Watchdog

Kay: Now, Don, did you watch the game yesterday?

Don La Greca: Sure.

Kay: I am amazed that Keith Hernandez can keep his job. I don't know if you thought the same thing I thought. The Mets today have a big charity function that Jeff Wilpon puts together every year in Greenwich. Now Jeff Wilpon, for those who don't know, is the owner of the Mets. And he puts together this big charity function, and it's a really nice thing that he does, and he insists that his team is there. So the charity function is put together on an off day, and it was today. OK? Now Keith Hernandez says to Gary Cohen, this is about the seventh inning, 'Hey Gary, the Mets have to go to that charity function tomorrow?' And Gary said yes, and Gary starts pumping it up, because it's the owner's thing. And Keith Hernandez comes out and says, 'It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life.' He goes, 'Why would you do that to a team? When you come back from the West Coast you desperately need that time off, and then to schedule a charity function that everybody has to go to on that day is beyond me.' And I'm going, 'Wow!' I understand being objective. I understand that. And I understand there has to be a separation of church and state, but when it comes down to a charity . . . the well-rested Mets lost four in a row to San Diego! I was surprised. I'd be surprised if Keith Hernandez was not called on the carpet. Because one thing: There was total silence - total silence - from Gary Cohen. He didn't know what to say. I mean, are you going to throw the owner under the bus? Do you remember what I'm talking about, Don?

La Greca: Yeah, I do, and it's shocking, because as you said, he didn't get any support from Gary. You would say Gary, let's say, if it was a completely neutral broadcast and it wasn't something owned by the Wilpons, I would think he would go out there and defend his partner so it didn't seem so harsh. But I think Gary knew to stay away from something like that.

Kay: Gary can't say anything. If anything if he defends it he makes Hernandez look bad, and then if he supports Hernandez, and maybe he doesn't even believe that, well then the Wilpons are going to . . . I mean, you have to save your job, too. I'm not saying you have to be a toadie for the owners, but Keith Hernandez attacking that? Again, it's for charity.

La Greca: You could say, listen, there's a lot of charity things that go on and I think it's a great idea. It's such a shame, though, that the Mets had such a bad road trip and have to travel right home and instead of getting an off day they have to do something, that's one thing. But to say what he said is a complete shot at ownership and I would think is a fire-able offense.

Kay: You know what, he's probably got a very good guaranteed contract.

La Greca: That's probably it, and I don't think the Wilpons want the outcry of firing a very popular Met.

Kay: Amazing, just amazing. As a broadcaster of a team that owns the network, or at least part of the network, boy, that's not where I would make my stand. It's just not. I mean, you have to be honest about what's going on on the field, but why would you attack that? I mean, good for Keith if he thinks he could get away with it, but boy, if I'm the Wilpons and I'm watching at home, I'm throwing a shoe through the set.

La Greca: I'm not going to defend Keith, because what he said was ridiculous, as far as ripping the owner of your company like that. But it is such a loose broadcast. It's not a bad broadcast. It's a very good broadcast. But if you watch them, and I watch them a lot more than you do because they're up against the Yankees most times, it's a very loose and casual broadcast. And I could see a comfortable Keith Hernandez kind of throwing it out there, thinking that's just what he's paid to do and not thinking through the ramifications.

Kay: I mean, the guy who signs your paycheck is pretty important.