GOOD IDEA

I have to hand it to the New York Daily News - great move getting Willie Randolph to write his account of how his firing went down for Friday's paper. Just a great idea, and Randolph handled it well, coming across very classy in the article. Although, he did include this, which makes you think he was leaving some things unsaid:

I stood up and shook his [Omar Minaya's] hand, told him I wished him and the team well. Then he handed me an envelope, a little parting gift, and told me to make sure I reviewed it with my agent, Ron Shapiro.

It was a copy of my Met contract that basically says I better not say anything detrimental about the team, or I might jeopardize the rest of the money I have coming to me.

So I guess that brings an eventful week off-the-field for the Mets to an end. Maybe things will start turning around on the field now. I will say this - last year, things went downhill for the Mets after they played the Rockies...and the Rockies went on a tear (a tear that didn't end until the World Series). The Rockies swept the Mets in Colorado July 2, 3, and 4 last year by scores of 6-2, 11-3, and 17-7. So maybe this year a trip to Colorado will do wonders for the Mets. Who knows...I guess I'm still clinging to some optimism.

-And why shouldn't I - so far I'm having a great summer vacation. I decided this is the summer I'm going to take pre-emptive steps against Alzheimer's and do the crossword everyday. One week in, and today, Friday, June 20th, I completed my first crossword puzzle in recent memory. So that's exciting.

-The Mariners fired John McLaren, a move that comes as no surprise for a team that has done even less than the Mets this year. The Blue Jays, though, fired John Gibbons, which I didn't see coming. I have to say, though, that the Blue Jays must be a frustrating team to root for. I wrote about this recently (in one of those bi-weekly updates that I have forgotten about recently - I'll get back to that on Monday) - they just haven't been scoring runs for their pitchers, who have been great. And they see the Rays keeping pace with the Red Sox, and they must be thinking, "Why not us?". The American League East is a strong division. Anyway, Cito Gaston is back in charge in Toronto - it's like 1992 all over again!