Willie Randolph is loved in all of New York; Where is he now?
NEW YORK (BVM) –When you think of players or managers that are beloved by both Yankees fans and Mets fans, it’s a pretty small list. But Willie Randolph fits the billing.
For 13 seasons, Randolph manned the middle infield in the Bronx and then later managed in Queens for three and a half years, leading them to the NLCS.
No matter what part of New York Randolph is in, he is greeted pleasantly by fans.
Before the majors
Randolph knew about the passion of New York baseball fans way before he made it to the MLB. He grew up in the heart of it in Brooklyn. Randolph was a standout at Samuel J. Tilden High School.
The Pirates took notice and made Randolph a seventh–round selection out of high school in the 1972 MLB draft.
His playing career
Randolph flew up the minor league levels, getting to the major leagues as a 21-year-old near the end of the 1975 season. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound second baseman only hit .164 and slugged .180, but it was still good for Randolph to get his feet wet at the major league level.
However the following offseason, Randolph was sent to the Yankees in part of a package that included Dock Ellis and Ken Brett in exchange for Doc Medich.
Growing up a New York kid, Randolph was given a shot to play for his hometown team. And he excelled.
He played with the Yankees from 1976 through 1988, making five All-Star appearances during his tenure. He also took home a Silver Slugger award in 1980.
Randolph was named a co-captain in 1986 and served that role alongside Ron Guidry until his departure in 1988.
His ability to fill the role of a good No. 2 hitter paired with his elite defensive ability at the keystone position made him a crucial part of back-to-back World Series championship teams in 1977 and 1978.
After the 1988 season, Randolph signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making his final All-Star appearance of his career in 1989.
The next season, he was traded to Oakland, then bounced around between them, Milwaukee and then back in New York with the Mets. He retired at age 37 in 1992.
Coaching career
Randolph spent one year away from baseball before returning in a coaching capacity to the Yankees organization. Randolph spent 11 seasons there as the bench coach, being a part of four more World Series championships.
Following the 2004 season, Randolph got his first shot as a manager, going across town once again to lead the Mets.
In his first year with the ballclub in 2005, the Mets finished 83-79, their first winning season in four years.
The next year, they went 97-65, the best record in the National League. The Mets were a game away from advancing to the World Series before ultimately being eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals. Randolph finished second in the manager of the year voting behind Joe Girardi.
Unfortunately, that was the peak of Randolph’s tenure with the Mets.
For most of the 2007 season, the Mets looked like they could put together another deep playoff run. But with 17 games left in the season, they choked away a seven–game division lead to the Phillies, missing the postseason.
He was fired in June the following year.
Randolph had coaching stints with Milwaukee and Baltimore afterward but never got another opportunity to be an MLB manager. He last coached in the big leagues in 2011.
He also coached in a variety of roles for USA Baseball. He last coached for them in 2019.
Where is he now?
At age 68, Willie Randolph is currently not coaching anywhere, but he has been seen frequently at Yankees games over the years.
For my Dad’s 80th, we brought him to #ALDS game 2 where #Yankees are up so far (8-1)🤞And we ran into second base legend Willie Randolph! Happy birthday, Dad. pic.twitter.com/1twEgJxsLr
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) October 5, 2019
Randolph still has not officially retired from coaching, so maybe he will surface as a wild card manager candidate in the near future.
While it will not be in a meaningful game, Randolph will be back in the dugout this weekend on Saturday, managing in the Mets’ Old Timers Day.
Coaches joining him will be Terry Collins, Joe Torre and Bobby Valentine.
