Omar Minaya, the general manager of one of the greatest regular-season collapses in baseball history, was standing against a wall this afternoon following the Mets’ elimination, saying he didn’t believe a major overhaul was needed, that any changes have to make sense.

And he gave Willie Randolph a vote of confidence.

“I look at the body of work Willie has done here, not one year,� Minaya said. “I look at the body of work Willie has done in three years. Willie has done a good job and I will tell that to manegement.�

He tipped his cap to the Phillies, and even suggested that writers vote for Jimmy Rollins as the NL’s MVP.

It was Rollins who said the Phillies were the team to beat, which caused an uproar around here. The Phillies started 4-12. The Mets closed 5-12.

I asked him about the emotions of this weekend.

“It was a roller coaster,� Minaya said after Game 162, after the historic collapse — a seven-game lead with 17 to play; a two-and-a-half game lead heading into the seven-game closing homestand — was complete.

“On Friday, you lose that game and you’re behind for the first time and then you come in here Saturday and you get that window. That’s all I kept saying: ‘Give us a window. If we can get a window and play home,’ I though we can do it. Then you go to the first inning and those things and it’s just really a roller coaster.�

Today would have been the low point no matter how the Mets lost — unless the Washington Nationals beat the Phillies and gave them an underserved mulligan.

It would have been rock bottom regardless of which way the Mets were eliminated.
But they found a way that was a few layers below rock bottom.

Glavine, as previously stated, was horrible. And even Jose Reyes got booed, after finishing the season 5-for-41 without a stolen base the last 15 games, and failing to run out a grounder Friday then running half-speed on his final groundout today.

Guess Mets fans no longer feel they wouldn’t trade him for Derek Jeter, huh?