MLB

METS OWNER KNEW WILLIE WAS OUT

Mets owner Fred Wilpon knew on Sunday that Willie Randolph would be fired on Monday, after flying to the West Coast to manage one more game.

Wilpon said today GM Omar Minaya made the initial decision to fire Randolph after the doubleheader split against Texas at Shea Stadium. After speaking with ownership, Minaya made the final call Monday.

“He called me at the end of the doubleheader and asked me whether we can meet,” Wilpon said after an unrelated news conference at the commissioner’s office. “He told us what his recommendation was going to be, and that what he wanted to do was replace Willie and replace the two coaches (Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto), and that he wanted to do it expeditiously. He wanted to do it in person.

“And he said, just like he always does, trades and everything else, he said, ‘I want to just think about it overnight.'”

Wilpon said Mets executives spoke again at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 16 and made the final decision. Minaya then traveled to California and told Randolph after the Mets beat the Angels.

“Management and the owners approved of what his plan was, so we were OK with the switch and we were OK with his recommendation, and he implemented that recommendation,” Wilpon said.

Today’s were Wilpon’s first public comments since the firing, executed by Minaya at 3:15 a.m. Eastern time at the team hotel. Minaya said in the post-firing press conference last Tuesday that he did sleep on his decision, and said the manner in which the dismissal was handled was “standard procedure.”

Wilpon rejected criticism that the Mets were unfair to Randolph because of the timing of the announcement.

“The intent here clearly was to respect Willie, to respect his feelings and to do it in person,” Wilpon said. “It’s never easy to fire anybody. Believe me, it is not easy to do, and Omar took a lot of time. We took a lot of time listening to him and thinking about it.”

In the end, Randolph was fired for a lack of wins. Last season’s team blew a seven-game NL East lead with 17 games to go and did not make the playoffs one year after being one inning away from the World Series.

The Mets were 34-35 after Randolph’s final win over the Angels. The team is 3-2 under new manager Jerry Manuel heading into tonight’s game against the Mariners at Shea, their first home game since the firing.

“It’s all a matter of performance, and Willie knew this when he started,” Wilpon said. “Recognize we gave Willie the chance, Omar gave Willie the chance to be in this position. He had never been a manager in the major leagues or minor leagues.”

Minaya’s first big decision after the Mets hired him as GM in September 2004 was to make Randolph the manager.

“I think Omar has done a great job,” Wilpon said. “Everybody who makes decisions is not going to make all right decisions. He has made some great decisions. … Our minor leagues are in much better shape than is being reported.”

Wilpon made the comments at a news conference at Major League Baseball’s headquarters in Manhattan to promote “Welcome Back Veterans.”

With AP