Is the clock ticking on Willie?

All the good feeling Mets fans desperately wanted to have after bashing the Yankees this past weekend appear out the window. Manager Willie Randolph doing mahjor backpedaling after he bashed Mets fans and SNY’s treatment of him Sunday, even suggesting there are racial overtones to how he is treated in the Big Apple.

On Wednesday’s Mike And The Mad Dog radio program, Randolph apologized to ownership, the team and SNY for being a distraction to the team. Randolph told the radio hosts that he thought the interview with respected newspaperman was off the record, that race is not an issue in his mind, and that he blames no one but himself.

First, I’d be a fool to deny that there aren’t racial overtones to just about everything in this country-from what we think of our managers to how we select our next president. I cannot comment on Willie Randolph’s thoughts on race. He’s an extremely kind and intelligent man. It’s not fair of me to comment on how someone perceives their treatment. It sure wouldn’t surprise me to know that race played a part in why Randolph had to wait so long for a managerial job in the first place. But I DO think he was told to say that he does NOT see race as an issue. That is major spin cycle coming from ownership, trying to squelch controversy.

That said, Willie should know that the two places he cannot win a battle-RIGHT or WRONG-are with ownership and the fans. He also shouldn’t make his struggles public. To say on a radio show that he’s spoken to his pastor and had sleepless nights-Big Apple fans don’t want to hear that-especially when the manager of a local team is making more money than the average guy and has a dream job most of us could only imagine. Right or wrong, sports is the toy store of our lives-at least that’s how a fan that pays sinfully ridiculous prices to go to a game sees things.

Randolph has to understand that his moves WILL be under major scrutiny here. New York-like Boston, St Louis and Chicago, is a city where the baseball season is 12 months a year. There were no calls on WFAN radio today analyzing Tom Coughlin’s future use of draft pick Kenny Phillips. Part of Randolph’s attraction lies in the fact that he was so long on the perceived TOUGHER side of this baseball town-the Bronx. Randolph can’t appear to be so thin skinned.

It’s obvious that Willie was being honest to a particular newspaper reporter this weekend. Honesty is great, but not always tactful. Randolph should know that certain thoughts should stay to himself and his inner circle. DON’T give Mets fans more reason to doubt you. Today isn’t the day for a reporter to ask Ted Kennedy to rehash the anniversary of Chappaquidick, even though news people find it a story. That’s like asking Derek Jeter about Jason Giambi’s thong moments after a Yankee game when the Captain is still thinking about a Bombers’ loss. Valid question, but not a smart one in terms of timing.

Willie HAS to show that he can put these distractions behind him. MORE important, that the Mets can start playing with some consistency. Thus far, the most consistent thing about the 2008 edition of the Amazin’s, besides their up and down play, are the ‘issues’ that keep popping up. As I’ve written before, Randolph must grab a hold of this. Yes, he can’t swing a bat or throw a pitch, but the perception (read that what the public feels is truth) must be that Randolph has a hold of the club. That’s the only way he’ll have the support of fans, media and ownership. Winning covers a multitude of sins-the Mets better hurry or Randolph’s time-maybe GM Omar Minaya’s too-will run out.

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