Damn, They Got Willie On The Ropes

[RunawaySlave]

In his third season of his FIRST managerial job, Willie Randolph is about to get fired.

Mainly for some shit that wasn't really his fault (although technically it is)


We can thank Billy Wagner for hammering those final nails in Willie's coffin when he blew 3 straight wins in the opposing teams' final at bat

Watching the Mets today (my first complete TV broadcast), you can see that the team wants to win, but is playing kind of scared. Scared of making mistakes.

I think in baseball more than any other sport, you CANNOT be afraid to make mistakes. They are a NATURAL part of the game, and they will happen no matter WHAT you do.

Willie needs to just let these mutha fukkas out. Pull off the restraints. When the Pillsbury Doughboy sports reporters come around asking Willie about his entire damn game plan (they do it everyday), he needs to tell them to GO FUCK THEMSELVES, I gotta team to run.

I think the players will respond to that. Willie, stop being so cot damned nice. Take lessons from Lou Pinella and even Joe Giraldi and curse a mofo out...right now.

The next mofo approach you....just slap him. Especially if he's a sports reporter

 

[RunawaySlave]

Bullpen blew up again today in game 1 of the doubleheader. Or else the Mets would've swept Texas. Well, at least Wagner got the 3 outs he was supposed to.

It maybe too late for their manager though

 

[SuperGenius]

Fuck the Wilpon's! If they're gonna fire him do it already! The wilpon's are pulling what a lot of companies in the corperate world pull by letting they're employees hang by the balance not knowing whether or not when they come to work will they get a pink slip.

His job was secured for the year until his comments about Sny and the race card, not because of that losing stretch.

 

[blooo]

he got fired today

 

[QueEx]

How the fuck do set the rumor mill hot with firing; don't do it; then do it, after a win ??

Yo Runaway, you know I'm a Brave's fan, but I have all the love for Randolph. The bad part is while a lot of the Met's non-performance lies with shit not within Randolph's control: he couldn't give youth back to a Delgado who looks like he's ready to retire and he ouldn't make him hit; signing Santana was great, but how could they have put any realistic reliance on Pedro (just like Atlanta should put "NO" stock in John Smolts returning and seriously contributing); and Beltran seems too meek to wear a NY uniform. Of course, in baseball like other sports, ultimately, if they don't win, the manager gets the axe.

I hate this for Willie and just to show you how much: I hope they lose a 100 this year (of course, I never wanted them to win, anyway but I had to concede that because I wanted above all that Willie enjoy success but now that he's gone,

QueEx

 

[xfactor]

I don't know much about baseball but I remember hearing a lot about Ron Washington (a brotha - manager of the Texas Rangers) being the dumbest manager in baseball. Last year was his first year, I believe.

He's turned the Rangers around completely this year and I don't hear him receiving much credit for their improved start this year.

I'm not trying to make Randolph's firing a racial thing but...

 

[RunawaySlave]

I don't think it's a racial thing X, well not completely. Of course, that's the sort of comment that kind Willie in hot water to begin with, the whole "it's sorta racial" thing. But his boss is Omar Minaya, who is almost black his damn self. The Mets have a history of scapegoating the brotha when things don't go right for them. It goes all the way back to 1970's with Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee, continued into the 80's with George Foster then later with Doc Gooden and Strawberry, into the 90's with Bonilla and a host of brothas all the way up to today with Willie. If the Mets acquired a black ballplayer, then that player was ultimately gonna be the reason why the Mets weren't successful.

So it's not a new thing to blame him. The mainstream press has had it in for him for most of his 3+ seasons almost from the beginning when it was BRADEN LOOPER blowing the games in the 9th instead of Wagner.


What upsets me is that Minaya didn't fire batting coach Howard Johnson instead of Rik Peterson. The Mets problem isn't all about pitching. With a lineup full of past or potential all stars, they have NO player batting over .300!! They barely have anyone hitting .290!

