The New York Mets will retain manager Willie Randolph following a meeting with owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and General Manager Omar Minaya.

Mets management met with Randolph following the team's 23- 25 start to the Major League Baseball season and after Randolph criticized the club's television network and hinted that race played a role in assessing his performance.

"Willie's job was never in danger going into this meeting," Minaya said during a televised press conference at Shea Stadium. "It was really more about the issue of last week's comments and how we are going to find a way to play better baseball."

The Mets returned home after road trips to Atlanta and Colorado where they lost six of seven games, including all four against the Braves, their rivals in the National League East.

New York plays the division-leading Florida Marlins today in the first of a three-game series. The Mets trail the Marlins by 5 1/2 games in the NL East.

Randolph told the Record of Bergen County in an article published on May 19 that the team-owned SportsNet New York portrays him unfairly, with its cameras not picking up his displays of emotion. He also said that his calm demeanor is characterized as a flaw, while in white managers with similar dispositions, including Joe Torre, it's viewed as a positive.

Randolph said during the 25-minute press conference he apologized to the Wilpons for his comments and explained what he meant.

"I didn't come in thinking I was going to get fired," Randolph said. "I look forward to being the manager today, tomorrow and hopefully the rest of the year."

Minaya said Randolph has the support of Mets ownership and has a contract for this year and next season. He added that the club was pressing, feeling the pressure of the mounting losses.

"When you don't win in this town, and you are projected to be the best team in the National League, yes there is tension," Minaya said. "The bottom line is we have not played up to our capabilities."

The Mets have a $138 million payroll, second only to the crosstown Yankees' $209 million. The club has failed to recover from last September's collapse when the franchise lost 7 of its final 17 games to lose the division title and miss the playoffs.