The Mets’ Wilpon: The kind of owner Atlanta needs – NOT!
Carlos Beltran after one of his many 2004 playoff homers against the Braves. (AP photo)
Seeing as how we’ve spent the past week discussing team ownership in one form or another (or yet another), it seems a propitious time to note that, as bad as we in Atlanta may think we have, we don’t have Fred Wilpon.
Fred Wilpon owns the Mets. In this week’s edition of The New Yorker, Wilpon trashes his team in a way that almost — almost, I said — makes you feel sorry for that unlovable club.
The Wilpon profile is written by Jeffrey Toobin,who identifies himself as a Mets’ fan, for which he almost — almost, I said — merits our sympathy. Toobin covers much ground in his profile of Wilpon, offering quotes from Bernie Madoff via prison e-mail and even a couple from Sandy Koufax, who played high school ball with Wilpon and who’s famous for not giving interviews. (FYI, Koufax invested with Madoff.) But the Wilpon rips of his Mets are the keepers, and I present them as a public service.
On Jose Reyes, the overrated shortstop: “He thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money [in free agency]. He’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it.”
On David Wright, the overrated third baseman: “A really good kid. A good player. Not a superstar.”
On Carlos Beltran, the overrated outfielder: “We had some [fool, meaning Wilpon himself] in New York who paid him based on that one series [referring to Beltran's epic postseason of 2004]. He’s 65 to 70 per cent of what he was.”
On young first baseman Ike Davis and the Mets in general: “Good hitter. [Crummy] team — good hitter.”
The New York tabloids are already making hay over Wilpon’s remarks, which hit print — nice timing! — the morning after the Mets closed a losing Subway Series against the Yankees. So now I’m thinking: No matter what happens with the Thrashers, our own Atlanta Spirit isn’t apt to edge Wilpon for Dumbest Ownership Move of the Week. Hooray for us!
By Mark Bradley
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59 comments Add your comment
MitchC
May 24th, 2011
12:10 pm
Mark, thanks for the blog.
For the record, I’m a native New Yorker, now transplanted to farm country in PA. I despise the Mets worse than any team on the face of the planet, whether they are in last place, or first..
Wilpon’s comments are.. classless, and shameful. He almost sounds like the second coming of the late George Steinbrenner, at Steinbrenner’s worst, when he was firing managers left and right in the 1970s and 1980s. Having lived in NY for many years, I read and heard in depth about Steinbrenner’s actions.
The Mets are a mess, and they arent going to get better anytime soon. Wilpon merely demeaned himself with his comments.
One thing: As you know, the Braves have to go up to Citi Field to play the Mets a week from Friday. Hopefully, Wilpon’s comments and your blog wont be posted on the Mets Citi Field clubhouse bulletin board, to wake them up against us.
Mark (another one)
May 24th, 2011
1:12 pm
Owners of companies shouldn’t degrade their own products. This guy is a jerk. As the owner you would think he would be a part of the team. I’m an LA transplant (27 years) and I can’t imagine the O’Malleys making these kinds of comments. Gene Autry either.
As for those stating that the AJC needs to light a fire under the Braves, I don’t agree. The AJC is a newspaper that reports the facts, and its columnists render their opinions. There is no responsibility to light a fire under an athlete. That is management’s job. Being a reporter can be hard enough because you need to remain objective while seeing the same players day in and day out. Its natural to befriend people, which can effect objectivity.
Also, the AJC bloggers provide enough negative comments. I prefer the AJC to provide facts and insight, and I believe they do a good job of it.
oldmike
May 24th, 2011
1:14 pm
Well the Mets built a park that would help a pitching staff thrive. But they don’t have one. It took the power out of their most productive hitter, Wright. They decided to spend their way back to respectibility, thus Beltran, K-Rod, Bay, Pedro, Santana, and the dubious lefty Perez. Where does Wilpon come off criticizing anyone. Especially since his involvement in the Madoff scandal drove the value of the franchise down below some team “mendoza line”.
Hillbilly Deluxe
May 24th, 2011
1:20 pm
Whatever happened to the time honored baseball tradition of protecting your players? For his good points and his bad points, that was a strength of Bobby Cox; he protected his players and they knew it.
Tex
May 24th, 2011
1:38 pm
Here’s someone worse than Madoff. read this link and forward it to everyone you know, so they don’t get scammed: http://texsquixtarblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-is-worse-bernie-madoff-or-rich.html
New York, New York » Blog Archive » Mets: Reacting to Fred Wilpon’s Comments – Huffington Post (blog)
May 24th, 2011
3:28 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Mximus Decimus Meridius
May 25th, 2011
12:31 pm
The New Yorker article is almost 22 pages. Wilpon offers up at most a half-dozen quotes about his under-performing/overpaid talent. I submit that perhaps Atlanta does need an owner like Fred Wilpon, or at least an owner that cares.
rooster
May 25th, 2011
2:20 pm
New Yorkers are so gracious and tactful.
NoLion
May 28th, 2011
7:09 am
Do you blame him? Someone needs to wake up his franchise, maybe he should move them out of New York… that will get some attention….