Randolph fired

[FCS Preview]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3447973


Pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto also were dismissed in an enormous overhaul that was revealed in a fact-of-the-matter Mets news release at a stunning time -- about 12:15 a.m. PDT (3:15 a.m. ET)...

... Bench coach Jerry Manuel takes over on an interim basis for Randolph...

[andy7171]

Why make him fly out to LA if you are going to fire him? The Mets are retarded.

[bluehenbillk]

Willie or no Willie, they still aren't the same team they were prior to 9/1/07.

[gmoney55]

Willie or no Willie, they still aren't the same team they were prior to 9/1/07.

I'd date that back to 6/1/07, they haven't been the 06 early 07 team for a long time now. Classless way to do it.

[ASUMountaineer]

Once again, a New York baseball team shows no class. Imagine that.

[93henfan]

Damn, now the Mets might get better.

Go Phils! Sweep Red Sox!!

[Grizzaholic]

Kind of a little shady on the Mets part. I mean, come on, 1 o'clock in the morning you hold a meeting to fire some people on the ball club? Maybe they should be looking in the mirror on who they should be firing. No self respecting company does that kind of crap.

[GeauxLions94]

Why make him fly out to LA if you are going to fire him? The Mets are retarded.

They're the Mets. What do you expect xoopsx xcoffeex

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Poor Willie. In September of last year he was a hot coaching prospect. Then came the collapse, Torre's ousting, and Girardi's hiring. If things had timed better, he could have been coaching the team he really wanted to coach - the Yankees - and come in as the savior. Now he's dumped at 1AM, Girardi's ruining the Yankees, and he's out of a job.

I hate the Yankees as much as anybody (less so the Mets), but Willie to me always seemed like a class act. He'll get another chance, I bet.

[AZGrizFan]

Makes a lot of sense. They'd won 3 of their last 4. Apparently he needed to win ALL games after losing 4 straight to SD. xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx Guess they figured if they let him get on a little roll, they might NEVER be able to get rid of him.

I hear Bobby Valentine is available.... xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex

[TheValleyRaider]

Poor Willie. In September of last year he was a hot coaching prospect. Then came the collapse, Torre's ousting, and Girardi's hiring. If things had timed better, he could have been coaching the team he really wanted to coach - the Yankees - and come in as the savior. Now he's dumped at 1AM, Girardi's ruining the Yankees, and he's out of a job.

I hate the Yankees as much as anybody (less so the Mets), but Willie to me always seemed like a class act. He'll get another chance, I bet.

Uhhh, what? xeyebrowx

The Mets screwed the pooch on this one, bigtime. First of all, the reasons for the team's collapse go far beyond the manager. The bullpen is a pretty good place to start (it isn't really a good place for much of anything else). Really, is this team all that good? Outside of Santana, Wright and Reyes, what do they have? An underachieving Beltran? The rapidly aging and showing no sign of slowing down Delgado? They've been approximately a .500 team for the last year +. Oh, and they fired the manager after his team won their game

This team's a mess. There is a nice core to build around, and the Mets won't be lacking for cash, so they'll probably be able to rebuild quickly. Still, it's hard to believe how close this team was to the World Series just 2 years ago

[UNHWildCats]

I just wanted to get my avatar into this discussion :p

[whitey]

My favorite team is run by a bunch of ****ing idiots. I'm surprised this team makes money. Every thing that I've seen recently makes me feel like these jabroni's couldn't successfully manage a Burger King let alone a MLB Franchise.

My issue isn't that they fired Willie. It might have been his time to go. My issue isn't that they waited till he won 3 of 4 to fire him. It still might have been his time to go. My issue is with the way they fired him. They did it in the most classless way possible and it reeked with unprofessionalism.

[whitey]

Really, is this team all that good?

It's not a World Series lock, but the Mets when healthy are actually pretty good. The issue is they haven't been healthy. Omar stocked this team full of old and/or injury prone players. That wouldn't be a problem except Omar failed again in stocking the AAA level with adequate replacements.

