Stuff Jeff Wilpon worries about....

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I'm big into uniforms, so Uniwatch is a daily read. He's been interviewing Jerry Reuss, and here's a neat story about his time coaching in the Mets minor leagues...

W: That�s OK. Tell me a story.

JR: When I coached for the Mets in the minor leagues in 2004, we were having 12- and 13-hour days, with most of it on the field. And toward the end of spring training, there were some days that were pretty hot. So you�d come in after that, and one time Jeff Wilpon � the son of the owner � wanted to have a meeting with the minor league coaches about the pants length.

UW: I think the Mets at the time had a rule � and they may still have it � requiring all their minor league affiliates to go high-cuffed.

JR: Well, this was the rule they wanted. Pants were going to be worn just at the top of the calf. But after a couple of weeks there were a lot of complaints from players, as well as coaches, about the pant length. So Jeff came in and had a meeting with all the minor league coaches and coordinators. And we all sat at a table and had a 40-minute meeting on this.

UW: What were the complaints? Did people think the high cuffs were uncomfortable?

JR: Well, yes, they were uncomfortable. A lot of guys had big calves, and the elastic was uncomfortable for them, so they�d remove the elastic. So we discussed everything about this, and I thought, �Boy, I�ll never get these 40 minutes back.� Because I couldn�t believe after a 12-hour day that we were gonna have a meeting on the socks. But here�s how they made the final decision, you�re gonna love this. In the minor league conference room, there were posters � pictures of Mets in various poses on the field. And what Jeff did was look on the wall and say, �This is the way I�d like to see it, the way Jose Reyes wears it.� And at that time Reyes wore his cuffs over the calf. And then they went around the room and asked everyone�s opinion about it. A lot of guys said, �Whatever way you wanna wear �em is fine with me.� But then there were other guys who said it was too tight, or they couldn�t do this or that.

And then it was, �OK, you can wear �em a little lower,� but how much lower? And they found a picture of Al Leiter, who had his pants, oh, six inches above his shoe. [Frankly, I don't ever remember Leiter wearing his cuffs that high as a Met. -- PL] And it was, �What if we wore them like that?� and guys were saying that it was too low, we can�t do this, we can�t do that, it bothers my ankles, and on and on.

And finally the rule came down, and it was in capital letters. And after starting with the idea that the pants would be just above the calf, now they said it would be from just above the calf to six inches above the ankle. This is the Mets policy, this is final. Which means they didn�t really solve anything.

They only thing they didn�t want, and what they tried to prevent, was players who kept pushing their pants down to their shoes. There were cases � and this happened when was with the Cubs � of players getting longer pants, stretching them, and then wearing them over the back spike. Then they cut holes in the front of the pants and their their shoes through the hole, so the laces tied down the uniform pant. I�d never seen such a thing.


http://www.uniwatchblog.com/2010/09/17/uni-watch-profiles-jerry-reuss-part-2/

[metirish]

Ah , I guess I'm supposed to think that this incident is an example of how all Mets decisions are made. I mean they may well be for all I know.

[G-Fafif]

This is the Mets policy, this is final. Which means they didn�t really solve anything.

And if that doesn't say it all...

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'll be honest. If my daddy bought me the Mets, I can't imagine the early part of my tenure NOT being notable for forcing personnel to sit through annoying meetings on the length of pants and players' willingness to show the hose.

They'd want to string me up within weeks. Every time I walked on the field, "accidents" would happen.

[metirish]

I'd like him to haul Charlie Samuels rather large arse to a meeting and explain how he would like to see the Mets wear the blue caps more with the uni.

[Ceetar]

For many people it's baseball, we're fans. But for guys like Jeff this is business, and it's just like any other office. If you've worked in an office, you know meetings about stupid inane things are non uncommon.

[G-Fafif]

Edgy DC wrote: show the hose..

This sounds like a variation on Man Up. Don't yell it at Frankie Rodriguez unless you're willing to suffer the consequences.

[Ceetar]

G-Fafif wrote: Edgy DC wrote: show the hose.. This sounds like a variation on Man Up. Don't yell it at Frankie Rodriguez unless you're willing to suffer the consequences.

I heard Jeff's considering only free agents without mothers this year. This way crazy aggressive father in laws can't insult them.

