Mets GM Omar Minaya talks about the reasons why he fired manager Willie Randolph and hired Jerry Manuel as the interim manager.
Month: June 2008
Video: Willie Randolph Leaving Team Hotel
ESPN video of Willie Randolph leaving the Westin hotel in Costa Mesa, CA this morning after being fired by the Mets. He briefly spoke to a huge number of reporters in the lobby waiting for him to leave.
On Deck: June 17- Mets At Angels
New York Mets (34-35 Road: 14-21) at Los Angeles Angels (42-29 Home: 21-17) 10:05pm
Johan Santana (7-4 2.85) vs. Jon Lackey (3-1 1.83)
What to watch: You might have forgotten that there’s a game tonight in all of the news today. The Mets ace, Johan Santana, has a tough match up tonight against Jon Lackey. It’s the first game of the Jerry Manuel regime and I’m anxious to see it. Join me in the Mets Report Game Chat room tonight for the game.
Join Me Tonight For Willie’s Fired Game Chat
There’s a lot to talk about today. The Mets are taking a major change of direction. I want to hear what you have to say. So let’s chat tonight in The Mets Report Game Chat room. Click above on “Game Chat” on the navigation bar or just click here. It’s a late night game at 10:05pm but I’ll see you in the chat room.
Mets Fans: You Wanted It, You Got It!
The curious method with which Omar Minaya used to fire Willie Randolph, Rick Peterson, and Tom Nieto is worthy of discussion based on oddity alone. But it doesn’t change the fact that many Mets fans wanted this to happen a long time ago. I’ll even go as far as to say that MOST Mets fans wanted Willie fired. The word is that Jeff Wilpon agreed with you.
I appreciate Omar Minaya’s loyalty to Willie. That’s a worthy trait to have. But the time for change was long overdue. If you read this site regularly, you know that I’ve wanted something to change with the Mets this season. It didn’t have to be Willie getting fired, but if he did I thought it to be completely justified.
Mets fan have boo’d Willie mercilessly for some time now. I haven’t participated in that. Although I’ve made no secret of the fact that I thought that Willie was a slightly below average manager, I didn’t see anything from him that would cause me to boo him.
Many of us didn’t connect with Willie based on his long history with the Yankees and lack of a dynamic personality. We’ve deluged the talk shows with calls to fire Willie, and we were brought to the edge of sanity with last season’s “collapse”.
Change is here, and I’ll be giving Jerry Manuel a big round of applause when the team gets home. I’m not sure that he’s the long-term answer for the Mets but I’m more than willing to give him a chance. It’s time to move forward.
Brian Schneider WFAN Radio Spot Canceled
Image via Wikipedia
Those of us that have been waiting for the WFAN weekly 12:00pm radio spot with Brian Schneider will have to keep waiting. He told WFAN that he wasn’t comfortable addressing the situation with Willie Randolph until after Omar Minaya speaks to the media this afternoon.
Schneider’s radio spot was re-scheduled for tomorrow.
Mets Press Conference June 17- 5 PM EDT
The Mets will hold a press conference at 5:00pm EDT today to introduce Jerry Manuel as their new manager. Omar Minaya will make the announcement and I’m sure will have to answer many pointed questions from the media in Los Angeles.
The press conference will be carried live on TV by SNY. I’m sure that WFAN will carry it on the radio as well. This is a nice departure from the morons at SNY that didn’t carry the Minaya press conference about Willie Randolph’s job status on Memorial Day.
The Mets Report 