Inside the head of Willie Randolph

Close your eyes. Imagine you are Willie Randolph, manager of the New York Metropolitans baseball club. Think about having your dream job. Imagine coming to work everyday and doing something that just makes you want to pinch yourself to see if you are really getting paid for it. Now, open your eyes and take a look at the Major League Baseball standings. Do you still want to be Willie Randolph? Probably not.

Randolph is on shaky ground as the manager of the Mets, according to general manager Omar Minaya. Still today, Randolph is the manager. He’s the manager of a team that has underachieved all year. He’s the manager of the fourth place team in the National League East and a team that is two games under .500. Yet, today, Randolph is still the manager.

The Mets will play their next six games on the road at Los Angeles, against the Angels, and at Colorado. If Randolph can hang on to his job after the three-game series with the Angels, then it all comes down to the end of the week match-up with the Rockies. Colorado is the worst team in the NL and if the Mets should stumble and lose the series to the Rockies, then you can bet Randolph will not be returning to New York as the manager of the Mets.

Photo: Newscom