fine? No Met starting pitcher has gone 8 innings this year. We are the only team who hasn't had a starter go eight? How come Peterson's ass isn't on the line? Wasn't he Mr. fix it? The freakin starters can't throw strikes and the pen is all over the place. Is that Willie's fault? He can only use what he's got.

[whoisonit]

Willie is going to be the fall guy for an incompetent organization. They undermine him, both Bernazard and Minaya. That kind of pure crap is the Wilpon's fault for allowing it. The problem is they foster that kind of stuff...remember Franco and Lieter doing their little numbers a few years ago?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Yes, I remember the Lieter/Franco nonsence all too well. The Miniya & Bernazard/Willie managerial interference is also far too remenisient of the Phillips/Valentine days. Remember how the patheticaly power mad Phillips was in the clubhouse every single game & addressing players on their performance and addressing the team as a whole. ( it was a wonder he had the time considering all his extra-marital activities with young female staffers & interns).
The Wilpon's inexplicable love affair with the COMPLETELY USELESS Peterson is a glaring example of how the normal layers and interactions of organizational management have been perverted over the past decade.
Willies first season and a half proved he was the man we needed. Everything since then show's he has been undercut and lost the team as a result. It's a shame.
The end result is a mediocre team, sleepwalking through the season, playing far below their abilities. Many players on the team feel no accountability to Randolph, who is a smart, knowledgable, baseball pro, that knows how to win.

[NYMets523]

I agree - if changes are comming, best to do it now.
It has to be more than just Willie that goes. Otherwise, they shouldn't bother.

Delgado and Heilman need to go. Peterson should stay.

[NJMetfan4life]

Im forced to agree with that. ^