I planned to take a break from New York ball this morning, looking around the industry, but then I read Ian O'Connor's column in yesterday's Bergen Record about Willie Randolph. Good Lord. It's Willie in full-court "Woe is me" mode.
Here's the quote that irked me enough to call his bluff:
"If you look at my body of work since I've been here, I'm proud of that, because prior to that Mets fans were hiding. You couldn't even find them...."
Okay, now to make clear where I stand: Art Howe was a joke as Mets manager. He was lazy and disinterested, he fell far closer to Homer Simpson than Professor Frink on the intelligence spectrum and, back in the days when Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Kazuo Matsui wore Mets uniforms, he dealt poorly with the always civil Japanese media.
Howe was part of the Mets' problem, unquestionably, of his two years in a Mets uniform, and he deserved to be fired.
BUT, by the time Willie managed his first Mets game in 2005, Omar Minaya had brought in Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. In 2006, Carlos Delgado, Paul Lo Duca and Billy Wagner came aboard, too. Even Art might have managed to make the playoffs with that group; after all, he didn't screw up the ultra-talented A's from 2000 through 2002.
And if Willie had a team centered around a broken-down Mike Piazza, he'd probably be out of a job, by now.
I think that Randolph did considerably good work in both 2005 and 2006, re-establishing a sense of professionalism in the Mets' clubhouse. But the bar had been set low by Howe, and Willie's reward for those seasons came with an extension through next year. Moreover, his strong performance those first two years gave him the rope he needed to get another chance this year, following The Collapse.
As I wrote in this column, which ran in Saturday's Newsday, everyone deserved blame for what happened last year. But this year, with Minaya giving him Ryan Church, Johan Santana and Brian Schneider, Willie needed to mobilize his team. Perhaps he has, now. But he hadn't prior to Friday, and he deserved criticism for it.
I was also amazed that Willie picked a fight with SNY. Really, really dumb, considering how few allies (approximately zero) Randolph has in the Mets' front office. Even Joe Torre never outwardly complained about YES, back when the network's reporters were being fed questions by anti-Torre forces in the front office.
I doubt this story will derail the Mets, but it does provide an unnecessary distraction. And it does pose more questions about whether Randolph can handle the job, long-term.
Comments (15)
Ken, the pressure is getting to Willie. Right now Willie is frustrated with the way the Mets are playing and the way the fans are treating him. I think if the Mets don't make the playoffs, Willie is going to get fired. Ken, do you think Willie will get another managering job if the gets fired by the Mets?
It took him forever to get this job, it's not really his fault entirely the Mets don't perform on the field, but he will take the fall, and probably will either have to stay in the majors as a first base coach (since I don't think he did a fantastic job as a Yankees 3rd base coach), or go to the minors and be a successful manager there and work his way back.
He's not the greatest manager going, but he is really not managing a mature, professional team that tries hard either. The Mets needed a Pinella to manage this batch of heartless clowns.
Are you kidding me? Yes, Omar brought in Church, Schneider, and Santana (who he got by default) but he also signed an older, hobbled, 2nd baseman for 4 years, gave him a difficult to work with bullpen, an outspoken (being kind here) closer who needs to keep things in-house, re-signed Alou who is great when he's healthy but he is 41 and not healthy all that often, shall I go on? Whether the fans want to believe it or not - or the owner wants to believe it or not - this is not a team built to win, it's a team that is rebuilding to win. If they can win it is because they have a winner for a coach - 6 rings and counting.
Torre didn't complain about YES? Where were you when he refused to do the pre-game shows due to the questions asked?
All of you that want Pinella to manage - um, how many rings does he have as a manager? Besides, you'd all hate him if things weren't perfect - and quickly - because he was a Yankee.
As far as SNY - it's pretty clear that Willie no one's got his back there, what's he got to lose? Remember, Ian O'Connor asked pointed questions - Willie just answered them and because it was a written interview you just don't know the tone of voice or the edits.
Blah. The worse thing Willie did was suggest he receives the treatment he does because he's black. He basically calls the New York media racist.
"'Is it racial?' Randolph asked. 'Huh? It smells a little bit'
Asked directly if he believes black managers are held to different standards than their white counterparts, Randolph said: 'I don't know how to put my finger on it, but I think there's something there. Herman Edwards did pretty well here and he won a couple of playoff [games], and they were pretty hard on Herm. Isiah [Thomas] didn't do a great job, but they beat up Isiah pretty good. ... I don't know if people are used to a certain figurehead. There's something weird about it...'"
Willie, using Herm Edwards and Isiah doesn't make your point, dude. Herm's team went south and had a horrible year, and Isiah was a complete disaster.
The media in New York gets on everyone -- the color of your skin has nothing to do with it. I'm really shocked Willie went there with this discussion.
And on another note... Wow, what big spenders those Vitaminwater people are. A whole $300? So even if Papi or Wright went nuts and hit 70 home runs, they would only have to donate twenty-one thousand dollars? I think they should have gone a grand per home run minimum. To quote Mark Jackson: C'mon, Vitaminwater, ya better than that!
