Jay HORWITZ
Longtime Mets media relations ace Jay Horwitz scheduled a one-on-one meet with Post columnist Steve Serby for some Amazin’ Q&A.
Q: What are your thoughts about Keith Hernandez having his No. 17 jersey retired?
A: It’s a long overdue honor. In September of ’86, he and Ray Knight called me into their room, and they said, “We’re gonna tell you something that is gonna make you happy and sad at the same time: The players are gonna vote you a full share if we win the World Series.” The full share was $93,000. And I was given a choice by the front office of either taking a $93,000 share from the players, or a $4,000 gift from the club being the department head. My mom said, “I didn’t raise a schmuck, take the $93,000.” So I did. I said, “Keith, I don’t want to upset the apple cart here.” They said, “This is our money, we do what we want.” At that time it was unusual for somebody in my position to get voted a share. And Keith and those guys, they had my back.
Q: Describe Keith as a ballplayer.
A: Never took an at-bat off, no matter what the score. Always aware of everything around him in the field. Always in the right place. Never out of position. Q: What would Tom Seaver have said about his statue? A: He would have said: “I made a difference. The fans, 20, 30 years from now, will still remember me. I love the fans, I love the city . ... It’s good to be remembered.”
Q: What was the very first Subway Series game like in 1997?
A: Dave Mlicki goes out and pitches the best game of his life [complete-game shutout], and we missed the team bus going back to Shea Stadium because we had a lot of interviews, so Dave and I took a cab going back to the stadium together.
Q: What do you remember about the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium?
A: A lot of Yankee fans at the beginning, a lot of Met fans at the end. It was David against Goliath then. Every year, he still gets postcards and letters around the first game.
Q: Bobby Bonilla had a couple of clubhouse confrontations?
A: I shoulda gotten combat pay for those days! One time against the Cubs, they put up a big E9 on the scoreboard. He calls me in the press box: “Jay, tell ’em to take it down.” Mike Lupica’s over my right shoulder: “Was that Bobby Bo complaining about the error?” I said, “No, he knew I had the flu. He was calling up to see how I felt.” And that didn’t work out too well (laugh).
Q: Describe the day Doc Gooden came back from drug rehab.
A: I was praying he would do well.
Q: Doc and Darryl Strawberry?
A: Both have big hearts, they both do good work with kids right now. One of the questions I always get is, “Should they both be in the Hall of Fame?” Probably could have been. But I think the work they’re doing now for kids, and Darryl’s a pastor now and his wife is a pastor; Doc speaks to high schools.
Q: The Photo Day fight between Hernandez and Strawberry?
A: That was Gary Cohen’s first day on the job at [WFAN]. I was to the side and said, “What the hell’s happening here?” The next day, I got congratulatory messages from every PR guy in baseball. ’Cause I got national publicity for the Photo Day which is a bulls--t thing. Gary Cohen probably said, “What the hell did I get myself into?”
Q: Describe the Vince Coleman postgame firecracker incident in the parking lot in Los Angeles.
A: I was having dinner with my late uncle Murray. I think I got a call from somebody from the police department from L.A.: “Two of your guys were throwing firecrackers at the fans.” ... I asked Uncle Murray to drive me back to the hotel. Bobby Bo did a bowling tournament shortly after that, and I said: “Bowling questions only.”
Q: Your Harlem Shake in the clubhouse?
A: In 2011, I broke my ankle, I stayed at the Holiday Inn after a road trip, and then I was running to my car and I tripped on a pothole. Probably the next spring, I sued the hotel. And we had this idea to do the Harlem Shuffle. So Jeff [Wilpon] had asked me to get up in front of the team and dance. So I remember dancing with LaTroy Hawkins and David Wright, we were all in costumes. And we got a lot of hits on social media, and I got a call from my lawyer the next day, he said: “Love your dancing, but you just screwed up your lawsuit.”
Q: What did Joe Torre, your first manager, say to you when you first met him?
A: I was scared stiff, it was the first time I ever was in a major league locker room. He just said, “Follow my lead, kid, I’ll tell you the right things to do.” He introduced me to all of his friends — Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, George Brett.
Q: He was your first manager fired?
A: I took it personally. I remember I cried when Art Howe got fired, when Willie Randolph got fired. I remember sitting in the locker room as guys packed their bags. I never got married, right, so the Mets were my family. One winter, [manager] George Bamberger, he was in my office, he said, “Jay, I think I’m having a heart attack. Could you take me to the hospital?” So there was a little snow on the ground. So I lean out the window, and my glasses fell off, and I ran over my glasses taking George to the doctor. He didn’t have a heart attack, he had something else wrong with him. He got back in the car, he said, “I’ll never ever drive with you again.”
Q: The Willie Randolph firing was in the middle of the night in L.A.
A: One of my worst moments ever. I wasn’t told because I used to ride to the park every day with Willie, so they kept it from me. We flew all night to L.A. I was awakened around 12:30 — “We have a release going out, we’re gonna fire Willie Randolph now.” And the next day he left to go to New York ... was so embarrassed to be part of that.
