Keith Hernandez had some critical remarks during today’s Mets broadcast regarding Gary Carter expressing his desire to take over the Mets managerial job from Willie Randolph,

“I have great respect for Gary as a player,” said Hernandez, “He’s a Hall of Famer. When Johnny Bench left the game, he was the premier catcher in the National League.

“But, that being said, and I’ve kept quiet for such a long time, but for the people out there listening, just go in the dictionary and look up ‘unconscious’ and you’ll find a picture of Gary Carter.

“I know that’s strong, but it just happens too many times and it’s just, you’re walking around unconscious.

Before Keith’s comments, Gary Cohen was equally critical of Carter.

“Regardless of what happens, you can’t be any more indelicate or graceless than Gary Carter was in saying the things he said about being available to take over the job. I just cannot believe that Carter said what he said.”

If you read any of the accounts of the famed 1986 Mets, you’ll find that many teammates found Carter to be a bit overbearing, which led to his nickname “Camera Carter” as he often seeked out the press for his own self-flagellation. Keith seems to still bear some of that annoyance of Carter, and wasn’t shying away from expressing it in light of him undermining Willie Randolph.

John Delcos, on his blog for the Journal News lists the reasons why the Mets are in this mess, and it’s not because of Willie Randolph.

There are a lot of problems here, and the biggest one is how the team was constructed, and that’s not on Randolph.

Delcos puts it in clear terms for anyone willing to listen. Omar Minaya bears more blame here than Randolph. Unfortunately most are too frustrated at the state of this team and Willie is an easy scapegoat for the real problems with the Mets.

I hope the Mets can still do something to address the real issues holding this team back.

According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman Willie Randolph will not be fired during Monday’s meeting with the Mets top brass. Heyman reports that Willie’s job is safe for at least one more week but he doesn’t give an exact timetable:

It isn’t known whether Randolph will get the homestand, or longer, to prove he can turn the team around. But he will be given some time. It could be a week. It could be two weeks. Or it could be into July.

Heyman also writes about what will be covered in Monday’s meeting and that Willie will have to explain his recent comments regarding SNY.

Willie Randolph’s former teammate from the Bronx Zoo days of the late 70s, Reggie Jackson has exchanged several phone calls with the embattled manager, the New York Times reports.

Jackson received a voicemail from Randolph on Saturday and has spoken with him on three separate occassions since. Jackson spoke about how race became a subject of Randolph’s comments.

“It can play on our mind. We are going to think about it in times of difficulty, whether you feel sorry for yourself, or whether you just acknowledge it. It’s fair to think about it,” Jackson also said a man in Randolph’s position must be “sensitive how you express it” toward people you are “trying to meld with and create a better environment for all.”

Steve Popper on his blog for The Record reports that Omar Minaya gathered up Willie Randolph and his coaches and took them all to dinner last night after their first win in the last six games.

The way SNY portrays Willie Randolph was one of the subjects Willie spoke about in the now infamous Ian O’Conner interview. Here New York Times sports media writer Richard Sandomir reminds us that back in 1998 then Mets broadcaster Tim McCarver was likely fired because of his outspokenness from the booth.

McCarver said: “Nelson told me that Bobby Valentine said, ‘McCarver’s got to go,’ and Nelson told the manager, ‘I’ll handle it.’ ” Doubleday asked McCarver to soothe Valentine by telling him that he’s done a “hell of a job” with the players he had. “And I said, ‘If I felt that way, I would have said it already,’ ” McCarver said. “At that point, I didn’t feel real good about keeping my job.” Doubleday dallied until February 1999 to tell McCarver he was gone, saying that Valentine had nothing to do with his dismissal.

The New York Times also writes about the booing at Shea Stadium. Francis Clines piece in the Op-Ed section is a interesting read and one that I could not agree with more.

Booing, once directed only at the visiting team, has become the dagger du jour as hometown fans bestow loud, selective blame on that relief pitcher or this heavy hitter for the Mets’ thus far mediocre record. Such disloyalty is hard to witness, particularly as youngsters learn from Dad and Mom to condemn one of their own. The song goes: If they don’t win it’s a shame — not a personal affront.

Greg Berlin of NL Beast is one of many who totally disagrees.

Mike Lupica of the Daily News got it touch with Yogi Berra who, as Lupica points out holds the distinction of being fired by both NY teams. Yogi tells Lupica what we all know to be the truth…

“Yeah,” Yogi said. “Tell him to win some games.”

