If there's one thing to know about Jon Stewart, he's one of New York's biggest Mets fans. He starts off at the desk covering the unexpected firing of former Mets manager, Willie Randolph. Plus, Jon sits with former Mets players David Wright, Matt Harvey, and Mookie Wilson. He chats with David and Matt about the state of the team and reminisces with Mookie about the 1986 Mets team and the legacy he's left.
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You haven't been fired. I've been fired. I've been fired a lot. I've been fired. I've been fired from bakeries that I worked out. I've been fired from women's clothing stores. I was once fired by my brother. My brother fired me from a Wars. But one thing that's never I was fired by Stripogram once. One thing that's never happened to me is that I've been fired at three o'clock in the morning, three thousand miles away from where I lived. Willie Randolph, the New York Mets manager, my beloved Mets. This guy, Okay, the Mets suck fire, but they could have fired Willie ran off at any point over the last year. So what they do is they wait before he takes a trip to Los Angeles. They fly him all the way out to Los Angeles, he wins the game, and then they fire him that night at three o'clock in the morning. You don't get when you get a call at three o'clock in the morning, that's for sex, that's not for being fired.
He did not preserve that it is classless.
Here's how matters.
This is the New York Post Tiger Woods.
They don't even They don't even have time to put Willie Randolph being fired classless. I mean maybe they flew him out to Los Angeles because I thought, what we're gonna fire him, he should at least get his frequent flyer Miles. I don't know, bastardos. And this is the worst part. We have a tape of the call of him being fired. You cannot believe who they got to fire him.
Hey, Willie, it's missed the Mets.
Good morning.
Oh and just watch it fire.
So back up your crap, get the pick out of the club outs give you boy, you want to meet the Mets, Why don't you be missed the Met.
I'll meet you in a parking lot.
You bump or another thing.
Keep it dirty, Mits off of missus Met instead of a bitch, go disrespect all due respect forget about a Hyde.
Not right.
Willie didn't deserve this.
I got right the third baseman for the New York Mets.
His charitable organization, the David Wright Foundation, is hosting its third annual Do the Right Thing Gala, taking place right here in New York City on November fifteenth. Please welcome to the show, David Wright.
Play great to see you always a pleasure.
I was hoping, true Mets fan, a true Mets fan since nineteen forty eight or whatever. I was hoping that we would be doing this interview under more pleasant circumstances of the World Series having ended you being crowned World Series Champions. It was not to be next year, seriously, two thousand and eight, okay, and about to hear first. And if I put money on that, like I did this.
Year, if I was allowed, I'd pay you back.
I really appreciate that. What what you know the Mets? What does it feel like you're a great young player? My guess is you stay off the horse juice. You're going Hall of Fame for now? Are you on the horse juice?
Absolutely not?
Who's on the horse juice?
On your team?
You know this is the Mets were ahead by seven games with seventeen to go and didn't make the playoffs. What are you still feeling that?
Are you nightmares everyd you bounce back?
If the next day do you still think about it?
You know, it's one of those things where you know, it's tough to say right now, but I think in the long run, hopefully it helps us out. You know it built character. It learned how to deal with adversity. You know, throughout those last two weeks. I mean, we were getting ripped pretty good, and we learned to deal with that.
Exactly, winning the World Series it would have been too easy this year.
It would have been the wrong move.
I'm twenty, twenty four years old.
What would I had to look forward to? Exactly?
That's exactly right. You're twenty four years old. You hit over three hundred, you hit thirty dangers, you stole thirty bases, you signed a huge contract. I want to be you. That's what makes me so angry.
There's been some.
Talk in the city and this has got to be hard because and entertainment. It's similar to that they talk about people taking over your job. Alex Rodriguez opted out of his Yankee contract, his third basement. They say, oh, maybe the Mets will go after him. You're the Mets third baseman. Do you call them up and go hello?
