Either Willie Randolph and the Mets will show themselves to be something more than a .500 team or the Wilpons will act decisively to save a season that started with great promise.
The specter of the Mets playing .500 baseball and falling in the National League's second division must worry the image-conscious ownership which has established a new sports network and must be looking for serious momentum with the imminent opening of Citi Field.
Willie managed to play the race card, insult the owners of his team as well as the Mets' faithful.
The options for ownership are not at all appealing. Firing Randolph and looking to move high priced veterans would be a disastrous pre-Memorial Day white flag. Moreover, the chips the Mets possess are less than stellar. An overpriced, overmatched Carlos Delgado, a brittle Moises Alou ... a enigmatic Aaron Heilman ... what else is there?
Staying the course with Willie, however, might be equally as disastrous. Think about it. An angry, brooding Randolph content to go down with the ship as any good skipper might make for great Daily News fodder or Post headlines, but could do immeasurable damage to the collective psyche of Mets Nation.
A somber Jose Reyes or a oft-questioned David Wright is not something that any member of the organization could stand. Moreover, is Johann Santana willing to put aside his seeming prickly nature to answer the growing questions about his inability to keep the ball in cavernous Shea Stadium?
Dark days at Shea approach.