Q: Describe Pedro Martinez?
A: He would run naked back and forth in the locker room with a cowboy hat on before he did his interview. Q: Why? A: Just to be Pedro. Q: What was it like watching Lenny Dykstra play? A: Always dirt on his uniform. I remember when he hit the home run in the ninth on a Saturday to win the game against Houston in the playoffs [NLCS Game 3 in 1986], the next day we got him on “NFL Live.” Our first road trip, Keith bought him a suit, because he had nothing to wear.
And I just feel badly the way he is now.
Q: Mookie Wilson, aside from the roller through Bill Buckner’s legs?
A: The one time I ever saw Mookie mad, we were in St. Petersburg, he stood signing autographs for about 3 ¹/2 hours, he had to go to the airport to pick up his wife, and he left a couple of people there, he couldn’t wait any longer, and the next day he got ripped in the St. Pete Times for not autographing every autograph. I remember calling the editor.
Q: What is your favorite young David Wright memory?
A: I actually snuck him into an All-Star Game in Houston about a couple of weeks before he was called up [in 2004]. He wanted to speak to Scott Rolen, about what it’s like in the big leagues, so I got him a fake press pass, snuck him into the locker room, and he sat with Scott Rolen for an hour just learning about what it
takes to be a major league player.
Q: Your favorite young Jose Reyes memory?
A: Him teaching himself Engan lish, not using interpreter. Now he’s become a singer.
Q: Describe BarColon’s tolo lone career home run in 2016.
A: One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. I’m sitting in the press box and I said, “I can’t believe it’s going out.” I was Bartolo’s interpreter for the year he was here.
Q: Of all the controversies you had, which one was the most challenging?
A: Probably the day we announced that Dwight was going to Smithers. You get to be attached to these players.
Q: The Dark Knight, Matt Harvey: What happened to him?
A: I always think what would have happened, fifth game of the 2015 World Series, eighth inning, 2-0 lead ... what happens if we win that game? Again, it was too much, too soon. I don’t want to seem like I’m second-guessing people, but sometimes what I try to tell a guy: You don’t have to do everything in one year, you can spread it out a little bit. Maybe I wasn’t firm enough, I didn’t get the message through. You don’t have to do every publicity avail in one year. I really hope he comes back. Q: One out left in Johan Santana’s nothinking? hitter, what are you A: I think it’s not gonna happen. Because with all the guys we had before — the Goodens, the Seavers — I said, “Something’s gonna happen.” And thankfully it didn’t.
Q: Did you ever sleep over at Shea Stadium or Citi Field?
A: Thirty times, 40 times. I used to sleep in the clubhouse a lot. One time I think I almost gave Steven Matz a heart attack. I would sleep on one of the couches, he didn’t see me there. My hair was disheveled, my shirt was out, I think I had boogers coming down my nose (laugh). I sprang up and said, “Do I look presentable, Steve?” And he started to laugh.
Q: You had your artificial eye put in when you were 13?
A: I was like Max Scherzer — different color eyes. That’s why he’s one of my favorite pitchers now.
Q: Describe your beloved assistant Shannon Forde, who lost her battle with cancer in 2016.
A: Most courageous person I’ve ever met . ... She balanced her life with the kids, the job, the Mets. And she did so much for women’s PR. She wasn’t afraid of the players.
Q: Describe the upcoming Old Timers’ Day on Aug. 27.
A: It’s gonna be a nice thing, we haven’t done it for 22 years.
Q: Describe your Amazin’ Mets Alumni Podcast.
A: I like it ’cause I speak to people I have a rapport with, I don’t use any notes.
Q: What is the bond you have with Jacob deGrom that led him to write the foreword to your book “Mr. Met: How a Sports-Mad Kid from Jersey Became Like Family to Generations of Big Leaguers”?
A: Jacob used to talk to David Wright every day, and I think he saw David trusted me. I am over 40 years older than Jake. We had a basketball net in the locker room, and Jake would say he would do an interview if I made two baskets. Never made the baskets, but he always did interviews. I think he appreciated that I could laugh at myself.
Q: Are you recognized out public?
A: About a month ago somebody thought I was Henry Kissinger ... somebody said I looked like Woody Allen ... Fay Vincent with the head.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: John Kennedy, Bill Parcells, Willis Reed. Q: Favorite movie? A: “American Graffiti.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Chadwick Boseman. Q: Favorite actress? A: Ali MacGraw. Q: Favorite singer or entertainer? A: Dion and the Belmonts.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Mussels, veal parmigiana and spaghetti, and apple pie for dessert.
Q: How would you describe the Mets fan?
A: The guy who went to work 9-to-5 . ... Has a lot of patience . ... Never gives up . ... And always looks for a silver lining.
Q: What would it mean to you if this current team won a championship?
A: Hopefully, you get rid of the “Same Old Mets” thing.