Heyman: Randolph, coaches could be on their way out

[NYMets523]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/06/13/heyman.randolphupdate/index.html


Willie Randolph's status as Mets manager is extremely tenuous now. General manager Omar Minaya is seriously considering changing managers and at least a couple of the team's coaches, sources told SI.com.

A Mets official indicated that nothing was expected to be decided today regarding Randolph's status. But that doesn't preclude something from happening later this weekend. Front-office sources indicate his hold on the job is shaky, at best.

Should Randolph be fired, bench coach Jerry Manuel will take over, sources told SI.com.

Minaya and other club higher-ups met Thursday to discuss the deteriorating fortunes of the team and what can be done about it. Minaya is considered extremely loyal by co-workers and has been Randolph's greatest supporter for weeks. As one Mets person put it, "Willie's his guy.'' However, Randolph's detractors have become more vocal in recent days, and there seems to be a general feeling that something major needs to be done to reinvigorate the club.

Mets people believe they can't start completely anew and would prefer to at least employ someone who's witnessed the first portion of the schedule up close. Manuel, a former Manager of the Year with the White Sox, would be given the season to see whether he can turn things around.

Minaya is also weighing other changes, which could include removing hitting coach Howard Johnson and pitching coach Rick Peterson, sources indicate. Some organization people believe sweeping changes must be tried in order to jump-start the disappointing team.

Triple-A New Orleans pitching coach Dan Warthen would be a candidate to take over for Peterson.

Randolph's contract runs through 2009 and calls for him to be paid $2 million this year and $2.25 million next year.

Foxsports.com reported yesterday that Minaya's status was "day to day."

The Mets are 31-34, tied for third in the NL East with the Braves and 7.5 games behind the first-place Phillies.

Peterson and HoJo shouldn't be fired. Manuel being the interim manager is a mistake. But this organization does nothing right.

[GreekGuy87]

Frank Robinson for manager!

[whoisonit]

"Should Randolph be fired, bench coach Jerry Manuel will take over, sources told SI.com."

This is NOT a good development. NOT at all. I had heard from someone over the winter that if a catastrophe happened, this would be Miniya's choice. Since the end part of April, when I felt the season was hopeless unless major things happened, Manual was my biggest fear. This totaly sucks.

There was an article in today's Newsday that said Miniya held a closed door meeting with all the coaches and a source said he voiced particular displeasure with the habits of the pitchers. (Oddly, though this was the only source, and this was all he said, the entire article was that HoJo was getting fired, go figure !!)

It looks like the only two who will be left standing are Manuel and Sandy Alomar, who will probably be his bench coach. Did I mention this sucks ?
:ughh:mad::sigh:

[NYMets523]

My pick for manager is Jim Fregosi.

[whoisonit]

Fergosi is almost 70 years old. Why not dig up Leo Deroucher's corpse and put him in the dugout ? He'ld have an equal chance at relating to 2008 players, come cheaper, make an interesting story and the smell would annoy the players as much as they've annoyed us.

[NYMets523]

Fregosi is 66. Age is irrelevant. After all, Bobby Cox is 67 and Joe Torre is going on 68.

[LostMet]

Buck Showalter...non nonsense guy with an "a-hole" attitude but he really really does know baseball. He helped build the Yankees that Torre took to all those WS. Of course there is no way Omar or the Wilpons would hire a guy like him.

[whoisonit]

Fregosi is 66. Age is irrelevant. After all, Bobby Cox is 67
lol. Jim Fergosi is no Bobby Cox


and Joe Torre is going on 68.
lol. ... lol ! The '08 Mets are not the '96-00 yankees.

If this was 1998, I would be all for it. Fergosi is ancient history. I've never heard this one before, were the heck did you hear this one ??

if age isn't relevant, why not hire Earl Weaver ?

[whoisonit]

Buck Showalter...non nonsense guy with an "a-hole" attitude but he really really does know baseball. He helped build the Yankees that Torre took to all those WS. Of course there is no way Omar or the Wilpons would hire a guy like him.

I think a guy like Showalter would be good for this mess.

My first choice and the one I pray for, is the man so many in baseball call 'the best manager without a job' - Wally Backman. I don't think the Mets are bold enough to do the right thing though. Thus we'll get .. TA DA >>> Jerry Manuel.

[NYMets523]

lol. Jim Fergosi is no Bobby Cox

lol. ... lol ! The '08 Mets are not the '96-00 yankees.

If this was 1998, I would be all for it. Fergosi is ancient history. I've never heard this one before, were the heck did you hear this one ??

if age isn't relevant, why not hire Earl Weaver ?

