NY Mets Principal Owner Throws Several Prominent Players Under the Bus
As per usual, it seems, the New York Mets are struggling. Their record currently stands at 22-24, putting them in fourth place in a very tough National League East.
Of course, you might say that what is happening on the field is the least of the Mets' problems. With a little help from Bernie Madoff, the organization is several hundred million dollars in debt, and Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon is being sued for $1 billion.
It just so happens that Wilpon is the subject of an upcoming article in The New Yorker, and it suffices to say that he took the opportunity to let off a little steam.
This would be fine, but he decided to throw a couple of his players under the bus in order to do so.
Courtesy of Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, here is what Wilpon had to say about Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who is in the final year of his contract with the team:
He thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford money [seven years, $142 million]. He's had everything wrong with him. He won't get it.
About outfielder Carlos Beltran, who the Mets signed shortly after his outstanding showing in the 2004 playoffs with the Houston Astros:
We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series. He's 65 to 70 percent of what he was.
And lastly, about third baseman David Wright:
Really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar.
Personally, I have two things to say about Wilpon's comments:
A) This is not the way an owner is supposed to represent (or run) his organization. Wilpon can say this stuff in private, but making it public is absolutely absurd.
B) He's absolutely right.
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No, really. If you can brush aside the malice and, for lack of a better word, the jackassery of Wilpon's comments, you will notice that he actually made some pretty good points.
Let's start with Reyes. He is one of the better shortstops in the game, and he will get a nice payday from another team, but he does not deserve to get anywhere near $20 million a year.
Believe it or not, Reyes's best days are behind him. From 2006-2008, his average season consisted of 157 games played and a batting average in the neighborhood of .300. He also averaged 16 home runs, 118 runs, and 66 stolen bases.
In the last two-plus seasons, Reyes has battled injuries and his numbers have slipped accordingly. He's played about 72 games per season, with an average of five home runs, 43 runs, and 19 stolen bases.
That is not worth Carl Crawford money. The only way he's going to get it is if some foolish organization takes it on faith that Reyes will stay healthy and revert back to his 2006-2008 form. I wouldn't rule it out, but my hope is that no team is that willing to throw money around so carelessly.
As for Carlos Beltran, the Mets are guilty of paying him based on his 2004 postseason, in which he hit .435 with eight home runs and 14 RBIs in 12 games. That got him a $119 million deal, and his average season has consisted of 20 home runs, 74 RBIs, and just 112 games played. He played in just 145 games in 2009 and 2010.
And then there's David Wright. In many ways, he's the victim of his own hype. He had MVP caliber seasons in 2006, 2007, and 2008, but the last couple years have been a real struggle.
To be fair, Wright's struggles have been largely thanks to the Mets' move to Citi Field in 2009. To date, Wright has hit just 21 home runs at Citi Field. He hit 70 home runs at Shea Stadium, where he also maintained a batting average of .318.
Either way, Wright has gone from being a budding superstar to being a very good player. He deserves better than this current situation, but he is not among baseball's elite players (i.e. Albert Pujols, Jose Bautista, Ryan Howard, et al).
Should Wilpon have opened his mouth? Like I said, no.
Does he have a gripe? Obviously, I think so. But feel free to argue anyway.
Shiri Appleby Kelly Hu Michelle Rodriguez Mena Suvari Georgina Grenville
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