OK, the above is a rather large exaggeration, particularly in light of Mets sophomore P Matt Harvey being one Alex Rios infield single removed from pitching the first perfect game in team history (and becoming the first hurler since Harvey Haddix to toss 9 perfect innings or more without collecting a W). But credit where due, Mets PR Director Jay Horowitz (above, left) — a frequent target of mockery at CSTB — has a rather thankless job. In the pre-internet era, we can safely assume Jay was entrusted with all sorts of sordid coverup duties given the club’s large collection of reprobates and arrested adolescents in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In more recent years, Jay’s tasks have gone from coming up with a company line to explain bullpen masturbation, reporters getting bleached, M-80’s tossed at children, pizza boys being assaulted and catchers declaring their heterosexuality (I’m referring to Mike Piazza, by the way. Paul Lo Duca dating the Garden City H.S. prom queen is a totally different subject), to the more mundane chores of lying on behalf of Fred and Jeff Wilpon. So to be very clear, all kidding aside, my heart goes out to Jay, whom few sane persons would swap jobs with.
Given the public relations disasters Jay has managed over the last few decades, I must admit, I wasn’t shocked to hear discussion on WFAN Tuesday morning of the Mets allegedly giving Harvey permission to attend Wednesday night’s Capitals/Rangers playoff game at MSG rather than ride the pine watching his teammates play the White Sox at Citi Field. Frankly, I just put it out of my mind instantly — it sounded like the sort of thing the Astros would’ve allowed Roger Clemens to do, and all things considered at present, who’s to say Matt Harvey isn’t more important to the 2013 Mets? For those who couldn’t believe the team or player would allow themselves to look so foolish in front of sports-radio and internet jackals, after everything Mets fans have been thru (see above) was this really the most improbable occurrence?
Well, as it turns out, yes. It was the most improbable occurrence. It was all a gag engineered by Jay Horowitz. And I’m so impressed with how Jay tapped into the fan base’s inherent paranoia and distrust of the organization, I won’t even ask if he’s the same guy who came up with the April Fool’s joke of making Colin Cowgill the team’s starting center fielder.