Keith blames Latino players for Randolph’s firing

Joe Janish of Mets Today brings us this little tidbit for those still fuming over Will Randolph’s firing.

In case you missed it, Keith Hernandez was a guest on the Leonard Lopate Show yesterday afternoon, talking baseball and promoting a book he wrote with Matt Silverman called Shea Good Bye: The Untold Inside Story of the Historic 2008 Season

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Lopate:

Was Willie Randolph a bad manager?

Keith:

No, I’m not saying that. There was a lot of issues in that clubhouse. I know that particularly the core Latin players didn’t like Willie, that was pretty much written and it was true …

Lopate:

And why was that?

Keith:

I don’t know. I am not in that clubhouse. You know there’s a code of silence in the clubhouse, and things are kept in house. But I do know that a lot of the Latin players — and the key Latin players — did not like Willie. And that’s why they probably felt the move had to be made. Because they weren’t performing. And all of a sudden Jerry Manuel comes in and it’s like someone turned a light switch on. And all of a sudden Delgado is out of his slump and Reyes is playing like heck. So you know, it’s one of those things.

I grew up in an era when we were grunts. And I played for managers I didn’t like — I played for one that I despised. But I’m not gonna go out there and play and pout or let it affect my performance.

For the full article, please head over to Mets Today.

I know it’s old news by now, but I find this quite interesting.  Most, if not all of these players are still on the team.  How much would it take for them to turn their backs on the current manager?

Clubhouse chemistry is a key to winning, I feel.  Hopefully this movement has been quelled to some degree.