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Procrastination, Thy Name Is Mets |
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Written by Joe Lazauskas
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Tuesday, 27 May 2008 |
 Following Willie Randolph’s ho-hum meeting with GM Omar Minaya and the
Wilpons this past Monday, one thing became painfully clear: the Mets
consider Willie Randolph a good manager. By itself, that’s a reasonable assertion, though many Mets fans would
disagree, but in baseball, a “good manager” can never be evaluated in
absolute terms. Baseball managers will never mirror their football
counterparts. Bill Belicheck, for instance, will always be a weapon
because of his unique ability to create genius, creative game plans
(even when he's not taping other coach's practices).
Baseball managers success, however, is relative to the teams they manage—above all, they must be the right fit for the team.
A complacent, aging, underachieving team should not be managed by a “laid back” manager. Anyone can see that, except for, seemingly, Mets management. The stat of the week has been the Mets’ 79-83 record in the last 162 games. It’s now impossible to acknowledge the Mets mediocrity—this is not just a phase. And while Randolph does not deserve the brunt of the blame, it’s clear that he is not the correct personality fit to manage the Mets.
Randolph’s remaining defenders do not realize that firing Randolph does not equate to dismissing his competency as a manager. Randolph could succeed as a calming influence on a young, hungry but overly-aggressive team. He could succeed managing a group of well-adjusted, motivated veterans.
If one gave Randolph a time machine, he could go back to 1996, manage the Yankees for twelve years and probably become a New York legend. If Randolph could ever find the opportunity to calm a talented club house the way Torre did, he could easily find himself with a ring on his finger.
The New York media often forgets that Torre amassed over 1,000 losses in 12 seasons before coming to the Yankees. Torre, like Randolph, was the classic “affirmative leader;” he never dogged a player or induced panic, and consistently offered encouragement and positive regard. Often, this strategy fails. It failed during Torre’s first four managerial stints. The “affirmative leader” in Shea is failing now too.
The latest Randolph-Minaya meeting was so disheartening because instead of acknowledging bad chemistry, Minaya is stubbornly insisting that this marriage will work. Randolph’s replacement would be tough to find—for all practical purposes, Jerry Manuel might ultimately be the easiest immediate fit—and there is no guarantee that any sparks will fly. But ultimately, it’s worth the chance to ignite anything in these mediocre Mets.
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