Two years ago today, Omar Minaya's rocky tenure as Mets General Manager reached its tragiliarious climax. Minaya accused Adam Rubin, then employed by the Daily News, of "lobby" for a player development position with the Mets organization, thereby calling into question Rubin's journalistic integrity. It was a surreal moment in a disappointing season, and the two men eventually saw their respective careers head in opposite directions.
Here is a video of the Minaya-Rubin back-and-forth:
For those who prefer the written word, here is a transcript, via the original AA post:
Omar Minaya: Once the reports came out, you know, of course we had to expedite more the investigation. Early in the process, early in the process, when the reports came out, I had to kind of tell myself, "Wow, these things are coming out." And I say this because coming from Adam Rubin, okay, and Adam, you gotta understand this, Adam, for the past couple of years, has lobby for a player development position. He has lobby myself, he has lobby Tony. So when these things came out I was kind of a little bit, I had to think about it. And I was a little bit, you know, somewhat, kind of, we gotta find out about this. We really have to do a thorough investigation of this.
<snip>
Adam Rubin: Is what you're alleging that I tried to tear Tony down so I could take his job? Is that what you're saying?
Omar Minaya: No, no, I'm not saying that. All I'm saying was, that I know that when you wrote the reports, but I am saying, that in the past, you have, have lobby for a player, for a for a job...
Adam Rubin: If I were interested in working in player development somewhere in the major leagues at some point in my life, how did that impact this situation at all?
Omar Minaya: I said, because, when the reports came out a lot of these things were cross... I said "Who's writing these reports?" and I said well okay who's writing the reports and in the back of my mind, Adam, you have told me you have told other people in the front office that you want to work for player development in the front office.
Adam Rubin: So what you're alleging is that.. the only conclusion I can draw from that is that you're trying to allege that I tried to tear everyone down so that I could take their position. Is that what you're saying?
Omar Minaya: Adam...
Adam Rubin: It seems pretty despicable to say that.
<snip>
Omar Minaya: Look, was Tony the most-liked person in the world? No, he was not. We know that. And Marty, and you've been around baseball a long time, and there's a lot of people that are not sometimes we don't like, ahh, and, you know, and they're, they've been good baseball people. But, you know, I could tell you that he may, was he the most more-liked person in the world? No. Was he a good baseball person? Yes.
Why relive this now? Because it's hilarious. I've started a tradition of reading it out loud once a year, like reading 'Twas The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. And it will be even funnier a few years down the road when (if?) the Mets are perennial contenders again.