'Kiss of death'

Despite some encouraging words from his boss, Willie Randolph sounded like Dead Manager Walking yesterday. GM Omar Minaya made a surprise visit here Friday to give his embattled manager a tepid vote of confidence to reporters in the wake of a losing streak that had dropped the Mets below .500. But talking with the media before the Mets snapped their five-game losing streak with a 9-2 victory over the Rockies, Randolph said Minaya had offered no personal words of encouragement since arriving in Denver late Friday. "Just chit-chat, like we usually do," Randolph said when asked to describe his talks with Minaya this weekend.

In another sign that he realizes the end could soon be near, Randolph used some dark humor when talking about Minaya's arrival. "I thought I saw him in the back sharpening his machete," Randolph said. "I don't know if that feels too good. He saw me coming, so he kind of slipped it in his back pocket. I don't know if that made me feel better."

Later in a rambling, 20-minute interview, Randolph seemed resigned to his potential fate when asked about the ominous timing of Minaya's unexpected visit. Randolph even described Minaya's public voicing of support as "the kiss of death." "I'm just so hell-bent on winning the game right now that whether Omar is here or not, whether they support me or not, is irrelevant really," Randolph said. "It's going to be what it's going to be. I'll go down to the last day trying to win a ballgame. That's why I'm here. That's why I came here. All that stuff is out of my hands." Continue