Here’s the column I wrote for today’s Post, focusing on Fred Wilpon’s silence during yet another hellish stretch for his team.
As I wrote this column yesterday, it occurred to me that I’ve written repeatedly about Fred Wilpon’s words or lack thereof. Back in spring training of 2011, I suggested that he wasn’t helping his case against Bernard Madoff trustee Irving Picard by publicly professing his innocence. Then at the November 2011 owners’ and general managers’ meetings, I dinged him for not talking as his team faced an important juncture with Jose Reyes’ free agency. This past spring training, I wrote that he needed to honor his pledge to spend more on the team going forward.
So can Wilpon not win when it comes to his communication with the fan base? Nah. It’s just a weakness for him that he should still try to improve. One instance when Wilpon did score positive PR points was a news conference held the day after the completion of the 2010 season, when Wilpon and his son Jeff discussed the dismissals of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. Fred Wilpon spoke from the heart (or so it seemed) about his passion for the Mets, and even about the anger he felt toward Madoff.
He’s capable of connecting with his fan base. It just requires some work. But he should keep working at it, because his fan base is quite dissatisfied.
— Speaking of public relations and crisis management, Holy Toledo, I can’t believe that Mets people are still talking about Jordany Valdespin. Good story in today’s USA Today by Bob Nightengale.
I have no problem with how the Mets dealt with the Valdespin issue against Pittsburgh. He did something stupid, and he took his medicine. It’s highly unfortunate that he didn’t deal well with the aftermath.
At some point, though, the Mets either have to let it go or let Valdespin go, and that point was this past Sunday. Valdespin isn’t worth the energy it requires to keep talking about him. It’s on Terry Collins and David Wright to get the team to stop treating this as a going concern.
The Mets are in a critical season in which they have to manage issues far more important than Valdespin. So if they can’t deal with who he is, if they can’t change him sufficiently to their liking, then they should deal him and change the situation.
Valdespin is to the Mets what Poochie was to “Itchy & Scratchy.”. He has “attitude” and is “in your face.” And easily disposable, too.
–Thanks to my friend NaOH for referring me to this Grantland story on pitch-framing by catchers. It explains the value that someone like the Yankees’ Chris Stewart (as well as the injured Francisco Cervelli) brings to the table just by his work behind the plate.
–Have a great day.