My point is that Fregosi, if hired, wouldn't be the oldest manager.

Weaver is 77. That's too old.

Buck Showalter would be worrying about how high the players' socks are or how tucked in their shirts are.

[whoisonit]

My point is that Fregosi, if hired, wouldn't be the oldest manager.

Weaver is 77. That's too old.

Buck Showalter would be worrying about how high the players' socks are or how tucked in their shirts are.

Right. He's an anal retentive, control freek, nut job. He also demands that his players respect the game, play focused and hard and execute fundamentals.
The trouble is, Randolph came in demanding the same things and he also had the hard won rings, both as a player and coach, to back it up. It worked for the 06 club, but this is not the 06 club. I don't know that any manager could change these guys. Outside of 3 position players, the regulars sicken me.
Maybe it would be worth bringing in Showalter just to make the players lives miserable. I wouldn't mind that.

Anything, ANYTHING ismore promising than Jerry Manuel. Oh God. Wake me when the season is over. No, no, no, no, no !

[LostMet]

Exactly right Whoisonit. Showalter would bust their chops up and down. They have lost their way. It is the attention to details, the hustle "no matter what" attitude that brings winning baseball or at worst, gets rid of the dead wood types who look good but don't produce. Accountability is not to be underestimated. It also makes me feel good as a fan to see the players going all out even when they lose.

[KCGHOST]

It does look like Minaya has been pushed to the point of "If I don't fire the manager I hired they may look at what I have been doing". Willie seems lost and the team just doesn't seem to be responding. Of course, if Billy Wagner had recorded scoreless innings in his last three outings we might not be having this discussion.

My philosophy is you have to fire your GM if he recommends the firing of the 2nd manager he hired.

[NJMetfan4life]

Hojo needs a shot.

[NYMets523]

Right. He's an anal retentive, control freek, nut job. He also demands that his players respect the game, play focused and hard and execute fundamentals.
The trouble is, Randolph came in demanding the same things and he also had the hard won rings, both as a player and coach, to back it up. It worked for the 06 club, but this is not the 06 club. I don't know that any manager could change these guys. Outside of 3 position players, the regulars sicken me.
Maybe it would be worth bringing in Showalter just to make the players lives miserable. I wouldn't mind that.

Anything, ANYTHING ismore promising than Jerry Manuel. Oh God. Wake me when the season is over. No, no, no, no, no !

Showalter is Joe Torre without Torre's greatest strength which was being a very good people person (handling the media, controlling the egos in the clubhouse). If they're going to hire Manuel (which I consider the same thing as closing the book on this season), then might as well hire Showalter to spite the players. But if they want to turn this team around, Showalter AND Manuel are not the guys to do it.

[whoisonit]

It does look like Minaya has been pushed to the point of "If I don't fire the manager I hired they may look at what I have been doing". Willie seems lost and the team just doesn't seem to be responding. Of course, if Billy Wagner had recorded scoreless innings in his last three outings we might not be having this discussion.

My philosophy is you have to fire your GM if he recommends the firing of the 2nd manager he hired.

Miniya only hired 1 manager.

[NYMets523]

Miniya only hired 1 manager.

He also didn't even hire Art Howe.

[whoisonit]

Showalter is Joe Torre without Torre's greatest strength which was being a very good people person (handling the media, controlling the egos in the clubhouse). If they're going to hire Manuel (which I consider the same thing as closing the book on this season), then might as well hire Showalter to spite the players. But if they want to turn this team around, Showalter AND Manuel are not the guys to do it.

That's funny. Joe Torre's strenth was having a super talented team with great pitching and the greatest closer who ever lived. Joe Torre once managed the Mets you know. They stunk. He once managed the Braves too. Other than an ubelievable start one season that carried them to a playoof blowout, they stunk. He managed the Cardinals once. They stunk. His managerial career was over and forgaotten when he was shockingly and miraculasly resurected to manage the Yankees. The owner quickly relised he made a mistake and tried to get Showalter back. The headlines screamed "Clueless Joe" at the hiring. Let's not get worked up over Torre's "strenghths".

Buck Showalter has many faults personality wise, but he is no Joe Torre. He is an excellent manager and does mold teams into professionals. Joe Torre would know that. He reaped the rewards of Showalters work in New York. It was Showalter that molded those champs of 96-00, not Torre.

He is, in fact, the perfect type of person to step into this disaster at midseason and lay down his draconian, old school ways.

I agree about Manuel. That's not even trying.