[seawolf17]

My mom died in May. I'll take four years, $17 million.

[Ceetar]

seawolf17 wrote: My mom died in May. I'll take four years, $17 million.

You can play second on offdays.

[Frayed Knot]

Of course if this were about the Yanquis and detailing mandates on hair length, facial hair, pretending tattoos don't exist (until last year), where/how to stand during thrice-daily demonstrations of patriotism, or any one of a number of other examples of company policy, such stuff is offered as being crucial to leading to a professional and winning franchise.

[Fman99]

I'm showing the hose right now.

[dgwphotography]

metirish wrote: I'd like him to haul Charlie Samuels rather large arse to a meeting and explain how he would like to see the Mets wear the blue caps more with the uni.

I believe that if I was handed the Mets, my first meeting would be with Charlie Samuels, telling him that if I see a stitch of black being worn, he's fired.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"Now with FIVE TIMES the Mercury Mets!"

[ashie62]

Make the move to shorts.

[Centerfield]

Actually, I see nothing wrong with this. This is a guy who cares about his brand image...and uniforms are part of that. He listened to the complaints of the players, then compromised and gave the guys a range in which it could be worn.

Am I missing something?

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: Actually, I see nothing wrong with this. This is a guy who cares about his brand image...and uniforms are part of that. He listened to the complaints of the players, then compromised and gave the guys a range in which it could be worn. Am I missing something?

George Steinbrenner (MAY HE RIP!!!!!!) would never have had such a meeting.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Centerfield wrote: Actually, I see nothing wrong with this. This is a guy who cares about his brand image...and uniforms are part of that. He listened to the complaints of the players, then compromised and gave the guys a range in which it could be worn. Am I missing something?

I agree. But coming from Reuss's point-of-view, the issue is likely calling them in after a 12-hour workday, when he probably didn't and doesn't give a shit one way or the other.

Just an interesting uni-related tale after the uni-watch guy challenged him to tell a story.

[MFS62]

Speaking of unis, on WCBS radio the other night, during the sports update, the announcer said "The Mets are leading (I forget the score). But they're going to win, because they are wearing their real, pinstripe, uniforms tonight."
That's the kind of guy I want reporting my scores from now on.
Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Someone with no grasp of reality?

[ashie62]

On a lighter note George Brett shits his pants, really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMBbmCVl1Jo

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He also worries about revenge. And he lets people hear it, too.

[MFS62]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: He also worries about revenge. And he lets people hear it, too.

Where was that cretinous pipsqueak when Piazza got beaned?
Jeff reminds me of the kind of guy who would sneak out the back door (or into the ladies' room) during a bar fight.

Later

[Ceetar]

I really don't get it in this case, we get a walkoff win AND a free baserunner the next day and he's complaining?

[bmfc1]

Isn't it the manager's job to vent on matters of this sort? Jeff W. should have said something to Terry ("why didn't you order someone to retaliate?") rather than going around him to the players.

[Frayed Knot]

"Isn't it the manager's job to vent on matters of this sort?" -- Yes

"Jeff W. should have said something to Terry ("why didn't you order someone to retaliate?") rather than going around him to the players." -- Or, better yet, said nothing at all.

[Guest Edgy DC]

MFS62 wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: He also worries about revenge. And he lets people hear it, too. Where was that cretinous pipsqueak when Piazza got beaned? Jeff reminds me of the kind of guy who would sneak out the back door (or into the ladies' room) during a bar fight. Later

Jeff Wilpon wasn't the COO of the Mets when Piazza was beaned by Clemens.

[ashie62]

Sterling Braintrust..Marvin Tepper Tax Atty.at the bottom is classic.

http://www.sterlingequities.com/about/leadership.php

[ashie62]

Edgy DC wrote: MFS62 wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: He also worries about revenge. And he lets people hear it, too. Where was that cretinous pipsqueak when Piazza got beaned? Jeff reminds me of the kind of guy who would sneak out the back door (or into the ladies' room) during a bar fight. Later Jeff Wilpon wasn't the COO of the Mets when Piazza was beaned by Clemens.

Fred Wilpon would be the COO du' jour.

[MFS62]

Ok, not in an executive capacity. But still, his dad owned the team.
Later