As Usual, Blame La Russa

The latest "what the heck are they thinking" moment from the Mets centers around the lack of a new contract for manager Willie Randolph, the man who helped to lead the charge out of incompetence from the days of Arthur Howe.

Some would say that it's just another salvo in the long line of thinking by owners and GM's like Billy Beane that managers are nothing more than village idiots with the keys to the townhouse.

But what if the Wilpon's took special heed to the job Tony La Russa did with the 83-win St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs? (After all they, and we, got a first hand look.) What if the Wilpons are under the misguided notion that "hey, think of how good the Mets would be with a tactical genius like Tony La Russa?"

Sure, Willie Randolph was questioned mightily in his first season on the job...more so than in 2006 with a more talented roster that some would think would cover up Randolph's "rookie" mistakes. But how exactly did La Russa do with those late 80's Oakland teams? If he's such a great tactician, how could he not have won more than one title with a team that faced three vastly inferior teams on paper in three World Series?

Probably because managers like La Russa and Bobby Valentine need less to do more.

Perhaps because managers like Willie Randolph knows that with more, all he needs to do is stay out of the way.

The Wilpons have given Willie Randolph more talent than they've given most if not all of his predecessors. It's time to give him a new contract...and stay out of his way.

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Meanwhile, our friend Cliff Floyd is growing ever closer to becoming a hometown Chicago Cub thanks to, off all things, an unselfish position change by Alfonso Soriano.

According to John Thomson, if Jeff Samardzija had known that this was going to happen, he would have chosen to play football.

Unfortunately for Floyd, Samardzija might be the best pitcher the Cubs signed all off-season.

Nevertheless, we wish Cliff Cornelius well. Let's reserve a standing "O" for him on May 14th.