Former Mets manager Willie Randolph will make his return to Queens tonight as the Milwaukee Brewers come into town to take on Amazin’s.
It’s a bit of a role reversal for Randolph, who is now the Brewers bench coach, and current Mets manager Jerry Manuel, who was Randolph’s bench coach just last year before he was fired.
I wonder if Willie has a chip on his shoulder and, like Padres closer Heath Bell, isn’t afraid to show it. For Manuel’s part, he said he is eager to talk to Randolph again and even misses him.
Do you miss Randolph? If you are at the stadium at all this weekend, do you boo him or cheer him? Personally, I would clap for him. Even though the last two late-season meltdowns can be attribute to him, they were still a team effort. And he did take the Mets to the NLCS in 2006.
Having said that, I’m still glad Manuel’s the current manager. I like his style a lot more and I think he has the ear of the players more than Randolph did.
Update: Randolph immediately went to visit the Jackie Robinson Rotunda upon his arrival to Citi Field. It apparently was the part of the new ball park he was most anxious to see.
It turns out he was holding no ill-will toward the Mets and his former players. He was all class, grinning pretty widely as he embraced Manuel before the game. He said he wishes he were still in New York, but he feels good about his tenure here. He also said he was sorry to watch the team implode again late last season.
It was a welcome site sight.
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Sight not site.