One of my biggest gripes against Willie Randolph has always been his laid back, one day at a time approach to the game.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Willie and I think he’s the perfect manager for the team, but his lack of a sense of urgency really bugs the hell out of me. Last year as the team continued to falter and eventually choked it’s way out of a division title, we kept hearing the same old, tired lines day after day from Willie. Here are some you may remember…
"I trust my guys. They will turn it on soon enough."
"It’s just one game and one loss, there’s plenty of season left."
"I’ve been in this situation before, we’re just going through a team slump, we’ll be there in the end."
"It’s a tough loss, but I still believe in my guys."
I THINK WILLIE RANDOLPH HAS TURNED A CORNER!
After losing the division by just one single, solitary game, I think that Willie now realizes how important all 162 games really are. This spring there are some signs that Willie has seen the light.
I don’t believe we will see him throwing caution to the wind like he did on so many occasions last season. No more starts from guys like Brian Lawrence down the stretch. No more pitch counts and less in game decisions by Rick Peterson. No more managing like there’s always tomorrow. AND… a must win attitude for every game, not just the last game of the season.
So where is some the evidence of this new and improved Willie Randolph you ask?
A strong case for it lies in todays decision to not allow Johan Santana or Pedro Martinez to pitch against the Braves and the Marlins today and Wednesday. Instead they will both pitch in minor league games to remain on their schedule. A stroke of genius that shows just how much Willie wants to keep an edge and start the season off strong. It’s a great sign for the team and for Mets fans to see Willie thinking ahead and actually employing some strategies that could mean the difference between a win and a loss.
I applaud the move and wanted to also acknowledge that I love the new tough-talking Willie who showed up this Spring with a little extra kick in his usually subdued personality.
Now let’s go win ourselves a pennant!
