A Boy Named Seo

Peeps at work are talking about it. I wanna have a look. Not sure why the alien's face is blurred out in the trailer, but I saw it somewhere else and it looked really cool. Peter Jackson (LoTR) is behind it all.

Meg Griffin, jock on "the Loft" on XM Radio. I wish I was paying closer attention, but I heard her mention her beloved New York Mets the other day on air, and that was OK by me. Meg, welcome.

="G-Fafif":23zwqnu6]Watching Bobby Parnell in 39 immediately takes me back to watching Gary Gentry in 39 (skipping everybody in between). It feels good to watch one young hard-throwing righty morph into another young hard-throwing righty of similar build in the mind. Now and again I'll see 12 on Francoeur and for a brief instant be transported back, for better or worse, to Dunston, to Kent, to Boswell. I get a kick out of that. It's the connective tissue of team history and fan memory at work. But I absolutely cannot imagine watching anyone ever again wearing 31 and not thinking anything but "how did they not retire that for Mike Piazza?" Seeing it on Mike obliterated every image of Franco, of Berenyi, of Parker, you name them. For almost eight seasons, I looked at 31 and saw nobody else. Some guys and some numbers just belong together into Met eternity.[/quote:23zwqnu6] Well put. I know most won't care about this, but when the great Patrick Viera left Arsenal, they gave his #4 to the young kid Cesc Fabregas, and when Thierry Henry, the greatest scorer in team history, was sold to Barcelona, Theo Walcott took it over. No mothbolling. No retirement. But a lineage. JCL's said as much on MBTN. Love Mike, but that's what I'm for. Fman99 Aug 17 2009 06:32 AM ="A Boy Named Seo":3bdsfh1x]="G-Fafif":3bdsfh1x]Watching Bobby Parnell in 39 immediately takes me back to watching Gary Gentry in 39 (skipping everybody in between). It feels good to watch one young hard-throwing righty morph into another young hard-throwing righty of similar build in the mind. Now and again I'll see 12 on Francoeur and for a brief instant be transported back, for better or worse, to Dunston, to Kent, to Boswell. I get a kick out of that. It's the connective tissue of team history and fan memory at work. But I absolutely cannot imagine watching anyone ever again wearing 31 and not thinking anything but "how did they not retire that for Mike Piazza?" Seeing it on Mike obliterated every image of Franco, of Berenyi, of Parker, you name them. For almost eight seasons, I looked at 31 and saw nobody else. Some guys and some numbers just belong together into Met eternity.[/quote:3bdsfh1x] Well put. I know most won't care about this, but when the great Patrick Viera left Arsenal, they gave his #4 to the young kid Cesc Fabregas, and when Thierry Henry, the greatest scorer in team history, was sold to Barcelona, Theo Walcott took it over. No mothbolling. No retirement. But a lineage. JCL's said as much on MBTN. Love Mike, but that's what I'm for.[/quote:3bdsfh1x] ABNS:soccer::SJR:Yankees metirish Aug 17 2009 08:40 AM I think one big difference with soccer is that there is no real history of retiring player numbers , maybe because until recently numbers went with the standard 1 to 11 for the starting team. Certain numbers carry a certain history and legend with them....number 7 at Man Utd ....Best , Robson , Cantona and Ronaldo......Viera to Fabregas could be seen as " this is the successor" to Viera......

That thing doesn't look all the more ridiculous than the two-tone Cool-Flo things they're wearing now.

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl, um, doesn't. The lovely Zooey Deschanel stars with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this comedy about a one-way love story. Cool music. The movie has its moments.

="Edgy DC":3azxkkb4]As Ollie struggles to get out of a two-on, one-out jam, I notice the Weather Channel is listing gametime temp as 105. The roof is closed, I presume.[/quote:3azxkkb4] 602-379-ROOF LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 12 2009 02:28 PM ="Edgy DC"]As Ollie struggles to get out of a two-on, one-out jam, I notice the Weather Channel is listing gametime temp as 105. The roof is closed, I presume. Should make it easier to stay on. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 12 2009 02:36 PM Getting away with walking the leadoff batter only lasts for so long. Who'dve thunk it? Frayed Knot Aug 12 2009 02:39 PM Good block of the plate by Santos yields a questionable out call. MFS62 Aug 12 2009 02:42 PM Ollie is going to give me an ulcer. Later Valadius Aug 12 2009 02:43 PM Ollie is going to give me brain damage. Frayed Knot Aug 12 2009 03:07 PM The good news, still only 1 run off Ollie thru 4. Bad news: runners all over the place on 90+ pitches and 5 walks. Oh yeah, and we're getting shut out again. MFS62 Aug 12 2009 03:14 PM Oeltjen is the evil spawn of a rabid kangaroo and an emu. Later Frayed Knot Aug 12 2009 03:14 PM Mets finally hit something the Arizona OF can't come up with as Sullivan nails a 2-out triple. Benjamin Grimm Aug 12 2009 03:14 PM Two-out triple from Cory Sullivan. metsguyinmichigan Aug 12 2009 03:19 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]="Edgy DC"]As Ollie struggles to get out of a two-on, one-out jam, I notice the Weather Channel is listing gametime temp as 105. The roof is closed, I presume. Should make it easier to stay on. It's freaking amazing that he survived that walk. Incomphrensible, even today. Frayed Knot Aug 12 2009 03:21 PM It would be very impossible today. See the documentary - there's a discussion of it in the Film forum. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 12 2009 03:30 PM Ollie: 6 hits (4 for xtra bases), 6 walks in 5 innings ... and only 1 run. Get off my mound. Valadius Aug 12 2009 04:06 PM How in the hell did the Mets score three runs? See, this is what it's come to - I'm questioning my team when THEY score runs. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 12 2009 04:29 PM Santos takes a hell of hit... to no avail. We're not even taking those games that Fate lists in our direction. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 12 2009 04:41 PM LUIS! HOTLINE! FRISSSSKY! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 12 2009 04:59 PM Intentionally walking Francoeur? Regardless of result, it looks and feels unnatural, like when they overfeed those geese for foix gras. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 12 2009 05:05 PM Productive strikeout from Tatis! (Or, rather, shitty blocking job from defensive sub Montero.) Bring on the Frankie. Edgy DC Aug 12 2009 05:33 PM Hey, we won! I'm on a winning streak. Farmer Ted Aug 12 2009 05:40 PM Jon Rauch is a large human being. One that could do damage if you get in front of him.

Yah, I've long thought Bill Hall could be useful. He plays a bunch of positions (even a little 2B back in the day, as I recall). I'd totally take a shot on him.

I just called the Roof hotline. That shit was last updated on 7/29. Hotline, my sweet ass.

What an odd name. Good luck, Cam.

