Randolph fired, Jerry Manuel made interim manager

[Halladay_is_God]

Mets fire Willie Randolph

ANAHEIM, California - The Mets have fired manager Willie Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto, the team announced shortly after 3 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday.

Bench coach Jerry Manuel has been named the team's interim manager, while Ken Oberkfell, Dan Warthen and Luis Aguayo will join the staff.

The announcement came despite the Mets' 9-6 victory against the Angels hours earlier, which lifted the team's record to 34-35. Randolph's tenure as the organization's 18th manager ends with a 302-253 record, the second-highest winning percentage in franchise history, trailing only Davey Johnson.

The first African-American manager in New York's baseball history, Randolph was in his fourth season at the Mets' helm. He was due to make $2 million this season, and is still owed $2.25 million in 2009.

Manuel, 54, managed the White Sox from 1998-2003, and was named AL Manager of the Year in 2000.

Warthen, who was serving as Triple-A New Orleans' pitching coach, succeeds Peterson in that role at the major-league level. He rejoined the organization after spending the previous two seasons as the bullpen coach on Grady Little's Dodgers staff.

Oberkfell, a former major-league infielder, has managed the Mets' Triple-A affiliate the past four seasons. Aguayo was the Mets' field coordinator, overseeing minor-leaguers at the Port St. Lucie complex.

GM Omar Minaya, who let Randolph twist in the wind without a bona fide vote of confidence for the past month, will hold at press conference at the Angels' stadium at 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday. If the Mets continue to flounder, the scrutiny will undoubtedly shift to Minaya, who is signed through the 2009 season.

in no surprise Willie is done

I feel jealous of the mets, they actually fire someone for not winning, the Blue Jays won't

[ljshorty89]

I have no problem with the firing of Willie, and even Nieto, even though the firing of coaches does absolutely nothing. The firing of Peterson is ABSOLUTELY RETARDED. This team is now primed to go completely down the shitter, under a group of completely untested coaches.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Why not fire Rick Peterson? The Mets pitching, especially their bullpen, has been god awful. Firing the bullpen coach isn't nearly enough (although it should have been done). And how can you say these guys were untested coaches? The article gave their specific previous jobs right there.

[ljshorty89]

Yeah, neither one has ever coached above AAA. If this team expects to win...they shouldn't expect anything from a former AAA pitching coach.....just look how HoJo has done, he's been TERRIBLE.

[DirtyKash]

Who announces manager firings at 3 AM when everyone is asleep?

[catman]

Cowards who do not want to face the scrutiny of the media do so. Mets' fans should be ashamed of their management.

[henks]

Who announces manager firings at 3 AM when everyone is asleep?

Apparently the Mets do.

Surprise!!

[NYgiantsfan5689]

I couldn't agree more with this article:

New York Post's Mike Vaccaro - METS MIDNIGHT MASSACRE AN AMAZIN' ACT OF COWARDICE

[love_that_reefer]

This is an absolute pathetic firing by the Mets and shows how poorly run this franchise is. If anyone should be fired, it should be Minaya. Terrible way of going about this making the guy travel 3000 miles and then fire him AFTER A WIN!! Minaya is the one who put this "team" together and on the field. This team is underachieving and its the players fault and no one else's. Minaya didn;t do a good enough job to assemble a team after the huge collapse last year and should have been axed for that. Plus he didn't do much last year to help prevent the collapse. If the wanted to fire Randolph, it should have happened weeks ago. Pathetic excuse of upper management and the main reason why this team will not make the playoffs, not Randolph.

[catman]

Picking up Johan Santana was supposed to guarantee the Mets a world series title. He was the "missing" piece from last year's team. Unfortunately, between announcing the trade and winning the WS, they have to play a 162 game season and 2 playoff series. They may not even make the playoffs and if they don't, what happens to Minaya?

[love_that_reefer]

I guess re-signing Alou was also a big piece. Looking back, its hard to believe I picked them to win the East. Thank goodness I said by only a slight margin. I will be wrong nonetheless.

[ljshorty89]

Who announces manager firings at 3 AM when everyone is asleep?

A GM who wants to let his manager know the minute he makes a decision, so that a leak doesn't get out....so that the manager doesn't have to do press conferences or manage games as a lame duck.

Cowards who do not want to face the scrutiny of the media do so. Mets' fans should be ashamed of their management.

I wouldn't go that far. It wasn't handled very well, but as far as I can tell, Minaya did it out of respect for Randolph....and because he received pressure from Jeff Wilpon.

This is an absolute pathetic firing by the Mets and shows how poorly run this franchise is. If anyone should be fired, it should be Minaya. Terrible way of going about this making the guy travel 3000 miles and then fire him AFTER A WIN!! Minaya is the one who put this "team" together and on the field. This team is underachieving and its the players fault and no one else's. Minaya didn;t do a good enough job to assemble a team after the huge collapse last year and should have been axed for that. Plus he didn't do much last year to help prevent the collapse. If the wanted to fire Randolph, it should have happened weeks ago. Pathetic excuse of upper management and the main reason why this team will not make the playoffs, not Randolph.

The firing occurred because Jeff Wilpon NEVER liked Willie. Omar defended him for a long time, but after the first loss against the Rangers, the Wilpons put more pressure on Omar. Eventually, if he didn't agree with the Wilpons and fire Willie, the pressure would have been on him as well, and that wouldn't have done anyone any good.

I guess re-signing Alou was also a big piece. Looking back, its hard to believe I picked them to win the East. Thank goodness I said by only a slight margin. I will be wrong nonetheless.

There's a lot of season left, and the Mets actually looked better the last couple games. They've actually won 5 of the last 7 series, and have more than enough talent to be VERY competitive. Don't count them out yet....

[love_that_reefer]

The firing occurred because Jeff Wilpon NEVER liked Willie. Omar defended him for a long time, but after the first loss against the Rangers, the Wilpons put more pressure on Omar. Eventually, if he didn't agree with the Wilpons and fire Willie, the pressure would have been on him as well, and that wouldn't have done anyone any good.





There's a lot of season left, and the Mets actually looked better the last couple games. They've actually won 5 of the last 7 series, and have more than enough talent to be VERY competitive. Don't count them out yet....

The pressure was on Omar for weeks now. He could have fired Willie weeks ago all the way up to the current road trip. This is classless and shows how this organization is poorly run. Wilpon should have fired Minaya.

The Mets have talent and a lot of old talent. Beltran and Delgado are not getting any better and the pitching is shaky. I am counting them out because this firing will do more harm than good. The Mets clubhouse is in shambles and this doesn;t help.

[ljshorty89]

See, you're wrong there. For the longest time, Omar would have a say, but Jeff was hell bent on firing Willie. Jeff, couldn't get the owner, Fred, to make a decision however. After months, they tossed the decision in Omar's lap so that they wouldn't look bad. This decision wasn't made about the last game, the last week, the last month. This decision was about the last calendar year where we were below .500. Omar wanted to give Willie another chance, but it got to the point where he was risking job security if he kept fighting Jeff Wilpon.

Carlos Beltran is 31, and heating up. He's not that old, this team is fine. The pitching is capable of being among the better staffs in the majors, so don't give up on us yet

[love_that_reefer]

I'm wrong? I'm absolutely right! Minaya could have and should have done this weeks ago when the NY media and NY Met fans were asking him to fire Willie. Then he goes and does it in the worst manner you can do it. And Omar should have been fired if Wilpon was indeed smart.

Already given up bro. Sorry but this team is in disarray.