Chuck

Heat's on Willie
But Wilpon 'disappointed' in team from 'top to bottom'
Posted: Thursday September 20, 2007 11:50AM; Updated: Thursday September 20, 2007 12:36PM


Willie Randolph's tactics have come into question as the Mets try to cling to their NL East lead down the stretch.

The Mets could be in the midst of a historic collapse, and manager Willie Randolph assumes the posture of a man without a care, infuriating radio call-in people, bloggers and fanatical e-mailers. But now the complaints about Randolph are said to be more pointed than that and coming from people a lot closer to the situation, folks inside his own organization, in fact, some of whom have the ear of general manager Omar Minaya, who for three years has been Randolph's staunchest in-house supporter.

No matter how many times Randolph, who is easily one of baseball's most experienced pennant-race participants over the past 30 years, tells everyone that, "This isn't Armageddon,'' no one is listening. Folks look at Randolph's lifeless, tight team and see a stoic leader, and they blame him. But according to people familiar with internal discussions, it isn't just the fans this time who are wondering whether Randolph's message is being lost and his strategies are misfiring.

The Mets' message du jour is, "We're all in this together,'' but the reality is that there are cracks beneath the veneer. And it's only natural that the front office that for two years has been taking bows for assembling what's generally viewed as the National League's most talented team is wondering whether Randolph is getting the most out of his players. Eight straight losses to second-place Philadelphia and two bad ones to the Nats before Wednesday night's win -- not to mention 10 errors in back-to-back losses -- has everyone in Flushing searching for answers.

"I'm disappointed with the way the team is performing overall, and that's everyone, top to bottom,'' Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told SI.com before Wednesday's much-needed win expanded New York's NL East lead over Philadelphia to 2½ games. "I'm disappointed in Omar, Willie, the players ... that's everyone. We shouldn't be in this position. But we are. We've got to fight our way out and pull this out.''

Randolph's fate is said to be "up to Omar.'' And while there's no indication that the manager's job is on the line, even if the freefall continues, say the unthinkable happens and the Mets miss the playoffs after leading their division since May 16. Randolph's status would take a clear hit. Minaya, who, let's not forget, has "full autonomy," is finally starting to hear some of the cries of bullpen mismanagement, and a couple holes are beginning to show in the relationship between the two great New York stories, the Brooklyn-bred manager and the Queens-raised GM.

However, only one of them is facing the heat of this fire. Minaya was publicly deified for a string of superb transactions a year ago, and while last winter didn't measure up to the one before, the perception that this team's talent is too good to lose places the bull's-eye squarely on the manager. Everything was supposed to be going Randolph's way this year, too, with a rich two-year extension that'll pay him $2 million in 2008 and $2.5 million in '09 (heavy deterrents to a firing), and especially with Manny Acta -- who is personally closer to Minaya and other front-office members and who was perceived to be the heir apparent -- gone to Washington. But instead Acta's Gnats did a number on the Mets two straight nights, tightening New York's noose.

The Mets' malaise started well before the All-Star break, and Randolph got hot when Minaya wrongly blamed hitting coach Rick Down (whom Minaya fired anyway). Things have not improved on the field since that misguided move; if anything, they've gotten worse.

Meanwhile, Mets people adhere closely to their "all together'' mantra, refusing to open old wounds. Folks familiar with the team's internal discussions say the gripes about Randolph's strategies, particularly as they relate to the relief corps, have been going on behind closed doors since the early days of his three-year tenure. But until lately Minaya was having little of it. While it was the front office's call to give multi-year contracts to Scott Schoeneweis and the tainted Guillermo Mota, Randolph's over-reliance on Mota generally and Schoeneweis lately (the struggling lefty pitched in his fourth straight game on Tuesday) has been questionable.

While fans have accused Randolph of lacking passion, that's a bit unfair, as his department-store mannequin demeanor isn't appreciably different from the Yankees' iconic Joe Torre, who has also faced criticisms of bullpen mismanagement. Randolph has also been chided for going too easy on his players, though he correctly points out that he has engaged in many unreported one-on-one confabs.

Club sources peg Randolph as generally a "non-confrontational'' type but insist that he can be tough on occasion, especially on prodigy Jose Reyes, who's talented, young and impressionable. One Mets person said that Randolph recently berated Reyes for failing to hustle, an unreported confrontation that Reyes said he appreciated. "When he has something to say, he's going to say something to me,'' Reyes confirmed. "You appreciate it.'' The source also said that Reyes shot back that Randolph shouldn't criticize only him. But Reyes insisted, "I don't worry about somebody else.''

