BRODIE CAUGHT IN HOT-MIC MESS
A hot mic has put Brodie Van Wagenen in hot water.
As the Mets and Marlins discussed postponing Thursday night’s scheduled game at Citi Field, the Mets general manager was captured on video — accidentally livestreamed to Mets.com — bashing Rob Manfred’s leadership, while stating the MLB commissioner suggested players perform an orchestrated walkout prior to first pitch, only to return to play an hour later, despite the players’ collective desire not to play.
Hours after the embar- rassing footage was posted online, Van Wagenen claimed he misunderstood the sit- uation, saying the idea belonged to Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, who at that point allegedly didn’t know the players had agreed to postpone the game.
Van Wagenen later apologized to Manfred for insulting and implicating him.
“My frustration with the Commissioner was wrong and unfounded. I apologize to the Commissioner for my disrespectful comments and poor judgement in inaccurately describing the contents of his private conversation with Jeff Wilpon,” Van Wagenen said. “... I didn’t have the tone or the context to it . ... It wasn’t Rob and his leadership that was requiring or suggesting or mandating anything by the stretch of the imagination . ... I recognize that it was a disrespectful move to his office and to him.”
When Van Wagenen believed Manfred was responsible, he unleashed the latest round of criticism against the maligned commissioner.
“That leadership level, he doesn’t get it,” Van Wagenen, talking with two people, said on the leaked video. “He just doesn’t get it.”
Manfred later released a statement that he respected the decisions of all players, but at the time of the video’s recording, Van Wagenen thought the commissioner was scheming to stop the players from sitting out.
“Baseball’s trying to come up with a solution, saying, ‘Oh, you know what would be super powerful — the three of us here, [this information] can’t leave this room — you know it’d be really great if you just have them all take the field and then they leave the field and then they come back and play at 8:10,” Van Wagenen said on the video. “And I was like, ‘What?’ ”
CEO Fred Wilpon was also in disbelief upon hearing Van Wagenen’s comments.
“I am very stressed and disappointed to learn tonight that our General Manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, made disrespectful and inaccurate comments about our Commissioner, a longtime close friend of mine. I hold Rob in the highest regard and in no way are Brod[ie]’s remarks reflective of my views or the organization’s,” Wilpon said in a statement. “Rob continues to be a great leader of Major League Baseball. I apologize for any harm this incident has caused Rob.”
Jeff Wilpon also released a statement, rebuking the GM.
“To clear up any misunderstandings, it was my suggestion to potentially look into playing the game later because of scheduling issues,” he said. “Brod[ie]’s misunderstanding of a private conversation was and is inexcusable.”
On a night intended to showcase the powerful solidarity and heartfelt gestures of his team, Van Wagenen’s greatest regret came in diverting attention to the franchise’s latest gaffe.
“I hold myself personally responsible for this. Hot mic or not hot mic, I made comments that damaged the reputation of the commissioner, that hurt the New York Mets organization. But my apology goes beyond just to the people I may have damaged, but more that my name and my face and this zoom conference is part of the conversation today,” Van Wagenen said. “This conversation is about the players making a statement. This conversation is about recognizing the pain and the anguish that black people are experiencing every day in this country. the fact that I’ve put myself and this organization in the conversation in a way that takes away from the real point, I’m disappointed in myself ... and I accept responsibility for that.”