Terry Collins takes harsh jab at Mets PR man at news conference
New York Mets manager Terry Collins was in no mood to discuss Noah Syndergaard’s ailing right elbow following Wednesday’s 4-3 win against the Kansas City Royals. That much became clear during an awkward public exchange with Jay Horwitz, the team’s well-known public relations manager, who had urged the Mets’ skipper to address the issue during his postgame news conference.
As video of the incident shows, Collins had no intentions of bringing up Syndergaard’s elbow, which flared up at the end of his six-inning outing, unless prompted by a question. That question never came, but Horwitz still pushed Collins, leading to the Mets skipper taking an unnecessary shot at Horwitz.
“The puppy dog wants you guys to know that Noah Syndergaard’s seeing the doctor,” an annoyed Collins spat into the microphone. “His elbow flared up on him. That’s why I took him out of the game.”
Collins then stormed off without providing further details.
Several outlets have confirmed the insult was directed at Horwitz.
By calling Horwitz a “puppy dog,” Collins is essentially saying he’s doing the media’s work, while putting the Mets in an awkward position. Others would say Horwitz is simply doing his job, which working for the Mets and working with the New York media can’t be easy.
However you feel about Horwitz’s insistence that the Mets be up front with Syndergaard’s situation, it’s impossible to justify a manager lashing out like that in a public forum.
It might show there’s a disconnect somewhere within the Mets that allowed for such an awkward situation to develop. It’s one of those things where everyone should be on the same page going into the news conference so that it can be addressed appropriately.
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Of course, the main concern for Mets’ fans is that Syndergaard is in fact healthy. This will mark the second time this season his elbow has flared up. Everything checked out fine the first time, but another incident will no doubt bring more anxiety.
Given the Mets recent struggles and now these new injury anxieties, it’s easy to understand why people would be on edge. But there’s also something to be said for keeping your cool and handling your business professionally.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