How strange.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Snoozeday's David Lennon seems to think Omar was on script, and that the Mets typically miscalculated how it would play. ]Adam Rubin vs. Omar Minaya: What happens now? 39 m ago By David Lennon So what happens now? How do the Mets start picking up the pieces after yesterday�s news conference went nuclear? And what effect will Omar Minaya�s bizarre accusations ultimately have on the careers of both him and Adam Rubin? I�ve covered baseball in New York since 1995, both the Yankees and Mets, and I�ve never been part of a news conference like that before. That was an all-timer. In terms of a media circus, that probably surpassed the infamous �Valentine-Stoner� event from 2003, after Newsday�s own report about recreational drug use on the Mets. To sum it up, Valentine acted as if he were batting while high, as both Wilpons and GM Steve Phillips watched in horror. Valentine was fired at the end of that season, more for the team�s woeful performance than his behavior at that news conference, as Phillips won that battle of wills. In this case, yesterday�s attack on Rubin is not going to cost Minaya his job. Not immediately anyway. And here�s why: I don�t believe COO Jeff Wilpon was upset with Minaya for what he said yesterday and I don�t believe that was a spontaneous assault on Rubin. The Mets� decision-makers certainly huddled at length before Minaya sat behind the microphone yesterday and rarely do team officials veer off the script. The GM also walked in that room with a full page of notes, so there were definitely items to cross off his agenda. It wouldn�t surprise me at all if Rubin was among those items. It�s never fun for a reporter to become the story, as Rubin was yesterday. As much as people might think it�s great to get that kind of attention, or that beat writers crave to be in the middle of that spotlight, that�s not really the case. Once we become the story, and have a personal stake in the outcome, it�s very difficult to do the job. We�re supposed to report on such conflicts, and when we become targets, it�s hard to defend yourself and also report objectively on people trying to damage our reputations. So why did Minaya take that shot at Rubin? Clearly, the GM was angry he had to fire a friend in Tony Bernazard, and Jeff Wilpon also was not thrilled by it. Both were close to Bernazard � they each admitted as much yesterday � and I think Minaya�s attack on Rubin was meant as revenge, plain and simple. Obviously, it was a blockhead move, but Minaya only half-apologized. He did not regret what he said about Rubin � only that he said it during the news conference. But again, I believe that was part of the plan. The Mets probably didn�t realize how bad it would come off � and it made them look ridiculous, broadcast live, on their own TV network. After getting battered in the media for a couple of hours, Minaya appeared with Wilpon in the back of the press box for yet another briefing, this time for the half-hearted apology. It was more spin, with Wilpon going as far to say that Rubin did ask him for career advice, adding that there is nothing wrong with that. In doing so, however, Wilpon actually pulled more at the threads that Rubin had provided earlier during his own news conference, when he talked about trying to gather information about getting into the baseball business on the development level. These things usually blow over in time, but yesterday was a fascinating � if extremely awkward � meltdown on a very public stage. Even in New York, that doesn�t happen very often. Sitting in that room yesterday, I can say the media members were stunned. It was a bona fide �Can you believe this is really happening?� moment. For the Mets� sake, they better hope there�s not any more this season. I don't remember that Valentine press conference. Any of you guys?

