Mets baseball blog

Randolph named Brewers' bench coach

A week after he was passed over for their managerial job, Willie Randolph was hired as the Brewers' bench coach yesterday. But Randolph, who is in contention for the job in Seattle, said he has an agreement with the Brewers that if he gets another managerial offer, he can take it.

Randolph, fired as manager of the Mets on June 17, was brought on by new Milwaukee manager Ken Macha just days after losing out to Macha in the search by Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. Continue

Willie Randolph on Brewers' short list

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today speculates that Brewers GM Doug Melvin has put Willie Randolph on the short list of candidates to become Milwaukee's manager. The Brewers fired Ned Yost with 12 games to go this season and replaced him with Dale Sveum. Continue

Wilpon drew line on Willie extension

When Willie Randolph and the Mets were cruising through the 2006 regular season, he spoke confidently about his future. He already was signed through the 2007 season, and he told friends that he intended to get a three-year extension on top of that.

To Jeff Wilpon's credit, however, the Mets held the line on Randolph. They gave him only a two-year extension through 2009, appeasing him by raising his 2007 salary. Continue

Inside jobbed

Jerry Manuel's job as bench coach was to advise Willie Randolph, to give the Mets manager counsel on how to handle everything from game strategy to clubhouse politics. However, friends of Randolph's told The Post that the now former manager had grown to believe Manuel actually might have been doing the opposite of helping him by undermining him to upper management. It is a charge Manuel denied late yesterday afternoon. Continue

Mets unmoved by Willie axing

Willie Randolph's former players didn't exactly shed tears yesterday at the Mets manager's unexpected late-night firing. Several of the most prominent Mets appeared to welcome Randolph's departure because it meant an end to the constant and feverish speculation about his future.

"It was a huge distraction," third baseman David Wright said before last night's game with the Angels. "It seemed like he was always on the hot seat. Even when we won, we had to answer questions about the manager's future." Added center fielder Carlos Beltran: "It was tough to stay away from the papers and concentrate on baseball . . . ." Continue

Midnight massacre an amazin' act of cowardice

The e-mail was time-stamped 3:14 a.m., Eastern time. In a simpler time, in a different world, maybe the Mets would have succeeded completely in this cowardly purge of their baseball team. Maybe then they would have been able to hold off on telling everybody what they'd planned to do until long past their vessels in the media were fast asleep.

Ah, but there is this wonderful thing known as the Internet now, and here we are, telling you that while you were sleeping, at 3:14 a.m. New York time, at 12:14 a.m. California time, two hours after the Mets beat the Angels 9-6, the Mets finally got around to firing Willie Randolph. Continue

Rick Peterson, Tom Nieto facing ax but Willie Randolph safe - for now

Omar Minaya refused to guarantee that his on-field staff would remain intact for Monday night's game in Anaheim, further fueling speculation that at least two of Willie Randolph's coaches could be axed during the Mets' series against the Angels that opens tonight.

It's believed that Minaya abruptly changed his travel plans as the Mets' team bus was about to depart Shea Stadium on Sunday night and quietly joined the team for its cross-country flight following Sunday's doubleheader split against the Rangers that left the Mets 33-35. Continue

With rainout, Willie Randolph stays cool on hot seat

No loss Saturday night meant there was no reason for Willie Randolph's status to change. Don't expect anything to change before the first pitch of today's doubleheader, either. Team officials said no move was expected.

Randolph still faced the usual spate of questions related to reports that his job is in jeopardy. The manager found himself comparing the elimination games in the 2006 NLCS and the end of the 2007 regular season with the Mets' current stretch - his own elimination games, some might say. Continue

Willie Randolph's tenure as Mets manager in grave danger

Willie Randolph's tenure as Mets manager is in grave danger of ending this weekend, sources tell the Daily News. The Mets enter Friday night's game against the Texas Rangers having lost six of seven games to drop to 31-34. Since Randolph was hauled into a conference with Fred and Jeff Wilpon on May 26, the Mets are 8-9. It's believed that bench coach Jerry Manuel would succeed Randolph if the manager is fired. Randolph has a four-year record of 299-252 with the Mets. Continue

'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