Mets co-Owners Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday have the
"worst relationship in professional sports ownership" and
Doubleday's views about Shea Stadium are only the most recent
"manifestation of the severity of their split," according to
Murray Chass of the N.Y. TIMES. Chass: "It is mindboggling
that Doubleday is doing everything he can to scuttle Wilpon's
chances of seeing his dream ballpark built." Chass added,
"Baseball people who attended World Series games at Shea were
stunned to hear or read Doubleday's comments. Shea is
considered one of the great dumps in the major leagues" (N.Y.
TIMES, 10/29). NEWSDAY's Jon Heyman wrote that Wilpon and
Doubleday have "never been of one mind. But this is getting
crazy. ... Each man owns 50 percent of the team, which means
the Mets could be stuck at Shea forever if Doubleday keeps
fighting Wilpon on this" (NEWSDAY, 10/29).
SORRY, CAN'T MAKE THIS ONE: Also in N.Y., Rafael Hermoso
wrote that the Mets declined an offer by Mayor Rudy Giuliani
to join in on today's ticker-tape parade for the Yankees.
Mets GM Steve Phillips said that the "dual celebration" was a
"wonderful gesture" but said the Yankees "deserve the stage
to themselves." Phillips said that the city would recognize
the Mets at City Hall in the future (N.Y. TIMES, 10/28).
Meanwhile, in N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes that while the Mets
"turned down" Mayor Giuliani's invite to be "saluted during
today's festivities, they still should've accepted the
opportunity to provide a small presence. But they don't get
it" (N.Y. POST, 10/30).