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":3a9bdag5]Was away from internet/TV most of the day... just caught the replay. Just plain shocking, really.[/quote:3a9bdag5] I'm always 3 hours behind you dudes and feel like I'm always late to the party, but yup, this is how I felt, too. Mex17 Jul 28 2009 04:03 AM ="Gwreck":1f4illk3]Yeah, he's gotta be fired. He either went off script on his own (totally moronic) or this was a planned attack by the Mets PR department (chances of this being the case currently estimated at .0000001%).[/quote:1f4illk3] I'd move that decimal point several increments to the right if I were you. And change "PR department" to "son of the owner". Frayed Knot Jul 28 2009 06:52 AM And you think Jeff Wilpon orchestrated this because there's actually evidence that points to it or because heaping all the blame on the owner's son is fun and easy? duan Jul 28 2009 06:59 AM listen in the meeja there's no shortage of axes being grinded. However, for Omar to suggest that Rubin was doing this as some way of getting back at the mets front office (Omar & Bernarzard) for not giving him a job he'd have to prove to me that the stories were untrue. Nobody seems to be suggesting that. Therefore, Rubin has decent sources who gave him a good (true) story that you didn't like him printing Omar. He can't be strung up for that. I don't know about firing Omar, but he's certainly on thin ice. RealityChuck Jul 28 2009 07:00 AM Yes, because we all know that the ability to build a team is far less important than avoiding saying something stupid at press conferences. We need to replace Omar with someone like Ari Fleischer. That way, we won't have to worry about angering the press and can concentrate on them, not player acquisition and development, which are only a minor part of the General Manager's role. metirish Jul 28 2009 07:15 AM I have no knowledge how these work but would the Mets PR department "coach" Minaya before a press conference?. Obviously the PR people would not have known(I hope) that Minaya was going to turn pear shaped during the conference but would they then not jump in to save the situation? Having asked all that the Mets PR department might need an overhaul. duan Jul 28 2009 07:29 AM that's why I don't necessarily think he should be fired. However, judgement is judgement and if he's capable of making such an appalling lapse of judgement in getting into his personal beef with Adam Rubin on the stage I'd question his capacity to make judgements that are way more important, y'know like who to sign to 4 year 36 million dollar contracts. duan Jul 28 2009 07:38 AM they absolutely should. He should have had a strict brief and then a list of questions which might be asked. Those questions would probably have been - Was Tony a dick? (he answered that by saying people have to work with people they don't like) Did it hurt to fire someone he hired? It always does, but baseball's a tough business Would you have fired him if this stuff hadn't come out in the media ? (this is the toughie). Listen, all organisations are constantly reviewing their operations on an ongoing basis, we all operate on the information available to us, and sometimes that doesn't flow up as seemlessly as it might - that's nobodies fault it's just human nature. We'd had some preliminary discussions about whether or not Tony's style of management was the way we wanted to continue in our player development field, but there's no doubt that when Adam Rubin published those pieces our discussions got accelerated. To some degree I blame the media for this - not for Tony's actions - but for the way the matter has had to be dealt with publicly. In an ideal world myself and the Wilpons would have had time to sit down with Tony and review the progress of the whole situation and discuss whether or not we felt the organisation was thriving as it should, we would have come up with the same answer, but it wouldn't have been as difficult for us. But the reality is we live and work in a tough uncompromising environment, baseball in New York and when we've got the expectations of such a wonderful bunch of fans in our hands it's understandable that people try and paint the biggest picture. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 07:38 AM I don't think an Ari Fleischer should replace Minaya as GM, but it might be best if one conducted most of the press conferences. As for his current thin ice, it'd thicken a little if he made some amends. Frayed Knot Jul 28 2009 07:45 AM ="duan":34nzkxyu]listen in the meeja there's no shortage of axes being grinded. However, for Omar to suggest that Rubin was doing this as some way of getting back at the mets front office (Omar & Bernarzard) for not giving him a job he'd have to prove to me that the stories were untrue. Nobody seems to be suggesting that. Therefore, Rubin has decent sources who gave him a good (true) story that you didn't like him printing Omar. He can't be strung up for that. [/quote:34nzkxyu] I don't think Omar was implying Rubin did this to "get back" at anyone. I think the thought process was more along the lines of finding a way to explain the delay in making the decision on TB. IOW: - team knows Tony is abrasive and un-liked in circles but he's "our asshole" and therefore useful as long he doesn't go too far over the line - Rubin & NYDN print articles saying things ARE out of hand and now it's a public embarrassment - Mets want to make it look like they've not been totally clueless and only reacting to the articles so Omar partially explains the time-lag with the 'we had to consider the source' angle which, as it usually does when we try to do something purely for public relations reasons, makes the pr worse off than had you not tried it at all. Stupid? -- Yes Fireable? -- Not on its own I suspect. If his rep within the org was dimming anyway this could be a 'last straw' kind of thing but reports on that are conflicting. metsmarathon Jul 28 2009 07:53 AM y'know, i may be an unabashed kool-aid drinker, but i think i can understand what omar was trying to say there in that debacle of a press conference, and i don't find too much fault with it. basically, his point was that, as part of a thorough investigation, they should at least consider the possibility that the primary messenger might have an ulterior motive. and considering that possibility (and presumably dismissing it as a course of the investigation) is not necessarily the same as accusing adam rubin of torpedoing tony bernazard, so much as it is covering all the bases. ideally, having brought it up in the press conference, omar's next statement should've been, that, though they felt they needed to consider that possibility, there was no factual basis for any such suspicions, and that adam reported the stories accurately and fairly. i guess more ideally, it should never have been mentioned in the first place, unless specifically inquired about by another news organization. so i don;t entirely think that having mentioned that they had to consider adam rubin's potential lack of objectivity in reporting on tony bernazard's actions should be a disgraceful, shameful, and unprofessional act, it was wholly unnecessary. and certainly embarrassing in the way it was actually done, and responded to, and responded to again and again and again. why the mets can't just send out a press release to announce the firing of a guy in the organization whose actual job duties, and how those duties translate to on-the-field success, the average fan doesnt really have an adequate grasp of, i just can't fathom. fire the guy quietly, send out a paragraph, and be done with it. do they need a friggin press conference when they take a dump, too? sheesh! firing omar over this would be an example of making the right decision for the wrong reason. you don;'t fire a gm because he made a boob of himself by butchering a press conference. you do it because he makes bad moves, signing hte wrong guys to the wrong contracts. firing him over this implies that part of what they cae about for the next guy is how he conducts himself in front of hte media. and really, i don't give a rats ass about that. give me a guy who knows how to sign the right players to the right contracts, and i'll be stinkin' thrilled. Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 07:54 AM You Tube has pulled the press conference video. It will take an insane run by the Mets to get in the playoffs. The firing is part of what will the happy recap of insanity. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 28 2009 07:55 AM Snoozeday's David Lennon seems to think Omar was on script, and that the Mets typically miscalculated how it would play. ]Adam Rubin vs. Omar Minaya: What happens now? 39 m ago By David Lennon So what happens now? How do the Mets start picking up the pieces after yesterday�s news conference went nuclear? And what effect will Omar Minaya�s bizarre accusations ultimately have on the careers of both him and Adam Rubin? I�ve covered baseball in New York since 1995, both the Yankees and Mets, and I�ve never been part of a news conference like that before. That was an all-timer. In terms of a media circus, that probably surpassed the infamous �Valentine-Stoner� event from 2003, after Newsday�s own report about recreational drug use on the Mets. To sum it up, Valentine acted as if he were batting while high, as both Wilpons and GM Steve Phillips watched in horror. Valentine was fired at the end of that season, more for the team�s woeful performance than his behavior at that news conference, as Phillips won that battle of wills. In this case, yesterday�s attack on Rubin is not going to cost Minaya his job. Not immediately anyway. And here�s why: I don�t believe COO Jeff Wilpon was upset with Minaya for what he said yesterday and I don�t believe that was a spontaneous assault on Rubin. The Mets� decision-makers certainly huddled at length before Minaya sat behind the microphone yesterday and rarely do team officials veer off the script. The GM also walked in that room with a full page of notes, so there were definitely items to cross off his agenda. It wouldn�t surprise me at all if Rubin was among those items. It�s never fun for a reporter to become the story, as Rubin was yesterday. As much as people might think it�s great to get that kind of attention, or that beat writers crave to be in the middle of that spotlight, that�s not really the case. Once we become the story, and have a personal stake in the outcome, it�s very difficult to do the job. We�re supposed to report on such conflicts, and when we become targets, it�s hard to defend yourself and also report objectively on people trying to damage our reputations. So why did Minaya take that shot at Rubin? Clearly, the GM was angry he had to fire a friend in Tony Bernazard, and Jeff Wilpon also was not thrilled by it. Both were close to Bernazard � they each admitted as much yesterday � and I think Minaya�s attack on Rubin was meant as revenge, plain and simple. Obviously, it was a blockhead move, but Minaya only half-apologized. He did not regret what he said about Rubin � only that he said it during the news conference. But again, I believe that was part of the plan. The Mets probably didn�t realize how bad it would come off � and it made them look ridiculous, broadcast live, on their own TV network. After getting battered in the media for a couple of hours, Minaya appeared with Wilpon in the back of the press box for yet another briefing, this time for the half-hearted apology. It was more spin, with Wilpon going as far to say that Rubin did ask him for career advice, adding that there is nothing wrong with that. In doing so, however, Wilpon actually pulled more at the threads that Rubin had provided earlier during his own news conference, when he talked about trying to gather information about getting into the baseball business on the development level. These things usually blow over in time, but yesterday was a fascinating � if extremely awkward � meltdown on a very public stage. Even in New York, that doesn�t happen very often. Sitting in that room yesterday, I can say the media members were stunned. It was a bona fide �Can you believe this is really happening?� moment. For the Mets� sake, they better hope there�s not any more this season. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 08:01 AM ]�Can you believe this is really happening?� moment. As in, Can you believe the story we're getting out of this? Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 08:07 AM ="Edgy DC"]]�Can you believe this is really happening?� moment. As in, Can you believe the story we're getting out of this? Really..What a pissing contest..."Take that Rubin ya basterd, I had sex with your mother last night!" Omar, whispers Jeff, "his mother is dead" Only in NY and again, fear and consumption drive all media Nymr83 Jul 28 2009 08:20 AM ="Edgy DC":2oqf2z4n]I don't think an Ari Fleischer should replace Minaya as GM, but it might be best if one conducted most of the press conferences. [/quote:2oqf2z4n] We have one, his name is Jay Horowitz and he does just fine infront of the media. Maybe he should be in charge of all press conferences? Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 08:21 AM ="Nymr83":2m5n4mhf]="Edgy DC":2m5n4mhf]I don't think an Ari Fleischer should replace Minaya as GM, but it might be best if one conducted most of the press conferences. [/quote:2m5n4mhf] We have one, his name is Jay Horowitz and he does just fine infront of the media. Maybe he should be in charge of all press conferences?[/quote:2m5n4mhf] Perfect PiggiesTomatoes Jul 28 2009 08:40 AM Why was there even a press conference? Your player development guy gets canned. One or two paragraph press release and move on. The ultimate decision to have the press conference would have rested with sonny boy. Whether Omar went rogue with his comments or the organization miscalculated the response to rediculous statements by the GM, it never should have happened. That rests with Jeff. BTW...other than working for his dad, what has Jeff Wilpon ever done or run to warrant having such a role in a nearly billion dollar endeavor? Not that it's the bee all and end all but any formal schooling beyond high school? Any tangible business experience before being handed these responsibilities? That's where the problem is. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 08:51 AM ="PiggiesTomatoes":nxv6ctzt]The ultimate decision to have the press conference would have rested with sonny boy.[/quote:nxv6ctzt] I wouldn't conclude that. Fman99 Jul 28 2009 08:58 AM ="PiggiesTomatoes":3a8q8lm6]Why was there even a press conference? Your player development guy gets canned. One or two paragraph press release and move on. The ultimate decision to have the press conference would have rested with sonny boy. Whether Omar went rogue with his comments or the organization miscalculated the response to rediculous statements by the GM, it never should have happened. That rests with Jeff. [/quote:3a8q8lm6] It's a good question, though. One that I was wondering about. Why not just issue a press release? Given Tony B's recent escapades, they could've issued a one paragraph blurb and they wouldn't have been met with more than a bunch of "yup's" and head nodding. Why even have the press conference, unless someone had it in mind to get into this Rubin thing? duan Jul 28 2009 09:04 AM the press conference was definitely intended to clear the air and explain why they took a few weeks to deal with this. It was supposed to be a "Look we're open and transparent" (although they've actually no need to be really). The stuff that's stupidest about the Rubin thing is the CLEAR implication of it was that if had been (say) BEN SHPIGEL from the NY Times that made the allegations it wouldn't have taken them so long to deem them true and therefore they'd have sacked him quicker. That's the biggest insult to the journalist right there. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 09:28 AM I'm not sure there was anything clear in Omar's constructions. A Boy Named Seo Jul 28 2009 09:47 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Snoozeday's David Lennon seems to think Omar was on script, and that the Mets typically miscalculated how it would play. ]Adam Rubin vs. Omar Minaya: What happens now? 39 m ago By David Lennon So what happens now? How do the Mets start picking up the pieces after yesterday�s news conference went nuclear? And what effect will Omar Minaya�s bizarre accusations ultimately have on the careers of both him and Adam Rubin? I�ve covered baseball in New York since 1995, both the Yankees and Mets, and I�ve never been part of a news conference like that before. That was an all-timer. In terms of a media circus, that probably surpassed the infamous �Valentine-Stoner� event from 2003, after Newsday�s own report about recreational drug use on the Mets. To sum it up, Valentine acted as if he were batting while high, as both Wilpons and GM Steve Phillips watched in horror. Valentine was fired at the end of that season, more for the team�s woeful performance than his behavior at that news conference, as Phillips won that battle of wills. In this case, yesterday�s attack on Rubin is not going to cost Minaya his job. Not immediately anyway. And here�s why: I don�t believe COO Jeff Wilpon was upset with Minaya for what he said yesterday and I don�t believe that was a spontaneous assault on Rubin. The Mets� decision-makers certainly huddled at length before Minaya sat behind the microphone yesterday and rarely do team officials veer off the script. The GM also walked in that room with a full page of notes, so there were definitely items to cross off his agenda. It wouldn�t surprise me at all if Rubin was among those items. It�s never fun for a reporter to become the story, as Rubin was yesterday. As much as people might think it�s great to get that kind of attention, or that beat writers crave to be in the middle of that spotlight, that�s not really the case. Once we become the story, and have a personal stake in the outcome, it�s very difficult to do the job. We�re supposed to report on such conflicts, and when we become targets, it�s hard to defend yourself and also report objectively on people trying to damage our reputations. So why did Minaya take that shot at Rubin? Clearly, the GM was angry he had to fire a friend in Tony Bernazard, and Jeff Wilpon also was not thrilled by it. Both were close to Bernazard � they each admitted as much yesterday � and I think Minaya�s attack on Rubin was meant as revenge, plain and simple. Obviously, it was a blockhead move, but Minaya only half-apologized. He did not regret what he said about Rubin � only that he said it during the news conference. But again, I believe that was part of the plan. The Mets probably didn�t realize how bad it would come off � and it made them look ridiculous, broadcast live, on their own TV network. After getting battered in the media for a couple of hours, Minaya appeared with Wilpon in the back of the press box for yet another briefing, this time for the half-hearted apology. It was more spin, with Wilpon going as far to say that Rubin did ask him for career advice, adding that there is nothing wrong with that. In doing so, however, Wilpon actually pulled more at the threads that Rubin had provided earlier during his own news conference, when he talked about trying to gather information about getting into the baseball business on the development level. These things usually blow over in time, but yesterday was a fascinating � if extremely awkward � meltdown on a very public stage. Even in New York, that doesn�t happen very often. Sitting in that room yesterday, I can say the media members were stunned. It was a bona fide �Can you believe this is really happening?