You probably think this is one of those posts blasting Omar Minaya for firing Willie Randolph at some ridiculous hour.Not so.
The word came out at roughly 3:11 a.m. that Randolph had been fired as manager of the Mets. If you take a step back from your emotions and look at the simple breakdown of the time frame, it makes perfect sense.
The game was slated for a 10:05 p.m. start, Eastern standard time. The game took approximately three hours and ten minutes.
That puts us at 1:15 a.m. EST. The post game locker room shuffle, with the usual talk with reporters probably takes somewhere from 20 to 35 minutes. Allow time for the man to change, and get on the bus to head back to the hotel, probably somewhere around 2 or 2:15 a.m. EST.
By the time they get back from the stadium, a meeting where the actual deed is done must commence. Let's say that meeting started somewhere around 2:45 a.m. EST. Don't forget that Minaya also had to meet with Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto to relieve them of their duties.
An estimate on how long the meeting with Willie Randolph would last, I would venture a guess at something near 10-15 minutes. By that time, the word is out. Give the PR staff a few minutes to do their job and bang out a release and send it through the appropriate channels, and by my watch, we land precisely at 3:11 a.m. EST.
Either way, because they're on the west coast, no story ever makes the papers the next day, not even a report of the game. Would you have rather had Minaya wait until morning, and fire Randolph over breakfast? The story still doesn't make the papers.
Either way, because they're on the west coast, any story from that night isn't going to hit the newsstands for another 24 hours.
My guess of the rundown of events (EST):
10:05 p.m.: First pitch from Jered Weaver to Jose Reyes.
1:15 a.m.: Game ends with Reyes turning an unassisted double play.
2:00 a.m.: Leave for hotel.
2:15 a.m.: Arrive at the hotel.
2:30 a.m.: First meeting is called.
2:32 a.m.: Nieto is relieved of his duties.
2:37 a.m.: Second meeting is called.
2:39 a.m.: Peterson is relieved of his duties.
2:50 a.m.: Third meeting is called.
2:54 a.m.: Randolph is fired.
3:10 a.m.: Word hits the wires.
Sounds about right to me.