When Alou goes down the best he can come up with is a 3rd string catcher or Chris Aguila. When Pedro went down the best he could come up with was Nelson Figueroa. That's pathetic.

The only good thing about firing Willie right now is that Omar has no where to hide anymore. He's next and I can't wait.

[Reed Rothchild]

Once again, a New York baseball team shows no class. Imagine that.

The Yankees have one of the classiest organizations in baseball. One of their owners has a big mouth and they spend a lot of money but that doesn't mean their classless.

[Reed Rothchild]

It's not a World Series lock, but the Mets when healthy are actually pretty good. The issue is they haven't been healthy. Omar stocked this team full of old and/or injury prone players. That wouldn't be a problem except Omar failed again in stocking the AAA level with adequate replacements.

When Alou goes down the best he can come up with is a 3rd string catcher or Chris Aguila. When Pedro went down the best he could come up with was Nelson Figueroa. That's pathetic.

The only good thing about firing Willie right now is that Omar has no where to hide anymore. He's next and I can't wait.

They also relied too much on a streaky Beltran and Carlos Delgado, who has very diminished skills.

Minaya has established his own little fantasy baseball team who have all underperformed.

[whitey]

Beltran has always been a streaky hitter, but at the end of a 162 game season he always (there is one exception) ranks up there with the rest of the best players in the game.

Omar did however rely way too heavily on a quickly declining Delgado and an always hurt Moises Alou. Having these two guys isn't the issue.

What is the issue is that Omar DID NOT have an adequate replacement for LF for when Alou misses 100 games and he DID NOT have an adequate right handed bat to platoon at first with Delgado. Delgado can still hit a little against Righties but he can't hit Lefties a lick anymore. He's not an everyday player except the Mets have made him one. This is Omar's fault.

[FCS Preview]

Girardi's ruining the Yankees

considering the injuries to Kennedy, Hughes, Posada and that A-Rod fellow, being 3-games over .500 is pretty good. The Wang injury will be huge for them, possibly as debilitating as A-Rod's. If the Yankees make the playoffs without Wang for the next 10 weeks, Girardi deserves consideration for Manager of the Year.

[UNHWildCats]

considering the injuries to Kennedy, Hughes, Posada and that A-Rod fellow, being 3-games over .500 is pretty good. The Wang injury will be huge for them, possibly as debilitating as A-Rod's. If the Yankees make the playoffs without Wang for the next 10 weeks, Girardi deserves consideration for Manager of the Year.

Several AL managers will deserve consideration to be fired, including Francona or Maddon cause one of those two teams would have fallen very far.

[JoltinJoe]

Several AL managers will deserve consideration to be fired, including Francona or Maddon cause one of those two teams would have fallen very far.

The Sox currently have a four-game over the Yankees in the loss column, and the Yankees still have 92 games to play.

I don't think that would qualify as falling "very far" if the Yanks were to win the division.

Geez, Travis, Francona's won two WS in four years, and you'd be calling for his head?

[UNHWildCats]

4 games is a lot when NY has what 1 reliable SP if their lucky and Boston has like 7.

[ASUMountaineer]

The Yankees have one of the classiest organizations in baseball. One of their owners has a big mouth and they spend a lot of money but that doesn't mean their classless.

I have to disagree. The way they handled Torre (for one example), the way the owner (and his dad) seem to think every gives a damn what they have to say. I can't remember a time when the Steinbrenners showed class. xconfusedx

[gmoney55]

I have to disagree. The way they handled Torre (for one example), the way the owner (and his dad) seem to think every gives a damn what they have to say. I can't remember a time when the Steinbrenners showed class. xconfusedx

Just look at this week, railing on the entire NL because apparently running is too strenuous an activity for their player.