� moment. For the Mets� sake, they better hope there�s not any more this season. I don't remember that Valentine press conference. Any of you guys? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 28 2009 09:54 AM Oh I remember. I didn't think it was that bad, it was that Phillips and the Wilpons looked embarrassed when it happened was all. duan Jul 28 2009 10:03 AM ="Edgy DC":304opwj9]I'm not sure there was anything clear in Omar's constructions.[/quote:304opwj9] not in his bumbling sentences, but to me it was clear what he meant by "who's writing these reports" god listening to it again it's just horrible. metirish Jul 28 2009 10:09 AM ="A Boy Named Seo"]="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Snoozeday's David Lennon seems to think Omar was on script, and that the Mets typically miscalculated how it would play. ]Adam Rubin vs. Omar Minaya: What happens now? 39 m ago By David Lennon So what happens now? How do the Mets start picking up the pieces after yesterday�s news conference went nuclear? And what effect will Omar Minaya�s bizarre accusations ultimately have on the careers of both him and Adam Rubin? I�ve covered baseball in New York since 1995, both the Yankees and Mets, and I�ve never been part of a news conference like that before. That was an all-timer. In terms of a media circus, that probably surpassed the infamous �Valentine-Stoner� event from 2003, after Newsday�s own report about recreational drug use on the Mets. To sum it up, Valentine acted as if he were batting while high, as both Wilpons and GM Steve Phillips watched in horror. Valentine was fired at the end of that season, more for the team�s woeful performance than his behavior at that news conference, as Phillips won that battle of wills. In this case, yesterday�s attack on Rubin is not going to cost Minaya his job. Not immediately anyway. And here�s why: I don�t believe COO Jeff Wilpon was upset with Minaya for what he said yesterday and I don�t believe that was a spontaneous assault on Rubin. The Mets� decision-makers certainly huddled at length before Minaya sat behind the microphone yesterday and rarely do team officials veer off the script. The GM also walked in that room with a full page of notes, so there were definitely items to cross off his agenda. It wouldn�t surprise me at all if Rubin was among those items. It�s never fun for a reporter to become the story, as Rubin was yesterday. As much as people might think it�s great to get that kind of attention, or that beat writers crave to be in the middle of that spotlight, that�s not really the case. Once we become the story, and have a personal stake in the outcome, it�s very difficult to do the job. We�re supposed to report on such conflicts, and when we become targets, it�s hard to defend yourself and also report objectively on people trying to damage our reputations. So why did Minaya take that shot at Rubin? Clearly, the GM was angry he had to fire a friend in Tony Bernazard, and Jeff Wilpon also was not thrilled by it. Both were close to Bernazard � they each admitted as much yesterday � and I think Minaya�s attack on Rubin was meant as revenge, plain and simple. Obviously, it was a blockhead move, but Minaya only half-apologized. He did not regret what he said about Rubin � only that he said it during the news conference. But again, I believe that was part of the plan. The Mets probably didn�t realize how bad it would come off � and it made them look ridiculous, broadcast live, on their own TV network. After getting battered in the media for a couple of hours, Minaya appeared with Wilpon in the back of the press box for yet another briefing, this time for the half-hearted apology. It was more spin, with Wilpon going as far to say that Rubin did ask him for career advice, adding that there is nothing wrong with that. In doing so, however, Wilpon actually pulled more at the threads that Rubin had provided earlier during his own news conference, when he talked about trying to gather information about getting into the baseball business on the development level. These things usually blow over in time, but yesterday was a fascinating � if extremely awkward � meltdown on a very public stage. Even in New York, that doesn�t happen very often. Sitting in that room yesterday, I can say the media members were stunned. It was a bona fide �Can you believe this is really happening?� moment. For the Mets� sake, they better hope there�s not any more this season. I don't remember that Valentine press conference. Any of you guys? It was classic Bobby , up at the podium head shaking , eyes wide open ,arms flailing about imitating a stoned player trying to get in the hitters box and hit. It was the Grant Roberts incident that brought it on IIRC Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 10:15 AM ="duan":2hggzf4z]="Edgy DC":2hggzf4z]I'm not sure there was anything clear in Omar's constructions.[/quote:2hggzf4z] not in his bumbling sentences, but to me it was clear what he meant by "who's writing these reports" god listening to it again it's just horrible.[/quote:2hggzf4z] Yeah, but marathon has a valid alternative motivation to character assasination here, and that's that "this is one of the things we needed to check out." His bumbling attempt to bring Rubin into it was lame, but I'm not sure how to infer a clear meaning that the Times reporter never would have come up. It does seem like Omar is immediately backpedaling as soon as he's challenged. I agree that (1) they should have written a press release, (2) Rubin's name should never have come up, and (3) most press conferences should be handled by a spokesperson. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 28 2009 11:29 AM ="Frayed Knot"]And you think Jeff Wilpon orchestrated this because there's actually evidence that points to it or because heaping all the blame on the owner's son is fun and easy? In the humble opinion of my lone recent Mets connection (ex-Media Relations middle-management), on the off-off-off-off-chance that this was a calculated (if not well-calculated) move from above, it's Jeff. Of the two, Jeff's far more likely to hold a grudge. Just watched another clip. As G-FAFIF points out in today's post, the garbled-talking-points-like repeated use of "lobby" is disturbing. It's difficult to watch in a few dozen ways. metsguyinmichigan Jul 28 2009 11:41 AM ="Edgy DC":4j6lyoh5][ (3) most press conferences should be handled by a spokesperson.[/quote:4j6lyoh5] Hell no!!! You, as a fan -- and me as a reporter -- don't want to hear from Jay Horowitz in something like that. You want the spokesman to give you the stat sheet you're looking for and the game notes from last week that you can't find, or to call the Cyclones manager to set up the interview you want to do later. But you ALWAYS want to hear directly from the people in the leadership positions in a situation such as this. Doesn't mean the spokesman can't coach the snot out of the decision-maker before he goes before the cameras. But you want someone there who can answer the questions, not someone who can say, "I'll have to talk to Omar and get back to you on that point." I deal with this kind of thing a lot. You can't let them hide behind the mouthpiece. metsguyinmichigan Jul 28 2009 11:49 AM Chass says better what I was trying to say yesterday ... which is why he's at the New York Times and I'm ...... ANOTHER CONFLICT FOR THE METS � SOMEONE ELSE�S By Murray Chass July 28, 2009 The newspaper industry is dying quickly; we all know and acknowledge that. But can�t it at least die with dignity? Of course, to die with dignity you have to have lived with dignity, and not all newspapers and reporters have done that. Many certainly have acted with an absence of professionalism. Believe it or not, these thoughts in my head stem from baseball. As bad as things have gone for the Mets this season, with more injuries than a rehab center and fewer hits than Tiny Tim, they got worse on Monday. The Mets fired Tony Bernazard as their executive in charge of player development and bungled their way through a related episode. General manager Omar Minaya raised a serious, relevant issue involving a reporter for the New York Daily News at the Bernazard news conference, then reconvened reporters in the rear of the CitiField press box and apologized for bringing up the issue in the context in which he did. He was right in the first instance, wrong in the second. But in the second instance, Minaya was accompanied by Jeff Wilpon, the owner�s son and chief operating officer, which helped explain his turnabout. The Mets obviously concluded that Bernazard�s bad acts, among them challenging minor league players to a fight and screaming at the Mets� superstar closer on the team bus, compelled them to jettison the former second baseman. Minaya, following an in-house investigation, made the decision and passed on his recommendation to the Wilpons, who agreed. What Minaya didn�t mention to the Wilpons, though - and this was his mistake - was that he planned to bring up a related issue at the news conference. Adam Rubin, the Daily News reporter, who wrote the Bernazard story last week, did not have completely clean hands in his report. At the news conference Minaya disclosed that in past years Rubin had lobbied him, Bernazard and others in the Mets� organization for a job in the player development department. �When the report came it was by Adam Rubin,� Minaya said. �I had to tell myself wow.