Mets owner Steve Cohen says the fans have been through enough
09/06/24
London Stadium, London, UK
09/06/24
London Stadium, London, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Got to watch the Phillies over here, prefer the Mets.
00:05 - I will start with Mike down here in the front of the line.
00:08 - Steve, what's your assessment of the way the team
00:14 has played this season and what, if anything,
00:16 has to change?
00:18 - Well, I mean, we're nine games under 500
00:20 and that's certainly not what we expected
00:23 and what we hoped for.
00:24 You know, I do think the team's starting to play better,
00:28 starting to hit, I'm starting to see green shoots.
00:31 We got a long way to go and a lot can happen
00:36 over a relatively short period of time.
00:38 And so, you know, we're gonna keep plugging
00:42 and I think our schedule gets a little easier
00:44 and so there are opportunities to gain ground.
00:48 And so, you know, we'll see what happens.
00:50 - If this doesn't change, could you see yourselves
00:53 taking the same tactic last year
00:56 headed to the trade deadline?
00:57 - Yeah, you know what it is?
00:58 I'm focused on winning games right now.
01:00 You know, we can worry about the trade deadline.
01:03 That's seven weeks away.
01:05 How many games is that?
01:06 That's 45, maybe 50 games.
01:09 And a lot can happen, so I'm focused right now
01:11 on the season, winning games, and we'll worry about that
01:15 when the time comes.
01:16 - You had spoken last year about, you know,
01:21 despite maybe taking a half step back
01:23 wanting to be competitive this year,
01:24 why do you think it hasn't sort of unfolded
01:27 the way that you had envisioned it over the offseason?
01:30 - You know, it's a variability of human performance, right?
01:33 You can write it down on paper,
01:35 but then you gotta play the games.
01:36 You know, frankly, we haven't really put it all together
01:40 for a consistent period of time.
01:42 And so, you know, I still think that can happen.
01:47 And, you know, listen, there's a lot of good ball players
01:52 on this club, and it's just a question of, you know,
01:56 getting a little confidence, getting on a run.
01:59 And listen, I think that's possible.
02:01 And so, it's, you know, how many games are left
02:05 in the season, 100?
02:06 - That's a lot.
02:08 - Okay, so, you know, I mean, obviously, you know,
02:12 we'll see what, you know, it looks like
02:14 four to six weeks from now.
02:16 And, but, you know, I still feel this team
02:19 has got a good run in 'em.
02:21 A lot of good players, and a lot of good,
02:25 I think the locker room's good, the culture's good.
02:28 And so, I'm hopeful.
02:31 - You kind of just hinted on my follow-up,
02:32 but you said you're focused on the here and now.
02:34 At what point do you sort of have to make a decision
02:37 as to what your strategy will be
02:39 at the trade deadline in the second half?
02:40 - Listen, I know everybody's focused
02:42 on the trade deadline, right?
02:44 That's all anybody wants to talk about.
02:46 We got a lot of games to play.
02:49 And so, you know, let's not get focused so far out.
02:52 Let's get focused on what's happening now.
02:54 We gotta win a game, we gotta chip away,
02:57 we're down, you know, obviously, nine games
02:59 to get to 500, but maybe, I don't know,
03:01 what are we, four games out of the wild card?
03:03 Which is, I mean, we shouldn't be proud of that, right?
03:06 We're still nine games under.
03:09 But, you know, it gives you the opportunity
03:10 to make the season a success.
03:14 And so, you know, that's the way I'm looking at it.
03:18 - A couple of weeks ago, you called the team's performance
03:20 mind-boggling.
03:21 - Yes.
03:22 - You, since then, unboggled your mind at all
03:24 and been able to understand what's going on?
03:25 - Well, it was mind-boggling because of how we were losing
03:28 in the last inning, okay?
03:29 I mean, you can lose games and not describe it
03:32 as mind-boggling.
03:33 How we were losing it was, you know, unusual.
03:38 And so, you know, everyone saw the statistic.
03:41 I think we, you know, a week ago,
03:43 they said we'd lost like six games from nothing.
03:46 We'd lost like six games from May 1st in the last inning
03:49 and no other team had lost two.
03:51 And so, you know, listen, you could say,
03:53 well, if we didn't lose those games,
03:56 we'd be in a totally different place.
03:58 But I think what it says is that, you know,
04:02 that was unusual.
04:04 It's probably not going to continue.
04:06 And therefore, you can have reason for optimism.
04:08 - Over the next four to six weeks,
04:12 as you said, as you mull the near-term future for the Mets,
04:15 how much do you weigh pure standings,
04:19 four games out of a wild card spot, as you said right now,
04:21 versus the likelihood that these Mets
04:23 can actually make a run if they even got to October?
04:28 - Yeah, well, I mean, you know,
04:31 you certainly want to have high standards, you know?
04:34 I mean, if you get into the playoffs
04:37 and you are four games under 500, you know,
04:41 it's nice to make the playoffs and anything can happen.
04:43 We know that.
04:44 But still, you would say, wow, you know,
04:47 that was not optimal, right?
