Randolph Worship Continues to Ravage East Coast.

As I read the following "dis" of Grady Little and Jimy Williams -- "dis" is the correct word when utilizing the urban vernacular to which Randolph is referring, right? -- by a manager of a last-place team, I honestly thought I was reading an article from The Onion:

"We live in this hip-hop culture now, where players -- even white players -- are caught up in the whole 'respect' and 'dissing' and stuff like that," Randolph said last week. "To be able to speak that language is important. I'm not saying Grady Little or Jimy Williams can't do it, but I think it helps if you understand the culture."

...

"I've worked with the (Derek) Jeters and the Bernie Williamses and the (Gary) Sheffields, and I understand what makes them tick," Randolph said. "And I think that's helped me to make this transition."

Whoa! Hold up, cousin! Nows I sees your problem!

Gary Sheffield? Straight up O.G., no doubt, know what I'm sayin'? That brutha will make a phone call to one of his peeps and your house is burnded down, regardless, blase blase.

But Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams?

You're jokin', right? Those dudes are about as street as John Tesh.


"The transition Randolph has made is to the manager's office at Shea Stadium, which is where he was speaking last week. Entering the final month of his first season as manager of the Mets -- a season that still holds the possibility of extending into the playoffs -- Randolph reflected on his rookie year so far."

Oh, last week. Before the whole 1-6 week.

Maybe that's explains why Graziano thought the Mets could still make it into the playoffs.


Explain somethin' somethin' to me, Dan Graziano, because maybe I ain't too good with the arithmetic and whatnot. But something with the Mets doesn't seem to be adding up:

1) Highest payroll in the National League.
2) Added best pitcher available in the offseason.
3) Added best non-pitcher available in the offseason.
4) Best left side of the infield in the game.
5) Manager of the Year.
6) Fearless GM.
7) More exciting than the Yankees.
8) Ready to take over the city from the Yankees.
9) Revitalized player attitude largely due to acceptance of hippity hop culture.
10) Last place.

If #10 is true, then maybe #1-9 are just not true.


Let me explain something to Willie Randolph and Dan Graziano: Most of the manager's important decision-making is pre-game. As in, setting the lineup.

Of course, there is only so much a manager can do and no manager can guarantee a win every game. Fundamentally speaking, a manager's job is not to guarantee victory, but to optimize his team's chances of winning.

Take last night's game. With two outs in the ninth inning, runners on first and second and the Mets losing by one run, the #3 hitter came up to bat.

Carlos Beltran grounded out to first to lower his batting average to .265, while David Wright and his .314 average waited in the hole.

Can I guarantee Wright would have gotten a hit? Of course not. Round ball, round bat, fraction of a second to respond, 8 players with gloves in the field, etc.

But Wright now has 50 points on Beltran. That's straight up fitty points, sucka, know what I'm sayin'? I damn sure know that Wright is the guy you want up in the key spot if you're a Met fan.

Out of 30 major league teams, 29 of them bat one of their best hitters in the #3 spot. Only the Mets would continue to bat Beltran in the #3 spot. I guess Randolph doesn't want to dis Beltran.