� �Are you saying,� Minaya was asked, �when he wrote the stories you were suspicious about what he was trying to do?� �No,� Minaya replied, �I�m saying I had to scuffle a lot when I made the decision because I knew the person writing this has been lobbying myself and others in the organization for a position in player development.� �Coming from Adam Rubin,� Minaya added a minute later, �you have to understand that Adam for the last couple of years has lobbied for a player development position. He has lobbied myself, he has lobbied Tony. So when these things came up I had to think about it. I said we have to find out about this.� Minaya reached that conclusion even though he was aware of Rubin�s stated interest in player development. �When the stories came out,� Minaya said, �I had to look at the stories and say look, I know who�s writing the stories, but I owe it to the organization to make an even more thorough investigation and expedite the investigation.� The Mets� human resources department, the general manager said, had begun looking into Bernazard�s behavior even before the Daily News reports. In response to a question, Minaya said he had never come across this sort of scenario in any other organization he worked for. At one point, Rubin, who was at the news conference, asked, �Are you alleging that I tried to tear Tony down so I could take his job?� �No, I�m not saying that,� Minaya said. �All I�m saying is that in the past you have lobbied for a job. You have told people in the front office that you want to work in the front office.� �Over the years,� Minaya added, �he said he would like to work in the front office, in my front office, not only me but he has asked others.� Again Rubin asked if Minaya was saying that he had a �personal stake� in what he wrote about Bernazard, and Minaya said, �I am not suggesting that.� When the news conference ended, reporters surrounded Rubin, who suggested that perhaps Bernazard had given Minaya the idea to say what he had. Is Omar lying, I asked Rubin. Anybody who says he was asking for a job is lying, Rubin said. �The most forward I think I have ever been,� Rubin began, then stopped and began again, �There may be some e-mail somewhere that they dig up, but my intention was always how do you go about doing this? That was always my intention and nothing more than that.� Explaining his desire to find out about working in baseball, Rubin said, �The way newspapers are going we all need to look out for ourselves. I�m 35 years old. I�m thinking about the next 30 years of my life. I�ve asked in the past how do you get into that.� Rubin said he had asked people from all 30 teams how one gets into the baseball business, but someone who has covered baseball for more than five years, as Rubin has, should not have to ask how. It has all been there in front of him. Much of what Rubin said sounded like good old spin. The saddest thing he said was �There is no conflict of interest.� But of course there�s a conflict of interest. I�m not suggesting that Rubin wrote the stories to undermine Bernazard, but whatever his intention was in speaking to Mets� officials about working in baseball Rubin created a situation that raised questions about his motives. That�s certainly how Minaya saw it, and he was justified in thinking that way. Rubin was wrong for not understanding it. I sent an e-mail to Leon Carter, the Daily News sports editor, asking if he thought Rubin was guilty of a conflict of interest. He did not reply. Instead I received the newspaper�s statement from the editor-in-chief, Martin Dunn. �This was a well-reported, well-researched, exclusive story, and it�s a shame that the Mets deemed fit to cast aspersions on our reporter instead of dealing with the issues at hand. We stand by Adam 1,000%.� The Mets, of course, did deal with the issues at hand. They fired Bernazard. But the Daily News editor-in-chief did not deal with the conflict of interest so I sent another e-mail on the conflict question but got no further reply. In the meantime, Minaya and Jeff Wilpon came to the press box for news conference Part II. Minaya apologized not for what he said but for when he said it. �That was not a proper forum for me to raise those issues,� he said. I disagree. That was the absolutely right forum. When else? When no one was paying attention any longer? A few years ago I defended and supported Rubin when a few of his colleagues on the Mets� beat attacked him for what they considered a soft interview with Art Howe, the team�s manager whom the other writers didn�t like. They were wrong because it was a legitimate interview. In this instance, all of the other writers and columnists are virtually certain to side with Rubin against the Mets because the way most reporters think the writer is always right and the team wrong. In my view, though, Rubin was wrong because yes, Adam, it was a conflict of interest. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 11:52 AM As a reporter, you're right. You want the story. As a fan, I want the organziation I support to be representing itself with it's best face. And a guy who got his job by climbing up the talent evalutation ranks but seems indifferently educated outside of baseball may not be that guy. I've got a brilliant president here that we all respect, but we wince painfully when he goes off talking points. The man would have been smarter to keep suspicions about Rubin to himself and now the organziation has been ill-served. metirish Jul 28 2009 12:00 PM I do find it interesting to read what Chass and other journalists like PGIM have to say on this. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 12:03 PM Chass certainly makes Minaya's statements a lot clearer than they came out his mouth. Gwreck Jul 28 2009 12:10 PM They're also accepted as face-value true, which I found odd. metsguyinmichigan Jul 28 2009 12:18 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 28 2009 12:39 PM "I've got a brilliant president here that we all respect, but we wince painfully when he goes off talking points. " I understand your point. But we LIKE when they go off the talking points because you get a better picture of what a person -- politician or baseball executive -- is really like as opposed to how he's being packaged. Omar should have known better than to have brought Rubin into it, and it was unprofessional. And Rubin should have known better than to have entered the fray. I didn't have a problem with him asking Omar to clarify what he was actually trying to accuse him of, because goodness knows it was a jumbled mess. But when Rubin tossed out the "despicable" line, he crossed the line. And that's a shame, because I think he's the best Mets beat reporter our there. He can let his opinion people use that line instead. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 28 2009 12:33 PM ]Explaining his desire to find out about working in baseball, Rubin said, �The way newspapers are going we all need to look out for ourselves. I�m 35 years old. I�m thinking about the next 30 years of my life. I�ve asked in the past how do you get into that.� Kinda the dirty little secret of the sports press these days-- with major papers slouching toward obsolescence, EVERYONE who's at all savvy has to be asking themselves this, no? metirish Jul 28 2009 12:37 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 28 2009 12:43 PM I for one have lost respect for Rubin . I do dread a Jon Harper taking over the beat if it came to that, or a Bondy. I like Lennon more anyway but Newsday the paper is a mess to read and the website just as bad. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 28 2009 12:42 PM "Dig up an email" doesn't sound too good. Crazy for Omar to be trying to put 2 and 2 together but I suppose Rubin did open the door for this kind of speculation as off-base and poorly-timed as it was. Here's what Marty Noble told me about Jeff Wilpon by the way. "You don't have to be his friend but you wouldn't want to be his enemy." Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 12:45 PM How hot is that next chatroom going to get? Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 03:38 PM ESPN'S PTI Kornheiser-Minaya goes Wilbon-he stays bmfc1 Jul 28 2009 03:56 PM Tweets from CF say that Jeff Wilpon apologized on behalf of the organization. So that's 2X the Mets have convened the press to discuss what they said. Well done Mets! NYPost_MetsJeff Wilpon spoke to reporters again today to give yet another Omar Minaya confidence vote: "Omar is our GM. He's going to be our GM." Mex17 Jul 28 2009 04:13 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jul 28 2009 06:51 PM ="Edgy DC":2irgauv7]As a fan, I want the organziation I support to be representing itself with it's best face. And a guy who got his job by climbing up the talent evalutation ranks but seems indifferently educated outside of baseball may not be that guy. [/quote:2irgauv7] Both of the Boston assistants that I have been touting the past few days have Master's degrees. Just sayin. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 05:58 PM They may consider a press secretary job with the Mets --- greater team though they may be --- a step down. TheOldMole Jul 28 2009 07:40 PM Omar seems to fairly inept at firing people gracefully. This is not the worst flaw to have.

