It's safe to say that Freddie Coupon, also known as Mets chief owner Fred Wilpon, has lost his freakin' mind.
For Freddie Coupon to go on the record and blast his three best players like that in an article written by Jeffrey Toobin in the New Yorker means one thing to me.
He wants to devalue all three, namely Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright for the sole purpose of making true-blue Met fans believe that they weren't really that good in the first place and it won't be so damaging once all three are sent packing before the trading deadline.
That's the only justification to it. I've been trying to figure out why he would do such a thing in print, unless he's totally lost his mind (quite a possibility for a man in his mid-70s) or he's looking to begin the fire sale.
However, Mr. Coupon forgot one thing. In doing so, he has totally damaged their trade value. If he thinks they're no good _ and he's the owner _ then why would any other team in their right mind give up anything of value in return?
"Hey, Freddie, you said they all suck. So here's some mid-level Class A players and a bag of used balls for them. Hey, you don't want them."
I have no problem with coming to grips with the fact that Beltran is playing in his last few games with the Mets. He's in the last year of his contract and he's not going to re-sign with the Mets. That's a done deal.
But I still can't comprehend the fact that Coupon and Coupon Jr. are going to let Reyes walk. He's a 27-year-old electric shortstop. He's a franchise player. You don't trade franchise players in their prime, not when you're in the biggest market in the universe. You build around him. You make him the cornerstone.
No team is going to give the Mets a top-flight prospect for Reyes now, not after Freddie's insanity. So it's better to re-sign him and keep him.
And if any Met fan thinks we're better off without Reyes, saying that Reyes always gets hurt anyway, take a look at his production when he's healthy. He's the best shortstop this side of Troy Tulowitzki. We're not better off without him. He's the lynchpin of the entire franchise.
So Freddie has opened up his mouth and inserted his penny loafer...Ah, penny loafer, what a perfect name for the Coupon.
We can only hope that the guy who shelled out $200 million today, David Einhorn, can make some suggestions and the first would be to keep Reyes.
If not, my favorite team will be in the state of ruins, if it isn't already. Congrats, Freddie. You said Bernie Madoff wouldn't take you down. Guess what? He most certainly has.
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To all the people who have come out and said that baseball rules should be changed because of the nasty injury to Giants' catcher Buster Posey, guess again. The rules have been in place forever, giving the catcher the right to block the plate.
It was a freak injury, the way Posey was bent back, snapping his leg. It wasn't intentional. It was a clean baseball play. It's a shame he's injured and lost for the year, because he's a great player _ and he was my second round draft choice in what has evolved into a fantasy season to forget.
But accidents happen. Injuries happen. If this was Biff Pocoroba who got hurt, no one would be asking to change the rules. But because it's an All-Star on the World Series champs, everyone is up in arms. Rules are rules.
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Congrats to the Hoboken Red Wings, who won their NJSIAA North 2, Group I state playoff game today against Brearley Regional, 8-2. The Red Wings now advance to Tuesday's sectional semifinal in what is turning out to be a storybook run. First the county title, now a state run. Pretty impressive.
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In closing, former Met catcher and Hall of Famer Gary Carter received some bad news today, that his brain tumors are malignant. Brain cancer is nothing to sneeze at. It's going to be a tough go. It's what destroyed good baseball men like Tug McGraw and Bobby Murcer in the past.
Let's all take a moment to say a little prayer for Carter, who was the final piece to the Mets' puzzle and brought us all back to a World Championship in 1986. A lot of people hated Carter, because he was always smiling and having a good time, but one thing was for sure. He was a gamer who played hurt and led the Mets to the Promised Land.
I got to know Carter a little when he was the manager of the Long Island Ducks a few years ago and he was always a delight to see when I had to go get the starting lineups. It's sad news. My thoughts go out to Carter and his family.
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You can read more of my work at www.hudsonreporter.com, www.theobserver.com and www.dailyrecord.com.
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