Randolph was surprised

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 ex-manager told several New York-area newspapers Wednesday outside his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J.

“That’s why I was stunned. I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Randolph said. “At the time, I felt the way he was talking to me, that I was pretty secure for the time being.”

Minaya fired Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first-base coach Tom Nieto after Monday night’s win over the Los Angeles Angels.

A day after splitting a doubleheader with Texas at home, the Mets traveled to the West Coast to start the series in Anaheim, Calif. The firings were announced in an e-mail at 12:14 a.m. PDT Tuesday.

“Not the way I would have handled it,” Randolph said. “Bottom line, it is what it is.”

Fielder owes IRS

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

Fielder declined comment on the report through a team spokesman before his game against Toronto. An IRS spokesman told the Associated Press that Fielder could have made payments or even paid it off, but that it might not be recorded yet.

Yankees sign Ponson

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

With a history of off-the-field problems, Ponson was released Monday by the pitching-starved Texas Rangers for being a disruption to the team. He performed well on the mound, however, going 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA.

In other news, Hideki Matsui was out of the Yankees’ starting lineup against San Diego because of a swollen left knee.

Clearing the bases

A.L. batting leader Milton Bradley was out of Texas’ lineup for its game against the Atlanta Braves because of a strained left quadriceps. … Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit (Moses Lake) was out of the lineup against the Chicago White Sox with a slight concussion.