WFAN’s Mike and The Mad Dog lambaste Omar Minaya over the firing of Willie Randolph. They do a good job in this interview of asking the tough questions that a lot of people had about this situation.
Tag: Omar Minaya
Willie Randolph Speaks To Media
Although I’m pretty much done with Willie Randolph at this point, he did have some comments to the mass of media assembled outside of his New Jersey home today. He said that he didn’t think that Omar Minaya was going to fire him. He thought that a couple of coaches were going to be fired. Here are a few quotes:
"No, I thought he [Minaya] was talking about whacking a couple of my coaches," Randolph told reporters in the driveway of his Franklin Lakes, N.J., home.
"That’s why I was stunned," Randolph said. "The way he was talking to me, I thought I was secure for the time being."
"I felt all along this team would play better and we would eventually get into the season and do really well," said Randolph, wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt with a Negro League design on it.
"In my mind this happened way, way too early."
I have to say that I’m a little surprised that he came out with some of these comments. I won’t say that he came out swinging but he did have some pointed comments. I thought that his thoughts would be much more subdued in an attempt to position himself for another managerial interview.
Read the full story at the NY Post.
Minaya’s Lesson- Don’t Mess With The Media
Image via Wikipedia
Omar Minaya learned an important lesson today… Make major announcements at a time of day that’s most convenient for the New York media. Otherwise, risk the condemnation and insults hurled your way.
The mainstream media flooded the Internet with stories about how poorly timed the announcement of Willie Randolph’s firing was. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of stories about the Mets “sneaking” around in the middle of the night to fire Willie so it wouldn’t be announced in time to make the daily newspapers.
As a fan, I could care less when the announcement came. As long as the Mets came to a decision that’s in the best interest of the team moving forward. If it’s three in the morning or three in the afternoon, I really don’t care.
Continue reading “Minaya’s Lesson- Don’t Mess With The Media”
Video: Olney On Mets Poisonous Atmosphere
ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney talks about the disorganization within the Mets front office. Specifically, he talks about the well publicized problems with Assistant GM Tony Bernazard and Willie Randolph, the media leaks, and the lack of a chain of command. He also talks about the type of personality that Jerry Manuel brings to the manager’s position for the Mets.
Video: Omar Minaya on Firing Willie Randolph
Mets GM Omar Minaya talks about the reasons why he fired manager Willie Randolph and hired Jerry Manuel as the interim manager.
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.
With Randolph Gone, Minaya Is On The Hook
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Now that Willie Randolph has taken the fall for the under performing Mets team, someone else is going to be responsible for the wins and losses. That person is Omar Minaya.
Minaya is now on the hook for the performance of this team. He doesn’t have the security blanket of the Mets’ problems being Randolph’s fault anymore. That will be a heavy burden for Minaya to carry for the rest of this season.
Mark this date on your calendar because Omar Minaya is now on the clock. If the Mets and their $137 million payroll don’t meet expectations it will become Minaya’s problem. And there are some hefty expectations to meet. Getting deep into October is the only successful outcome for the Mets now. There is no safety parachute for Minaya. That’s now gone. There’s nobody else to blame.
Trading top prospects for Johan Santana and making a massive financial commitment to him over seven years was Minaya’s recommendation. The only logical reason to do that is for a team that’s on the verge of winning.
Good luck Omar. You better start working the phones. The Mets roster is going to be one of the hardest to re-make into a winner. The aging, injured, and under performing players are on your hands now.
The Mets Report 