A Clean Sweep All Around

Are we having fun yet, Mets fans? How much of this bad baseball do we have to watch? For whatever reason, and maybe it isn't FAIR, Mets management must make a move. Two moves, perhaps, eventually. Willie has to be fired now.

I know he's sorry, but that has nothing to do with it. I know he's black, but that has nothing to do with it. I know his players aren't playing good baseball, and that has EVERYTHING to do with it.

Omar Minaya should get an opportunity to name a new manager immediately. Any veteran manager will do. If, at the end of this year, the new manager hasn't turned things around, then Omar should be canned as well. To fire Omar now would surely disable this Mets team, as Omar has been the architect and guiding force in bringing this "talent" to the table.

The Mets lost again to the Braves last night, completing their 4-game exploration of every conceivable way to lose a baseball game. The bright spots tonight were the two Carlos's nailing two on the board against Hudson. And Santana was great for a long time.

The big mistakes were much in evidence again though. the failings at critical moments, the fielding mistakes, the base running flubs, the double plays....

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I truly believe the Mets should give all their prospective players manual dexterity tests before hiring. Luis Castillo stood out tonight as the goat, making a ridiculous throw home on a play that should have just gone to first. This is immediately after he sunk Pelfrey last night with his slow-footed mishandling of a ground ball. Luis completed his very special "triple" by grounding into a double play in the eighth, effectively killing a rally he made sure never really had a chance.

Brian Schneider flubbed a bunt early on that resulted in a run. Beltran made another boo-boo on the base paths. So did Wright, although that was a difficult play. Too many mistakes, just too many mistakes, BIG mistakes at the most critical junctures, that's why Willie must go. Not that it's even necessarily his fault but this team needs a change, and the easiest change to make is a managerial one.

Never has a team played tighter. As long as Randolph is left hanging as he is, this team will just keep imploding. These players are trying too hard, it's very obvious. A change in scenery is absolutely dictated by the facts of the situation.

Another thing puzzles me about these Mets. Damian Easley missed this game for his son's graduation. Who authorized THAT? He's the backup second baseman. The Mets could have used one tonight. Especially with Alou hurt again, with Church's concussion, was it really prudent to let another player take the night off? The Mets think they're running a country club.

.And it's almost impossible to ignore the statements Randolph made to the press. His allegations were ridiculous. That he later apologized for them doesn't erase in my mind the man's analytical ability, or his lack thereof. It may help explain his pitching decisions, or maybe even his failure at developing some of his talent.

The Mets need a manager who’ll not challenge them at every opportunity, who’ll use them in appropriate situations, who’ll allow them to do the things they do well over and over again, a manager who’ll react more quickly to acknowledge that a slumping player could use a break, an older player might need a little shaking-up, a manager who’ll know when a lineup needs changing.

A little fire couldn’t hurt either. How refreshing would it be to have a guy who’d throw a tantrum once in a while, get thrown out of the game, even kick dirt, throw bases around, argue balls and strikes, a manager who’d recognize the power of inspiration.

Willie’s anything but inspiring. This veteran lineup could use a little, or even a lot, of inspiration. This team has shown two gears only, lackadaisical and tight. And by making himself the center of attention, and, even worse, the center of sympathy in certain quarters, this team’s wound up beyond comprehension. If it wasn’t before, it is now.

It’s not all Willie’s fault though. Too many of his players are one-dimensional. Many of them don’t make contact often enough. Many of them can’t even touch a breaking ball. Others can’t get around on the fastball anymore. The base running is horrendous. WAY too many of them can’t stay on the field because of injuries. And finally, all-pervasive on this team is its age. And that’s not all Willie’s doing.

All that being said, though, this team has potential, a great deal of it. I’m convinced that, with a veteran manager, this team would play better baseball. It really couldn’t play much worse. A tweak of the roster here and there wouldn’t hurt either. Although we’ve seen some young pitchers, aren’t there any position players in AAA that might shake things up a little?

A new manager could change everything though. And whoever he is should be one with experience at the major league level. This is a veteran team, one constructed to win a World Series, and, as such, it deserves a veteran manager, one these veterans can respect. I’m not at all sure they respect Randolph.

A National League guy would fill the bill nicely too, and, need it be said, NOT a Yankee. And maybe, just maybe, a manager who never played the game, a manager who knows how to manage people, a manager who wouldn’t always remind a player, just by his very presence in the dugout, what kind of player HE was when he played the game.

Any race will do, white, black or brown, but experience is a must. A Dusty Baker type, a Lou Piniella type, a strong personality, a guy who won’t be bland, a guy who’ll get upset, and a guy who won’t even THINK about what angles SNY is pursuing.