While Wednesday did not present a lot of news from the baseball world, we did get some updates on interest the remaining free agents are garnering. One of the bigger pieces of news came from Jon Heyman, who said on a Bleacher Report live stream that the Los Angeles Angels are one of the team showing increased interest in Joey Votto. The long-time Reds first baseman is now a free agent for the first time in his 17-year career and the 40-year-old seems to be trending towards a change of scenery for the first time in his illustrious career. 

Votto’s numbers have declined drastically over the past couple of seasons, which saw him put up a .747 OPS in just 65 games in 2023. However, the former MVP can provide a veteran presence to a very young Angels club and whatever numbers he accrues at the dish will be a welcomed extra. 

Latest Mets News

Brandon Nimmo was named the second best left fielder in Major League Baseball by MLB Network. Read up on Nimmo’s ranking here!

Two of the Mets’ international free agent signees found themselves in Baseball America‘s top 30 list of this year’s international free agents. For more on the Mets signings, click here!

Mets pitchers and catchers will report to spring training on February 12. Learn about more important Mets spring training dates here!

The Baseball Hall of Fame released a list of players who will be eligible for election next season. That list includes former Mets Curtis Granderson and Carlos Gómez. They also noted that Daniel Murphy and Neil Walker will be eligible come 2026. 

Latest MLB News

Nathanael Pérez Nero of Diario Libre released a report that many prospects, who were supposed to sign with clubs during the internal free agency period, were altering documents. Millions of dollars worth of pre-agreements were annulled due to these prospects altering their identity, some changing their age by up to six years. 

Trey Mancini signed a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins which includes an invite to major league spring training, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The New York Yankees announced that they have outrighted infielder Jeter Downs and outfielder Oscar González to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Along with that, the Minnesota Twins have claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the Yankees. 

The Detroit Tigers signed RHP Drew Anderson to a minor league deal, per Evan Woodbery of MLive. Anderson spent the past two seasons in Japan, but has previously pitched in the big leagues for the Phillies, White Sox, and Rangers. 

MLB Network will be airing a countdown of the top 100 prospects in MLB on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. 

Latest on MMO

The Mets have shown interest in relief pitcher Ryne Stanek. Read more about the potential Met here!

Could David Stearns use his Milwaukee ties to swing another trade? Learn more about potential trade target Brandon Woodruff!

Read up on some of the Mets top international free-agent signings from this years cycle. 

On This Date in Mets History

2016: The Mets announce that they will be retiring Mike Piazza‘s 31 jersey number, less than twenty days after he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Piazza became the fourth Met to have his number retired, joining Casey Stengel, Gil Hodges, and Tom Seaver.

2007: Mets manager Willie Randolph agrees to a three-year extension with the club after leading the Mets to a National League East title in 2006.

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The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres made important additions to their 2024 staff on Tuesday. 

The Yankees announced the hiring of former Detroit Tigers and Angels manager Brad Ausmus as their bench coach, filling the vacancy made by Carlos Mendoza departing to become the Mets manager. 

Ausmus, a 48th-round draft pick by the Yankees in 1987, has a career 386-422 record in five seasons as a manager. 

Ausmus was last on a major league staff in the 2022 season when he served as the Oakland Athletics bench coach. 

The Angels announced they hired 37-year-old Billy Enright to be their pitching coach on Tuesday. 

Enright has been with the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2019, spending the last two years as an assistant pitching coach for the major league team and the minor league pitching coordinator. He previously served as a pitching coach in the minors from 2019 to 2021. 

In addition to Enright, the Angels announced Tim Laker as the team’s new offensive coordinator. 

The Padres also announced the hiring of Mike Shildt as their new manager. Read here to see how this potentially affects the Mets.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Former Mets manager Willie Randolph will not be serving as the team’s bench coach, according to Anthony Rieber of the Newsday. Read Metsmerized’s coverage here.

In his weekly newsletter, Anthony DiComo of mlb.com detailed Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez’s part in the Metsgiving initiative. Read more here.

Latest MLB News 

Willie Hernandez, who won both the Cy Young and American League MVP while leading the Tigers to the 1984 World Series, died at 69 years old on Tuesday, as first reported by La Primera Hora, a publication from Puerto Rico. 

