David Wright doesn't like to be called underdog, and he especially doesn't like when his team's COO acknowledges that the New York Mets are expected to be second-rate.
Mets COO Jeff Wilpon thought he was giving the Mets a motivational gift when he printed out shirts featuring the logo from the old cartoon "Underdog." But Wright took offense to the message behind the gift. (via WFAN)
"I don't really like using the whole underdog thing. I don't really like playing that card," said Wright. "I think it's just a way to remind everybody in here that the outside expectations aren't the expectations that we have for ourselves."
"We shouldn't view ourselves as that," he said. "We'll let everybody else view ourselves as that, because I think we kind of know what we're capable of doing."
Other Mets were more in favor of Wilpon's gesture.
"I thought Jeff had a great idea," said manager Terry Collins. "You know what? If it ticks you off, then we're doing our job. You've got to know how you're being felt out there."
"It's just something to rally around, something to banter about," outfielder Jason Bay said. "The T-shirt is not lying. It's telling the truth."
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