The New York Mets can't seem to get a break. First, they lose half their team to injury. Next, they have a controversy over Director of Player Development, Tony Bernazard, that plays out for four days in the New York papers and then, when Omar Minaya does a press conference to announce that he was firing Bernazard, Minaya totally blows it by making accusations at the New York writer that broke the story. It wasn't pretty.
First, to be fair, Bernazard is being chopped to pieces by the media. Deserved or not, his life in baseball could be destroyed by this situation. That's always a sad thing for a lifelong baseball man. But the guy does seem to have an anger management problem and it seems strangely like 'roid rage. Bernazard is a former player so that latter could be a possibility. Whatever the case, it appears by all accounts that firing him was the correct action.
But Minaya used the occasion to dis the guy who broke the story. Minaya should have been humble and contrite concerning Bernazard's actions. After all, Bernazard was Minaya's guy. But instead, he comes off as arrogant and defensive and round-house punches the writer with words. What an idiot!
Perhaps Joe Posnanski and Bill Simmons are right in that all baseball executives should hire Common Sense Advisers. Any PR guy in their slowest moments would have been able to tell Minaya he was going to make a huge mistake by turning this around on the writer. It was the worst possible outcome of the press conference. Minaya couldn't have handled it worse if he tried it again a thousand times.
The Fan just can't see Minaya surviving this. Everything is in an uproar and Minaya's management style is under fire anyway. The Mets' ownership has to see this for the public relations fiasco that it is and cut Minaya loose. There doesn't seem to be any other course of action.
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