Welcome to the Circus

It's the start of the Subway Series tonight, but it feels like the start of something else for the Mets - the end.

The mood has been downright cranky most of the season and with good reason. After the historic collapse of 2007, the Mets spent the winter insisting how things would be different when they reconvened in 2008 - a hunger would be there, a motivation to avenge the collapse and a new attitude in place. Willie Randolph admitted that maybe he had not been vocal enough, tough enough.

Well, it's May 16 and the change, if it's there, I haven't seen it. I didn't see it in spring training and I don't see it now. So the one - loud - voice of dissent has come forward from Billy Wagner as we detail in today's Record.  Randolph isn't happy about that, but someone has to say it, someone has to declare the current state of affairs unacceptable. If it isn't Randolph, Wagner is as good as anyone since, as one player noted, he'll likely be there longer than most of the culprits - and Randolph.

As far as Randolph, he may not deserve the fate that is rapidly approaching, but something is going to change and in sports, the manager is always the easiest target. The real problem is, just what does that accomplish? As Bob Klapisch noted in his column today,  the Mets have no one on the staff who is the hard-edged, kick in the rear type.

Someone mentioned Frank Robinson to me, an odd choice, but a close friend of Omar Minaya and a definite screamer. I'm not sure I see that - but these names will start surfacing if the Mets don't turn things around. Immediately.

Comments

[JRJ]

Some possible replacements:
Frank Robinson
Wally Backman (of course I'd say him)
Lee Mazzili
Gary Carter
Larry Bowa

Or does Omar go the Phillips route and fire coaches?
http://sportslocker.blogspot.com/

[GravediggerHebner]

As I posted in the previous entry, I believe how the Mets do over the rest of May will determine whether Willie is still manger June 1 or not.

It may not be relevant for the players, but as far as this Met fan is concerned, no more recycled Yankees as manager please.

Despite his tenure on the Yankee bench, I consider Maz a Met although I'm not sure I consider him a successful major league manager, and we are in the process of learning that Joe Torre disciples are not what the Mets need.

Through reading and hearing interviews with Gary Carter specifically on the topic of managing I'm convinced that he is too wrapped up in his own major league ego to deal with those of 25 others.

If the players on this team, who seemed so proud and humbled on their visit to the Civil Rights museum at the end of spring training, can't motivate and play for Frank Robinson then they should all be given tickets for the Titanic.