Tuesday, December 29, 2009

BAY WATCH: HOW IT SHOULD HAVE GONE DOWN.

As I walked to the subway against the bitter cold tonight, I came around the corner on 7th Avenue and there, on the Times Square news ticker, I see JASON BAY SIGNS TO THE METS FOR $65M. I should be thrilled. I should be happy. I should be trash-talking the Red Sox fans in my office. Instead, my reaction is “ehhhhh”.

I like Jason Bay. I have always liked Jason Bay. I was sad for Pirates fans and happy for Red Sox fans when he went to Boston. For heaven’s sake, Eddie Vedder once campaigned for him to be in the All Star Game. For once I do not feel like we are getting the bottom scrapings of the free agent barrel. However, the dragging of the feet, and the “Jason Bay would rather play in Beirut than go to the Mets” and the “hey, let’s have MIKE FRANCESA give you HOTT new Mets news!” was all a big pin in my fan balloon.

It could have been different, though. Let’s go visit the gypsy woman and look into her crystal ball for a moment….

Jeff Wilpon sat at his desk in his office at Citi Field, busily tapping away on the computer. There is a knock at the door. He ignores it, and continues to tap. The knock is louder, and he ignores it again. Finally, the knocking gets insistent.
Jeff: “Dammit!”
The door opens and a head appears. “Mr. Wilpon?”
Jeff: “Who are you?”
Barry the intern: “I’m Barry, the intern? You said you wanted to see me.”
Jeff: “Yes, but not now. I was just about to kill this game on Sporcle… come in, come in.”
Barry walks in the room, clutching a report in a clear binder.
Barry: “Is it about my report?”
“You wrote this?” Jeff holds up a copy.
“Yes.”