The three and a half year tenure of Willie Randolph as manager of the New York Mets has reached its conclusion, in one of the most classless acts in the history of Major League Baseball. At 3:15 am, two hours after the Mets 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Willie Randolph was told via email from Omar Minaya that he was relieved of his managerial responsibilities. Many Mets were calling for Randolph's dismissal, but not in the way that Minaya handled it. But some questions remained. For instance, who was to blame for the underachievement of the New York Mets this season, was it Randolph's fault or was it Minaya's? Also, did the collapse of 2007 season lead to Willie Randolph's downfall?

    Willie Randolph was hired in November 2004, to bring an end to the disastrous end to the Art Howe era of Mets baseball. This was a new era, a new beginning, or the "New Mets", as they would like to be called. Willie Randolph brought instant credibility to the Mets in 2005, after 11 seasons on the New York coaching staff. The Mets experienced a twelve game improvement in 2005 coupled with the acquisitions of Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez in the off-season. The 2006 season seemed like a season of destiny for the Mets. The Mets won their first division title since 1988 and were poised to win their first world championship since 1986. However, injuries to Orlando Hernandez and Pedro Martinez dampened hopes. The Mets were able to withstand the Los Angeles Dodgers in three games. The next step was the NLCS and the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The series went the maximum seven games, where in game 7, Oliver Perez pitched a gem for New York, but the team wound up losing 3-1, in a classic pitcher's duel with Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan. The game ended when Carlos Beltran struck out looking to end the Mets' season. Despite the disappointing result, Willie Randolph was the toast of New York, narrowly losing the NL Manager of the Year award to Florida Marlins skipper Joe Girardi. In 2007, the Mets were determined to win a world championship, but it was all for naught. The New York Mets suffered one of the most monumental collapses in baseball history, blowing a 7 game lead with seventeen to play, surrendering the division to the Philadelphia Phillies on the regular season's last day. Despite disastrous results, Randolph was brought back as manager and when the Mets got off to a slow start in 2008, Willie Randolph's fate was sealed.

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