Cops: Mets acting GM Zack Scott charged with DWI in White Plains
New York Mets general manager Zack Scott speaks at a press conference to announce the addition of Javier Baez to the Mets on Friday, July 30, 2021. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Mets acting general manager Zack Scott was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in White Plains early Tuesday morning, White Plains police captain James Spencer said Wednesday afternoon.
Scott, 44, was arrested at 4:17 a.m. while sleeping in a 2018 Toyota at South Lexington and Fisher Avenues in White Plains, according to Spencer.
"[Scott] failed a field sobriety [test]," Spencer said. "Refused blood and breathalyzer [test]. Booked and released. The only thing noteworthy about this arrest is who he was."
The Mets may feel differently. The team issued an unsigned statement on its official Twitter account at 3:35 p.m. on Wednesday, after news of Scott’s arrest was reported by the New York Post.
"We were surprised and deeply disappointed to learn this morning about an alleged DUI involving Zack Scott," the statement said. "Zack will not be traveling with the team for our upcoming road trip while we learn more and determine next steps."
The road trip the statement refers to begins Friday in Washington.
According to a source, Scott – who recently bought a house in Rye, N.Y. -- was at owner Steve Cohen’s house in Greenwich, Connecticut, on Monday for a team fundraiser. The event ended around 8:30 p.m., according to the source. Monday was a day off for the team.
Scott was hired by the Mets on Dec. 23, 2020, as assistant general manager to their newly hired general manager Jared Porter.
"Being a part of the Mets' new culture and helping establish a consistent winner on the field that the Mets fan base deserves is something I will work towards tirelessly," said Scott, who had spent 17 years in the Boston Red Sox front office and was a finalist for the job that went to Porter.
The Mets fired Porter on Jan. 19, hours after they learned that he sent unsolicited and graphic texts to a female reporter in 2016, behavior that team president Sandy Alderson called "a serious error in judgment."
Scott was named acting general manager on Jan. 27.
"Zack has plenty of championship experience to draw upon," Alderson said on that day in a statement. "He has been an integral part of our decision-making processes since his arrival. The entire baseball operations staff, including myself, will continue to work collaboratively."
It has been assumed that Scott would eventually be promoted to full-time general manager. That has to be considered in doubt as Scott’s arrest is only the latest embarrassing episode for the franchise.
The Mets were rained out on Wednesday after winning two games against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday as part of a four-game winning streak.
Before Tuesday’s first game, though, Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez apologized for "thumbs down" gestures from Sunday that were directed at the team’s fans who had been booing the players.
On Sunday, Baez explained the gesture by saying, "When we don’t get success, we’re going to get booed. So they’re going to get booed when we get success."
Alderson issued a statement on Sunday night that called the players’ actions "totally unacceptable."
On May 26, MLB suspended former Mets manager Mickey Callaway until at least the end of the 2022 season after an investigation of allegations of sexual harassment against multiple female media members, some of which occurred during his time with the Mets from 2018-‘19.
Callaway, who was hired by Alderson, was fired by then general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Alderson returned as team president when Cohen bought the team in November 2020.
For the most part, Scott has been the public face of the Mets’ front office this season rather than Alderson. Scott held regular news conferences with reporters before the first game of every homestand.
In one such session on Aug. 10, Scott criticized Mets players for their performance this season. The team, which was in first place in the NL East for about three months, entered Wednesday 5½ games behind Atlanta in the division.
"We’ve played very mediocre baseball for most of the year," Scott said on Aug. 10. "This recent stretch has been much worse than mediocre. We would’ve taken mediocre at this point. For this stretch, it’s been unacceptably bad and we need to be better."
Scott also criticized Mets players for a rash of muscle pulls, seeming to blame the athletes for not following the team’s advice.
"Most of the time, I’ll be honest, it’s compliance issues," Scott said. "Following the plan. These are individuals that control their own bodies and sometimes they’re not as compliant as they should be. It’s really an easy narrative to put it on performance staff or hitting coaches. But that’s oversimplified.
"Maybe you’re not eating as well as you could and need to change some habits. Maybe you’re not hydrating enough even though everyone’s on you to hydrate. At some point, you’ve got to take that responsibility. We’re not just going to stick a needle in someone to hydrate them because they’re not doing it themselves."
With David Lennon
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