You know, it's just seeing the way the Boston celebrated, seeing the winners of the World Series first and foremost, I want to win, So am I saying that I would change positions for a guy like Alex Rodriguez if the front office called me and said, hey, look, we want to make this team better, and you're involved. I would absolutely want to sit down and listen. But for right now, I am the third basement of New York Mets and I'm going into the two thousand and eight season prepared to be the third base.
What if they call you when they say, hey, what about John Stewart may be playing third base?
I'm all in. You're all in for that, Linn.
I say, no, a Rod, and I'll tell you why. He seems like bad medicine. He seems like a very good player, but when he gets on the team, it's like, uh, he weakens the team. He's like the Dick Cheney of baseball.
And I don't mean that. I mean that he nobody seems to like what he's doing.
And by the way, you don't have to comment on that. You just show no, no, he definitely doesn't. But no, it seems like he's a bad chemistry guy. And chemistry is important, is it not.
Fifty two home runs are important too, last time I checked, that could.
Be a lot of chemistry. Okay, I see what you're saying. Do you think the Mets end up signing a lot of these high profile free agents. Are you're happy with the way things?
I think we got a good, young core group of guys. I love my job here, so I don't want to go anywhere, So no trade for me, hopefully, but I hope we go out and make some improvements. I think, you know pitching side obviously that that kind of fell apart down the stretch. We could use another big bat, so maybe through the outfield, but.
You could use some pitching. Am I right?
Let me show you something.
I was at a playoff game, the New York Mets versus the Saint Louis Cardinals. Do we have tape of that? This is apropos to what we were?
Okay, hold on, you see.
I was one of the ones booing.
Were you actually was one of the one's booing in the background.
Have you had the experience yet of forty five thousand people booing.
You in April this year?
Did you really?
Yeah?
I got off to a slow start this year. Derek Junior has been booed in New York. So it's kind of a rite of passage. So that's what I tell myself in a lot of ways.
When you look at that footage and you see the crowd booing me. You almost think to yourself, Wow, John Stewart is just like Derek Jeter and David.
Right, correct, right, David Right, Derek Jeter, John.
Stewart, thank you.
Except I may be the only one of you guys who can't reach home plate with the ball.
You didn't get to warm up.
That's exactly right, that's what it is, and I'm decrepit. Off season. Do you go out, do you start playing this scene, enjoy the fruits of your labor or is it all strictly business.
We know, after the end of the year, the way it ended, you have a bitter taste in your mouth. You want to get going for next year, obviously, you know, being twenty four years old, I like to go out have a good time every now and then. But it's basically business. It's getting ready for next year. It's working out trying to hope that next year the same thing does a.
Little bit better. Well, I really appreciate you coming by. I'm a huge messman. I wish it means you're a great player and a great guy, and you know, just take me with you.
Absolutely, thank you, David right, everybody, Well, the night I got tonight for my money.
He is the most exciting picture in the game today. He's the face of the New York Metropolitans walking to the program.
Matt Harvey. Oh, for God's sake.
So yes, So this is what seventeen seasons, this is, This is perfect.
It's exactly my size and that it can function as a shirt and pants for me.
Thank you so much. I'm thrilled to have.
You on the program. Thank you Jesus. Come on you, what are you doing this thing? Just get it on that you please.
Perfect.
Just if it gets thirsty, just give it a little water. Perfect. You gotta you gotta protect you gotta protect the money maker.
My friend.
There you go, nicely done.
Let me let me ask you a question.
You're you're how old are you six?
You're twenty six years old? You got in New York City. We have not seen a player of your ability in many years. Maybe you know, Uh, Doc Gooden is Doc Gooden? Daryl Strawberry back in you know, the mid eighties, the last time that we experienced I guess what some people would call it's been so long success? Uh what is that? Does it feel like a responsibility? What does it feel like? Is it just all excitement. Are you enjoying yourself?
