Category: Management

Report: Mets Brass Met Thursday- Still No Changes

NEW YORK - APRIL 08: General manager Omar Minaya of the New York Mets looks on as his team takes batting practice before taking on the Philadelphia Phillies before the last home opener at Shea Stadium on April 8, 2008 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer Jon Heyman reports that Omar Minaya and members of the Mets front office met yesterday to discuss the Mets decline. Although no decisions have been finalized, the Mets are considering changes at manager and several coaches.

Heyman reports that a source close to the Mets says that Minaya remains a vocal source of support for Randolph but other members of the front office have differing views.

Minaya and other club higher-ups met Thursday to discuss the deteriorating fortunes of the team and what can be done about it. Minaya is considered extremely loyal by co-workers and has been Randolph’s greatest supporter for weeks. As one Mets person put it, “Willie’s his guy.” However, Randolph’s detractors have become more vocal in recent days, and there seems to be a general feeling that something major needs to be done to reinvigorate the club.

After the bullpen’s latest meltdown and the lack of hitting with RISP, both Howard Johnson and Rick Peterson are candidates to be replaced.

My feeling is that the Mets have to do something, whether it’s replacing Randolph and/or coaches or making significant player moves. The problem is that moving players is much more difficult and time consuming. It won’t happen overnight.

The front office just needs to do something now though. They’re letting the last season at Shea Stadium slip away without a fight. That’s what is most disturbing about this season. They need to determine a direction quickly (like today) and start moving in that direction. It’s the indecision about what to do with this team that’s hurting the chances for a successful outcome.

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Report: Randolph Not Getting Fired

ESPN’s Jayson Stark is reporting today that a source that regularly speaks to Mets front office personnel told him that Mets manager Willie Randolph is not going to be fired. From the column:

Minaya "has made his decision," said the same baseball man. "And the decision is, this is Willie’s team. And he’s not going away."

Reading this column made me wonder: What does Randolph have to do to get fired? As I’ve said before, I know that all of the teams problems aren’t his fault. But he has to be held accountable for the overall on-field performance of the team.

It’s obvious that the Mets need to change something. If they’re not going to fire Randolph then they need to move some players. Something needs to change either way. This team is quickly becoming more difficult to watch.

Report: Front Office Unhappy With Randolph Last Night

NEW YORK - JUNE 11: Mike Pelfrey #34 of the New York Mets is removed from the game by manager Willie Randolph #12 in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamonbacks on June 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal reports that the Mets front office was unhappy with Willie Randolph’s decision making on two points last night:

  1. Letting Mike Pelfrey talk Randolph into pitching the ninth inning
  2. Bringing Billy Wagner into a game during the middle of an inning

Personally, I thought that the game should have been Pelfrey’s to win or lose. I understand that the five game losing streak may have influenced the decision. But Pelfrey was the best pitcher in the stadium last night and should have kept pitching. I would have allowed him to give up more than one hit before pulling him.

Rosenthal goes on to write that the Mets players understand that it’s a foregone conclusion that Randolph will be fired at some point this season. They just want to get it over with and move on to eliminate the distraction hanging over the team.

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Bartolo Colon And Missed Opportunities

Back on February 25th when I was looking at the Mets potential Quadruple-A starters, I wrote that I was disappointed that the Red Sox signed Bartolo Colon. At the time, the Mets were put off by his excessive weight.

Well, tonight Colon beat the Orioles to bring his record to 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA. I know that hindsight is 20/20. I know that you should look forward and not back, but this was a big mistake by Omar Minaya.

Colon would’ve given the Mets a great insurance policy in case someone (let’s say Oliver Perez) blew up during the season or someone was hurt for a significant period of time (Pedro Martinez). Perez is 4-4 with a 5.37 ERA. Martinez is 1-0 with a 6.91 ERA is three starts.

Who knows if Colon will make it through a long hot summer? He is obese. But he sure looks good for Boston so far.

Report: Mets Sign First Round Pick Havens

The Mets have reportedly signed one of their first round draft choices Reese Havens. He’s a shortstop from the University of South Carolina taken 22nd overall. His bonus is reportedly at slot for $1.4 million.

The Mets are also http://nygoodhealth.com reported to be making progress with sandwich round pick Brad Holt and their fourth pick Javier Rodriguez.

Read the full story at Sports Illustrated.

Time For A New Sheriff In Town

The "Willie Watch, Part Two" is in full bloom now that the Mets have reverted to their pre-Wilpon meeting ways. I really thought that the energy that we saw from the Mets two weeks ago could be sustained… But I was wrong. Now it’s time for Willie Randolph to go.

The Mets problems certainly aren’t completely Randolph’s fault. The players and Omar Minaya deserve some of the blame as well.  I stand by my initial feelings about this team; although there are flaws in the roster, the current configuration should be capable of being a strong contender for a playoff spot. Whether they achieve that goal or not depends on variables such as competition, injuries, and seasonal performance.

Based on that assumption, Willie Randolph hasn’t done the job of motivating the players to achieve their potential. Sure there are players that need to go: Carlos Delgado, Aaron Heilman, and maybe some others. But the roster doesn’t require a complete overhaul. You can’t fire all of the players but you can fire the manager.

My contention is that the Mets need a new manager that is bigger than the players. A manger that isn’t afraid of under performing veterans, and isn’t afraid to move young players into power positions in the lineup. It’s common in college but pretty rare in the pro’s. There are a few examples: Phil Jackson, Bill Parcells, and Terry Francona. These are people that have attained the highest level of success in their respective sports and won championships. They know what it takes to be on top. They know that talent rules over union seniority.

The Mets need a "star" that has a significant history within the organization and has won a championship. No… I’m not talking about getting Doc Gooden clean and bringing him in to manage the team. There are only two logical choices; Davey Johnson or Keith Hernandez. They’ve won here as manager and player respectively. They bring immediate clout to the job. They bring an attitude that winning is the only thing, and lackluster play is unacceptable. It’s time for a new sheriff in town.

Mets Roster Move: June 11- Nunez

After the loss to the D-Backs last night the Mets announced that Abraham Nunez was designated for assignment. There wasn’t a corresponding addition to the roster but Omar Minaya told reporters that it would probably be a position player.

There’s been some speculation that the player added to the roster may be Jose Valentin. He went to Triple-A New Orleans a few days ago to continue his rehab from a neck injury.