The Mets announced that GM Steve Phillips, who took a
leave of absence last week "to deal with problems caused by
extramarital affairs," is "back on the job," according to
Jason Diamos of the N.Y. TIMES. Phillips' reinstatement was
announced at a news conference, which "took a bizarre turn"
when attorney Dominic Barbara "stood up, disrupted the
proceeding and let it be known that he represented a former
Mets employee who intended to sue Phillips for sexual
harassment." Barbara's former clients include Joey
Buttafuoco and Jessica Hahn, and Diamos writes that Barbara
did not acknowledge the identity of his client, "or whether
he represented more than one person in his threatened action
against the Mets." Barbara said a suit "probably" would be
filed by Wednesday (N.Y. TIMES, 11/17). USA TODAY reports
that the Mets said they "do not believe the harassment claim
has merit" (USA TODAY, 11/17). The N.Y. POST's Crowley,
Keegan & Balfour reveal the name of the former Mets employee
and Barbara told the paper that talks "were underway to
settle the case" (N.Y. POST, 11/17). Phillips: "I don't
believe my credibility to function as a GM will be
compromised by this" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/17).
CONSPIRACY THEORY: In N.Y., George Vecsey asks, "What
was to be gained from Steve Phillips going public abut his
extramarital affairs? ... While it is not normally the
business of journalists to propose a cover-up, in this case
it seems there could have been some way to limit the public
awareness" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/17). Also in N.Y., Tom Keegan
suggests that "whatever good was done in eight days of
'counseling' could not have compared to harm done to the
family ... by making the whole thing public." Keegan writes
that the "logic behind the Mets' pre-emptive strike" was:
"Go public with it, which takes away the opposition's threat
of going public, weakens their position in negotiations for
a cash settlement and leaves them staring at taking the
matter to court, where the Mets are convinced of a victory."
Keegan: "Maybe that was the cash-wise approach for the Mets
to take, but there is no putting a dollar figure on the
humiliation factor here" (N.Y. POST, 11/17).
REAX: In Newark, Sid Dorfman writes that Phillips'
reinstatement was "the right thing to do, although the Mets
served their own good interest" by retaining him (STAR-
LEDGER, 11/17). In N.Y., David Waldstein: "The Mets now
appear willing to overlook most character flaws short of
heinous criminal behavior if it means helping the team win.
... Sexual harassment qualifies as heinous, and if Phillips
is guilty of that he should go" (N.Y. POST, 11/17).
