Mets' Fred Wilpon Criticizes Reyes, Wright And Beltran In New Yorker Profile
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Mets fans might find themselves stunned after reading Jeffrey Toobin's epic profile of Fred Wilpon in the latest issue of The New Yorker.
At times Wilpon sounds more like a jilted fan than the owner of New York's National League franchise.
Midway through the article, Toobin recounts an exchange he had with Wilpon during the Mets' 4-3 loss to Houston on April 20.
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"He thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford money," said Wilpon after Jose Reyes singled and stole second, leading off for New York. "He's had everything wrong with him. He won't get it."
After Josh Thole struck out, it was David Wright's turn at bat.
"He's pressing," Wilpon said about the fan favorite. "A really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar."
But Wilpon wasn't done. He ripped into Carlos Beltran after Wright walked his way on base.
"We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series," Wilpon said, referring to himself. "He's sixty-five to seventy percent of what he was."
At least Ike Davis was in Wilpon's good graces, even if the rest of the team appeared to be in the doghouse.
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"Good hitter," he said. "Sh---y team -- good hitter."
"Lousy clubs -- that's what happens," Wilpon added after Angel Pagan struck out to end the inning. "We're snakebitten, baby."
Wright responded to Wilpon's comments on Monday in an email to the Wall Street Journal.
"Fred is a good man and is obviously going through some difficult times," he wrote. "There is nothing more productive that I can say at this time."
Of course, what would a Wilpon profile be without delving into the Bernie Madoff mess. Wilpon reiterated that neither he, his son Jeff nor Saul Katz knew what Madoff was up to.
"We certainly wouldn't have had $550 million invested in something that's a Ponzi scheme, when you know it can only evaporate at some point," he said.
"Fred and Saul were only guilty of trusting their friend," Madoff said in an email to Toobin, "and I will live with that guilt and shame forever."
What do you think of Wilpon's comments in The New Yorker? Sound off in the comments below...
