There was a time, back in the 1980s, when the Yankees were referred to as the Bronx Zoo. Between the infighting in the locker room, the constant revolving door of managers (and Billy Martin continually being brought back), and George Steinbrenner’s meddling in every facet of the organization, the Yankees were a disaster. Now, the zoo has been moved to Queens, and the New York Mets.
This was not supposed to be the case. When Steve Cohen bought the Mets, the era of “Same ‘ol Mets” and the dumpster fire that was the Wilpon’s ownership, was supposed to be over. He vowed that they would act as a major market team and that a championship would be forthcoming.
New York Mets circus continues
Instead, nothing has changed. The Mets have been one of the great disappointments of the season, incapable of generating offense and being eviscerated by injuries. The hitting coaches were fired in May, and Cohen has taken to Twitter to criticize the team’s performance. One has to imagine that if Twitter existed in the days of King George, he would have done the same.
The latest chapter in the Mets’ circus unfolded over the weekend. The players, tired of being booed for their lackluster performance, decided that they would boo the fans whenever they do something positive. While one has to give Javier Baez credit for his honesty, that is certainly not a way to win over a fanbase.
Neither are forced apologies. After Cohen said such actions were not tolerable, Baez, Kevin Pillar, and Francisco Lindor apologized. Luis Rojas may have already been on the hot seat, but his statement that he was unaware of that celebration may have solidified his place in the unemployment line.
While that fire is starting to burn out, another one has started. Marcus Stroman, in a roundabout way, accused Michael Kay and ESPN of racism on Tuesday. That led to pushback on Twitter, with Stroman being ripped for his take almost immediately.
But that is just another day in the zoo. The Mets may not be that good on the diamond right now, but they certainly own the sports section. At this point, that does not show any signs of changing. The faces may have changed, but the Mets are still the Mets.
The New York Mets continue to be a dumpster fire no matter who is in charge. They have brought the Bronx Zoo over to Queens.