On March 4 on his New York TV sports talk show, Mike’d Up on NBC’s New York affiliate, Mike Francesa snubbed New York Mets skipper, Willie Randolph.
Francesa was talking about the Mets’ prospects this season. He observed that they had gotten by in 2006 with great hitting, and that “the Mets” would paste together a starting rotation, and had a great bullpen. He pointed out that the team had an aging starting rotation for the coming season, with the caveat, that if necessary, “Omar will make a move” for a starting pitcher. It was always “the Mets,” whoever they were, as if the managing were done by an anonymous committee, vs. “Omar.” Not once did Francesa mention Randolph.
Now, I was not a believer in Willie Randolph when he was named Mets manager in 2005. Randolph had never managed; not in the big leagues, and not in the minors. The Mets had just endured two years of the Art Howe fiasco. I had never wanted them to hire Howe in the first place, and if I didn’t want owner Fred Wilpon taking a chance on a green manager prior to Howe, that was doubly the case after he had passed through town. (And Howe was experienced! He’d been a failure in Houston and a success in Oakland.)
Wilpon had likely hired Howe because he was the anti-Valentine. Bobby Valentine had been one of the best managers in Mets history, and he got the team to the World Series in 2000 for the last time, after a 14-year drought. (I can't seem to recall the name of the team they went up against.) Valentine was brilliant and had a maniacal work ethic, but he could be sneaky and was too much in love with his own cleverness, like the time he started circulating a rumor that slugging catcher and team captain Todd Hundley was partying too late at night, or another time when he got thrown out of a game, and thought he could fool the ump by sneaking back onto the bench wearing a Groucho disguise. Still, he gave his all for Wilpon, and the team gave its all for Valentine. Valentine’s stressing of the fundamentals and preparation had much to do with the team having one of the greatest infields of all time under his stewardship (John Olerud at first base, Edgardo Alfonzo at second, Rey Ordonez at shortstop, and Robin Ventura at third).
Article comments
1 - Anthony De Rosa
I'm far from one to come to the quick defense of Mike Francesa, as he's often nothing more than an entertaining blowhard, but he's been quick to praise Willie Randolph often on his radio show. I wouldn't read too closely into his lack of Willie mentions on Mike'd Up.
2 - The Haze
God forbid Francesa should step over the blue pin-striped line and give kudos to another team or player.I have two words for all the "what have you done for me lately" yankee fans: Bernie who? The difference between an old yankee fan and a new one is "loyalty". Old yankee fans loved their team and Players. The new age yankee fan thinks that by loving the yankees he's a loyal fan irregardless of who's in the uniform. Just win....or move on.
3 - Nicholas Stix
This is a test; BC doesn't recognize me, and I'm trying to get it back on track.
4 - rickborn
To say willie randolph favors latin players is just ignorant..willie randolph is one of the most humble people in baseball history. He is more than qualified to be manger of the mets after being an all star 2nd baseman and having joe torre as a mentor. What makes me sick is that after 3 winning seasons people still find negative things to say about him. Joe Girardi a complete scrub won manager of the year? Now i dont like to pull the race card but if willie randolph had a loosing season and got fired would he have even ben nominated??? food for thought.
5 - Nicholas Stix
I guess you didn't read my column all the way through, rick.
Given that subtle (or unsubtle?) pressure from Omar Minaya may have had something to do with Randolph's ethnic double-standard, he takes half a rap for that sin, grievous though it is.
"#4 â€" October 2, 2007 @ 22:45PM â€" rickborn
"To say willie randolph favors latin players is just ignorant..willie randolph is one of the most humble people in baseball history."
Textbook non sequitur. That Randolph favored the Latin players is a fact. Facts you don't like are not "ignorant," but you are.
"He is more than qualified to be manger of the mets after being an all star 2nd baseman and having joe torre as a mentor."
More non sequiturs. How is "being an all star 2nd baseman" a managerial qualification? If anything, former all-stars tend to make worse managers than former benchwarmers. And while "having [had] joe torre as a mentor" is a wonderful thing, it still doesn't refute my position that successful minor league managing experience is the most important qualification for someone who has yet to manage in the big leagues.
"What makes me sick is that after 3 winning seasons people still find negative things to say about him. Joe Girardi a complete scrub won manager of the year?" Now i dont like to pull the race card but if willie randolph had a loosing season and got fired would he have even ben nominated??? food for thought."
Girardi took a sinking ship, that was on a pace to lose 100 games, righted it, and almost hit the .500 mark (78-84). He did a great job.
As for your pulling the race card, had Randolph had a losing season his first year at the helm, because he was black, he would never have been fired, unless say, he had shot Carlos Beltran (though that would have made him a folk hero with ticket-buying Mets fans).
Had Randolph had a losing first season, and continued to lose the second season, after the additions of Martinez and Delgado, he might then have been fired. Heck, Omar Minaya wanted to fire Randolph after three straight winning seasons! He only grudgingly announced that Randolph would be back.