[NYMets523]

That's funny. Joe Torre's strenth was having a super talented team with great pitching and the greatest closer who ever lived. Joe Torre once managed the Mets you know. They stunk. He once managed the Braves too. Other than an ubelievable start one season that carried them to a playoof blowout, they stunk. He managed the Cardinals once. They stunk. His managerial career was over and forgaotten when he was shockingly and miraculasly resurected to manage the Yankees. The owner quickly relised he made a mistake and tried to get Showalter back. The headlines screamed "Clueless Joe" at the hiring. Let's not get worked up over Torre's "strenghths".
The Mets sucked in he 70's. But you can't deny that Torre is excellent at handling the media and keeping order in a clubhouse.



Buck Showalter has many faults personality wise, but he is no Joe Torre. He is an excellent manager and does mold teams into professionals. Joe Torre would know that. He reaped the rewards of Showalters work in New York. It was Showalter that molded those champs of 96-00, not Torre.

He is, in fact, the perfect type of person to step into this disaster at midseason and lay down his draconian, old school ways.

I agree about Manuel. That's not even trying.

Showalter should stick to Baseball Tonight.

[whoisonit]

The Mets sucked in he 70's. But you can't deny that Torre is excellent at handling the media and keeping order in a clubhouse.

Absolutely. But Torre's style works with hard nosed, self policing professionals. Oh yea, having talent helps too. Let's say Torre was available, do you really think he could change this mess ? I don't. He could walk into Boston and win, not Flushing though.

I hate to act like a big Showalter boster, cause I'm not. But you cannot deny his managerial greatness. He is a great, great manager. I never wanted him here because he's a jerk. That's just my opinion though.

[NYMets523]

And it's because he's a jerk that he never stayed around long enough to reap the rewards of his work.

[TarHeelMan]

That's funny. Joe Torre's strenth was having a super talented team with great pitching and the greatest closer who ever lived. Joe Torre once managed the Mets you know. They stunk. He once managed the Braves too. Other than an ubelievable start one season that carried them to a playoof blowout, they stunk. He managed the Cardinals once. They stunk. His managerial career was over and forgaotten when he was shockingly and miraculasly resurected to manage the Yankees. The owner quickly relised he made a mistake and tried to get Showalter back. The headlines screamed "Clueless Joe" at the hiring. Let's not get worked up over Torre's "strenghths".

Buck Showalter has many faults personality wise, but he is no Joe Torre. He is an excellent manager and does mold teams into professionals. Joe Torre would know that. He reaped the rewards of Showalters work in New York. It was Showalter that molded those champs of 96-00, not Torre.

He is, in fact, the perfect type of person to step into this disaster at midseason and lay down his draconian, old school ways.

I agree about Manuel. That's not even trying.

I wouldn't have a problem with Showalter; he also laid the groundwork for the Diamondbacks to win their championship... If I'm not mistaken, he also helped build that thing from the ground up. I just wish they'd hurry up and decide what they are going to do with Willie. It sickens me, the circus that this has become.

[whoisonit]

I wouldn't have a problem with Showalter; he also laid the groundwork for the Diamondbacks to win their championship... If I'm not mistaken, he also helped build that thing from the ground up. I just wish they'd hurry up and decide what they are going to do with Willie. It sickens me, the circus that this has become.

It is a circus, you're so correct. It's so typicle of a Wilpon trait: a lack of desisivness. They need to A) fire him & every coach today, or B) sit him down & say - here, the rest of the season is your's to sink or swim, tell us who you want as coaches and which players you want off the team. They'll never do that though. That's why Manuel probably will get he job, because that's like doing something, without actually doing anything.

Then again, maybe it will al be forgotten now that we've garanteed the pennant with the Nixon pick up. :hp

[NY16CATCHER]

NBC Sports is reporting that Peterson will be fired today.

THANK GOD.

[whoisonit]

NBC Sports is reporting that Peterson will be fired today.

THANK GOD.

Don't tease me buster !!


I heard from somebody yesterday that Peterson the farce and Tom Nietio (sp?), of all people, are being shown the door.

Peterson's firering has been obvious for day's since Miniya's closed door meeting with the coaches. His big point of contention was pitching, pitching, pitching.

[NYMets523]

Yeah, let's fire the coaches. That always work just like firing Down last year.

[mandrake]

I have posted on the other Willie threads, but I want to say it again & again.
To have Willie fly 3,000 miles to Anaheim, play the first place Angels, and then FIRE him when the NY press could not get it into many morning editions is gutless and cowardly. The entire organization, from top to bottom, is gutless.

You can debate the merits of firing him (13 blown saves included) but you can't defend the cowardly way they fired him.