Omar Brings Mets' Dysfunction To A New Low
Just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse for the Mets, it has, GM Omar Minaya came off as a coward and a fool today during a press conference that disintegrated into a "he said, he said" soap opera.
The story SHOULD have been that the Mets had fired VP of Player Development Tony Bernazard. Instead, the story will lead sportscasts and talk radio shows was Minaya insinuating that the original stories about Bernazard's volatile personality that were published by Daily News reporter Adam Rubin were written because, in Omar's words, Rubin had asked Minaya and others in the Mets organization about replacing Bernazard or working in the Player Development Department. Rubin VEHEMENTLY denies this. Our Lolita Lopez will comment about what this means to her as a journalist. My point here:
Minaya once again makes the Mets look bad. The whole season has done nothing but demonstrate that the team's infrastructure is in tatters. Bernazard definitely was part of many bizarre and inappropriate incidents. But instead of just announcing that Bernazard was fired on his own merits (make that failures), Omar deliberately tried to deflect attention from the real issues, and used a beat reporter to do it. Lost to Minaya is the fact the team wasn't properly balanced to be a contender, and didn't have a Plan B for the injuries that came. Plus, the organization continued its recent history of doing enough to make the team good on paper (signing K-Rod and Putz to bolster the bullpen), but not filling in gaps to bolster what should be a complete team with real complentary and bench players.
Interestingly, as of 6:50 pm tonight, the Mets website mentions NOTHING about Minaya's confrontation with the Daily News reporter. Looks like the Mets have pulled an ESPN, looking the other way the way "The Worldwide Leader In Sports" prevented its entities from reporting on the Ben Roethlisberger saga.
.The Wilpon family, Minaya & Bernazard are all to blame for this Mets mess. Tonight, Omar apologized for bringing Rubin into today's "forum", though he didn't back away from "the message." It's sad that the Mets are in such bad straits and so paranoid that the supposed head of the organization turns the Bernazard firing into a footnote.
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Comments: 3
The Mets' ownership and management have lost all credibility with the fans, the players and (especially now) with the press.
Minaya's stint as GM has been a total disaster. He knows it and the frustration was evident today as he chose to divert attention from his and Jeff Wilpon's ineptitude by attacking Adam Rubin.
The players have been lied to and forced to play with injuries so that Jeff Wilpon and company could maintain the facade of being in contention and sell tickets.
The Wilpons are equally architects in the demise of the New York Mets. As a Mets' fan I wish we could go back to the days of Nelson Doubleday when baseball mattered.
I hear you Paul and Bobby. Good points by both of you. And to think we could be rejoicing in the fact that the Mets are playing some good baseball at the moment. Look we are far from getting to the post season (though I am a believer that anything can happen), what better boost than to have your team do well despite the setbacks. Instead of talking about three wins in a row or Castillo's solid play or just the fact that that fundamental ball Jerry has been talking about is actually happening, we have to be focused on the nonsense coming from the Mets front office. The players must be like what the (insert what you will here)? There is no leadership at the top and no one to rely on. Jeff Wilpon even contradicted Omar Minaya during his wierd apology, not apology last night before the game. Standing right next to Omar, Wilpon said he has talked to Adam and many other young people about pursuing a career in baseball and that it is perfectly normal. I mean who hasn't asked another person outside of their field for advice on getting into whatever they do? Hello, networking, curiosity, whatever the reason, it is part of expanding your horizons if you will. Omar was supposed to keep this team in check. He was an inspiration to many people; whether because of his ethnic background or his humble upbringing, you wanted him to succeed. Who knows what happened along the way but one thing is clear, the Mets need change and quick!
A very bizarre day in the history of the New York Mets. Omar seemed to have the philosophy that you take down one of my guys and I will take you down. Omar was out for revenge.
I think it is time to clean hose. Unfortunately, even though we might wish that the Wilpon's would sell the team, realistically I do not think this will happen.
The house cleaning should include Jerry Manuel. There have been reports that Jerry, working in conjunction with Tony Bernazard, assisted in bringing Willie down. Jerry, like Tony, has done nothing to warrant keeping his job. This team must make the playoffs or Omar and Jerry should be let go.