In the Bergen Record Bob Klapisch paints a bleak picture of the front office situation at Shea Stadium, saying that if the things don’t improve soon ownership may make changes- its patience exhausted.
The stakes are high enough that the Wilpon family is starting to pay close attention. The Mets have another month’s rope, maximum, after which ownership will begin to ask tough questions about the return on its investment. If the Mets still are a middle-of-the-pack team by June 1, the walls will begin closing in on Willie Randolph and Minaya, in that order.
Klapisch goes on, alluding that the culture in the clubhouse created by Randolph’s demeanor may not be the best fit for this team.
Randolph initially won over the Wilpons not as a tactical genius (he’s not), but as a master motivator: street smart, tutored by Joe Torre and Billy Martin, able to speak the language of his players. But Randolph is detached, if not aloof, and his toughness has morphed into a joylessness that’s been rubbing off on the Mets for more than a year now. They’re just three games over .500 since May 19, which suggests something is wrong about the culture in the clubhouse.
The point Klapisch seems to make is that it is going to take a sustained level of high performance, not just one or two wins, for things to be righted at Shea.
Klapisch: One win doesn’t gloss over mediocrity [The Record]
Opinion: I fear the Mets are at a Crossroads [Metsblog]