They should all be worried now. What's hard not to notice is the surprising malaise that has infected this team for months. They are barely a .500 club since the end of May (one game over), a fact that isn't lost on a vigilant ownership that invested hard and wisely to turn the franchise around.

If they blow it down the stretch, Randolph will still make it to 2008. But he'll make it with a noticeably shorter leash.

Chuck

Jeff Wilpon really needs to shut up

METSSC

any link for this story? It's about time someone says something other then "he threw the ball well"

__________________
GET THE PIECE OF CRAP McGimpy OFF MY TEAM NOW!!!!!

The McGimpy does most things upside down: eats, sleeps (an average of 23 hours per day), mates, and gives birth. Because of the McGimpy's upside down life, many of the McGimpy's internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas) are in different positions from other mammals. McGimpy sometimes lets out a cry or hissing sound.

During the rare times the McGimpy goes down to the ground (such as to change trees for food), it moves very slowly.

Chuck

SI.com John Heyman

Chuck

I think in a close race it is terrible timing for someone to air dirty laundry and Jeff should be quiet until after season

Kid A

Jeff should never speak. Ever.

He tried a hand at what Omar does, through JD. His team never even sniffed 3rd place.

Wright 5

Its just wrong anyway. The offense has gotten better. The problem is that the BULLPEN has sucked. It is not mismanagement when you simply are given guys who make a lot of money and don't do their jobs - Wagner has blown some games, Mota is the most notable, Showenwies, hell - even Feliciano has blown some games and Heilman is always a crapshoot depending on his feelings.

I can't blame this crap on Willie. I just can't.

In any case, let the Mets miss the playoffs before burying the Mets for missing the playoffs.

__________________
Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce

METSSC

eh I wouldnt call it dirty laundry. He's holding people accountable which is what should happen. At times this year this team has seemed to just go through the motions as if 1st place was their birthright. I like seeing some pressure put on them and that includes the mgr and GM.

__________________
GET THE PIECE OF CRAP McGimpy OFF MY TEAM NOW!!!!!

The McGimpy does most things upside down: eats, sleeps (an average of 23 hours per day), mates, and gives birth. Because of the McGimpy's upside down life, many of the McGimpy's internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas) are in different positions from other mammals. McGimpy sometimes lets out a cry or hissing sound.

During the rare times the McGimpy goes down to the ground (such as to change trees for food), it moves very slowly.

Led, the Revenge

He's the employer. He pointed the finger at all of his employers when they clearly aren't performing as they should. If you find your employees goofing about during a pivotal business day, you don't wait until the end of the day when you've lost a tonne of cash to let them know you're unhappy.

For ages now, people have been complaining that the Mets org. has been allowing the sense of "entitlement" and being "smug". Well, clearly they aren't happy with it, and now folks are going to say they should shut up and let it be?

I have no problem with his letting EVERYONE know that they're unhappy.

METSSC

I concur

__________________
GET THE PIECE OF CRAP McGimpy OFF MY TEAM NOW!!!!!

The McGimpy does most things upside down: eats, sleeps (an average of 23 hours per day), mates, and gives birth. Because of the McGimpy's upside down life, many of the McGimpy's internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas) are in different positions from other mammals. McGimpy sometimes lets out a cry or hissing sound.

During the rare times the McGimpy goes down to the ground (such as to change trees for food), it moves very slowly.

KingOlerud

Again Chuck takes the words out of my mouth. F*ck I gotta stop posting here.

Chuck

I disagree

You can let Willie know face to face but to do it in public in the middle of a close race does no one any good and it undermines Willie. We don't need this now. This could have been said after the season is over.

Led, the Revenge

Dude. Don't do this to me.

KingOlerud

My beef is let's hear it from Fred then and not that idiot Jeff. Does anyone around the Mets even take him seriously? One day they'll have no choice, but for now everyone should hear it from the horse's mouth.

METSSC

better get used to it

__________________
GET THE PIECE OF CRAP McGimpy OFF MY TEAM NOW!!!!!

The McGimpy does most things upside down: eats, sleeps (an average of 23 hours per day), mates, and gives birth. Because of the McGimpy's upside down life, many of the McGimpy's internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas) are in different positions from other mammals. McGimpy sometimes lets out a cry or hissing sound.

During the rare times the McGimpy goes down to the ground (such as to change trees for food), it moves very slowly.