A real stand-up guy got pushed off the sports stage this week – in a manner ill-befitting his character and what he has meant to this city.
After the Mets’ breathtaking 2007 collapse and inconsistency this year, Willie Randolph’s job as manager was clearly in jeopardy. Still, the way the Mets fired him was shameful.
Team execs let Randolph and his staff fly with the team 3,000 miles to California for a series with the LA Angels – indeed, waited until he’d done his usual post-game press conference after winning the series opener.
Then they let him go – by issuing a press release at 3 a.m. Eastern time.
That’s a pretty shoddy way to treat a New York legend.
As a second baseman, Wille Randolph was a six-time All-Star and a key part of the World Series-winning ’77 and ’78 Yankee squads. As a coach, he was part of Joe Torre’s staff that produced four more Bronx championships.
In his second year as Mets manager, he took the Amazins to the National League Championship Series, losing in seven games to the Cardinals.
Sure, maybe his time had come. But there are right and wrong ways to do things. The Mets took the low road.