Randolph criticizes Mets over his firing

Willie Randolph figured the New York Mets would fire someone. He just didn’t think General Manager Omar Minaya would pick him.

“I thought he was talking about whacking a couple of my coaches,” the fired manager told several New York-area newspapers Wednesday outside his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J.

“At the time, I felt the way he was talking to me, that I was pretty secure for the time being,” Randolph said.

Minaya fired Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto after Monday night’s win over the Angels. The firings were announced in an e-mail at 12:14 a.m. PDT Tuesday.

“Not the way I would have handled it,” Randolph, 53, said.

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Milwaukee Brewers slugger Prince Fielder owes more than $400,000 in unpaid taxes, according to a published report.

The Detroit News’ Tax Watchdog blog published a copy of the IRS’ Notice of Federal Tax Lien filed against him on Oct. 6, 2005.

It noted he owed $409,149.14 assessed on Sept. 13, 2004, and Feb. 7, 2005.

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Adding depth to their injury-riddled pitching staff, the New York Yankees re-signed troubled right-hander Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract.

Ponson was released Monday by the Texas Rangers for being a disruption to the team. He was 4-1 with a 3.88 earned-run average.

Ponson, who pitched briefly for the Yankees in 2006, will report to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.