But Wilpon hated Valentine, and let his animus cloud his judgment. Apparently, he decided that he would hire the diametrical opposite of Valentine, and so he hired Howe, a guy who didn’t belong in New York.
When Wilpon fired Howe after two years of misery, I wanted him to hire a proven winner. When he went with Randolph instead, I was afraid he’d put race politics over winning. After all, Major League Baseball obliges every team with a managerial opening to interview at least one black candidate, even if the owner has no interest at all in the guy. Violation of the affirmative action program results in fines. The Tigers paid such a fine back in 2000. They had an opening and knew exactly who they wanted to fill it – fiery Phil Garner. So they interviewed only one man for the job. They offered the job to Garner, and he accepted. But because the Tigers didn’t dissimulate to some poor black guy looking for a manager’s job, they had to take a hit. Conversely, had they lied to a black candidate, and told him they were legitimately interested in him, the league would have been most happy, and the team could have saved thousands of dollars.
Willie Randolph once got such an interview offer. To his credit, Randolph asked the executive on the phone if he was being invited simply to fulfill the league’s quota, and the executive had the decency to honestly answer the question. At that point Randolph said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’
Randolph’s 2005 Mets had a shaky beginning, losing their first five games, but then went on a winning streak, and by the end of the season, were 83-79, their first winning season since 2001. Simply put, Willie Randolph turned around a franchise that had been mired in a loser mentality. The following year, the Mets went 97-65, won their division for the first time since 1988, and in the League Championship Series against the Cardinals, were an inning away from going to the World Series.
Last Sunday, Francesa momentarily departed from his Yankee-sniffing norm, and devoted a real segment to the Mets, and while he didn’t totally snub Randolph – that would have caused a scandal – he might as well have. In the midst of an extended interview with Mets GM Omar Minaya, Francesa mentioned Randolph for all of three seconds, noting that the Mets had granted him a contract extension (through 2009).
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 " October 2, 2007 @ 22:45PM " 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.