The New York Mets and Yankees played each other in the final game of the Subway Series on Sunday. It was a game for the Mets to win. Starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey seemed to have everything he needed to win. But then the 7th inning approached. With runners on first and second and no outs, Pelfrey plunked Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli. The Mets would lose the game 9-3.
And now it seems that New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon just hit the Mets right upside the head.
The New Yorker featured a profile this week on Mets owner, Fred Wilpon. The piece focuses on Wilpon’s relationship with Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff and the fraud lawsuit that could possibly threaten Wilpon’s ownership of the franchise.
New Yorker correspondent Jeffrey Toobin tells a story of Wilpon’s journey from rags to riches and everything in between. But that’s not the interesting part of the feature. Mets fans will take something else out of this; the personal shots Wilpon takes at his players.
In the feature, Wilpon talks about shortstop Jose Reyes and how the Mets will not be offering him a huge contract, since Reyes is a free agent after this season. “He thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money,” said Wilpon. Carl Crawford, leftfielder for the Boston Red Sox, received a seven-year, $142 million contract from the Sox this off-season. Wilpon added more fuel to the fire, saying, “He’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it.”
Wilpon became even more critical. He mentions Carlos Beltran and how the Mets based Beltran’s contract on his outstanding postseason success with the Houston Astros in 2004. In that postseason, Beltran hit .436 with 8 home runs and 14 runs batted in in just 12 games. Wilpon said, “We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series. He’s sixty-five to seventy percent of what he was.”
Beltran seems to have returned to old form this season, as he’s recently moved from center to right field. He hit 3 homeruns in one game against the Colorado Rockies this month.
Wilpon said All-star third basemen David Wright is, “[A] Really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar.” Wilpon also commented on Ike Davis. Apparently, he fancies Davis. “Good hitter,” Wilpon says. “S***** team. Good hitter. …We’re snakebitten, baby.”
These comments by Wilpon make it clear; the New York Mets are not interested in keeping Jose Reyes or Carlos Beltran. Wilpon hints how maybe David Wright is not safe, since he isn’t a “superstar.”
David Wright had this to say about Fred Wilpon’s comments. “Fred is a good man and is obviously going through some difficult times. There is nothing more productive that I can say at this time.”
Time can only tell what will happen next.
