Mike Piazza believes the Wilpons will sell the Mets to the right person
Former Mets catcher Mike Piazza poses for a photo under a street sign for newly named Piazza Dr., after a ceremony in front of the Mets spring training facility on Jan. 16 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: AP/Wilfredo Lee
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — No, Mike Piazza is not going to buy the Mets. But he does have a message for fans who are waiting for someone to do so.
“My advice to the fans is just stay positive,” the Hall of Fame catcher said Wednesday during his annual visit to Mets spring training. “Stay positive and I know, eventually, if they do sell the team, it’s going to go to someone who is going to really [be the right choice].”
The Wilpons are looking to sell the team after their multibillion-dollar deal with hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen fell through this month.
Piazza, who noted that he played golf Tuesday with chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, said the Wilpons want to find the right buyer because they are worried about their legacy.
“You want to pass it on to someone who is going to be responsible,” Piazza said. “I truly believe [Jeff Wilpon)] wants to turn it over to someone who is going to care about the legacy of the team. … He knows and has told me, it has to be right — the right mix, the right guy.”
Extra bases
Tim Tebow, who spent the first five years of his life in the Philippines, will represent his birth country in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round next month. Upon receiving an invite, he got support from the Mets to leave spring training around March 20 to participate. “[The Mets] thought it was a really cool thing and I did, too,” Tebow said. “You don’t get a lot of chances to represent people or places that mean something to you. It’s even more than baseball for me.” … George Springer, a prominent member of the 2017 Astros, was greeted by the Clover Park crowd with boos when he stepped to the plate to begin the Mets’ exhibition game Wednesday. When the same happened in his second at-bat, he swung big and missed big, falling to a knee and drawing cheers.