I've got my problems with Willie, but last time I checked he wasn't the one batting .245 or the one trying to jack every single pitch out of the park like Reyes, Wright and Delgado. Even little Endy Chavez is swinging for the fences, The only hitters that look like they have a clue are Beltran and Ryan Church. And Church is about due for his annual swoon. He'll be hitting 265 by August


It's also a little surprising that Minaya hired Charlie Manual to replace Willie. I mean, how do you hire the a manager's right hand man without the manager finding out?? Especially without talking to the right hand man first? Minaya HAD to have approached Manual in advance of hiring him. He's not gonna hire the dude without talking to him first to see if he can actually handle the job. Yet Willie had no idea he was going to be fired, so Manual has got to be on some kind of snake in the grass shit, where he knew what was going down yet kept his mouth shut to Willie about it. I would even go so far as to speculate that Manual, knowing he could wind up in the manager's chair, may go so far as to sabatoge the team behind his bosses back so he WILL lose his job.

At any rate, I don't think the team will ever trust Manual at all. I know I wouldn't. They're already in a sort of mini revolt against what happened. I hope to god Manual didn't do some underhanded shit behind Willie's back. Or else there will be a mutiny and he will get the swift boot (which he will probably get anyway after the season unless the Mets will the pennant)


And while I'm typing, I'd like to send a great, big, hardy FUCK YOU out to Gary Carter, who told the press that he wouldn't mind going after the job if Willie got fired about 10 days ago. I love the Mets after all these years, but Gary can eat a dick

Hojo too.

Don't worry about Willie. He'll get another job.

 

[QueEx]

It's also a little surprising that Minaya hired Charlie Manual to replace Willie. I mean, how do you hire the a manager's right hand man without the manager finding out?? Especially without talking to the right hand man first? Minaya HAD to have approached Manual in advance of hiring him. He's not gonna hire the dude without talking to him first to see if he can actually handle the job. Yet Willie had no idea he was going to be fired, so Manual has got to be on some kind of snake in the grass shit, where he knew what was going down yet kept his mouth shut to Willie about it. I would even go so far as to speculate that Manual, knowing he could wind up in the manager's chair, may go so far as to sabatoge the team behind his bosses back so he WILL lose his job.

RS, you sound like the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Baseball conducting a hearing on Jerry Manuel's role in the firing of Willie Randolph: What did Manuel know, and when did he know it! LOL

Great questions.

QueEx

 

[SuperGenius]

The person who's most responsible for Willie's demise is Tony Bernazard the asst. general mgr....from day 1 he didn't want Randolph as the mgr. he wanted Manny Acta instead. Willie was Omar's choice and Bernazard and Randolph have been bumping heads ever since. Bernazard had all of the latin players turn against Randolph when Randolph critized the players in a private meeting.

Bernazard has no business being in the clubhouse talking shit to begin with. From what I read Bernazard has a good relationship with Jerry Manuel (who is black) and was the reason why he was named Interm Mgr. Like RS I too have had certain issues with the way Willie managed at times, but he got straight sitted on. In fairness to Manuel, this is his second chance at being a mgr. in the Major leagues and he's gonna make the best of it. How many black manager's besides Dusty Baker and Frank Robinson even get a second chance to be a big league mgr. or even a first chance at that? Just ask a successful mgr. in Cito Gaston who won 2 world Series with the Blue Jays. Since he was fired he never got another chance to become a mgr.

I don't think it's a racial thing X, well not completely. Of course, that's the sort of comment that kind Willie in hot water to begin with, the whole "it's sorta racial" thing. But his boss is Omar Minaya, who is almost black his damn self. The Mets have a history of scapegoating the brotha when things don't go right for them. It goes all the way back to 1970's with Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee, continued into the 80's with George Foster then later with Doc Gooden and Strawberry, into the 90's with Bonilla and a host of brothas all the way up to today with Willie. If the Mets acquired a black ballplayer, then that player was ultimately gonna be the reason why the Mets weren't successful.

It goes back further than that...The Mets could have drafted Reggie Jackson in 1965 but didn't cause he dated white women.

At any rate, I don't think the team will ever trust Manual at all. I know I wouldn't. They're already in a sort of mini revolt against what happened. I hope to god Manual didn't do some underhanded shit behind Willie's back. Or else there will be a mutiny and he will get the swift boot (which he will probably get anyway after the season unless the Mets will the pennant)

They will, as long as Jerry Manuel is on Tony Bernazard's good side...The media has said that someone within the Mets' organization kept info leaking out about Willie being fired and who would replace him 1 week before he was fired....IMO it was Tony Bernazard. As long as he's with them, the Mets will continue to have problems.