[FCS Preview]

I have to disagree. The way they handled Torre (for one example), the way the owner (and his dad) seem to think every gives a damn what they have to say. I can't remember a time when the Steinbrenners showed class. xconfusedx

Torre was offered a contract that still made him the highest-paid manager in baseball, and got him a $1m bonus for simply making the playoffs.

Where do I sign up for that job?

[Go...gate]

I love the Mets, but I am deeply disappointed in them today. xnonono2x xpissedx xflamemadx

Absolutely no class in the way a Willie Randolph, fine man, native New Yorker and city baseball icon was handled. Reminiscent of the Tom Seaver "Midnight Massacre" on June 15, 1977. xbangx xsplatx xmadx

[JoltinJoe]

I have to disagree. The way they handled Torre (for one example), the way the owner (and his dad) seem to think every gives a damn what they have to say. I can't remember a time when the Steinbrenners showed class. xconfusedx

They offered Torre $5M to manage the team. I wish I had such a classless boss.

[JoltinJoe]

I love the Mets, but I am deeply disappointed in them today. xnonono2x xpissedx xflamemadx

Absolutely no class in the way a Willie Randolph, fine man, native New Yorker and city baseball icon was handled. Reminiscent of the Tom Seaver "Midnight Massacre" on June 15, 1977. xbangx xsplatx xmadx

I actually don't think it was such a bad way to do it.

I think the Mets successfully managed the New York news cycle.

When the Mets travel to the West Coast, a small contingent of the New York media travels with them. So they avoided the never-ending New York City press conference, when every major and local New York area media outlet sends a representative who feels he/she has to ask someone a question.

Also, by timing the firing for 3:15 a.m., they avoided the Tuesday morning, screaming, caustic tabloid headlines from the ever-clever NY Post and Daily News. And by Wednesday, the news will be so old that the tabloid headlines will be about something else.

I actually think this made it easier on Willie. He avoids the circus news conference, and the insulting headlines.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Torre was offered a contract that still made him the highest-paid manager in baseball, and got him a $1m bonus for simply making the playoffs.

Where do I sign up for that job?

c'mon... everybody and the dog knew they were setting up Torre to fail. a ONE YEAR contract for a HoF Manager???? xsmhx

They were showing him the door... same way my Twins did to Torrii Hunter.

[Reed Rothchild]

I have to disagree. The way they handled Torre (for one example), the way the owner (and his dad) seem to think every gives a damn what they have to say. I can't remember a time when the Steinbrenners showed class. xconfusedx

Like I said. Having a big mouth to the press does not indicate what kind of baseball organization they run.

[tribe_pride]

How did this wind up in a Sox-Yankee pissing match.

As to the class of the Mets organization, they may have made it so they tried to pass up the mainstream media but that doesn't necessarily show class. I get where you are going (and find it an interesting perspective) but I don't believe for a second they did it to try to save Willie. If they did, they would have fired him around Memorial Day instead of dragging him through this crap for the past month. They knew he was fired during his meeting on Memorial Day, it was just a matter of time.

[ASUMountaineer]

Like I said. Having a big mouth to the press does not indicate what kind of baseball organization they run.

It's ok, dismiss the handling of a manager who won you what, four world series. Basically humiliating him because you think your sorry, silver spoon, fat ass could do better. Give me a break.

[ASUMountaineer]

Torre was offered a contract that still made him the highest-paid manager in baseball, and got him a $1m bonus for simply making the playoffs.

Where do I sign up for that job?


They offered Torre $5M to manage the team. I wish I had such a classless boss.

Did FCS write that for you?

Yeah, you could say Torre could laugh all the way to the bank. I don't think he needed the money, nor was it all that important. He wanted to be respected for who he is and what he has done. Something Hank couldn't do I suppose, everyone knew it was a "slap-in-the-face" offer done knowing that Torre would decline it. Yeah, maybe it would make a lot of money for Torre, but once again, classless.

