Teacher's pet.

Wright: We've got to produce, it's not Willie who's playing badly.

Willie: Yeah, obviously it's the players who suck.

Mmmm, that's good managing!

Seriously, if Willie doesn't have an inflated belief about his role in winning or losing games, as most managers and team personnel and fans do, what does he think his role is as manager?

I think it's become pretty clear why Randolph "had to wait" so long before getting a managing job. It likely had nothing to do with race; he probably didn't interview well. The man is constantly sticking his foot in his mouth. He hasn't the foggiest notion what to say.

In other news, the Mets just lost their latest starting LF -- Marlon Anderson got hurt running to first.

Back to the drawing board in left. Maybe they can get Jay Payton from the Orioles instead of signing Bonds.

Newsday blog:

Not sure when the Willie Watch became official, but if I had to guess, I'd say somewhere between the comments he made to The Record's Ian O'Connor before Sunday's game in the Bronx and his belated attempt at an apology. The Wilpons were more angry with Randolph for those comments than anything else that happened before then, and it certainly didn't help his case when the Mets suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the Braves.

How soon could Randolph be fired if they choose to go in that direction? Probably not until the Mets return home from this weekend in Colorado, but the heat has definitely been turned up with general manager Omar Minaya dropping into Denver for this series. The Mets had long planned to hold staff meetings after Memorial Day to address the Mets' deficiencies to this point, but now they could have another purpose -- to axe Randolph and announce his successor.

It also looks like Minaya will survive -- for now. It appears that Randolph's future will hinge on Minaya's recommendation to ownership, according to a person familiar with the situation, and that evaluation could come any day now. It only makes sense that Minaya might want an up-close look again this weekend before have to make any decisions.

It likely had nothing to do with race; he probably didn't interview well.

While that may be part of it, it has to be noted that he did turn down the offer of a job in Cincinatti because it didn't pay as well as he would have liked. If I remember correctly, he made a crack about his World Series share with the Yankees being worth more. I doubt that public statement did much to help his cause.

I have nowhere else to put this, so I'll just point out here that Francesa today said in talking about David Wright and Jose Reyes that "the prime of a baseball player's career is from ages 28 to 34." He first said 28-32 but then reconsidered and felt that 32 was "too young."

People are still confused about this?

Ray, there are some people out there who just refused to be convinced by evidence, no matter how much or how strong. Why do you seem surprised by this?

If the Mets get swept in Colorado, Willie is done. Two losses over the weekend might do it.

And then what? Here are some of the candidates I've heard mentioned:

1) Davey Johnson: I think this is probably a pipe dream, given how long he's been out of commission. I don't know that he has many connections remaining in the Mets' organization. As successful as he was in the late 1980s, it's also easy to forget what a mess the Mets' clubhouse was by the time he was fired.

2) Lee Mazzilli: Maz is a sharp guy who knows the rulebook really well, but he didn't do antyhing particularly eye-opening in Baltimore. Is he still popular with Mets fans today? That might be a factor from a PR standpoint.

3) Wally Backman: I'm starting to hear his name more and more. The Mets would have to forgive his past legal problems and the belief that he has been blackballed by organized ball. Backman is about as intense as Billy Martin was on a bad day, so it will be interesting to see his reaction the first time that Reyes (or whomever) doesn't run out a ground ball. Backman and Billy Wagner in the same clubhouse? Interesting.

4) Ken Oberkfell: He's had success as a manager in the Mets' system, but I know virtually nothing about him in terms of style and approach. He's the only one of the prominent candidates who never played for the Mets, for whatever it's worth.

5) Howard Johnson: I'm having a hard time with this one. He never struck me as a particularly cerebral player, and he was suspended from his coaching duties at Binghamton a couple of years for reasons that I never really grasped. But he is on the coaching staff, he's young, and does have a connection to some winning Mets teams. I wonder what Sparky Anderson would think about HoJo as a manager.

2) Lee Mazzilli: Maz is a sharp guy who knows the rulebook really well, but he didn't do antyhing particularly eye-opening in Baltimore.

Yeah; Maz's Baltimore performance left a lot to be desired.

Wally Backman in New York has absolutely awesome meltdown potential. As a fan of a different team, I'm rooting heavily for this one.

Fernando Tatis in LF now. Just turned a routine catch with the lead runner on into an adventure.

Weeeee!!!

Fernando Tatis in LF now. Just turned a routine catch with the lead runner on into an adventure.

Weeeee!!!

In his defense, he also homered earlier.

In his defense, he also homered earlier.

Sure, but he doesn't need a defense; the Mets do.

Tatis sucks, has played 31 games in half a decade, and isn't a LF.

Yeah, but he did hit two grand slams in one inning. Off Chan Ho Park, yes, but still.

I don't know enough about Willie Randolph. He seems like a nice enough and genuine person. He frustrates me as a manager though. I thought I could get used to him, but I'm not so sure anymore.

Those 5 are our best options?

Really?

How are 6-10?

Could be worse. With Lastings Milledge's oh-fer today, he dropped to a .236 AVG, .301 OBP, .322 SLG -- roughly a 64 OPS+). (For the curious, after 162 career games, Milledge is now at .250 AVG, .318 OBP, .384 SLG -- roughly an 83 OPS+).

Those 5 are our best options?

Really?

How are 6-10?

Wait a few days and I'm sure John McLaren will be available.

And, if Harvey's dream finally comes true, Ned Yost.

From the two birds with one stone department I give you: Barry Bonds, player-manager.

What's wrong with Jerry Manuel taking over? Seriously, is he a bad choice?

I presume Larry Dierker has stated he is not interested in managing?

What's wrong with Jerry Manuel taking over? Seriously, is he a bad choice?

You mean the hispanic Jerry Manuel?

Mad Dog Russo said that Manuel would be perfect to lead the hispanics on the Mets..."since he's hispanic himself!" (Manuel was born in Geo. and as far as I know is as hispanic as Moxie, Barry, and Charlie Manuel)

BTA, in Dogspeak...Vladimir Guerrero owns the Russian Tea Room.

How about Wright as player-manager? If he got started now, he could pass Connie Mack.

You mean the hispanic Jerry Manuel?

Mad Dog Russo said that Manuel would be perfect to lead the hispanics on the Mets..."since he's hispanic himself!" (Manuel was born in Geo. and as far as I know is as hispanic as Moxie, Barry, and Charlie Manuel)

Keith Hernandez would be perfect to lead the Mexicans.

Forget that he got Manuel's hispanicness wrong, it's amazing the outright racism that you hear on sports radio. Saying a guy would be good at managing the Latin players because he's Latino passes without the bat of an eyelash. It's this sort of attitude that makes me sympathetic to Willie's race comment. I'm sure he encounters racism in some form on a daily basis. He spoke out about it in a way that he couldn't back up with specifics and he is getting murdered by the press. And there's nothing the press likes less than someone "playing the race card," meaning ever mentioning that racism exists.

Beyond that, Willie is a goner and should be.