No matter where you stand, Pro-Willie or Anti Willie both sides must agree that if he hasn’t lost the clubhouse yet he’s close to it. The hostility came to a head yesterday when Billy Wagner THE voice in the clubhouse aired the dirty laundry, I understand Wagner’s frustration and he couldn’t hold his tongue no longer by calling out Carlos Delgado for pulling a “McRenyolds” and going out the back door before the press enter the room but my ethnic background of having both parents born in Ireland has been instilled in me the”never put your business on the street”.

The Mets have lost that certain something they had back in 2006 what I like to call that FUCK YOU mentality. Don’t like the way Jose Reyes celebrates with dances and handshakes FUCK YOU. Don’t like the way the dugout jumps up on the top step on big hits? FUCK YOU. Don’t like the way the Mets rejoice in winning a game with leaps in the air and excessive gyrations? FUCK YOU. Don’t like all the Salsa music? FUCK YOU. All of that is missing. Jose Reyes is not the same Jose Reyes. He isn’t the ignitor of the offense. Remember in spring training how he said he was going to be more serious and no more handshakes and even no more Professor Reyes skits on the Jumbotron? It may sound like stupid shit, but someone got to him and told him to change his ways. Was it Omar? No. Why would Omar care? The Skill Sets? Hell no. They are in the entertainment business. That leaves What Me Worry Willie who should be called I Better Worry Willie. Randolph has the personality of Styrofoam. When he played for the Highlanders in the 70’s he was always below the happy horse shit of Billy Martin, Reggie, Goose and everything else that made up the Bronx Zoo.

Does he get mad? Yes. The SNY cameras show his clinched lips and disappointment but Willie is a non-confrontational person. He won’t yell at a player or an umpire. His post game press conference is dreadful. The media tries it’s hardest to get something out of him and quite frankly he comes off as absolutely clueless. When you sit there and recite the same mantra over and over again that “It’s early, lot of games left” and the all time classic “My guys battled” that tells me you have no idea whatsoever on why your team plays like shit and you have no way of fixing the problem.

I get no joy out of calling for Willie’s head but the facts are facts this team is in need of an infusion of piss and vinegar.  Since mid season last year they have been treading water staying at or a little below the mediocrity of .500 baseball. I can’t remember where I heard this but I agree 100 %, when times are tough Willie wilts. In so many words yesterday Grandpa Alou made it known he was ready and willing to play, in fact he was shocked he wasn’t in the line up. He made this known to Randolph that he wanted to play but was told he was saving him to play this weekend. The games are being played in an American League park so the DH is in play that would help Grandpa get his rest.  Even with Brian Schneider. I know the old day game after a night deal but Schneider has not played enough to get tired and again the DH rule comes into play for the next three games as Schneider could do that as well. It was great to see Big Plef pitch like a stud yesterday (the biggest crime yesterday is that Pelf’s start is overlooked by the Willie/Wagner crapola) with Ramon Castro but I would like to see Schneider catch Pelf. Gotta have a feel for your personnel Willie.

So who would replace Willie? One name that was brought to me was Frank Robinson. But Robby is 73 years old. I thought of Buck Showalter but I can’t see Omar working with a control freak like Buck. Gary Carter would take the job in a heartbeat and would be a choice of mine as would Wally Backman. I think the Skill Sets would go with Carter but maybe shy of Backman and his baggage. The guy I would reach out to if I had the authority to make the decsion on the next Mets manger would be Tom Kelly.

Now I have no knowledge if TK wants back into the managerial fraternity or not but this would be an ideal spot for Kelly. He’s a no nonsense guy who is a proven winner who would challenge his players. So Omar, Skill Sets there it is The Eddie Kranepool Society endorses Tom Kelly for next manager of the Mets.