You would think the Mets’ new attitude would preclude potential PR disasters, but these are the Mets, after all. This week isn’t even over yet, and three potential storms have arisen. The wags on Twitter have taken notice…
Wright/Syndergaard sandwich dispute, Murphy doesn’t like gays, fan buys anti-Wilpon billboard… This Mets season is off to a splendid start – Twitter, @7thinningsteph
For some reason, though, the looming tank traps don’t seem as large, the barbs contain less sting. To wit:
– David Wright, Bobby Parnell and Noah Syndergaard get into a minor kerfuffle because Syndergaard was in the clubhouse eating lunch when he should have been on the bench during Tuesday’s intra-squad game. The press tried to make a “thing” out of it, but it was snuffed pretty quickly. Each party took responsibility for his particular part in this spring training passion play and it went away. This wasn’t Billy Wagner taping a “know your place, Rook” sign on Lastings Milledge‘s locker. This wasn’t Al Leiter and John Franco running Scott Kazmir out of town because they didn’t like his taste in music. Over here, it was gratifying to see that Wright took on the role of policing the clubhouse, rather than manager Terry Collins. One gets the idea that if Collins had addressed it, it would somehow end up festering for weeks. Instead, the team’s captain had the chance to be the captain. He did not disappoint.
– Daniel Murphy is a devout Christian, with all that entails. Fine. After a visit by openly gay former player Billy Bean, MLB’s new Ambassador of Inclusion, Murphy made his feelings on Bean’s lifestyle abundantly plain, but was still able to embrace the idea of inclusion. “I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual,” said Murphy, teetering perilously close to the Neanderthal. “That doesn’t mean I can’t still invest in him and get to know him. I don’t think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him…,” he added, redeeming the situation brilliantly. For his part, Bean understood where Murphy was coming from and responded magnanimously: “After reading his comments, I appreciate that Daniel spoke his truth. I really do. I was visiting his team, and a reporter asked his opinion about me. He was brave to share his feelings, and it made me want to work harder and be a better example that someday might allow him to view things from my perspective, if only for just a moment. … I respect him, and I want everyone to know that he was respectful of me. We have baseball in common, and for now, that might be the only thing. But it’s a start.” A potential firestorm averted.
– The long-rumored frustrated fan billboard has been erected on I-95, just north of Port St. Lucie and within sightlines of the team bus whenever it takes a spring road trip. “Fred, Jeff & Saul, Ya Gotta Leave!” it blares in Mets colors and script. There’s been talk of a similar one going up on Roosevelt Avenue once the season gets underway. For the most part, though, it’s been noted with a shrug or a laugh. For however much this ownership is vilified, it still hasn’t reached “late-‘70s-New-York-Football-Giants” proportions or “Dolan’s-Knicks” or “Fire-Idzik-Jets” levels yet. There haven’t been any robust “Sell the team!” or “We’ve had enough!” chants yet. The spirit this pre-season is high enough that even the Wilpons seem to be getting a pass. A majority of the fan base seems to be willing to let things — 2015 things — play out. If September comes and a playoff spot is hopelessly out of reach or 80 wins is unattainable, we might hear such things from whoever’s left to shout, but for now, it remains the era of good feeling. It’s rare that something like this would roll off the franchise’s back, but this is where we are.
And so, in response to @7thinningsteph, your intrepid columnist Tweeted “And somehow, all 3 things make the organization look sympathetic…”
How often would that have happened?
Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley.
i guess we can apply the same theory of people in the workforce to ownership as well. It’s said 80% have jobs because of who they know as opposed to what they know. Fred was further entrenched when Manfredi “selected” him as the chief financial officer for MLB. There’s no point in wasting money for signs or billboards. Save your money and boycott Citifield. We Met fans love our Mets. We just can’t stand the hypocrisy that’s running the show in Queens. Until Mets attendance drops to 1.5 million fans they are not going anywhere. The 2 million fans who go to Citi cover just about all the expenses in running the team. Can we really expect for Fred and Jeff to be embarrassed and chased out of town? An owner who helped procure Madoff with new investors and then cried ignorance when it blew up in his face? What did Fred say afterwards to his front office employees who he pressured to roll over their 401k’s to invest with him? Fred Wilpon has a black heart and no shame. He could care less about the Met fans. His one and only concern is maintaining control of the Mets. The fans are an after thought.
Even more to the point, Wilpon’s comcern is owning the Mets in 2017. Then, by being the Mets owner, he can start building on the land previously occupying Shea Staduim. According to city statutes, only the owner of the Mets can build there and so his casino/shopping center can be erected.
God help us Gus! Another mausoleum dedicated to the Brooklyn Dodgers? The Wilpons running a casino? All that cash flowing through their coffers! Maybe Fred will help Bernie get paroled to help him invest all his winnings? Hey! May not be such a horrible thought. Met fans after watching another inept performance can go to the casino and wash away their miseries. The Wilpons will get two chances to milk the Met fans in one day! Gotta Love It!
I think Murphy comes to work so he can play baseball, and not be lectured on sex.
His belief is sacred and his own.
“Neanderthal”?
Billy Bean showed him more respect, charlie.
It was a set up by media, which Bean disappointed media’s expectation. No protests. No hate for people of faith. No boycotts.
I don’t think Billy Beane came to visit the Mets to lecture on morality or sex. It was a professional visit by a GM from another team who happens to be gay. The status of Beane being gay was brought up by Murphy not Beane. Murphy could of kept his beliefs private. By expressing to the press how he felt he made it a public issue. Not important. An unnecessary distraction by Murphy. All Met fans know his stance on gay issues. Did Beane’s visit make him uncomfortable? Again. Not important. It was only for one day and Murphy should of just let it go. He made it an issue by talking with the press.
This is not Billy Beane the A’s GM. This is Billy Bean (no “E” at the end), a former outfielder. 2 different guys.
Pete, you missed it beyond the identity of the player; you missed the purpose of the visit.
He was invited to speak on “diversity” and it was the journalist, not Murphy, who raised the issue.
By using the word “neanderthal” with Murphy for not agreeing with a position that is now demanded to be scientific but is not, is akin to the 1930’s claim of having different “blood” although a microscope tells differently.
What made Murphy a “neanderthal”? Disagreeing with “orientation” versus “lifestyle”? Would it be acceptable for me to call the author a “neanderthal” for presupposing acceptance on phantom science?
It was disrespectful of the author where even Bean, himself, was not disrespectful.
The journalist sought to cause problems. This is baseball, not sexual education. He came to lecture the players, but it wasn’t on pitch counts, exercise regiment, or baseball.
It is political correctness on steroids.
Thank you Charlie. i stand corrected
Great article Charles. Amazingly all three stories were nicely averted or dealt with. The final tale is the only one with possible legs I think.