So, I got into a Mets discussion with my Brother, my Nephew and my Brother-in-Law( all of whom know more about baseball than I do) yesterday, in the middle of that 13-1 debacle that the Mets thought passed as baseball.
It started with a discussion of Oliver Perez, and exactly what kind of contract he was seeking for next year.
Then I raised the possibility of Willie Randolph being replaced as manager. Now, I don't necessarily think that all of this is his fault, and I did not really argue for his firing yesterday, and no one else seemed to think it was the right move.
But I have been thinking about it, and as much as I like Willie, I am starting to wonder if he is not the right manager for this team at this time.
I mean, this is a team that has really not played well since about the middle of last year, if not earlier, and some of that needs to fall on the manager. Now, I know, he doesn't pitch or hit(and I know that he didn't put the team together, either), but he is supposed to motivate the team to do those things, and quite simply, the Mets did not show up yesterday(and have not quite a few times lately), and how is that not at least partially his fault ?
Now, I also believe that this team is overrated, but they should be playing better than they are. And you know what was the worst about yesterday? I did not believe for a SECOND, that they might come back and win that game. For at least the first part of last year, and just about ALL of 2006, I would have believed that they would come back. And it wouldn't even matter if they did, but i would have believed that they could. No such belief yesterday.
I'm not saying that they need a guy who screams and yells(but maybe they do), but I think they need something to break through this sort of arrogant, uninspired fog they are in, and I honestly wonder if firing Willie might be the only thing(that can actually be done) that might wake them up.
3 comments:
Yesterday's game was one of those with no chance to win. It's done, let's move on!
As far as Willie goes -- I'm a firm believer that the manager doesn't always have control over how good or bad his team is playing.
But a manager can make bad decisions... like put Heilman in.
The 13-1 debacle wasn't Heilman's fault... this time. It was (almost) everyone else's fault.
These are grown men who know how to play baseball. If it's anyone's fault it's the General Manager's for putting together a team who... well, they looked competent but in reality they're not proving it.
My thinking is -- if they truly want to win a pennant, wouldn't they play like it? Why's it the manager's fault if a guy doesn't play well? It's up to batters to hit the damn ball where the opposite team ain't. It's up to the pitchers to get out the opposing team's batters.
Yeah, maybe it's the Chief who's supposed to light a fire... but you can't light a fire under someone who's not very good to begin with .... which leads back to the General Manager because Willie didn't "hire" these guys, Omar did.
There've also been injuries so who knows what the outcome so far would be if they had everyone healthy.
I'd hate to see Willie go but I think the organization should keep him until the All-Star break... if the Mets are languishing in this 2 games over .500 BULLCRAP all the way until then, then it's time to consider making a move.
Looks like it's gonna be a lonnnnnnnngg season.
Still -- they're the Mets...
Ya Gotta Believe!
Yes.
Lee Mazzilli.
zooma- that's true(about the game being "one of thsoe games") but it is getting ahrder and harder to look at the games individually. regardless of anything else, this is a team with NO FIRE. NONE. And I do believe that part of that is the manager's fault.
And this is not a position that I come to lightly, because I do like Willie,but I really am starting to feel that this team is slipping away from him. And just because the other tems in the division are not playing well, that doesn't mean that uninspired play needs to be accepted.
I get the "they are professionals'" argument, but at the same time, this team has more talent than they are showing. They are unfocused, uninspired and sloppy.
Havi ng said that, i think a lot more people agree with you than do agree with me.
The Mets police- that's a possibility. Carter, too. Or maybe Wally Backman ? thanks for the visit and comment.
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