Cornered by reporters prior to MLB’s owner’s meetings in Manhattan this week, Mets owner Fred Wilpon (above, right) had little to say about Terry Collins’ job, Jordanny Valdespin’s attitude, Ike Davis’ allergy to hitting baseballs, those ridiculous alternate hats with the orange brims or much of anything else. Though conceding that Wilpon has left all of the heavy lifting in the public relations department (sorry, Jay) to GM Sandy Alderson (praised for his “cold-blooded approach”), the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff wonders if it wouldn’t kill the poorest greatest living Brooklyn Dodgers fan to occasionally act like he gives a shit.
If the Yankees are slumping, Steinbrenner will do his best Bill Clinton “I feel your pain” shtick and profess his concern, thereby validating the fans’ anxiety, and then let Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi and the players do their jobs. It’s a dash of love to the customers at a low cost.
I have criticized Wilpon for saying too much (while the Mets were being sued by Madoff trustee Irving Picard), so I’m reluctant to tear into him for saying too little. It becomes a Goldilocks situation.
Yet when there still exists such a large trust deficit between the Mets’ owners and their fans, it wouldn’t hurt Wilpon to announce that he, too, is hurting. With no major action on the immediate horizon, some minor sentiments could help soothe the raw feelings.