Finally Some Fire – But Not From Willie

Sunday night’s rout of the Yankees had it all – including an obvious blown call by the umpires on Carlos Delgado’s homerun/foul ball.

To me this was a perfect time for a manager to get up and get behind his player – show some fire and passion. Willie did come out, said a few words, and then went back in to the dugout.

That’s it?? You’re struggling former All-Star first-baseman was just ROBBED of a 3-run homerun and you just shake your head?

Meanwhile Jerry Manuel, the Mets bench coach, went ballistic in the dugout, continuing ot yell at the umpires even after Willie had come back to the bench. Jerry was run while Willie continued to shake his head.

I ask you, who would you want backing you up.

Who Cares About The Fans

According to Chris Russo on WFAN, players on both the Mets and Yankees were told at 6:15 pm Friday evening that the game was going to be postponed. Russo himself found out and had left at 6:50.

Meanwhile the fans were the last to find out, not being told until after the scheduled 7:05 pm start.

How much money was collected by the Yankees in concessions to fans who braved the elements? How about the money from the limited parking?

And what about all the parents with children that sat in the rain while the players they look up to were already getting dressed and on their way home.

Once again we have another example of how the owners and management really don’t give a damn about the fans.

Neuter The Dog!

I enjoy comedy radio. I also enjoy a good practical joke from time to time. But what Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo did on Saturday morning went beyond what anyone should consider acceptable.

Shortly after 10 am Russo, hosting on WFAN in New York, announced that the Mets-Yankees game scheduled for 1:05 that afternoon was being moved up to 11 am because of a threat of severe thunderstorms moving into the area at 4 pm. Given that they already had a rain-out the previous night that had to be made-up, the teams had to get Saturday’s game in.

Russo continued to assert that the game was going to start early, giving stats and info on the games starters. He wasn’t acting like Mad Dog (yelling, throwing out obviously absurd details, etc.) – he sold it very well.

As 10:30 approached Russo announced that Howie Rose had not arrived yet so he would host the pre-game Mets Extra. At 10:30 he played the intro to Mets Extra and went into a pregame show.

After dragging this on for over a half hour in total Russo finally admitted it was a hoax, but not before ESPN Radio had picked up the story and announced that the game was being moved up.

Now, the initial reaction may be to laugh and say that this was funny – however think about all the people that were going to be going to the game that day. I personally know several people that panicked when they heard the news, realizing they had paid a ridiculous amount of money for tickets to a game that they might not get to see. I received emails and text messages from at least half a dozen others. Who knows how many more ran out of the house in a frenzy trying to get to a game they were told was starting early on the OFFICIAL FLAGSHIP STATION of the Mets.

Seriously, Russo crossed a line on Saturday morning and on Monday he should be called on the carpet for it.

>Willie Watch ESPN

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Buster Olney on ESPN is apparently unfamiliar with former Orioles manager Lee Mazzili, who is from Brooklyn just like the Dodgers who Fred Wilpon wishes he owned.

I think I’m done with Willie Watches for a few days – there’s just too many to keep up with.

One for the road – here’s Buster in excerpt…click the “Willie Watch ESPN” line for the full thing.

They are a team on the edge, a team seemingly without an edge, and in this spring after the Mets conducted arguably the worst collapse in baseball history, Willie Randolph is managing for his job.

There is one pertinent question to all of this: If not Randolph as manager, then who?

Buster doesn’t know the answer….but it’s looking you in the face.