="metirish":2ws987f9]You gotta hold a press conference for that?, issue a press release and get it over with.[/quote:2ws987f9] Bingo bango. You should lobby Jeff for a job. Talk shit about peeps to get it, if you have to. Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 07:44 PM Bobby Valenitne has a GM/manager hybrid job coming up. Fman99 Jul 27 2009 07:48 PM ="Edgy DC":3oad47yi]Bobby Valenitne has a GM/manager hybrid job coming up.[/quote:3oad47yi] He's got my vote. Konnichiwa Bobby! Methead Jul 27 2009 07:48 PM If Jeff Wilpon really gets a call per week from people looking for career advice, then he certainly won't mind if I call. metirish Jul 27 2009 07:49 PM ="soupcan":hfbbduwr]="metirish":hfbbduwr]Omar hummed and hawed...[/quote:hfbbduwr] That's being nice irish. Again, Omar sounded like an illiterate boob. He cannot speak![/quote:hfbbduwr] Minaya under stress sounds even worse than he usually does. PiggiesTomatoes Jul 27 2009 07:57 PM Thanks for the thread. I missed the clusterfuck and didn't realize Tony B. had been fired until seeing a crawl a couple innings ago. Very Knick-like. This crap has to end. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 08:10 PM theres a method to minaya's madness... i'd normally turn this thing off after the final out, but now i want to see what jerry has to say when they ask him about the pre-game idiocy. Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 08:31 PM Omar needs a pile of wins to preserve himself, so look for the internet to fill with "All this winning is terrible" posts. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 08:53 PM a pile of wins could stop the story from blowing up even further. Though you'd have to think the Daily News will be gunning for Omar until fired at this point, and the others will follow suit in a typical "i better write about what the other guy writes about" media orgy. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 09:29 PM ="Methead"]If Jeff Wilpon really gets a call per week from people looking for career advice, then he certainly won't mind if I call. "Mr. Wilpon, I've been hemming and hawing between obstetrics and oncology..." "Kid, no matter what you choose, just make sure you stick with it, regardless of the results, or what your own instincts tell you, or what trusted friends tell you... you've got to stick with it until it's way past too late to change. Then, if you need to, you make a change. But not until it's WAAAAAAAAY too late. Got it?" LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 09:31 PM ="Nymr83":gq5x8wjs]a pile of wins could stop the story from blowing up even further. Though you'd have to think the Daily News will be gunning for Omar until fired at this point, and the others will follow suit in a typical "i better write about what the other guy writes about" media orgy.[/quote:gq5x8wjs] Um... you think his staying on is at all tenable? Really? Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 10:15 PM i think its very hard to fire someone that you owe three more years of salary to and that the Wilpons could always fire him in September (steal a backpage when they're dying) if things dont blow over. themetfairy Jul 28 2009 06:31 AM Lisa Olson rules, as always[/url:3hh96qwk]. duan Jul 28 2009 06:38 AM Omar Minaya was way past a line throwing that out there unless he had something he was actually willing to stand over. Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 07:57 AM I guess Omar can't say Bernazard had a moment all to common to active alcoholics Rubin & Omar should have to spend the rest of their lives on an island for the remainder of there lives starting tomorrow.. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 07:58 AM This is where I'm curious. Does this hurt the organization's standing with the team? Does it affect their play? Mets players stunned by strange day at Citi Tuesday, July 28, 2009 By KATIE STRANG caitlin.strang@newsday.com What began as a routine news conference to announce the dismissal of Mets executive Tony Bernazard took a bizarre turn Mondaywhen general manager Omar Minaya accused Daily News sportswriter Adam Rubin -- whose reporting played a role in Bernazard's firing -- of improper conduct. In the Mets' clubhouse, the players were just as stunned as viewers watching at home. "Absolutely," Mets catcher Brian Schneider said when asked if it were one of the most outlandish news conferences the players had ever seen. "Just like Adam didn't expect it, neither did we. It was just kind of quiet, because we were all listening." Carlos Delgado did not see the live broadcast but heard enough about it. "I'm surprised, but anything can happen here," Delgado said. "I wish I would've saw it. I don't want to say it's funny, because it's obviously not funny, it's a very sensitive situation, but maybe there was something out of line and needed to be addressed." Most players -- who were in disbelief in a clubhouse that became circus-like after the news conference -- believe the situation is something that needs to be worked out between Minaya and Rubin, but a couple of players circled the wagons to defend their boss. "If Rubin did what he did, if he asked for a job like Omar said he did, I think he should step out and say, 'Yeah, I did,' '' Carlos Beltran said. "I know Omar and he's an honest guy. I believe he's saying the truth." Gary Sheffield said he did not know what to make of the finger-pointing episode. "I don't know who's telling the truth. I don't know the reporter very well, but I believe Omar is a pretty credible guy," said Sheffield, who said at least a couple of players were laughing while watching the showdown unfold. David Wright said he heard the "rumblings" but had not yet heard the whole story. Said Wright, "You never know what to expect." Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 08:03 AM Little or no effect on team play..at least not with Wright, it seems like he could of cared less or was simply embarrassed possibly. Winning cures all. 4 in a row tonight Centerfield Jul 28 2009 08:47 AM The cynic in me wonders if the press conference was held (rather than a simple press release) specifically so Omar could (whether instructed or not) attack Rubin. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 28 2009 11:43 AM ="Centerfield"]The cynic in me wonders if the press conference was held (rather than a simple press release) specifically so Omar could (whether instructed or not) attack Rubin. Big WINNAH! Anything from row 1 or 2 for the WINNAH! metirish Jul 29 2009 09:29 AM Just for prosperities sake here is the Wilpon Q&A ] Today's Q & A with Jeff Wilpon Tuesday July 28, 2009 9:52 PM By David Lennon Opening apologies: �After what went on yesterday, I thought it was important on behalf of ownership to come out and talk to everybody. I know a lot of you have called and I apologize for not returning the calls and stuff, but you know we�re very sorry about what happened yesterday. It was the wrong forum, the wrong time, a wrong situation for Omar to express himself in that way.� �I have a call into Adam [Rubin] right now to apologize on behalf of myself, the organization, ownership and I know I�m going to ask him if he�ll accept a call from omar. Omar would very much like to call him and apologize for the venue that he took to embarrass him and talk to him in that manner and I�m hoping that Adam will accept that phone call, and I hope he accepts my phone call and the apology from the organization.� Is Minaya sorry? �Omar is extremely remorseful. Omar is upset about this. This has taken a toll on him in a very big way. I think he�s feeling the effects of what he did. He was angry. He was upset. A little bit about Tony, a little bit about some of the things that have been portrayed about the organization, trying to protect it.� �I think he really understands he made a very large mistake here and he�s apologized to ownership, he�s apologized to a bunch of the staff, he understands he put us in a bad spot here.� Did Rubin act inappropriately? �In terms of what Adam did with me, he did nothing wrong. Like I said last night, there are people that come to me all the time and want to know about the sports business, want to know about the real estate business, and what I try to do is be helpful to them in terms of putting them in touch with other people or having a conversation with them about what they might want to do with their career.� I did put Adam in touch with Curt Gowdy Jr. on the network side. I did put him in touch with [assistant GM] John Ricco on the baseball side, I didn�t think twice about it because it does happen a lot.� What is Minaya apologizing for? �Omar will have to address his comments. I know he�s told me he�s remorseful about what he said, and what was done, and I can only apologize from the organization standpoint. Omar made a mistake and he admitted to me that he made a mistake, and he�s apologetic for his mistake.� Minaya�s state of mind? �Omar�s around. As I said, he�s not in a great state right now, this has taken a great toll on him, and I think if you guys can give him a day or so, he�ll be back to Omar. And if we can all give him a chance, I think he�ll come back and make this organization proud.� Are you supporting him as GM? �Yeah. Omar�s our general manager. Omar�s going to be our general manager.� �He hasn�t been reprimanded. I think his remorse in what he�s shown is his sorrow for this and what he knows he did, the collateral damage it caused me, the collateral damage it caused my father, my uncle, the organization as a whole, he feels bad for. And I think that�s more punishment than anybody can ever put on him.� What damage did Monday�s fiasco do? �It hurt the organization. Omar admitted he hurt the organization, and he feels bad about that, and we�ll overcome it. It didn�t go to our values. He didn�t do the right thing. And all I can do is apologize for that and Omar will do that at the right time as well. We have to move on from there and rebuild ourselves. What was Fred Wilpon�s reaction? �Same as mine. He sort of couldn�t believe it was happening when it was happening. 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 and press conferences and stuff, and I think that is what you saw.� Did you know Minaya was going to attack Rubin? �Absolutely not. I didn�t have any knowledge, he didn�t talk to us about it. Omar had been upset with some of the things in the paper, I knew that. But going into this press conference yesterday was to talk about Tony, talk about the situation with Tony and why he was letting Tony go. It had nothing to do with Adam at the time he went into that conference.� Is Minaya still in hot water? �No. I think he knows what he did and I think he knows what the values we want to have here in our organization and he�s willing to deal with the consequences of it.� Did Minaya understand the impact of his accusations? �I think he does regret that. I think he has to answer that. I�m talking about what he said. The question was to me, and what I thought. Did I think Adam stepped over the line? I don�t believe that in terms of my dealings with Adam. Are you going to take a more visible role going forward? �The problem is it was Omar�s direct report that he was talking about, so for me to go in and do a press conference for Omar, for his direct report, that�s never happened before and I don�t think it should happen. Omar knows how to deal with the press and press conferences -- that�s his job. So I don�t think I would do it any differently.� Was Bernazard fired for performance or behavior? �I think our minor leagues � and I think Omar can talk to this better than I can � but he believes are minor leagues are in good shape. He spent a couple of days in Florida and was very happy with some of the A-ball kids. This thing with Tony hurt him, Omar, and it hurt me. I was very close with Tony and I learned a lot from him.� What�s the Mets� overall direction right now? �We need to do better. We need to do better. Ownership is not happy with the direction right now and obviously we have to play better on the field. We need to get the guys back. Once that happens, we�ll see how well this team can do. But it is disappointing, and I can understand the fans� disappointment as well.� Does Minaya�s future depend on the next two monts? Or is he the GM for 2010? Right now, the idea is that Omar is our general manager -- period. Do you need to become more visible? �Omar is the face of the organization when it comes to the overall direction. Jerry [Manuel] is our face of the organization when it comes to the day-to-day baseball. I�m here, believe me. I�ve got my finger on the pulse. You might not see me, but I�m here.� Has Minaya been compromised by his behavior? �I think he can get through it. I think right now it compromised him a little bit, yeah.� How is Minaya doing? �He�s really hurt by this guys. I don�t know how to explain it any better. He was visibly shaken yesterday. He was visibly shaken again today. I spent a good amount of time with him today. He�s still doing his job. He needs a day.� Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 10:09 AM ]Omar knows how to deal with the press and press conferences. That's kind of bogus. ]I�ve got my finger on the pulse. And that's kind of empty. Otherwise, good job by Jeff. Kong76 Jul 29 2009 10:33 AM I saw that whole Q & A with Jeffie and came away from it thinking he really ain't the dope that everyone on the internet makes him out to be. Not saying I particularly like him either, and I don't know all that much about him, but jeez alou for years and years he's just been hammered like a piece of crap. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 10:38 AM I think Jeff handled this the right way. He had to establish that Omar wasn't speaking for the organization, but that the organization realized it needed to apologize on his behalf, and that doing that kinda stuff puts people's jobs in jeopardy. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 10:55 AM I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head... metsguyinmichigan Jul 29 2009 11:58 AM If Jeff wearing a wig, or is there really a barber that charges for a haircut that bad? Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 12:00 PM It's something I've long wanted to ask in a chat with one of the beat guys. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 12:11 PM ="dgwphotography":3vlw8t9c]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:3vlw8t9c] What was that? metirish Jul 29 2009 12:17 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2garmnt0]="dgwphotography":2garmnt0]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:2garmnt0] What was that?[/quote:2garmnt0] No idea what you said that is stuck in Dgw's head but the quote I remember from JCL about Jeff is " Jeff is the guy that gives millionaires a bad name " , this after Jeff sniffed something about diversifying his portfolio in the wake of the Madoff scandal. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 02:52 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":20sad8fv]="dgwphotography":20sad8fv]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:20sad8fv] What was that?[/quote:20sad8fv] Your Marty Noble quote. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 02:58 PM Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 03:00 PM I didn't see that. If he was indeed gloating, that would take him down a few pegs in my eyes. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 29 2009 03:05 PM Didn't see it, either. But, well, let's just say you can't add false modesty to his list of sins (following is from his rebuttal in yesterday's Snooze): ]I want to get something straight. Everything I wrote about Tony Bernazard - bombshell stories that appeared in the pages of the Daily News over the last week - is accurate. My reporting was solid, met the journalistic standards of sourcing and beyond and was untainted by any personal agenda on my part. The Mets fired Bernazard Monday, after conducting an investigation that presumably reflected the damning information contained in my stories. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 03:11 PM And Eddie admits to not having seen it either, but rather got that idea via some of those who had both seen it and liked Tony meaning that the perception of Rubin's attitude was filtered through those eyes & ears. G-Fafif Jul 29 2009 03:12 PM ="Frayed Knot"]Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning. Somehow I'm reminded of Oscar Madison hiring a jokewriter to come up with zingers to spring on Howard Cosell...and Felix tearing them up, rescuing them from the wastebasket and delivering them out of order. ]I wish some relative of yours would die and leave you some wax fruit! I'd like to see Evel Knievel jump over your Bermuda shorts! You know your Lautrec is too loose? bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 03:55 PM ="Frayed Knot":ugqsyia0]Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning.[/quote:ugqsyia0] Had to have been whispered to Eddie C. from within the organization in a lame attempt to cover Omar's tracks. Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 05:08 PM I'm going to guess no. bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 05:39 PM Coleman isn't an investigative reporter. He didn't come up with that on his own. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 05:46 PM ="bmfc1":331y6747]Coleman isn't an investigative reporter. He didn't come up with that on his own.[/quote:331y6747] Eddie may not be a turn over every rock kind of reporter but he is in the locker room talking to people on a regular basis and at least implied (both in writing and in the radio chat I heard) that it was his speculation based on what some said that that was what set Omar off. Plus if mgmt is the one feeding him that angle I don't see how they think that makes them look any better. bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 05:48 PM Fair enough FK--you heard it, I didn't. I was just suggesting that it's possible that someone in the Mets front office was still trying to cover Omar's tracks. After the other day, anything is possible. Kong76 Jul 29 2009 06:21 PM This whole saga just needs to go away already. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 07:17 PM ="G-Fafif":ti9im9j6][ Somehow I'm reminded of Oscar Madison hiring a jokewriter to come up with zingers to spring on Howard Cosell...and Felix tearing them up, rescuing them from the wastebasket and delivering them out of order. [/quote:ti9im9j6] Omar should have called Rubin an inane drone. Rockin' Doc Jul 29 2009 07:37 PM Omar should have called Rubin an assclown. Fman99 Jul 29 2009 07:48 PM Punch -> neck Kick -> **** metirish Jul 30 2009 12:14 PM referring to himself in the third person Minaya apologized today NY Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologizes for causing 'distraction' by criticizing reporter by Brian Costa/The Star-Ledger Thursday July 30, 2009, 11:26 AM ] NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologized again Thursday for his conduct during Monday's press conference to announce the firing of Tony Bernazard, during which he got into a heated exchange with a reporter. Minaya said he met with New York Daily News reporter Adam Rubin to apologize in person Wednesday. "You guys know me," Minaya said. "That's just not the way Omar Minaya is, that's not what I stand for, but the bottom line is I made a mistake. The bottom line is that you make a mistake, and I admit to making a mistake in bringing up the things that I did." Sitting in the Mets' dugout before Thursday's doubleheader against the Rockies at Citi Field, Minaya said the fallout from Monday has been a distraction as Friday's non-waiver trade deadline approaches. But he said it hasn't kept him from being active in trade talks. "I've been talking to teams, guys," Minaya said. "I turned down a couple of trades yesterday. I mean, I talked to some teams and believe it or not we had some pretty big names that were presented. That being said, if you talk to general managers around the league, I've been calling around. We have some ideas."