I think it's excitement. I think for for us and the whole staff. I think we're we're you know, excited about the future. We're excited about now and and I think the most important thing is to focus on what we're doing now. And you know, we're not looking to next year the year after. We're trying to.
Win now in a moment. You haven't been hurt before like many Mets. Is it does it feel strange? Do you feel the pessimism of the Mets fan? The Met fan is a we are we are a beaten creature.
I think I think I saw an article today about how I should be pitched till I'm be abused almost so I think your abused, Yeah, pretty much.
Why because they think you'll leave? Yes, because you're with the Mets. How do you think it is the Mets? Here's my thought. You dominate the league for like two years, and then they trade you for a milk and goat and some magic beans, because that is generally the way that they handle excellent ballplayers. You know, I would say, you know the team now is what a twenty seven to twenty one? If you tot a Met fan. The Inwyork Mets are going to be twenty seven to twenty one at the beginning of the season. At this point, I think anybody would have taken that. But the way the young arms have pitched, it almost feels like it could be more, It could be better. How's it feeling in the clubhouse?
I think we definitely feel like we should have won a few games that we didn't, but you know, we're close. I think the Nationals obviously had a slow start and then came up. Oh they've been playing.
They got some pretty diangers. Yeah. Is it frustrating for a pitcher? You auld a game, you get these a couple of times, you throw eight shutout innings something like that, and it's the offense maybe gets your run and then or they don't get you a run. Does that feel frustrating to put in that type of performance but the hitting lags behind. Is there a split between offense and pitching in the clubhouse or do you guys just kind of try and pick each other up and everybody's got patience with everybody else.
I think it's a patient's thing. I think I could say maybe two years ago, I think I might have gotten, you know, upset.
And twenty four now you're twenty six.
Yeah, big, big difference, huge difference. It's a huge difference, especially with you know.
Just please you don't know this, This loose like could very much damage that.
OL.
I don't want anything to happen to you. You're my future. But you know I'm leaving the show.
You're all I have left.
I know you gotta Well, we were talking. I was like, I gotta get you out and take some VP or something me.
Yeah, that would in no way be a dream come true.
Absolutely.
Is it competitive with the other young coutures. You got Cindergarte out there. This kid's a beast. He's what twenty three twenty two throws shut out ball and he hits a home run. Ridiculous, It's ridiculous.
I think my face I saw it on Twitter a bunch of times. I think the face that I had after the home run was just shot. Yeah, I mean it was.
It's crazy. You de gram Darnault. This is a really young core. Do you feel like you can change the culture of a team that suffered. It's a lot of pressure to put on. You know, you got the Yankees cross Town, you got all these other things. Do you guys talk about that or it really is just about man, let's go out, let's have fun, Let's remember why we love this game.
I think I think our mindset and has been for you know, all of this year especially. I think coming into spring training, we had one goal and that was to win, and I think we all believe that. I think it was a lot different than in years past spring trainings, and you know, we've carried that to mostly every game. So I think for us, being a young staff, I think we, you know, try and bring a lot of energy to the clubhouse.
I'm so excited. You know, I'm gonna bring my whole family down. We we we love going to the games, we love watching the team, and you guys have given us a reason to be very hopeful for the first time in a long time. And I really do appreciate it. And you're you're a beast out there. I look forward to seeing you pitch more and more. Thank you, very muche for coming on the.
Everybody, let's saim watch yourself? What an I guess tonight on.
New York Mets Legend.
His new book is called Mookie Life Baseball and the eighty six Mets. Please welcome to the program, Mookie, where is it? And honor to see you here? All right, great, thank you for being here, Thanks for having me as really the last time in many years that I can actually say that to a New York Met, the rough.
Times it's been, the rough time.
This really was. You know, you're right about eighty six. There is something truly indelible about a championship season that makes it worthy of remembrance. What was it about the eighty six team when you guys won the World Series? Besides the dramatic fashion you wanted.
It, I think it's the characters.
