(quite possibly the general manager)
As mentioned in this space over the weekend, former Mets starter turned postgame analyst Bobby Ojeda’s 6-year stint with SNY came to an end when the latter opted not to honor his request for a raise. Wednesday in the New York Daily News, Ojeda tells Andy Martino that “people who say they (Fred & Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz) don’t care about the team are sorely mistaken”, perhaps sugesting, y’know, someone else is at fault.
“The Wilpons and Mr. Saul Katz are the biggest Mets fans you will meet,” Ojeda said by phone, while boarding a flight to the Bahamas. “Last I checked, Fred is not the general manager. Last I checked, Jeff is not the general manager. Last I checked, Saul is not the general manager. So the people they’ve put in those positions are ones who have failed, and what have they done? They have tried to make changes, bring in the right people.”
There was a natural follow-up: Was Ojeda saying that the Mets could not win under the current GM, Sandy Alderson?
“I do believe that it’s the guys on the field,” was Ojeda’s answer to that direct question. “If the guys pull together and rack up the W’s, that’s what it’s all about. So many times, it’s not the greatest team on paper (that wins). There are so many ingredients that go into creating a winning atmosphere. I think there is some work to be done on that winning atmosphere. I really do. And I think if those things are addressed in spring training, they’ll be on their way.
“But if the message is the same, that will be detrimental. Because the message is all this positiveness. The reality is six years under .500.