Veteran pitcher Kyle Gibson signed with the St. Louis Cardinals to a one-year deal with an additional team option for 2025, the team announced Tuesday. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported the deal is worth $12 million next season. 

Veteran shortstop Paul DeJong, who grew up in Illinois and attended Illinois State, has agreed to a deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. 

The Texas Rangers’ World Series championship share was $506,263 while the Arizona Diamondbacks pennant share was $313, 634. 

Latest on MMO

Who would win in a seven game series, the 1985 or 2016 Mets? Brian Wright previews the hypothetical matchup in a Mets Madness Series Preview. 

Allison Waxman evaluates how much Shohei Ohtani could sign for. 

Nick Rucco looks at the performance of the prospects acquired by the Mets at the deadline. 

On This Date in Mets History

2010: The Mets hired Terry Collins as their manager. He went 551-583 in seven seasons, leading the Mets to a National League pennant in 2015.

Birthdays: Adam Ottavino (38), Ricky Ledee (50), Jay Payton (51), Gene Walter (63), Lee Guetterman (65), Rich Chiles (74)

The post Morning Briefing: Yankees, Angels, Padres Make Coaching Hires appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The lasting image of the young Wright celebrating.

The 18-year wait for a division title ended on a Monday night at Shea Stadium, but it was a certainty for months. The Mets took over the NL East lead on April 6th and never gave it back, maintaining a healthy margin all summer long. Their superior play was rewarded with a postseason clinching earlier than any other team and occurred after a 4-0 win over the Florida Marlins.

José Valentín provided the majority of the offense with two home runs—the first one coming in the third inning and the other in the fifth — while starter Steve Trachsel combined with three relievers on the four-hit shutout.

Billy Wagner, who would finish the season with 40 saves, locked it down in the ninth. Cliff Floyd hauled in Josh Willingham‘s fly ball in left field for the final out, hopping while raising his glove hand.

Fireworks shot off from behind the center-field wall as the backdrop for the on-field celebration.

The Mets could’ve locked it up in Pittsburgh—not once, not twice, but three times in that series—only to be swept at PNC Park. All it allowed was for them to move the party home, just as the Mets did for their last division title in 1988 and twenty years ago during the championship season of 1986.

The likelihood of champagne increased once Valentín launched a two-run homer into the Mets’ bullpen against Marlins starter Brian Moehler. He got a curtain call that time, and again two innings later when he repeated the feat. This home run, also to right field, was a solo blast. Floyd added to the lead with an RBI single in the sixth.

Trachsel, meanwhile, allowed three hits over 6.1 innings, walking one while striking out three before handing it off to the relievers. The lone threat from the Marlins came in the seventh. Florida had two runners on before Guillermo Mota got out of it. Aaron Heilman served as the bridge from Mota to Walker with a scoreless eighth.

At the time, the Mets held the best record at 91-58 and would enter the postseason with 97 victories, tied with the Yankees for the most in the majors.

The post OTD 2006: Mets Beat Marlins To Clinch NL East Title appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The St. Louis Cardinals might’ve thought they were safely ahead with a 7–1 lead in the fifth and a 7–6 lead in the ninth. In both cases, they were wrong.

Carlos Beltrán’s two-run walk-off home run confirmed that the Mets were the National League’s best team during the regular season. Those dramatics were preceded by a personal milestone for Carlos Delgado, who made the most of his 400th career homer in the fifth inning of this match-up between division leaders at Shea Stadium.

The Mets dug themselves a 7-1 hole as starter John Maine was victim an insane display of power by future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols, who was solely responsible for the three Cardinal runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth. His pair of homers was countered by the Mets’ first baseman. Delgado accounted for his team’s only score when he clocked career home run No. 399 to open the bottom of the second.

His next at-bat was preceded by a walk to Rickey Ledee, José Reyes reaching base on an error, and a single from Paul Lo Duca. There was nowhere to put him, so Delgado put Jeff Weaver’s well pitch over the right-field wall—a typical towering home run from his upper-cut swing.

Reyes narrowed the lead further with an RBI groundout in the sixth, and New York remained down a run until the ninth.

In to protect St. Louis’ advantage was Generation K’s own Jason Isringhausen—a once-hailed Mets pitching prospect now making himself fine career as a reliever. After getting the first out, Lo Duca singled to center.

