NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said Tuesday he was sticking with Manager Willie Randolph despite the team's late-season collapse.
The 2007 Mets were the first team to lose a lead of seven games with 17 games to play. A New York loss combined with the Philadelphia Phillies loss on Sunday knocked the Mets out of playoff contention.
"In three years of work it's not about one season," Minaya said. "It's a tough season, we all feel that. With that being said, my decision is that Willie Randolph should continue to be our manager. I do believe that Willie is going to continue to work hard, and it's a challenge to all of us ... to get our guys to get back to winning."
Randolph in January signed a three-year deal to manage the Mets. He was paid $1.4 million this season and his salary is to increase to $2 million in 2008 and $2.25 million in 2009. The option for 2010 is $2.5 million.