I think that we're a group of individuals that weren't afraid to be themselves. And I think any more of that as sports and more of that.
Yes, but you were you know, the eighty six team had Doc Gooden, Daryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, yes, Gry Curtry. But you were a beacon of maturity.
And that's good.
Don't you think you were the one guy everybody loved and nobody ever worried about. You always thought, Keith Hernandez. Some at some point six in the morning, somebody's gonna be like where's Keith Mookie Wilson never had that issue.
Now, I think the team we had this group over here that was really outgoing a lot people called the scum bunch, you know. If we had this other group over here that was really you know, you know Gary Carter's, you know Ron Darlings, guys like that, didn't have those guys in the middle, you know, like myself and Raphael sa Antannadate kind of you know, kept it all together.
And that chemistry.
Yes, and it brings up an issue.
So everybody is talking about this Donald Sterling, this relationship between queen a racist owner. Sports really is an unusually almost paternal situation with the owner. They can ship you out to another city. Do the players feel that relationship.
I think it's always it's gonna be that weird relationship with between players, you know and management, knowing that management does have the last word. Sometimes it doesn't matter how well you play, it's all about the relationship between the player and ownership. Now this basketball situation is really really different. We have a lot of racist from Mars and here he owns a team that's of what eighty percent black?
Right?
That's kind of weird? Is that is that's weird.
Weird, that's weird.
But it's always you find in these leagues. The owner is typically white, the athletes typically Africa. The athletes who are African American had to fight to be allowed to play, and even now still have to fight for rights. This idea that Okay, you know you're allowed to leave after seven years, but you have to put in this amount of time. Do you think this is could be a turning point in that relationship.
I don't think so. I think that sports has survived. I mean, let's over the years. As much as we've tried to mess baseball up, we haven't with strikes and all that. The game will survive. I got thinking, you can make all the rules you want to, but until you change the attitudes of people, you're going to have this kind of idiocy. Right, no matter what you do, it's just gonna happen.
As a player, how do you handle that? You know, these guys are in the midst of a playoff run. Now you've played in New York there was a tremendous amount of distraction, a tremendous amount of media. They're the same in Los Angeles. Is it even possible for an athlete at that high level to still compete with this type of emotion under the surface.
Well, first and foremance is that athletes deal with pressure every day, every day to go out on the field.
It's all about what you do that day.
And this is no different. They're not playing for the honor, They're playing for their own self respect. And you know, I've heard things about, well, should have borrowed the team, boycott, you know, and not play. That serves no real purpose. I mean, it would defeat the purposes. You be there playing basketball at the NBA and level. That's a great, great honor. And to let some idiot, you know, not let you fulfill the potential that your team has. I think you be doing yourself for disservice in the league itself.
Do you see what I mean about you having the maturity?
Look at me, I'm ready to fly off the handle, just walk away from the game, and you brought me back, you know. And so here's what I think should happen. Yes, Okay, the Clippers rally around this, They play unbelievable basketball for the next month, they win the NBA Championship, and in the locker room, in the jubilation, the trophy is handed to them.
Donald Sterling is.
Right there and they get the tallest guy.
Let's go with Blake Griffith.
He's about six o' eleven and he just holds the trophy up like this and Donald Sterling, I.
Can't get it and done.
They don't let him have it.
Are you still are you?
Are you still able to get together with some of the fellas and reminisce about it? You know, tragically Gary Carter of Colls passed away, a great character guy. Are you able to get together and still sort of revert back to form from the eighties and have a great time together.
We don't want to go back, No, I don't.
We don't want to, we don't, but we do get together and when we do his this one big all reunion and we talk a lot and we lie a little bit too, you know.
That's what reminiscing is all about all about, you know. And and who would have thought that that would be the last championship the Mets ever won. It? Well, it's an absolute pleasure to see it and to have you here on the show. Get yourself, Mookie, one of the one of the greats. Mookie Wilson. Ladies and John.
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