Up stepped a noted Cardinal killer. Beltrán had tortured St. Louis in the 2004 postseason, almost single-handedly carrying the Houston Astros into the World Series.

Beltran swung at Isringhausen’s first pitch. It was a good thing he did. For a player who never gave off the joy of David Wright or Reyes or even the intense emotion of Lo Duca, Beltrán shed his reserved personality for this walk-off homer—tossing his helmet and leaping on home plate before being besieged by teammates.

Of course, the Cardinals got the better of New York and Beltrán when it really counted. But the home run was the biggest moment in a bounce-back year for the Mets’ most prolific center fielder.

Beltrán rebounded from a rough first year in Queens with arguably the best season of his two-decade major-league career and perhaps the most well-rounded offensive season any Met has ever assembled. He set one Mets record—127 runs scored—and tied two others—80 extra-base hits and 41 homers.

The post OTD 2006: Delgado’s 400th, Beltrán’s Walk-off Homer Beats Cards appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It’s one of the enduring memories of David Wright. Hitting a drive to deep center field, leaping several times as it drifted toward the warning track, and celebrating after it went beyond the reach of Johnny Damon.

As the ball landed near the wall, it brought in Paul Lo Duca and ensured a thrilling victory in one of the best games in the history of the Subway Series—a series that carried extra significance for the Mets as they enjoyed one of their best regular seasons in recent memory with the emergence of their new face of the franchise.

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs came a match-up of two of the biggest baseball figures in the city—Wright facing future Hall-of-Famer Mariano Rivera.

David got the better of the legendary Yankees closer, a feat accomplished by few.

But at first, the match-up didn’t appear even on paper: 31-year-old Geremi González, a right-hander who two weeks ago was at Class-AAA Norfolk after five unremarkable seasons with three teams, up against left-hander Randy Johnson—another pitcher bound for Cooperstown.

As might have been expected, González found early trouble against a potent batting order. All nine Yankees batted in the first. Five recorded hits. Four of them scored.

But Carlos Beltrán nearly got all of it back on his own. After José Reyes walked and Lo Duca singled to open the bottom of the inning, Beltran parked one over the left-field fence.  Johnson, who uncharacteristically had an ERA close to 5.00, prolonged his struggle.

Robinson Canó added to the Yankee lead in the third with a sacrifice fly, but the Mets scratched their way back to even on the strength of another homer—this one a two-run shot by Xavier Nady.

The score remained tied, 6-6, heading into the ninth. The Mets’ closer, Billy Wagner, did his job—striking out the side—which now left it to the Yankees distinguished ninth-inning performer.

Tasked with facing the top of the Mets’ order, Rivera retired Reyes. But Lo Doca doubled. Beltrán struck out swinging and with first base open, the Yanks had a decision: face Delgado or go after Wright.

The power hitting lefty was intentionally walked in favor of the 23-year-old third baseman.

On a 2-2 pitch, Rivera threw his patented cutter down in the strike zone. The Mets’ future captain delivered the signature moment in his young and bright career.

“To come through in the Subway Series, versus a team like the Yankees, it’s special,” Wright said. “You can say as much as you want that it’s just another game, but there was a lot more energy tonight.”

The post OTD 2006: David Wright’s Subway Series Walk-Off appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The current version of the Mets is poised to make last year’s disappointment an afterthought. If all things were equal, as in a full 162-game schedule, they’d have a great opportunity to join this list of the most substantial one-year improvements in team history.

What are the greatest one-year team turnarounds in Mets history? Let’s take a look.

Note: the 1982 season, which had a 24-win increase, is not included as strike-shortened 1981 consisted of 105 games.

1969: 27 wins better than ’68

The least surprising team here remains one of the great surprises baseball has ever seen. “Miracle Mets” is an applicable nickname in an alliterative sense, but it was more than celestial gods at work. There was brilliant pitching from Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, outstanding defense from Tommie Agee, Bud Harrelson, and Jerry Grote, and timely hitting from players like Cleon Jones.

None of that, though, would’ve been possible without the strong leadership of second-year manager Gil Hodges. Under his guidance, New York improved by 12 games with a franchise-best 73 wins and a ninth-place finish in 1968 — just the second time the Mets had reached such a height.