04:49 It's probably not the way you would envision it.
04:52 And so, well, I'll say it again, a lot of games left.
04:57 And I actually think the team's starting to show signs.
05:01 And so hopefully, you know, we'll continue to, you know,
05:05 improve and start winning some ball games.
05:08 - Right, but if technically,
05:10 when you have to make a trade deadline decision,
05:11 you're not too far out of the playoff picture.
05:13 - Yeah.
05:15 - Do you also look at it and say, hey, realistically,
05:18 maybe the team's just not very good?
05:19 - You know something?
05:20 I'm gonna take the recommendations from David
05:23 and the baseball staff.
05:25 And I'm not thinking about that now.
05:28 And so, and we haven't spoken about it.
05:30 So we're focused on winning games now, yeah.
05:33 - Is there any aspect of the team's game on the field
05:38 that has maybe surprised you the most this season?
05:41 - Well, you know, I mean, all the stats are out there.
05:45 Our defense hasn't been, you know, particularly great.
05:48 And, you know, we haven't really put it all together.
05:53 You know, when we're hitting, we're not pitching.
05:55 And so, you know, those are the things.
06:00 I mean, to win games,
06:01 you gotta play all facets of the game.
06:03 And there's room for improvement there.
06:07 And, you know, I'm hopeful that, you know,
06:11 the team starts playing better defense
06:13 and, you know, our hitting has improved.
06:15 Our pitching's been reasonable enough.
06:19 We went through a bad patch in relief pitching.
06:21 And so we just haven't put it all together.
06:24 And, but I'm hopeful that we will.
06:26 - You've been pretty interactive
06:28 with the fans this weekend.
06:29 What is your message to them right now?
06:31 - Listen, the fans, they love the Mets.
06:34 And they came all the way over here.
06:37 What the hell I got going on here?
06:40 So they came over here because they love the Mets.
06:47 They care about the Mets.
06:49 They're in good spirits, right?
06:52 I was hanging out with them in the pub.
06:53 We were having a blast.
06:55 And, you know, they're excited about being here,
06:58 being at the games.
07:00 And so, you know, the fans have been through worse, okay?
07:04 And so, right, that's, we're trying to break that history.
07:08 And so, you know, they're great.
07:12 And they're certainly gonna be there for the team.
07:15 - How do you assess the job that Carlos Mendoza
07:17 has done so far in his rookie year as a manager?
07:19 - I tell you, I'm impressed by Carlos.
07:21 You know, he's got an incredible rapport with the team.
07:24 He's thoughtful.
07:25 He handles, you know, he's very capable
07:30 of relating to the players,
07:34 delivering hard messages when he has to.
07:36 You know, I'm impressed by how he conducts himself.
07:42 - Steve, while things could change,
07:50 you're in the midst of a second straight year
07:52 of underperforming, I think, your expectations.
07:55 Institutionally, do you think something is wrong
07:58 that is leading to this?
08:00 - You know, actually, I think things
08:02 are actually improving, Joel.
08:03 You know, I mean, we've got new management.
08:07 We're in the evaluation phase of, you know,
08:12 I know what's going on in various parts of this system.
08:16 You know, the infrastructure, you know,
08:19 and so I think, I actually am pretty optimistic.
08:23 You know, now, these things take time.
08:26 Unfortunately, you just can't turn the system around,
08:29 you know, on a dime, but I think, you know,
08:32 we've got a lot of the right people.
08:35 We'll improve the people in the organization.
08:38 You know, I mean, we're gonna have the best and brightest
08:43 across, you know, whether in the minors or the majors,
08:46 but that takes time, and, you know,
08:50 I have a great deal of respect for David,
08:52 and, you know, he comes from a winning club.
08:58 He's demonstrated success in the past,
09:01 well-respected in baseball.
09:03 My, you know, just over, just this first season,
09:10 even the decision-making that's going on in the Mets
09:14 is a lot sharper, you know, than it's been in the past.
09:18 Much more concise, perfect example is, you know,
09:21 we bring in Louis Torrens, right,
09:24 and, you know, for $100,000,
09:28 merely helps us win a game, okay,
09:30 and when you're fighting for a playoff spot,
09:33 winning one game or winning two games really matters,
09:36 so I like what I see, okay,
09:38 but unfortunately, it's gonna take time.
09:40 - Appreciating that it's gonna take time,
09:44 from 20,000 feet, would it be better for where you wanna go
09:48 to be a seller one more time this July?
09:51 - Yeah, listen, like I said, you know,
09:53 I know everyone wants to talk, I tell you, it's amazing.
09:57 It looks like every year, whether, you know,
09:59 forgetting the Mets, that all anybody wants to talk about
10:02 in the season, it's not the season, it's the trade deadline,
10:05 and it's gonna come, guys, I'm telling you, it's gonna come,
10:08 and so, you know, whether we like, you know,
10:10 it'll be here shortly, but meanwhile,
10:13 I'm gonna focus on winning games,
10:15 and, you know, I haven't had any recommendations
10:17 from our baseball department yet,
10:19 and so right now, we're focused on the here and now,
10:22 and not focused on two months from now.
