I might be alone on this, but I think they are blaming the wrong person for their failures.  If you spend that much money on a team, just so you can put an all-star roster together, you have to hold the players accountable for such a lousy season, not the manager.  I disagreed with the media for touting him as the greatest manager in the world a couple of years ago for the same reason too.

*note to Braves management*  Rick Pederson is available.  Dump Roger McDowell immediately!

As a black man, I'm sad to see him go. I thought it was a great thing for a black man from my hometown, from my neighborhood, who played for my favorite team, to be managing my favorite team.

However, being a die hard Mets fan, I ecstatic that he got the boot. I have seen him over manage and throw away way too many games. for me, his last bonehead move was the straw that broke the camel's back. Case in point, Johan Santana's last start we was pitching 3 hit ball through 7 innings with 10 strikeouts and a 4 run lead. CLEARLY dominating. Willie inexplicably takes him out and hands the game over to a bulllpen he KNOWS is shaky. The bullpen surrenders the lead, the Mets lose.

Willie is a nice guy, a great role model and a NY icon...blah blah blah.. In NY, you have to WIN WIN WIN or you're done.

Bye Willie.

I think this move is horrible one for the franchise. Wille has turned this team around since he took over and has reached the play-offs with earlier teams that might not look as great on paper as this team did. And people can blame him for last season's collapse, but I have to lean towards the players were the ones that gave up. Everyone started believing their own hype and thought they should be in just off of their clout.

Now this season has not been an improvement over the last one's, and some players still have a bitter taste. Personally, I agree and disagree with comments that Billy Wagner said earlier. True some of the higher paid players need to step up and take leadership, not only in the clubhouse, but in the media as well (I'm looking at you Carlos, take your choice). But Wagner is also pitching the same attitude that got him kicked out of Philly.

And finally, it seems the Mets became like the Yanks of recent, where they seem more concerned with signing 'right now' players instead of producing their farm system. Some of the best players on the squad are home grown, Reyes and Wright, no different than early '90's Yanks with Jeter and Posada. Ryan Church and Carlos Beltran will progress with the team while they still have youth on their side. But we dealt away Kazmir, and I can only imagine what else we might give up in order to get another Luis Castillo or Carlos Delgado. This season has made the Mets look like the Knicks of the MLB. The Mets need to stop looking towards the cross town rivals for inspiration, and need to look at the Rays or Angels for producing some qulaity players through their youth and farm systems.

Good bye Willie, Like Avery Johnson, I hope you get your ring elsewhere.

Did Randolph really turn this team around?  It seemed to me that he was in the right place at the right time.  They started winning and competing for the NL east under Valentine.  They had a good core of players, brought in Randolph, then bought "right now" players.

Nothing against Randolph, I think he's a good guy that will land on his feet somewhere.  But there wasn't a whole lot of coaching that needed to be done with the line-up that he was given.

Actually Art Howe inherited the team after Bobby and he did an underachievement with the team he was given. The Mets were in a decline since 2001 and Willie brought them back to respectability in 2005 where they finished in 3rd and 7 out of first. This year's team should be a better producing team, not only with the bats, but with pitching and defense.

I believe that Willie is made a scapegoat for a team full of overblown egos and media shy players. Jerry Manuel had a good run with the White Sox and I hope he does good (for my team's sake), but I think the best NY managers have been NY type of guys, best exemplified by Bobby V.

I forgot about Howe.  Oh yeaaaa.

If anyone should be at fault for this (other than the players), it should be Minaya.  He's the one that put this group of huge egos together.  Like sir Primo said, if they would have stuck with the core group of youngsters and brought up kids from their farm (which was pretty good before all of the trades), ole Willie would be sitting pretty right now and one of the best pitching coaches in the game wouldn't be unemployed right now.

I'm a die hard Mets fan and I don't necessarily believe it was his fault but the firing had to be done. A statement had to be made by the front office that things are gonna change. Obviously the team wasn't responding to his managing style. I believe that Randolph is a quiet guy who doesn't argue many calls.  He just doesn't show that fiery spirit to manage in NY. I think Jerry Manuel the bench coach has been kicked out of more games than Willie has and that is really sad.  Jerry Manuel is no different then Willie though, he is also quiet.  Jerry is definetly not gonna solve much but it's gonna have to do for now. 

I also believe that Minaya should absolutely fire himself along with them! Instead of developing or trying to find a good outfielder, he continues keeping and signing all these players that our way past there prime.  He continues to believe that Alou and Pedro are the answers to there problems. How can Alou be the answer when he plays on an avg of 60 games a season.  And Pedro can't pitch more than 3 games in a row without going on the DL.  He lets go of a developing Gotay but keeps a 39 yr old Easley, too me that doesn't make any sense. And I hope the Trot Nixon deal goes good for us cause we need it.

I like wally backman also for a coach I personally would like to see Larry Bowa. the guy has a fiery spirit and always backs his players up.