The link to the NY Sun & Tim Marchman is just one of many blogsites and Newspaper writers that have Willie’s head juxtapost infront of the Bastille.

But Joe, I do disagree with your statement:
‘Bottom line is this: Willie Randolph may not be the perfect manager, but I don’t believe he negatively affects the team.’
….I think he does.

Also I think Tim has several very relevant observations. This is not one but it is a conglomerate of observations you, I and all of us have written at some point:

‘When a manager is relentlessly inept at identifying his own best talent, though, and has over a period of several years proven himself completely incapable of seizing advantages during a game — when he’s displayed no feel for strategy or for tactics — he has to be able to inspire his men to play at their best, or better, if he’s to serve any purpose at all.”

But is it enough to fire him now. …No. BUT ONLY because (a)- we are a first place team and (b)- firing COULD do more harm than good…

The only thing I have not seen is a comparison to the Mets team Willie played on, and the one he is currently managing. (Listless, inattentive, under achieving)

PS I am still looking for a daily Willie meter monitoring Line-up, Strategy, In game moves BP, defense, substitutions.

And to be honest, this incessant talk of firing Willie is getting VERY old. How many times do we have to be preached at that Willie is an unlikable do-nothing who lacks motivational skills? As if motivation from the manager is the only thing lacking from transforming the Mets from a mediocre bunch of underachievers into the best team in the league.

The timing of the “Fire Willie” calls reveal just how panicky followers of the Mets are. After winning 2 of 3 against Florida to open the season, the Mets lose Pedro to injury and get swept in a 2 game series by the Braves. Fire Willie! The Mets return home and take 2 of 3 from Philly. Talk dies down. Mets lose twice against the Brewers. Fire Willie! Mets win 5 in a row, including 2 of 3 in Philly. Willie is a genius. Mets get swept by Chicago and lose 10-5 to Washington. Fire Willie! Mets win 2 of 3 from Atlanta. Talk dies down. And now Mets lose big to the lowly Pirates…and it’s FIRE WILLIE time again! It’s as if Willie’s job constantly hangs in the balance in every series. If the Mets win, Willie is temporarily safe (although never praised). If the Mets lose, regardless of the score or scenario, Willie is toast. Seriously, this ping-pong game has got to stop, if for no other reason than to keep our sanity. I just wish the conversation would get curbed until the all-star break, and then we can look at the 2008 1st half as a whole instead of by one series at a time.

And by these constant “Fire Willie” calls, one would never know the Mets were actually 2 GAMES OVER .500, JUST A HALF GAME OUT OF 1ST PLACE!!! The way the talk has been over the first month you’d figure the team is 10 games under five-hundred, mired in last place, with no hope for a rebound.

And then you look across town, and the Yankees are 2 games under .500, yet there’s no talk of Joe Girardi’s job being in jeopardy, or that he lacks motivational skills. It makes me think that there’s this expectation that the Mets are so good that they should never lose, and if they do then it’s got to be the fault of the manager. I don’t know how else to explain it. It sucks to lose 13-1 to the Pirates, but crap like that is going to happen. Take solace knowing it’s only one game. No matter how bad you lose, it only counts once in the loss column. I understand that the collapse still looms large in the minds of Met fans, but it’s time to turn the page already. Put it in the past. Let go. Move on. It’s 2008 now. You don’t have to forget that the collapse ever happened, but you have to come to grips that that was last year, and this is this year. And Willie isn’t going anywhere until the Mets are counted out of the playoffs. And they’re far from that right now.

So PLEASE, people, just calm down. Gee whiz.