23 Jun, 2008
Mets Owner Wilpon Says Minaya Doing Great as General Manager
Posted by: admin In: Baseball Articles
By Danielle Sessa
June 23 (Bloomberg) — Omar Minaya is doing a “great job” of running the New York Mets, team owner Fred Wilpon said less than a week after approving the general manager’s decision to fire manager Willie Randolph.
Wilpon, in his first public comments since Randolph and two coaches were dismissed June 17, said he was satisfied with the switch to interim manager Jerry Manuel. The Mets are 3-2 under Manuel, a former American League Manager of the Year with the Chicago White Sox.
“I think Omar has done a great job,” Wilpon told reporters at a news conference announcing a Major League Baseball fundraising campaign for U.S. military veterans. “Anybody who makes decisions is not going to make all right decisions, but he’s made some great decisions.”
The Mets, whose $138 million payroll is the second-highest in baseball, are 37-37 and trail the first-place Philadelphia Phillies by 3 1/2 games in the National League East.
Wilpon said Minaya informed him of the decision to fire Randolph during the club’s doubleheader against the Texas Rangers on June 15. Minaya thought about the move overnight and confirmed the change with Wilpon on a conference call at 9 a.m. the following day.
Minaya then flew to California where the Mets were starting a series with the Los Angeles Angels. After the game he dismissed Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. The changes were announced at 3 a.m. New York time, leading to criticism from fans and the media for the club’s handling of the situation. Wilpon backed Minaya’s methods.
“He took a lot of time listening and thinking about it,” Wilpon said. “He wanted to respect Willie and that’s what he did.”
Welcome Back Veterans
Wilpon and Mets third baseman David Wright appeared at baseball’s New York headquarters to release details of Welcome Back Veterans, a charity that aims to provide jobs and counseling for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Players will wear caps with a stars-and-stripes themed logo during games over the July 4 holiday weekend and on Sept. 11.
Wilpon, who created the campaign, said the organization has secured almost 50,000 jobs, and plans to raise $100 million and offer free mental-health care to veterans and their families.
