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0 Subject: Wake up Willie, you're fired.

Posted by: JeffG
- Leader [01584348] Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 09:14

Mets manager Willie Randolph was fired in Anaheim last night after the game vs the Angels and it was reported to the media at 3:15 AM this morning Eastern Time. Pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto were also let go. Bench coach Jerry Manuel takes over in the interim

We all knew Willie Randolph's head was on the chopping block, they left him hanging and answering questions about his job for the last month. Everyone knew it was coming.

Too bad it happened the way it did, which at least on the limited facts that came in seemed to be done poorly (not that there really is a good way). Randolph is a good man, and I believe a good manager, hopefully he gets another chance to manage again in the bigs.

The Mets came within a game 7 Yadier Molina HR of making the World Series 2 years ago, but last year finished 3-14 down the stretch to fall 1 game behind both the division leader and the wild card for a post season slot. They kept him on this year and gave him an opportunity to right the ship, only to see the Mets still linger at .500 thru 60+ games. There was alot of outcry from Mets fans to change course, and certainly I agree with them that this ballclub should have had better success than they showed these last three years.
1J
      Leader
      ID: 049346417
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 09:23
Is it Willie's fault that Moises Alou can't stay healthy? That Delgado is done? That Church is hurt? That Oliver Perez is still inconsistant? That Luis Castillo was signed to a ridiculous four year contract?

Change was definitely necessary but I'm not so sure Minaya wasn't more at fault than Willie. And seems very strange to do this after a mini-two game winning streak including a win over one of the AL's best.
2Mattinglyinthehall
      Dude
      ID: 01629107
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 09:25
It would be a terrific gesture for the Yankees to invite him into the broadcast booth. Might be a bit crowded there already with all the part time color guys they rotate through.
3Perm Dude
      ID: 11544178
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 09:44
Damn--the Mets bungled this one. With the team only 6.5 back this also seems premature to me.
4Mattinglyinthehall
      Dude
      ID: 01629107
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 09:50
It comes after winning 3 of the last 4. And if not for Billy Wagner's recent troubles, I believe it would be 6 of the last 8.
5KrazyKoalaBears
      ID: 5549179
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 10:49
Exhibit A: $137.7M Payroll (2nd Highest in MLB)

Exhibit B: 34-35 Record

That's pretty much all it'll take to get a manager fired, regardless of the team or the manager.
6Great One
      ID: 56438112
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 10:51
If thats all that we are looking at, I guess Girardi should have been canned weeks ago!
7KrazyKoalaBears
      ID: 5549179
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 10:59
Except Girardi's a first-year manager.

First-year guys always get a break. Otherwise, yes, he'd be fired by now. In fact, he probably would have been fired before May disappeared from the calendar.
8Farn
      Leader
      ID: 451044109
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 11:02
First-year guys always get a break.

He won't in the Bronx. He won't with Hank at the helm (seriously Hank, are you whining about the DH now?)


The timing really doesn't make sense. Let him fly to CA, win a game, and then fire him? Just fire him in NY and be done with it.
9Mattinglyinthehall
      Dude
      ID: 01629107
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 11:10
It's more than just the Mets' record this year. The Mets have been underperforming since last August.

That said, I don't see the point in firing a guy after winning 3 of 4, especially if the shakeup amounts to simply promoting the bench coach.

I'm sure many some will disagree but I think this is another example of Minaya's incompetance and tendency toward poorly veiled political games.
10walk
      ID: 181472714
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 11:19
Yeah, I am bummed that Willie go fired, but I do think that Mets have much more talent than a 34-35 record, coupled with the collapse last year. Those two things and the talent they have (Perez, Pedro, Santana, Maine and Wagner with Reyes, Beltran, and Wright), they should be better. Minaya has made some mistakes as noted above, too. I bet he is next at year-end if the Mets do not turn it around.

Girardi is not on the block nor should he be. He has less talent (starting pitching is very suspect, bullpen is weak, 1B is weak, team is both young and old and not really in-between, and bench is awful). I think Cashman could go in the off-season, although I hope not, cos he is responsible for the talent.
11KrazyKoalaBears
      ID: 5549179
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 12:17
In the current standings, the Mets are closer to the Nationals (6 games) than 1st place (6.5 games).

The Nationals are currently without Zimmerman (#3 hitter), Johnson (#4 hitter), Kearns (#5 hitter), and Cordero (Closer).

The timing was horrible, but it's hard to question the decision, in my opinion.

MITH [#9], I understand winning 3 of 4, but they won 3 of 4 in May (10th-13th) and then promptly lost 7 of 9. They won 7 of 9 across May and June (27th-4th) and then lost 4 straight... to San Diego! Heck, they even won 5 in a row in April (15th-19th), making it 8 of 10 (9th-19th), but then they lost 5 of 6.

At some point, people stop looking at the short-term and start looking at the long-term and midseason-ish is a good time to do that. It doesn't take a lot for a team to win 3 of 4. Even the worst teams will win 3 of 4, or even 7 of 9 or 8 of 10, occasionally. But what matters is what they do after that. Do they crumble? Do they play .500? Do they win?

I can pick out a number of places where the Mets looked good in terms of number of games won over a period of time, but it doesn't change the fact that they're 34-35 on the season and closer to being Washington than they are to being Philly... even after winning 3 of 4.
12biliruben
      ID: 52561217
      Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 15:15
Well at least the Mariners figured out where the real problem was. And no, I'm not gonna start an M's thread! ;)
13Great One
      ID: 56438112
      Wed, Jun 18, 2008, 09:38
Hey wrestling fans... anyone else think Armando Estrada and Omar Minaya might be the same guy? I've never seen them in the same room before.

If only Omar would conduct these press conferences with a cigar in hand... and then break the cigar to symbolizing breaking Randolph!
14C1-NRB
      ID: 5932328
      Wed, Jun 18, 2008, 09:52
The title of this thread makes me wonder if the Mets fired Willie the way Metallica fired Dave Mustaine.

"Wake up. Wake up, dude. Here's a bus ticket. You better hurry because it's about to leave. We packed your stuff for you. Go. Have a nice life."
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