Mets COO Jeff Wilpon met with reporters shortly before the start of last night’s game and offered his apologies for what transpired during Omar Minaya’s press conference on Monday.
“After some reflection, I thought it was important to come out and talk to everybody. We’re very sorry about what happened. It was the wrong forum. The wrong time. The wrong situation for Omar to express himself in that way. It hurt the organization. Omar admitted he hurt the organization. And he feels bad about that. And we’ll overcome. It didn’t go to our values. He didn’t do the right thing.”"
Wilpon offered a personal apology to Adam Rubin and said he did nothing wrong. He said that he was going to call Rubin personally to apologize and that Minaya would as well. Wilpon also was asked if Minaya would be punished in some way.
“Omar’s our general manager. Omar’s going to be our general manager. The collateral damage it caused and the collateral damage it caused my father [CEO Fred Wilpon] and my uncle [team president Saul Katz], the organization as a whole, he feels bad for. I think that’s more punishment than anybody could ever put on him. I know he’s told me he’s remorseful about what he’s said and what was done. I can only apologize from the organization standpoint. Omar made a mistake, and he admitted to me he made a mistake, and he’s apologetic for his mistake.”
He then made it clear that neither he or anyone else from the executive group had and prior knowledge that Minaya was going to attack Rubin.
“I don’t think a lot of us could believe it was happening when it was happening. He was just very angry and got out of his usual mode of dealing with the media. It’s taken a toll on him in a very big way. He’s feeling the effects of what he did….I think he really understands he made a very large mistake. He’s apologized to ownership. He’s apologized to a bunch of the staff. He understands he’s put us in a bad spot here.”
I guess it won’t be long until Omar Minaya faces the camera again and offers his own apologies. I’ve never seen anything so bizarre before, and I only hope that this does not prevent Minaya from doing his job and performing his duties. With the trading deadline only two days away, Minaya spent the entire day at home and was in complete shutdown mode. He was told not to make any interviews or appearances.
As for Adam Rubin, the Daily News accepted the apology, continues to strongly back Rubin, and announced that he would still continue to be the Mets beat writer.
Daily News deputy publisher and editor-in-chief Martin Dunn, who supported Rubin “1,000%” on Monday, issued a statement following Wilpon’s mea culpa. “The Daily News accepts the Mets’ apology and Adam Rubin will continue to be our beat reporter covering the team,” Dunn said.
Finally, as for the Mets season and the direction that they are going in, Wilpon had this to say.
“We need to do better. Ownership is not happy with the direction right now. Obviously we have to play better on the field. We need to get the guys back. And once that happens we’ll see how well this team can do. But it is disappointing.”
So there you have it. This is what a billion dollar organization looks like when it’s groveling.
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I smell Bullshit!!!
So let me get this straight, Minaya has a titty attack because he has to fire his friend FOR NOT DOING HIS JOB PROPERLY! He goes after the guy that made Tony B’s unproffesionalism public and the Wilpons are the ones apologizing.
Be a real man Omar be completely real. You went after Adam because you had to fire your friend and I repeat FOR NOT DOING HIS JOB PROPERLY! How much money have the Mets waisted on Tony B. I mean look at the minor league teams. Their player development is a joke.
If Omar is going to get personal about stuff like this it shows how much he mixes his business life with his personal life. The Mets organization will continue to suffer if he can’t seperate the two.
Hey Omar your friend Tony B got fired for not doing his job properly so get over it and stop taking it personal its business. If you don’t you might find your self standing on the curb next to that idiot and loud mouth Tony B. Oh and remember you brought him here so what does that say about you? OH! BURN! LOL!
Joe – How long is this soap opera going to drag on???
We are officially the LAUGHING STOCK of MLB!!!
Now we know that this crap got through to the ownership level. Fred and Saul are embarrassed as they rightfully should be. Jeff has lost his snitch Tony B and has now had to defend his clown Omar. Hopefully Daddy was calling for Omar’s head. Omar offically has a very big strike against him for attacking Rubin and embarrassing the organization. Bringing Tony B here in the first place and the conditon of the farm system must be a second strike. The performance of the team and Omar’s slow reaction to strengthen it during the injuries has got to be close to a third strike. The senior Wilpon’s are disappointed and displeased. Jeff is now on shaky ground. The net of all this: Omar is living on borrowed time. Any misstep here and color him gone. Unfortunately, the front office is in total disarray at the trade deadline. All the other GM’s will now be looking to rip off the Mets as Omar is under pressure to get something done. Doubtful there will be a trade, but if there is one look for it to be a bad one.
Yeah, maybe they’re cooking up another Kazmir for Zambrano blockbuster!!!!
Got, I Freekin’ hate this team anymore.