Jeff Wilpon Ducked The Media At The Jay Bruce Introductory Press Conference

Look, when a team is introducing a player to the media in a press conference, by its very nature it is a promotional event.  The organization is showing off their player to the fans thereby building excitement among the fan base with the hopes this eventually entices the fans to buy tickets for the season.

However, this is supposed to be a quid pro quo of sorts.  A team like the Mets gets to have more publicity surrounding their acquisition of a player like Jay Bruce, and in turn, the reporters are given an opportunity to ask questions about the team.

We did see that as reporters asked Sandy Alderson an array of questions covering topics like Michael Conforto‘s timetable, the first base situation with Adrian Gonzalez and Dominic Smith, the status of the bullpen, the second base situation, and whether the Mets could add another contract this offseason.

That last topic.  That’s one that could have partially been addressed by ownership, specifically Jeff Wilpon.  As the COO of the Mets, Wilpon would have intimate knowledge of that information.  He also possesses the answer to several other burning questions both reporters and Mets fans want to see answered.

The interesting thing was Jeff Wilpon was at that press conference . . .

. . . but not really,  Right after this photo, Jeff Wilpon got off the stage, and he sat in the front row effectively removing himself from the press conference just as the floor was going to be opened to reporters.

Once again, the Mets deftly controlled the press conference with the questions being granted to the following reporters:

  • Garry Apple, SNY
  • Pete McCarthy, WOR
  • Anthony DiComo, mlb.com
  • Lloyd Carroll, Queens ChronicleNot one question from a major media outlet or newspaper that covers the Mets.  Instead, the Mets directed questions to their television network, the “Radio Home of the Mets,” an MLB reporter, and finally a small local Queens newspaper.  If you have watched enough of these, this has become standard operating procedure for the Mets.

Here’s the best part.  When reviewing the SNY video feed, all reporters are directed to the left of the stage to continue asking questions.  If you pay close enough attention to the video, right at the 20:50 mark, you will see this:

That’s right.  Just as the reporters are told to go left, Jeff heads right.  There is really no other way to describe Jeff’s behavior and the Mets control of the press conference as ownership yet again ducking the media. You are almost left in complete awe of the lengths to which the Wilpons will ensure they do not have to interact with the media.  If they put even a tenth of that effort into the Mets, they would be perennial contenders.

Overall, we as Mets fans can get frustrated about both the lack of transparency from the organization, and how the reporters don’t ask the Wilpons the hard questions that need to be asked.  In reviewing this press conference, we see just how much the Wilpons stonewall the media and the lengths they will go to not be accountable to anyone.

Editor’s Note: This was first published on MMO

12 Replies to “Jeff Wilpon Ducked The Media At The Jay Bruce Introductory Press Conference”

  1. Five Tool Ownership says:

    DiComo is vetted by tbe Mets, can be fired by the Mets and I believe paid by the Mets.

    All three who asked questions are indeed Met ‘employees’.

    Wherethere is fear there is control, where there is control usually there is low confidence, self motives, character issues, or disdain.

    My bet is all of the above.
    Why do these beat reporters show up?

    1. metsdaddy says:

      Because you have to at least try

  2. Five Tool Ownership says:

    Jeff Todd, today on Brandon Nimmo:

    “Jeffrey Todd
    2:22 Seems like a sort of a thing those teams could work off of if there isn’t bigger interest elsewhere?

    2:23 BTW since when is Nimmo such a hot commodity? It’s sort of funny to see him talked about in these terms when the Mets just signed Jay Bruce to more or less lock him out of playing time for the foreseeable future.

    2:24 I mean, no offense to him at all. He hit well in the bigs last year, too. But Bruce-Conforto (both lefties) with Cespy already in the fold and Lagares as well? Where’s that leave Nimmo? But the Mets are valuing him highly? Just sort of strange …”

    No, it may be sentimental orwhat they hope he will ultimately become.

    1. metsdaddy says:

      Yeah, it’s an odd thing to assert you’re high on someone while also refusing to play him

  3. Gothamist says:

    Josh Harrison splits:

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=harrijo05&year=2017&t=b

    saw alot here…

    Does anyone see 10 positives and 3 negatives?

    You choose…

    TRUE FANS, TRUE STUDENTS I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

    1. metsdaddy says:

      I see a platoon bat that struggles against RHP. Basically, he’s a Flores with a better glove and less power

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