Lupica’s main point is if Willie wins games then all the drama, self inflicted included, will just go away. What I found interesting is Lupica revisits the notion that is accepted by almost everyone, saying that the Mets collapse last season was the worst in baseball history. Now, while I hurt just like every Mets fan I always thought the Yankee collapse in the playoffs against the Red Sox was much worse. I have found very few people, whether in the media or people that I know who agree with me. But, alas Lupica wrote this today and obviously I agree 100%.

We constantly hear that last September was The Worst Collapse in Baseball History. No, it wasn’t. The worst collapse, in context, and because of the aftermath, because of who was involved and the way it happened, was the Yankees blowing a 3-0 lead to the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

In the Daily News Adam Rubin shares some reactions to yesterday’s smashing debut by rookie Nick Evans :

His first hit: off Jeff Francis on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues. His Binghamton Mets teammates watched that moment on the scoreboard before their game while taking batting practice. “There was no way we were going to miss that,” Double-A closer Eddie Kunz said…Said Evans: “I was very nervous. I haven’t really eaten.”

On his blog for The Record, Steve Popper shares this quote from Omar Minaya regarding Willie Randolph:

“I’m going to tell you that Willie Randolph is our manager,” Minaya said. “He has my support. He has our ownership’s support. And that’s what it is. To me, that’s what I’m going to tell you. I am here to support Willie. Ownership is supporting Willie. We’re supporting everything.

“Hopefully one of the reasons I’m here is to let him know my support and let him know and encourage him and let him know that we believe he can get this team on track, get this team playing to the capabilities it can play. I know Willie’s totally dedicated to doing that, and I believe Willie will do that.”

Omar could show some support for Willie by providing him with some reinforcements. With Marlon Anderson going down tonight, joining the rest of his comrades in the M.A.S.H. unit, adding in the lackluster play of the walking wounded, Willie is in sore need of some soldiers.

Its time for Omar to reconfigure this team, and I don’t mean the manager.

Steve Popper on his blog for The Record, reports that Omar Minaya is heading to Colorado with the Mets to assess the situation surrounding the slumping Mets.

Willie Randolph is reported to be meeting with Mets ownership, who did not return his calls directly this week after his SNY comments, when he returns to New York.

On his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin writes that while its easy to blame Randolph, Minaya should be on the hot seat for the direction this team has taken.

John Delcos on his blog for The Journal News thinks Mets ownership should take a stand on Randolph, one way or the other.

I think the Mets are making a mistake with how they are dealing with Randolph. Either they want him as their manager or they don’t. If they don’t, then stop screwing around.

Willie might want to get a few wins under his belt this weekend, just saying.

Jon Heyman of SI.com was a guest of WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog today. Heyman gave his opinion on the Willie Randolph situation

“I like Willie I know him a long time. I just don’t think he’s representing himself the right way with this whole SNY thing. He’s got to keep his mouth shut. He’s got to have a thicker skin…I still think he’ll keep his job… I think Ian O’Conner wouldn’t do anything underhanded. I’ve heard him (Willie) hint about SNY before but I left it alone. People who witnessed Willie and Ian thought it was an interview setting. …I get some calls and some e-mails and I’ve heard race and things with the Mets before, with the Hispanic thing. So, its not that far off…the management is annoyed he should not of said anything …they told him and Omar its time to turn it around and turn it around quick. But I still think he has this year to turn it around.”

I thought Heyman gave the impression that Willie had spoken to him in the past about SNY and how they portray him. Heyman chose not to write about it.

It is obvious from this interview and from past interviews that Heyman likes Willie so the reporting Heyman did here about others interpreting the Ian O’Conner talk with Willie as a “interview setting” was telling.

The focus today seems to be on Willie Randolph after the Mets dropped two games in Atlanta.

I’m sorry, did I miss something? Did Willie pitch yesterday? Did he fail to get any kind of offense going? Did he switch uniforms with Aaron Heilman?

I guess I must be in some parallel universe where the guys playing the game are actually responsible for their inability to consistently play winning baseball.

How about player accountability? Why is the focus on Willie Randolph when the team is responsible for wins and losses?

Yesterday I remarked how reporters would quickly reframe their story if the Mets went and lost two games in Atlanta after sweeping the Yankees. I’m not surprised I was correct. Most people can’t see more than beyond the past 9 innings even though there are 900 or so more to play.

The reason why is simply because its convenient to make Willie the focus because its an easy story to write. Willie has put his foot in his mouth by making statements to reporters that he’s unfairly portrayed, defending himself instead of just ignoring them. The funny thing is if he did ignore them, he’d be written up as impotent and lacking fire, which is exactly what they’ve been trying to portray him as in the first place.

If the fans and the media want to run Willie out of town, they can and they will.

It won’t make a difference because Willie doesn’t throw a pitch or swing a bat, and that is where the real problem with this team lies.