http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6964904/report-bud-selig-angry-new-york-mets-took-hat-flap-public
New York Mets manager Terry Collins says "hat flap" has become a distraction.
Bud Selig would reportedly take it a step further.
Major League Baseball's commissioner called the Mets on Sunday night irate
that the club had gone public with the news that his office had prevented
players from wearing the caps of Sept. 11 first responders for that night's
game at Citi Field, the New York Post reported.
A Mets official told the newspaper that the commissioner said the team threw
the league "under the bus."
"Selig got embarrassed by it," the official told the Post. "The game got
moved into prime time (on ESPN) because of 9/11, and MLB ended up getting
embarrassed."
Collins said he wants the whole situation to go away.
"What's the attention been since we walked into the ballpark today? It's not
on who we're playing, it's not on who's pitching. We all want to know which
kind of hat we're going to wear tonight. And that takes away from the game,"
he said Monday. "It all takes away from their preparation. They're all being
asked questions that they're afraid to make an answer, they're afraid to say
the wrong thing. We've got to start focusing on what the game is, because,
when it's all said and done, that's all that matters."
MLB disciplinary czar Joe Torre claims that the league didn't lean that
heavily on the Mets.
"Nothing was ordered," he said during an interview on Sirius XM Radio. "I
think they were sent a memo, but in no way was it heavy-handed. I don't think
money was ever an issue or they were ever threatened with a heavy-fisted
fine. If that's the case, I have no knowledge of it."
Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey had tweeted Sunday night that the players planned to
defy MLB and wear the hats during the game against the Cubs, but MLB
confiscated the caps after a pregame ceremony. A source told the Post that
that wasn't accurate. The hats were put on a table in the clubhouse and were
signed for charity.
Players on Sunday wore the official 9/11 Mets cap, with a small American flag
adorning the side, during the game.