New York Mets Fire Manager Willie Randolph

Anyone who follows Major League Baseball is aware that the New York Mets have had a less than inspiring beginning to the 2008 season. The season so far has been full of games that the Mets should have and could have won. This slow start has been even more magnified by the fact that Mets 2007 season ended with a collapse, the likes of which had not been seen in baseball for quite some time. All of that heartbreak was thought to be behind the Mets though, when on February 6, 2008 the Mets acquired Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins. However, not even Santana could save the Mets and soon Willie Randolph was again with his back against the wall.
After speculation that has gone on for well over a month, Willie Randolph was fired as the New York Mets Manager on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto were also let go and will be replaced by Dan Warthen and Luis Aguayo respectively. Bench coach Jerry Manuel will replace Randolph as the manager of the team and Ken Oberkfell will replace Manual as the bench coach.
While many saw these changes as being inevitable, it is hard to understand the Mets' organization logic in doing them after a win against the best team in the AL West. Even more in question, is the general level decency. The Mets let Randolph, Peterson, and Nietro fly 3,000 miles for one game (which they won) and then fired them. It would seem that was the plan long before the Mets got on their plane Sunday, June 15. That being the case, why were these changes not made before the Mets headed out on the road? All of it is very perplexing and quite frankly disgraceful.
Omar Minaya, who as of Sunday, June 15 , apparently was given the final say in Randolph's future with the Mets, has made a decision that if it back fires will without a doubt result in his own termination at the end of the 2008 season. Lets hope though that if or when that happens to Minaya, he is treated in a more dignified manner than he treated Willie Randolph. One thing is certain, with Randolph being fired, all of the criticism that he has been subjected to over the past few months will now fall solely on Minaya's shoulders. It is amazing how Randolph has taken such a beating in the press and by the fans and up until this point Minaya has basically gotten off Scot free. It is only fair that Minaya share the blame for how 2007 ended and how 2008 has been so far with Randolph. Now, it would seem, he finally will.