But it was nothing compared to what was to come. Showing signs of significant development by June, they acquired veteran Donn Clendenon before really taking off in August. 100 regular-season wins. A division title. A sweep of the Braves in the playoffs. And a five-game World Series triumph over Baltimore. Amazin’.

1984: 22 wins

The nucleus of a team that would take the World Series title two years later had pretty much come together. Certainly, this was the season of rookie Dwight Gooden captivating New York City and the baseball landscape. Doc struck out 276, had a 137 ERA+, and nearly won the Cy Young — at age 19. Darryl Strawberry, who preceded Doc in winning Rookie of the Year honors, showed more glimpses of his potential. Keith Hernandez, traded for in June ’83, was the experience new manager Davey Johnson could rely on to provide on-field leadership.

While the Chicago Cubs outlasted the Mets and took the NL East by seven games, everyone around the sport was convinced that the Mets — which won 90 and had a winning season for the first time since 1976 — were the team of the future.

1997: 17 wins

This may have been Bobby Valentine‘s best job as Mets manager.

Bobby V took over an underachieving club in the summer of ’96. And in this brief pre-Piazza era, he helped keep New York in the Wild Card race until the final week. Edgardo Alfonzo topped all players in bWAR at 6.2 with a .315 batting average and an on-base percentage that neared .400. Offseason trade acquisition John Olerud did have a .400 OBP along with 105 RBIs. Catcher Todd Hundley maintained his power and led the club in homers for the second straight year. Rick Reed was a replacement player as the strike leaked into the start of the ’95 season. By ’97, he was the Mets’ top starter. He had the highest ERA+ (141), the lowest WHIP (1.042), and the most innings of anyone in the rotation.

2006: 14 wins

A common theme of this group is new managers — either in their first or second full season. The trend continues here.

Willie Randolph debuted in 2005 and oversaw an 83-79 club that was 12 wins better than ’04. But there were many reasons why it could — and would — get even better. Carlos Beltrán rebounded from a rough start in New York and produced to his capabilities with a franchise-tying mark of 41 homers. Carlos Delgado was picked up from Florida and was an instant success as a middle-of-the-order presence. Then there was the continued growth of their two homegrown talents: David Wright and Jose Reyes. Together, they solidified the left side of the infield, with Wright matching Beltrán for most RBIs and Reyes leading the league in triples and steals.

The post Greatest One-Year Turnarounds In Mets History appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Shortly after he arrived in New York in May 1998, praise was hard to come by. The expectations were that Mike Piazza would be the power-hitting catcher who would carry the Mets into contention. So when that power was generated far too infrequently for their liking, fans grew impatient. But any boos directed at Piazza quickly went away. Seven-plus years later, after 220 home runs and countless stellar performances, there were no more naysayers about his impact on the franchise.

Piazza was the focal point for each of the 972 games in which he was part of the Mets lineup. In the 2005 season finale at Shea Stadium against the Colorado Rockies, he was in focus again — not for what he did that day, but for what he had done.

With his contract set to expire at year’s end, it was a foregone conclusion that this afternoon would serve as the Mets finale for the 37-year-old Cooperstown-bound backstop. Manager Willie Randolph penciled Piazza fourth in the batting order. He grounded out three times to shortstop during an inconsequential 11-3 loss.

During the seventh-inning stretch, the left-center field video board field played a video tribute filled with eight seasons worth of moments and memories. Then as Piazza took his spot behind the plate to start the eighth inning, a place he occupied hundreds of times, Randolph came out to remove him from the game and allowed the fans an opportunity to give him his due. They responded with a standing ovation that lasted eight minutes. Piazza acknowledged it with three separate curtain calls.

His place in Mets history was secure. Along with the 220 homers, he remains among the team leaders in offensive bWAR (fourth: 30.8), slugging percentage (tied for highest with Pete Alonso at .542), RBIs (third: 655), and seven All-Star Game appearances.

The Mets were clearly in transition — with the likes of David Wright and Jose Reyes emerging as the new faces of the organization. It was even clearer that Piazza, 37 years old and not displaying the same power or the consistent hitting during his prime, wouldn’t be part of that future.

As expected, he became a free agent after the ’05 season and finished out his career with single-year stints in San Diego and Oakland. His post-career loyalties and recognition are solely in Queens.

“One of the hardest moments of my career was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye,” Piazza said in his retirement statement. “My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career, and for that, I will always be grateful.”