Ken, The Mets are a up and down, SOFT, inconsistant team. Just when you think the Mets will get on a roll, they stub their toe all the time. Until the Mets can play consistant basaeball, I don't consider the Mets a elite team in the National League. They have to show everybody that they can do that. If they don't, then Willie will be fired.
Randolph's comments are ridiculous. First, he has the nerve to talk about the "body of my work" and then he pulls the racial card. The body of his work will always be defined by The Collapse (and rightly so) until he wins something. The racial card is way off base to the point it isn't worthy of comment.
I predicted Willie would be gone in early June. I am sticking with that although I now see a distinct possibility that he is gone within 10 days if the Mets play sub-.500 ball over that stretch.
Willie is a good man. Willie is in over his head. Willie has let to many players act in a less than professional manner. That carries over into what they need to do on the field. The team isn't playing hard for Willie. Once that happens, the manager usually has to go.
I'm not politically correct, and I say how I feel. So I'll say it. I think Willie *may* have benefited from his skin color. Had he been white, he may have been fired last season. But because he's black, there may have been some fallout that the Wilpons didn't want to deal with. Again, I'm not sure if it really helped him, but I'm sure it hasn't hurt him. Don't believe me? Just look at how quickly he played that race card. Hmmmmmm.
As for his managing. There may never have been a more talented team in all of sports that plays so soft and could care less about winning. This group of "players" are simply unrootable. How can you care about someone when they dont care?? The individual letters M-E-T-S mean nothing to these players. All they care about is having the Wilpons sign their checks.
Sorry, I was running around all day.
Dennis, I don't think Willie will get another managing job if he gets canned this season. He could probably do broadcasting (although not with SNY, now) or just make money on the autograph circuit.
Tiki, I don't ever recall Torre blowing off YES' pre-game questions. When did this occur? Also, I don't think Piniella is the answer for the Mets (not to mention that he's already employed elsewhere), but he has one World Series ring as manager to Randolph's zero.
I purposely didn't touch the racial stuff because I really don't think it's my place to tell people of color that they're imagining, exaggerating, etc. racism.
Willie's assertions may very well be correct, but he created more problems for the team and his job by these comments.
His team has already been rumored to be split into factions (LoDuca - 2007 and Wagner - 2008). His quotes may once again divide the clubhouse.
Face it - Willie is Art Howe - a .500 manager from last May to now on a team that should be winning 55 to 60% of its games.
Ken, let's say Brain Cashman leaves at the end of the season reguardless of what the Yankees do this season. Where does Cashman go next as GM? Who do the Yankees turn to be the GM? And will the new GM be Hank's puppet?
1. Cashman to Philly.
2. Bob Tufts is on the mark about Willie. The team has underperformed terribly for the past year and is clearly split into different camps.
3. Willie might be able to manage again at some point in a small market (i.e. Cincinnati, which once wanted to hire him for $300,000 if I remember correctly.)
4. Willie is losing control of the team and now is losing control of his cool. He should concentrate on winning. Reporters aren't his friends. They are doing their jobs covering him and the team.
5. Either it is racism or it isn't racism. People have a low opinion of the media, but has the media stooped to being that low? I don't think so, at least not in this case.
6. If I were a betting man, I would say Cashman is toast, at least as of now.
Cashman to Philly is a decent bet, although a) it also wouldn't surprise me if he went the ESPN route. He lives in Connecticut and could make it to Bristol rather painlessly; and b) Phillies ownership might have already promised the job to Ruben Amaro Jr.
Possible new Yankees GMs: Damon Oppenheimer and Pat Gillick. Dennis, you have to stop promoting this notion that Hank is so relevant. He's relevant only in annoying Cashman. Hank has neither the interest in, nor the power to, creating his own puppet.
Cashman is young and wants to make money. He will make lots more working as a GM than for ESPN. I'd throw Washington into the mix for him, too. I don't think Gillick will get too far in the interview process to replace Cashman in NY. On the other hand, Oppenheimer has pretty good odds.
I agree with Ken on Hank. He can't do anything on his own. Hal seems very level headed. I don't think a repeat of George in the late 70's or 80's is going to happen. I bet Hal has already told Hank to shut up more than a few times.
Ken, I can see Oppenhemier being the GM because he help turn the farm system around. Gillick might be too old. I would think the Yanks would go with a young fresh face like Oppenhemier. But then again it could be somone outside of the organization that no one has thought of. I can see you point on Hank. Hank needs to minture and don't talk to the media too much. I do think if Cashman leaves, whoever the new GM is has to deal with the chaos that comes with working for the Yankees.
I haven't seen too much chaos. If Hank shooting off his mouth once in a blue moon is chaos, it's pretty tame compared to George in his prime. The Steinbrenner kids seem like a respectable lot so far. I think the organization is very professional. If Cashman exits, someone good will replace him. The place isn't going to fold up.