Willie Randolph is a dumb shit

[General]

LINK

He was defending his style of leadership, criticizing the Mets' own network, SNY, for framing an incomplete portrait of that style, and wondering if the color of his skin contributed to the perception that he's a manager who doesn't have ample control of his team.

"We got there quick, right to the doorstep, one swing away from going to the [2006] World Series, and then we did a little moonwalk. That's because we weren't ready."
Randolph isn't ready to accept the popular notions about his allegedly placid approach to the craft. He believes those notions are hardened by SNY's selective camerawork.
"They're the artists, I'm the canvas," Randolph said. "They paint the picture the way they want to. They want to show me when somebody gives up a home run or somebody makes an error, so they want to see me [using profanity].
"Well, my players are watching the monitors in the bullpen going, 'Look at Skip, he's cursing us out.' That's not how I lead. But when the game is over, I'm [on them]. 'And why don't you turn over a couple of [food] spreads?' I've done that. You might not know it.
"Why [isn't] SNY shooting me when I'm ready to go down the dugout clapping my hands and patting guys on the butt, schooling them during the game? I'm on the top step every game. ... Why don't you show that side of me so people can say, 'Wow, jeez, Willie's fiery'? ... You watch any manager in baseball, you see him look like a bump on the log sitting there. They don't move, they don't talk. I'm as animated and as demonstrative and as involved and as intense as any manager in baseball."
Randolph excluded Ozzie Guillen from the conversation, but wanted to know why the traits often admired in the calm, cool and collected likes of Joe Torre are portrayed as flaws in Torre's former third base coach.
"Is it racial?" Randolph asked. "Huh? It smells a little bit."

No, Willie, it's not racial. Torre won championships, you led the greatest late season collapse in MLB history.

Asked directly if he believes black managers are held to different standards than their white counterparts, Randolph said: "I don't know how to put my finger on it, but I think there's something there. Herman Edwards did pretty well here and he won a couple of playoff [games], and they were pretty hard on Herm. Isiah [Thomas] didn't do a great job, but they beat up Isiah pretty good. ... I don't know if people are used to a certain figurehead. There's something weird about it.
"I think it's very important ... that I handle myself in a way that the [African-American managers] coming behind me will get the opportunities, too ... ."

Isiah has been nothing short of a ****ing disaster, and you're managing a team that's the best team in the league (on paper) to utter mediocrity.

I hate it when people play the race card moreso than anything else in the world.


Except maybe trade unions.

[ljshorty89]

You're wrong, because you haven't heard the whole story. I've been listening for days now, and what you have to realize is that the guy who interviewed him was a close personal friend. According to Willie, the chat they had was off the record, and was not supposed to be reported. Additionally, the reporter baited him by asking if he thought race had to do with it. I don't care what he thinks, and to a point he may have SOME idea what he's talking about. He should NEVER have said what he said, but you can't say he's stupid, because he is actually an intelligent guy who simply let his frustration get the best of him

[NYgiantsfan5689]

That reporter is an idiot, if what you say is true LJ. We learned one of the BIGGEST mistakes you can make as a reporter is to publish what someone says off the record. You will lose them as a source instantly, and you will lose many others who can't trust you now.

[Kingdom]

Blame game starts, yaaaaay.

[ljshorty89]

haha. I mean, that's a terrible situation to be in for both of them. The reporter probably lost not only contact with Willie, but possibly much of the organization. Willie stated that it was an off the books convo, but the question is if that was blatantly stated, or implied. Either way, they supposedly had multiple off the books convos, and the reporter should probably have known better. Plus, to bait your "friend" into a race question like that is not a good way to go about reporting. He put a lot of his credibility in jeopardy.

[Dry1313]

Ian O'Connor is a jackass, but it doesn't excuse Willie from his comments.


Still, I like the ploy of putting the fire on him so the Mets can focus on baseball.

[ljshorty89]

I don't disagree. Willie made a mistake in saying what he said. But he did get baited by a guy who clearly doesn't understand that he's just screwed himself over by publishing an off the record story. The problem is that putting the fire on him is making things worse rather than better...

[NYgiantsfan5689]

I definitely didn't condone what Randolph said, I just merely said that O'Connor is an idiot for publishing that. He pretty much tarnished his career.

[ljshorty89]

^exactly, Kyle.

[Kingdom]

At this current pace, he's not going to make it the entire season, is he LJ?

[ljshorty89]

At this pace, no. Although I don't think it's his fault. I'd give him till the end of the year. I'd let him go and if they make the playoffs, let him stay. Unfortunately, I'm not in charge, and if the team doesn't turn it around, he may not make it past the All-Star Break....although idk who the hell is going to replace him...

[Kingdom]

Well, Buck Showalter is currently available. He'd leave ESPN for the 67th time to manage.

[ljshorty89]

Yeah, but as we've seen from the D-Backs and the Yankees, the Mets would not win a World Series until the year AFTER he left us.

[Kingdom]

Hire for a year, then fire. Yes, growing pains for yet another year, but a chance to redeem it all.



Wait, Texas still sucks.

[ljshorty89]

lol, very true. I don't know. The one guy I'd LOVE to see come back is Bobby V, but he'd never come back, he's a hero in Japan. People name Showalter, Wally Backman, and Bowa, but I don't know if I like any of them. It's just a sticky situation on all sides