The post OTD in 2005: Mike Piazza’s Mets Farewell appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In 2005, the Mets had a resurgence, finishing the season with a record of 83-79 under new manager Willie Randolph (they had gone 71-91 in 2004 under Art Howe). Despite the significantly improved performance, the Mets lacked a lock-down closer.

In 2005, Braden Looper was the team’s closer. Looper had a modest statistical season (4-7, 3.94 ERA, 28 saves, 8 blown saves, 59.1 IP, 27 K). Looper’s line in 2004, also with the Mets, was similar (2-5, 2.70 ERA, 29 saves, 5 blown saves, 83.1 IP, 60 K).

After spending the 2005 season with the Phillies, Billy Wagner became a free agent. He had 38 saves in 2005, and only three blown saves. Wagner had been a Phillie in 2004 and prior to that, he had spent nine seasons with the Houston Astros, logging 225 saves, and averaging 12.4 K/9.

Wagner seemed to be a perfect fit for the Mets, who signed the reliever on November 28, 2005 for four years and $42 million. Wagner had a very good year in 2006, with 40 saves. He was not good in the postseason; although he had three saves, he had a 10.40 postseason ERA.

Wagner had a mixed season in 2007, with a strong first half  (17 of 18 in saves) and a less effective second half (13 of 17 in saves). He had a key blown save in game four of a critical series against the Phillies in Philadelphia in August, a series the Phillies swept on their way to a division championship.

Wagner was an All-Star in 2008, posting 27 saves in a season that would end prematurely due to injury.

He missed almost all of the 2009 season, his last as a Met, after having Tommy John surgery late in the 2008 season. Over three nearly full seasons as a Met, Wagner recorded 101 saves, had a record of 5-5 and a 2.37 ERA. In his Mets career, Wagner struck out 230 hitters in 189.2 IP (10.9 K/9).

While Wagner had some great moments as a Met, one that stands out to me is his performance against the Yankees on May 19, 2006. The game was a back-and-forth battle, and was tied going into the ninth inning. Wagner took the mound and struck out the side, electrifying the crowd, and setting the Mets up for David Wright‘s walk-off against Mariano Rivera.

You can see Wagner’s inning at the 1:30 mark of the video below.

https://youtu.be/-KFMy-G8TjY

Wagner ended his career in 2010 with the Braves, posting 37 saves, including the 400th of his career. He finished with 422 saves.

It’s a bit perplexing that Wagner has not received stronger consideration for the Hall of Fame. Wagner has been on 31.7% of ballots, well short of the 75% necessary for induction. Wagner’s 422 saves are sixth on the all-time list, and second of all time by a left-hander (John Franco has 424).

Wagner’s 101 saves as a Met places him sixth on the team’s list (Franco leads with 276). Wagner is spending his post-baseball time in his home state of Virgina, coaching baseball for the The Miller School of Albemarie.

The post OTD In 2005: Mets Sign Billy Wagner appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo: NY Times

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Latest Mets News 

The now-bearded Howie Rose talked to Pete Alonso about his quarantine activities.

Marc Topkin of TampaBay.com profiled Marcus Stroman and his promise to help out baseball programs located in Florida.

MetsMerizedOnline.com’s own Jacob Resnick tweeted out that the Mets are one of the teams offering potential undrafted free agents money towards their college education to incentivize them to sign with New York.

Per Laura Goldman, formerly of the Huffington Post, Steve Cohen could eventually return to the bidding war for the Mets.

Meanwhile, Josh Kosman and Thornton McEnery of the New York Post heard that a potential J-Rod bid is gaining steam.

According to Variety.com, the Wilpons are attempting to delay a loan worth 250 million dollars, citing the disrupted of their profit.

Latest MLB News 

Anthony Fauci recommended that Major League Baseball shouldn’t continue playing baseball after October.

Players banded together on social media yesterday with multiple members from each team posting “When and Where” in a coordinated message to implore Rob Manfred to start the season.

Think you have what it takes to play independent ball? The Sugar Land Skeeters are holding open tryouts on June 24!

Christian Red and Teri Thompson of the USA Today reported on the inhumane practices that teams are using to sign international free-agents

The Athletic surveyed over six thousand people about their favorite broadcast booth; the trio of GKR and Steve Gelbs handily won the contest

Latest on MMO

Doug M analyzed how J.T. Ginn‘s spin efficiency marks might play up the Majors.