 

[RunawaySlave]

Had no idea about the Bernazard (sp) factor. In fact, I didn't even know he existed until you mentioned him.

So while Manual was (possibly) scheming behind Willie's back could this character be secretly scheming behind Omar's?? Saw a little of the press conference, and Omar was pretty adamant about everything being HIS decision and his decision alone

I hope he doesn't make the mistake of trusting the guy to much. If he really did turn all the latino players against Willie, then he has no problem fucking with the chemistry of the ball club

 

[RunawaySlave]

RS, you sound like the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Baseball conducting a hearing on Jerry Manuel's role in the firing of Willie Randolph: What did Manuel know, and when did he know it! LOL

Great questions.

QueEx

Naw, I'm just saying.....

You ever see when the FBI takes down some criminal orgainzation? They almost always have a man on the inside. Also, once they take it down, they arrest EVERYBODY. And the only cats they don't arrest are the stoolies and spies


Willie's fired, Peterson's fired and a couple more on the staff.....but not Manual?? And not Hojo??

Something stinks

Glad SG mentioned the other dude, because I would've put the onus on Minaya for being the snake. And I like the guy and what's he's done...even though he needs to get some brothas back in there too

 

[SuperGenius]

How many black manager's besides Dusty Baker and Frank Robinson even get a second chance to be a big league mgr. or even a first chance at that? Just ask a successful mgr. in Cito Gaston who won 2 world Series with the Blue Jays. Since he was fired he never got another chance to become a mgr.

The Toranto Blue Jays General Mgr. must read the sports section on BGOL because they re-hired Cito Gaston as mgr yesterday

 

[RunawaySlave]

The Toranto Blue Jays General Mgr. must read the sports section on BGOL because they re-hired Cito Gaston as mgr yesterday

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Gaston manage the Giants for a minute before Felipe Alou took over?? At any rate, good for him. Seldom that ANY manager gets to manage the same team twice. Maybe Cito is the Yogi Berra of this generation


On another note, the Mets sure look loose the last few days. Partying, hi-fiving, HUSTLING, joking in the dugout....looks like there was a mutiny and now they're (almost) happy that Willie is gone

 

[HAR125LEM]

Hell. One of my White/Jewish co-workers, who has in the know connections with both the Yankees and the Mets believes for a FACT this shit was racially motivated. I couldn't say for sure myself. But after that press conference Minaya gave, I'm more likely to believe it.

Now the NY media is now trying to portray Randolph as racially paranoid and delusional. Shit is disgusting. That Brother gave them EVERYTHING. And the organization just plain fucked him over.

Minaya made some major fucked-up deals. And is too cowardly to take the blame for them.

 

[SuperGenius]

Hell. One of my White/Jewish co-workers, who has in the know connections with both the Yankees and the Mets believes for a FACT this shit was racially motivated. I couldn't say for sure myself. But after that press conference Minaya gave, I'm more likely to believe it.

Now the NY media is now trying to portray Randolph as racially paranoid and delusional. Shit is disgusting. That Brother gave them EVERYTHING. And the organization just plain fucked him over.

Minaya made some major fucked-up deals. And is too cowardly to take the blame for them.

I don't believe it's racial though cause Jerry Manuel (who is black) and Bernazard are cool, but I do think that what Randolph said about the Sny network and race sealed his fate. From what i've been reading it's all Tony Bernazard's doing...seems that Bernazard and COO Jeff Wilpon are close:

When he's not with the players, he can often be found with Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, who also took a gigantic hit from the Midnight Massacre. The two men are close.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spken0619,0,4620985.column


I think Bernazard is a snake...wouldn't be surprised if he's planning on shittin' on Omar Minaya for his job. Now that Randolph's is gone Minaya is on the hot seat now. If the Mets don't make the post-season you can pretty much expect Minaya to get "whacked". Guess who's next in line to be GM?

The political climate that swallowed Willie Randolph may ultimately consume Omar Minaya as well, with VP Tony Bernazard in prime position to assume the GM responsibilities if Minaya is ousted, insiders tell the Daily News.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...with_omar_minaya_on_the_hot_seat_now_ton.html

 

[RunawaySlave]

The bullpen has completely fell off the deep end. I hope the Wilpons are watching this shit. All this micromanaging of relief pitchers does NOT work