Johnny Lunchbucket's killing me over here. Jesus Christmas, that was good.

For the record, I love the SHaM's moniker. Go Shammy's.

2-0 with Frenchy onboard. Haven't had a midseason surge like this since the deft Richard Hidalgo acquisition of ought-four.

Uh oh.

That apple chants are killing me. Finally a little levity.

="metirish":3o2zz9fy]The dugout chats can be so hit and miss for me, that one missed for the most part, probably too long. The bit at the end about Pujols OBP was funny though.[/quote:3o2zz9fy] Agreed. The Aphex Twin part at the end was pretty awesome, though. metsguyinmichigan Jul 10 2009 12:39 PM I love that ad!! (except that the Arch should have landed on Jeter like the house on the witch in the movie.) Anyway, St. Louis is a great city, and the Arch is spectacular. If you ever get the chance, check it out!

I'm pretty sure I wanted BJ Ryan back when.

Edgy DC wrote: How indy can it be when it stars two folks from major tv shows? Dunno if it is, or it isn't. Focus Films (owned by NBC?) put it out. I do remember the music by Alexi Murdoch and really really dug it. it's soothing and sleep-inducing music.

metirish wrote: She has you worn out , she's riding you like Jerry is riding David . I'm not a young man anymore. And she is, um, young.

I fell asleep. The girl liked it, though.

We got tix to see it tonight. Stars that dude from "The Office" and that chick from SNL and has some bigger names in the lineup, too. Sure to be the indie hipster darling film of 2009. Anyone seen it? From IMDB: A couple who is expecting their first child travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time. Trailer: