METS

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
DH Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Marlon Anderson
RF Trot Nixon
C Brian Schneider
CF Endy Chavez

RH Mike Pelfrey

Note: Just saw Nieto. … Omar Minaya is supposed to be here. Hasn’t shown, yet.

In the Mets’ clubhouse. I have seen Rick Peterson, but not Tom Nieto.

Nieto? What in the hell has he done wrong?

Talk to you soon.

So, Willie Randolph is the Mets’ manager for another day, huh?

Big deal. They lose two of three here, and the rumblings start again.

Of course, they are started on the call-in shows, by personalities who couldn’t find Shea with a GPS. And, they are started by writers/columnists looking for a splash.

The fact is the Mets have a winning record under Randolph. Omar and the Wilpons are doing him and the organization a disservice by letting him twist.

Either make the move now or say nothing will be evaluated until the off season. Then drop it.

Management and ownership are feeding into the distractions. They are making it difficult for Willie and his team to do their jobs.

Lineups:

Mets

• Reyes, SS


• Castillo, 2B


• Wright, 3B


• Beltran, CF


• Easley, LF


• Delgado, 1B


• Castro, C


• Tatis,RF


• Martinez, P

• Kinsler, 2B


• Catalanatto, 1B


• Young, SS


• Hamilton, CF


• Murphy, LF


• Byrd, RF


• Saltalamacchia, C


• Vazquez, 3B


• Gabbard, P

In the first part of the doubleheader, the Mets rallied from an 8-2 deficit but lost when Damion Easley flied out with two on to end the game.

Afterward, Brian Schneider had this to say about when he was cut down at home by Milton Bradley to end the eighth: “The third base coach say go or don’t go. He said ‘Go ahead.’”

Schneider, of course, was speaking about Sandy Alomar, the Mets’ third base coach. Alomar’s decision cost the club an opportunity to have the bases loaded with Luis Castillo at-bat. Instead, Bradley’s toss easily caught Schneider, leaving the Mets in an 8-5 hole going into the ninth.

“You look back, in retrospect, and he was gone by a lot, so probably wasn’t a good send,” manager Willie Randolph said.

“That’s the way it’s been lately for us,” Randolph said about the comeback. “Big comeback, but things happen during the course of a game that you wish you have . We’ve gotta get ready for our next game. Another tough loss.”

On a layover heading to Anaheim. I am tempted to go to Disneyland when I get there and ride roller coasters, but I may watch the Celtics put away the Lakers.

I checked tickets. About $3,000 a pop. Little rich for my blood.

What’s the most you’ll pay for a ticket? And, the event, of course.

The way things are going, you don’t have to mention 2008 Mets World Series tickets.

Willie Randolph was very loose before the game today. He joked about wondering what to pack for the road trip (and if he’ll be on it), and about how there are not father’s day gifts at this point in his marriage…he just wants to win a doubleheader today.

You guys are probably hoping for the same present. Here’s who will vie for win No. 1:

Mets —

• Reyes, SS


• Castillo, 2B


• Wright, 3B


• Beltran, CF


• Delgado, 1B


• Nixon, RF


• Schneider, C


• Chavez, LF


• Maine, P (6-4, 3.60, 65 Ks, 75 IP)

• Kinsler, 2B


• Young, SS


• Hamilton, CF


• Bradley, RF


• Murphy, LF


• Catalanotto, 1B


• Laird, C


• Vasquez, 3B


• Millwood, P (4-3, 4.91, 45 Ks, 66 IP)

Hey, this is Josh Thomson covering for John today.

Ryan Church was a surprise visitor to the clubhouse this morning and we just spoke to him. He was incredibly upbeat and said he will resume working out tomorrow.

“I’m feeling great,” said Church, who is recovering from his second concussion of the year. “It’s progressing. Every day it’s getting better. I haven’t had any spells or anything like that. It’s just one of those things now where I’m waiting out the time on the DL, this next week.”

Church said he felt markedly better, even compared to a couple weeks ago when he thought he was ready to return full time. He hasn’t had any dizzy spells. “It doesn’t even compare,” Church said.

Church isn’t sure what doctors have in store for him, but he felt confident he will be ready to return when his 15-day stint on the DL ends. He said he has been watching a lot of baseball and golf…and, of course, sleeping a lot. “It’s been working,” he said.

Church is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday, but he will not make the trip to Anaheim with the team. The Mets play in Colorado over the weekend.

I can’t imagine anything happening with Randolph anytime soon.

Pedro goes tonight, his third start since coming off the DL.

But, tonight is about saving Randolph’s job.

Talk with you later.

METS

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
LF Damion Easley
1B Carlos Delgado
C Ramon Castro
RF Endy Chavez
RH Pedro Martinez

I spent a good part of this afternoon writing about the Mets firing Willie Randolph in preparation for what seems like the inevitable. If not now, then after the season should the Mets not make the playoffs. It’s such a miserable story to write.

No, Randolph is far from a perfect manager, but the Mets are a better team now then when he took over. He should get some of the credit.

I can’t see the Mets pulling the trigger on Randolph during the season for the following reasons:

-Who is better out there? Let’s forget Bobby Valentine. Buck Showalter, maybe. But seriously, what’s an interim manager going to accomplish?

-I would think paying Randolph not to manage would be distasteful for the Wilpons.

-As bad as the Mets are playing, they are still within distance to make a run. Maybe improbable, but not impossible.

-Firing Randolph exposes Omar Minaya and the team he put together. Let’s call it as it is. This is Minaya’s team. It’s loaded with aging, injured, unproductive and expensive players. Their window was 2006.

I hear all the rumors, too. But, nobody with the Mets has said Willie Randolph is in immediate trouble. Of course, I wouldn’t expect them to. This is all so ugly.

Not sure how you can blame Willie for yesterday, or any of Wagner’s recent blown saves. The players haven’t been up to snuff. Very few are performing the way they should. This is a team of players you can’t trade. Their value, when you come to think of it, is with the Mets and the hope they turn it around.

The Mets are down to hoping because there hasn’t been any sign of consistency they can turn it around and sustain.

I have a new poll up on the Mets. It’s about your confidence level on the team. Simple really.

High: They’ll make the playoffs.

Moderate: They’ll turn it around, but the playoffs or iffy.

None: Turn out the lights, the party is over.

Tell us what you think and be sure to vote.

I understand the philosophy some of you have for blowing up this team and starting over.  At the trade deadline, depending on who they are dealing with, maybe they might be able to unload a player or two.

However, if the Mets are six or seven back, they will be thinking they still have a chance. And, with games left against Florida and Philly, they would be right.

But, seriously, if they become sellers, what do they have? Most of their older players have no-trade clauses and would be unable to trade.  Who do you want to get rid of?

-Carlos Delgado: Makes a lot of money, has an injury history, and is on a decline. I can see the line building now.

-Luis Castillo: With that contract? Who’s crazy enough to want that? Yeah, yeah, I know.

-Moises Alou: You must be joking.

-Billy Wagner: Would have to waive a no-trade clause. He’d be the one attracting the most interest. Baseball people know he doesn’t stink and this is just a bad stretch.

-Aaron Heilman: Would attract interest. Value is down.

-Carlos Beltran: His contract is reasonable by today’s standards. Doing so would be a sign of starting over and I don’t see Omar Minaya doing that.

It’s not official, but count on Moises Alou going on the DL again. The Mets are waiting for the MRI results, but Alou just said, “I think the DL is a possibility … I know my body and this feels like more than a few days away.”

I’m not going to put a lot of stock into last night. We’ve seen games like that before and had them hit the skids. They need to run of 15 of 20 or something like that to turn the corner.