Joe D quizzed readers on the Mets’ first-round draft picks.

On This Date in Mets History 

2004: The Mets acquired Richard Hidalgo.

2008: The Mets let go of manager Willie Randolph.

Birthdays: Brian Ostrosser (71), Mickey Brantley (59)

Stay safe, everyone!

The post Morning Briefing: Fauci Cautions MLB From Playing Into Late October appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The death of George Floyd last week, along with the killing of Michael Brown in 2014, the grand jury decision in the case of Eric Garner in 2015, and the neo-Nazi and white supremacists march in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, have aggravated what many historians call ‘the fault line of America’—racism.

These examples do not constitute an inclusive listing of the injustices done through the blind eye that is racism in our country. It is, instead, a reminder that something must be done about it.

Floyd’s brutal slaying is just another tragic reminder of the racial disparity that remains in our country.

Together, we mourn the loss of a life taken unjustly. Racial injustice is wrong and inconsistent with the values of America .

We are all different, and that’s a beautiful thing. Our diversity is our strength and should not be used to divide us.

At MMO, we encourage, honor, and celebrate differences in our writers and staff, including race or ethnicity. Inclusion and diversity of ideas, thoughts, and experiences are vital to our culture and the way we do business.

Diversity makes us more successful in providing the best service possible to our very diverse readers across the country.

To that end, and in the spirit of our recently published article on Cleon Jones, we proudly present a piece on Willie Randolph — the first African-American manager of a professional baseball franchise in New York and the 18th manager of the New York Mets.

For those of you who have a good memory, you’ll note it is a largely a reprint of an article published in November of 2018, that has been freshened up a bit to be more in line with today’s culture.

Please be clear that we do not intend to make it a habit to re-use old articles, our pride and joy is original content. In this case, however, an exception was made, not to placate minorities, but rather to celebrate them.

On top of Willie Randolph’s hiring as a Met, we must remember the man who hired him—Omar Minaya, is also a minority.

Although nice, this hiring does not and is not meant to exonerate the short comings that exist in all major sports with regard to minority hiring, especially in the front office.

But, at least for one fall afternoon, the New York Mets laid aside skin color in deference to finding the best person for the job, and for that, commendation is worthwhile and in this rare case, reaffirmation is warranted.

* * * * * * *

On November 4, 2004, an important barrier was broken in New York coaching ranks.

Willie Randolph was named the 18th manager of the New York Mets, making him the first African-American manager of a MLB team in New York.

Randolph had no prior experience managing a professional team on any level prior, but was a popular and well-respected figure in the New York baseball landscape. He went on to manage the Mets from to 2005-08 before being fired rather ignominiously.

But, he left a mostly positive mark on Mets managerial history, as he helped turn around a team that hadn’t enjoyed success in years and led them to the cusp of a World Series appearance.

Willie Larry Randolph grew up in Brooklyn as a Mets fan enchanted by the amazing run they had in 1969. His favorite player on that team was Ken Boswell, and he would later honor Boswell by wearing his No. 12 when he became a Met.

Randolph started his playing career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and was called up to the majors in July, 1975. He played only 30 games that year for the Pirates before he was traded in the offseason to the Yankees.

Randolph spent the next 13 years playing second base for the Bombers, winning two World Series rings and earning five All-Star appearances.

He batted second in the line-up due his patient hitting style (he drew over 80 walks in seven different seasons) and excellent bunting skills.

Randolph was also an accomplished second baseman, leading the league once in both put-outs and assists. He never won a Gold Glove in his career but was a considered by his peers as a top-notch defensive player. He was co-captain of the Yanks, along with Ron Guidry, from 1986-88.

After his time with the Yankees, Randolph played for the Dodgers, Athletics and Brewers before finishing his playing career as a New York Met.

He was 37 when he joined the Mets, making him the eighth oldest player in the league. He retired with a .276 life-time batting average with 2,210 hits, 1,243 walks and a .373 on-base percentage.

In the field, he finished with 4,859 put-outs (ninth all-time), turned 1,547 double-plays (third all-time) and had a .980 fielding percentage.

When his playing days were over, Randolph spent 11 seasons as a base and bench coach for the Yankees.

