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The Tides were tired of being ignored
By RICH RADFORD, The Virginian-Pilot
© September 23, 2006
There are moments when baseball stops being about majestic home runs, greedy player agents, shoestring catches, ticket scalpers, blown saves and the seventh-inning stretch... and becomes about good will.
In two words, that's why the Norfolk Tides parted ways with the New York Mets.
Actually, a lack of good will would be more accurate.
As much as the Mets want to put their "spin" on the circumstances and make it appear they selected the New Orleans Zephyrs over a chance to remain in Norfolk, don't believe it.
The Baltimore Orioles offered a regional connection and a clean slate. There is no baggage with this deal and the Orioles did not use "intimidation," a word Tides president Ken Young used Friday in describing his dealings with the Mets in the past month.
With the Orioles, there isn't a history of phone calls to New York that went unreturned.
There isn't the bitter aftertaste of a rag-tag team made up primarily of has-been free agents who could muster nothing better than a 57-84 record.
There isn't a feeling of neglect on the part of the big-league team's front office, one that overwhelms a top-rung minor league club when the general manager of the major league team fails to make even one visit during an entire season.
Any good will the Mets and Tides enjoyed in the past had clearly evaporated.
The Mets beat the Tides to the punch Thursday night by abruptly announcing in the Shea Stadium press box during a game against the Florida Marlins that they had elected to move their Triple-A team from Norfolk to New Orleans.
But in reality, the Mets didn't "elect" to do anything. The Tides say they were going with the Orioles all along, so the Mets were destined for New Orleans, the only other available Triple-A team in the mix.
Bottom line: If Young hadn't been out of town on other business all week, the Tides and Orioles would have announced earlier this week that they planned to sign a two-year deal.
In announcing their affiliation with New Orleans, Mets officials seemed to be trying to save face.
"I assume that's the case," Young said. "When I heard the Mets were going to visit Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and see if they could make a deal, I told them point-blank that we were leaning heavily toward the Orioles. The point of my discussion was, 'Don't wait for me if Scranton offers you a deal.' "
A delegation of Mets officials visited Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. When they learned that the Red Barons were going to align with the New York Yankees, the Mets' concerns grew. That's when they asked All-Star third baseman David Wright, who was born in Norfolk, grew up in the area and played briefly with the Tides in 2004, to call Young and plead the Mets' case late Wednesday night.
Said Young: "I hope they didn't pull him out of the lineup to make that call."
Calls to the Mets were not returned on Friday. But here are some of the comments made in a Mets news release and to members of the New York media.
Said Jeff Wilpon, Mets chief operating officer: "We thank the fans of the Virginia Beach area for their support for the past 38 years."
The Tides played one year in Portsmouth and 37 in Norfolk. They never played in Virginia Beach.
Add Wilpon: "In some cases, being in a major airport like New Orleans, you've got a much easier time moving guys. In Norfolk, they usually had to go somewhere else before they could get where they had to go."
Wayne Shank, deputy executive director of the Norfolk Airport Authority, has news for Wilpon. Norfolk flies direct nonstop to 26 cities, including many with National League teams.
New York?
"Direct," Shank said.
Philadelphia? Atlanta? Miami? Cincinnati? St. Louis?
"Direct, direct, direct, direct, direct," Shank said. "And when I say direct, I mean nonstop direct."
Mets GM Omar Minaya said the franchise preferred New Orleans because "we also wanted to be in a warm-weather area."
Aside from the possibility of a chilly week in April, the weather in Hampton Roads is hardly arctic.
Said Mets director of minor league operations Adam Wogan: "The new home of our Triple-A farm club is the direct result of a pro-active outreach by the Zephyrs, led by their general manager Mike Schline."
If that's the case, then maybe Wogan should have allowed the Zephyrs the luxury of making the announcement.
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