By BART HUBBUCH
June 21, 2008
DENVER - Jerry Manuel said he called Willie Randolph on Thursday but never mentioned The Post's report of perceived back-stabbing by Manuel and Mets VP of player development Tony Bernazard.
The Post reported Thursday that Randolph told friends he felt Manuel was plotting against him in a lengthy on-field meeting last week at Shea Stadium, just days before Randolph was fired and replaced by Manuel.
Manuel repeated his assertion in The Post's report that he had not conspired against Randolph with Bernazard. Manuel also said he thinks the conspiracy charges aren't coming from Randolph himself.
"I understand those things [accusations of back stabbing] being said, and I do not charge it to him at all," Manuel said.
Manuel said he caught Randolph on Thursday when Randolph was cleaning out his office at Shea Stadium.
"I told him to leave me some jelly beans," Manuel said. "I was telling him I'd had some congratulatory calls and that those people were also concerned with how he was doing. I also expressed how I felt about him."
The Mets last night won for the second time in Manuel's three games at the helm, defeating the Rockies, 7-2.
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Right fielder Ryan Church, on the disabled list since June 6 with post-concussion syndrome, could be close to returning.
He will take part in batting practice when the Mets get back to New York on Monday, then play one or two games with the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones on a rehab assignment next week before rejoining the big league club.
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Scratch Manny Acta off the list of potential Mets managers after this season. It's not because the former Mets coach, current manager of the Nationals and close friend of Mets GM Omar Minaya, wouldn't be interested. The real reason: Acta is under contract through 2009, and Nationals GM Jim Bowden told The Washington Post this week that he would deny the Mets permission to talk to Acta if they called.
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Manuel said left fielder Moises Alou, on the disabled list since June 13, continues to experience pain in his left calf and isn't close to coming back.
"I wouldn't use the word gingerly, but he's moving around with some pain right now," Manuel said.