During his coaching tenure with the Yanks, Randolph interviewed for several managerial positions, only to be denied each time.

Meanwhile crosstown, the Mets were not performing well on the field. From 2002-04, they had a losing record, and in 2001 — were barely over .500 at 82-80.

In an attempt to reach the lofty standards practiced in the Bronx, the Mets reached out to a popular star in Randolph who had interviewed for the position before, only to be deemed too inexperienced, with the Mets hiring Art Howe instead.

The difference this time was that the Mets had a new general manager in Omar Minaya. He started his job by replacing Jim Duquette — who was reassigned in September, 2004.

Minaya wanted a manager with great communication skills, (both with players and the front office), someone willing to do community service, and available to work 12 months a year — including traveling to minor league and instructional league teams in the offseason.

After two rounds of interviews, Randolph was hired by the Mets on November 4, 2004. He was the Mets’ third manager in a four year span.

He also became the eighth person to both play for and eventually manage the Mets. Randolph credits his former boss and coaches for his promotion to manager as he told the New York Times.

“I learned a lot working with Joe Torre. You take a little bit from everyone and form your own identity,” he said. “I’m a winner.”

He made his managerial debut on Opening Day in 2005, losing that game and the next four thereafter. He got his first win as manager on April 10, defeating the Atlanta Braves.

The Mets went on to post a 83-79 record in 2005, which was a 15 win improvement over 2004 and their first winning season since 2001.

In 2006, Randolph led the Mets to their first division title since 1988, winning 97 games which tied for the best record in the league.

The Mets swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS but were beaten by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, losing a heartbreaking Game 7 in the NLCS.

The Mets win total improved another 14 games in 2006, making Randolph the first manager in major league history to have his team improve by 12 or more wins in each of his first two seasons.

On January 24, 2007 , Randolph signed a three year, $5.65 million extension with the Mets with a club option for 2010.

Unfortunately, 2007 marked the beginning of the end for Willie Randolph and the Mets. The team won 88 games and was in first place for the majority of the year. It was assumed by many fans that the Mets would take the next step from their loss in the 2006 NLCS and contend for a World Series championship.

But with a seven game lead with 17 games to play in the regular season, everything went south as the Mets finished the season 5-12, losing out to the Philadelphia Phillies (who went 13-4 during that span), for the NL East crown.

It is considered by many to be the one of the biggest collapses in baseball history. Rumblings about firing Willie Randolph began in earnest.

Those rumblings grew more intense as the Mets got off to a slow start in 2008, playing poorly with a record hovering around .500 in June. Chants of “fire Willie!” rained down louder and louder in Shea Stadium and he was roasted on NY sports talk radio.

On a West Coast trip, Omar Minaya did what most fans screamed for and fired Willie Randolph, along with pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto.

Randolph was replaced by bench coach, Jerry Manuel. The Mets finished with 89 wins in 2008 and once again missed the playoffs. As it turned out, 2008 was the last Mets winning season until 2015.

In Randolph’s three year, two month spell as manager of the Mets, he compiled a record of 302-253. His winning percentage of .544 ranks him second all-time to Davey Johnson. He finished his coaching career with brief stints at Milwaukee and Baltimore.

Randolph never became a manager for another major league club, although he insisted he was still a viable candidate for a coaching position.

Many in the media as well as many Met players felt the firing of Willie Randolph was handled poorly, leaving a stain on the organization.

Much has been written on his demise with the Mets, but this story is not about unhappy endings, but rather one of a hopeful beginning.

The Mets were floundering on the field in the early ’00s until Randolph took over, and he seemed to restore some order and pride to the Mets that had been missing for years. He improved a sub-.500 team substantially and led them to within one game of a World Series appearance.

Unfortunately, the late-season collapse in 2007 was the spark that lit the fuse on Randolph’s eventual termination and the part of his managerial career for which he’ll be most remembered.

Today, he lives in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and works with John Franco helping youth baseball in New York City.

The hiring of Willie Randolph broke an important barrier in New York baseball.

Today, African-American coaches, managers, and general managers are becoming more commonplace in major sports — but are still sorely under represented.

His hiring, along with that of an Hispanic general manager, made the Mets a vanguard in the hiring of under represented people.

For an organization that has handled many things poorly (such as the firing of Willie Randolph), it was a welcome change.

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