Mets skipper Randolph apologizes for 'distraction' after remarks

"Is that possibly far-fetched, what he said there? Is there a possibility?" Baker said. "But I've got to hear what Willie said, though. I mean, I've said some stuff, too. Sometimes it could be some stuff you've been feeling for a long time, you know what I mean? I didn't apologize, either, but everybody had to answer for what I said. That's the part that's not fair."

Mets infielder Damion Easley said Randolph's comments had not caused a stir in the clubhouse.

"I didn't feel like it was a distraction," Easley said. "I only know bits and pieces. It doesn't change the fact that we've got to play better baseball and the sooner the better. So as far as creating a distraction, I didn't feel like that was a distraction."

Pressure on Randolph, which began with a late-season collapse to miss the playoffs last year, has increased. The Mets (22-21) entered Wednesday night's game only one game over .500 with losses in four of their last six games.

"I take full responsibility for what I said out of frustration and hope that we can put a close to this matter and focus on winning a lot of baseball games," he said. "That's what we're here to do, win a championship."

When asked if his opinion of the way he has been portrayed by SNY has changed, Randolph said "Yes. Yes. Again, those guys have a job to do. They get paid a lot of money to do their job. What I feel about that is really not important. At the time I voiced that opinion, again, that was out of frustration.

"What I said was what it felt like to me. I feel bad about how this has come about."