[Reed Rothchild]

How did this wind up in a Sox-Yankee pissing match.

As to the class of the Mets organization, they may have made it so they tried to pass up the mainstream media but that doesn't necessarily show class. I get where you are going (and find it an interesting perspective) but I don't believe for a second they did it to try to save Willie. If they did, they would have fired him around Memorial Day instead of dragging him through this crap for the past month. They knew he was fired during his meeting on Memorial Day, it was just a matter of time.

Everyone's favorite, Suzyn Waldman (goodness gracious), said on tonights Yanks/Padres broadcast that she was told by 4 scouts on Friday in Houston that Willie and co was gone and the scouts went on to say who the coaching replacements would be.

[FCS Preview]

Did FCS write that for you?

Yeah, you could say Torre could laugh all the way to the bank. I don't think he needed the money, nor was it all that important. He wanted to be respected for who he is and what he has done. Something Hank couldn't do I suppose, everyone knew it was a "slap-in-the-face" offer done knowing that Torre would decline it. Yeah, maybe it would make a lot of money for Torre, but once again, classless.

As manager of the Yankees, your job is to win the WS. The Yankees hadn't done that since 2000, and yet Torre still had his job. Did he deserve a raise for that? If you sign a player to a long-term big money deal, and at the end of the deal he's in decline, do you sign him to another big money deal? Or an incentive-based one?

Torre could have had $5m to manage...$1m more to simply make the playoffs....another $1m to advance to the LCS, and another $1m to advance to (not win) the WS. Like I said...where do I sign up for that?

[TheValleyRaider]

It wasn't about the money for Torre. If they had given him $3 million, he would have taken it. They screwed the pooch on the years, and I can't believe they didn't know that. Why on Earth would Torre take a 1 year deal when he and everyone else knew that the speculation surrounding his job would be ratcheted up again if the now-transitioning Yankees didn't win the Series? At some point, is the money even worth it? For 3 years running, Torre had faced questions about his job following the season, why go through that again?

The Yankees did not exactly cover themselves with glory in their handling of #6. They ended up with a good manager, one I'm certain they had in mind when this all happened, but it could have been done better

None of this, I should add, is close to how the Mets botched this. It was not well-handled, and the team losing last night isn't going to stop the PR problems they'll have for the next few days (to say nothing of the fact that firing Randolph may not actually help the team)

[Lehigh Football Nation]

As manager of the Yankees, your job is to win the WS. The Yankees hadn't done that since 2000, and yet Torre still had his job. Did he deserve a raise for that? If you sign a player to a long-term big money deal, and at the end of the deal he's in decline, do you sign him to another big money deal? Or an incentive-based one?

That's a very unfair comparison. At the end of a contract, an athlete will have physical wear-and-tear and perhaps cannot compete as well physically, whereas the mental abilites of someone who is managing are probably still just fine - as evidenced by the fact that the Yankees made the playoffs last year.

As for the job of the Yankees is to "win the WS", what does that say for Girardi? Right now he's on track to be the first Yankee manager to not even sniff the postseason during a season since... when? The 1990s? Maybe even 1994, the strike year?

[ASUMountaineer]

That's a very unfair comparison. At the end of a contract, an athlete will have physical wear-and-tear and perhaps cannot compete as well physically, whereas the mental abilites of someone who is managing are probably still just fine - as evidenced by the fact that the Yankees made the playoffs last year.

As for the job of the Yankees is to "win the WS", what does that say for Girardi? Right now he's on track to be the first Yankee manager to not even sniff the postseason during a season since... when? The 1990s? Maybe even 1994, the strike year?

Exactly, I think if a manager gets the team the chance to win the WS (make the playoffs) he is not the one playing. Only the players can win the WS, there's not nearly as much strategy as say football or basketball where a coach/ manager makes a significant impact. I think Torre hasn't lived up to the "expectations" because the team spent more money on underachieving players than they should have. That's not Torre's fault.