Mets time Willie Randolph firing to avoid WatchDog rant
Holy Throneberry!
I stopped blogging and turned off my computer at around 3:11 a.m., then woke up to news of one of the most awkward managerial firings in New York history.
Lessons learned: Never turn off the computer or go to sleep. And never underestimate the tendency of rich, powerful, highly visible people to do weird stuff.
Next thing you know Yankees ownership is going to try to get the National League to rewrite baseball rules in place since before there was an AL. Like, in the 1880s.
Take that whole nine innings thing. I mean, what's that about? How archaic.
Wouldn't six-inning games keep Yankees contests under three hours (most nights) and give them a shot at complete games for their now-depleted pitching staff (some nights)?
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Comments (16)
Only the Mets would fire Willie after traveling 3000 miles, after a win, and at 3am!...only the mets :(
I am embarrassed to be a Mets fan today
Mineya is a coward. You wait until after a night game on the West Coast to fire. Why? So you don't make the back page of the Post or News? Even if you don't feel that Willie was a good fit at this point, then you do it before the game or even before the road trip. What a classless act by a classless organization.
Will Dolan do the same to you and your colleagues when he takes over and turns Newsday into a shell like he has with MSG and Disney has with ESPN?
The Chicago Black Hawks fired Billy Reay by slipping a note under his hotel door shortly before Christmas.
So you leak to the media that Willie is managing for his job. The lousy (Mineya) Mets go out and win 3 out of 4, and could have won the game they lost, and you fire Willie after 3:00am eastern, after a win?!?
Mineya has to be fired after this stunt, before the weekend. The Wilpons can use this as the excuse if they feel they need one.
What a joke. Mineya, the Wilpons and the entire Mets organization and fans have to embarressed by this.
how does alomar keep his job? the latino cat stays and everyone else leaves. i can hear the complaints.
The Mets have a $138 million payroll. They fire a manager (who seems like a really good man), in an undignified manner. My greatest fears have come true -- we are becoming the Yankees!
Neil,
My read is that Jeff Wilpon ordered this upon his return from his trip to visit the new Shea Stadium architechs, Omar was against it and decided to conduct the firing at a very peculiar time and setting so that the Wilpons would receive the most consternation and embarrassment. Omar has got to know his butt will probably be fired at the end of the season anyway. And by the way, I am getting a very disturbing notion that Jeff Wilpon is a Hank Steinbrenner Jr. or even worse another George W...hand him the keys to the store then destroy it!...but that's just my opinion.
John
Let me put this comment in the right blog post:
How 'bout those Mets?
Jeez, they've out Dolaned the Dolans re: sports team management.
Willie Randolph over the coals for the past couple weeks.
A 3am ET firing.
Wow.
This is probably the first time in my life that I'm glad the Steinbrenners own the Yankees. As bad as George used to be and Hank may become, I don't remember them ever doing things as amateurish and classless as the Wilpons did this. They deserve everything they get and whatever fans the team has left should boo the team out of Queens the next time they play home games. So long Omar, the train leaves the station the day after the 162 game season ends, no playoffs for you and no job either.
Dumont,
This whole saga is a 101 course from the Robert Irsay School of Sports management.
Islander 505@12:17
Were there Mayflower vans involved this time, too?
Irsay.
Another [charter] member of the Sports Owners Hall of Shame.
Who's Willie's agent?
Time to make a little lemonade.
It's time to get on the horn with NYC Information Services and make Willie the spokesman for the NYC 311 line.
"Hi, this is Willie Randolph, and I LOVE NY. Before I put you through to one our service representatives, let me give you a little 311 about your city........"
Before long, and with proper marketing and exposure, Willie can be the official 311 guy for every city in the country, and the checks will be rolling in.
Sit back and enjoy the High Life Willie, the Wilpon's and Minaya have just made you into national product.
MOYCHENDIZING!!!!
Dolan did fire Scott Layden 2 days before Christmas I believe.
Who's Willie's agent?
Time to make a little lemonade.
It's time to get on the phone with NYC Information Services and make Willie the spokesman for the NYC 311 line.
"Hi, this is Willie Randolph, and I LOVE NY. Before I put you through to one our service representatives, let me give you a little 311 about your city........"
Before long, and with proper marketing and exposure, Willie can be the official 311 guy for every city in the country, and the checks will be rolling in.
Sit back and enjoy the High Life Willie, Wilpon and Minaya have just made you into national product.
I called it after the Padres sweep.