10:25 - I get it. - Okay.
10:26 - But I'm asking a tactical question.
10:27 - Yes. - You know where you want
10:29 to be within the next five years.
10:31 - Yeah. - Would you be better off
10:33 one more time sucking it up, taking what's valuable,
10:36 and building over for that next five years,
10:38 'cause we're asking questions,
10:40 if you could get into the playoffs at the margins
10:42 this year, as opposed to where you wanna be.
10:44 - Listen, those are tough decisions, right?
10:46 I mean, you know, I mean, obviously,
10:48 you wanna build a winning culture, right?
10:50 And a lot of that is trying to make the playoffs,
10:53 and, you know, I'll say it again, I mean, you know,
10:58 I haven't had discussions with David on this,
11:01 and I mean, listen, the ultimate goal
11:03 is to build a sustainable winter.
11:05 I've said that.
11:06 We haven't done it yet, okay?
11:08 We had one winning season,
11:09 and obviously, that's not good enough,
11:11 and so, you know, but the other side is,
11:15 you know, it's not, you know, you get into a trade deadline,
11:17 and, you know, theoretically,
11:19 you don't know what you're gonna get back, right?
11:22 You don't know, you know, I mean, just because,
11:25 you know, let's, in your scenario,
11:27 what if the return that you got is kind of marginal, right?
11:31 So the decisions are not black and white, okay?
11:34 And so, you know, we're not there yet,
11:36 and we'll evaluate it when we get there.
11:38 - Hey, Steve, just to switch the focus
11:44 from London back to New York,
11:46 what's next for your plans at Citi Field?
11:49 Is it casino or bust,
11:51 or would you be open to Ballpark Village in Atlanta
11:54 or the mighty St. Louis?
11:55 - Well, fortunately, we're sitting on, you know,
11:59 like, sort of, not marshlands, but a low area.
12:03 We have to, to make it all work,
12:07 we need an economic engine at,
12:10 if we're gonna do something significant,
12:13 and plus you gotta replace the parking, okay?
12:16 If you're gonna build something on it,
12:17 where are you gonna park?
12:19 And so parking garages to build
12:21 are incredibly expensive in New York.
12:24 And so, you know, there needs to be an economic engine.
12:27 You know, we wanna build a, you know, hotel, gaming,
12:31 you know, area that the fans can enjoy.
12:34 That's the goal, you know,
12:37 we're gonna keep pushing forward,
12:38 and my hope is that, you know, we're successful.
12:43 - Hi, just to bring it back to being here in London,
12:47 obviously we've heard that the field outside
12:52 is a lot more bouncier than it used to be in America.
12:56 - You say bouncier?
12:57 - That's what we've been told, yeah.
12:59 There's a lot more bounce to--
13:01 - Well, you know, I mean, the fly ball that, you know,
13:05 fell in front of Starling yesterday,
13:07 that bounced pretty high, okay?
13:08 So, you know, that was different.
13:11 - Yeah, so how do you think, like,
13:13 the series can develop here,
13:15 and obviously being in London's great,
13:18 but we've heard things about jet lag and different issues.
13:21 You think that affects your team in different ways,
13:24 and obviously they're quite versatile.
13:25 - Well, it didn't affect Philadelphia yesterday,
13:27 so someone's gonna win, someone's gonna lose.
13:30 You know, listen, these guys are used to traveling,
13:32 you know, and frankly, I think it's actually a nice break.
13:34 You know, it kind of breaks up, you know,
13:36 it's a long season, and it gives them an opportunity
13:39 to be with their families in a sort of unique way,
13:42 so I'm a big supporter of these games.
13:46 - And obviously you said you were at the pub yesterday
13:49 with Mets fans and really seeing everyone around.
13:53 How are you enjoying being here in London as well,
13:56 and the London series and what it brings
13:58 to the MLB in general?
14:00 - Yeah, yeah, I mean, obviously going to the pub
14:02 was a blast, to hang out with the fans.
14:04 I mean, I have an office here,
14:06 my firm has a very large office here,
14:08 and so I came in there actually earlier last Sunday,
14:12 did investor meetings and, you know,
14:15 hung out with my investment professionals,
14:18 and so I've been here for a week,
14:19 and I love London, you know?
14:21 I think the food here is fantastic, okay?
14:23 I think it's better than New York.
14:27 - What's your best cuisine?
14:30 What's the best thing that,
14:31 what's your favorite thing to eat?
14:33 Is it the full English breakfast or--
14:36 - I'll tell you, I was on the 10th hole,
14:39 or 11th hole at Sunningdale,
14:41 and they had these sausages at the Midway house,
14:44 you know, that was awesome, okay?
14:46 Little Coleman's mustard, little white bread,
14:49 wrap it around, delicious.
14:51 - Definitely a great breakfast.
14:54 - Steve, you mentioned the fans have been through worse,
15:03 but you look at your attendance at Citi Field,
15:06 it's down 25% now.
15:08 Obviously the weather is always a fact,
15:10 but there's other teams in the Northeast,
15:12 and they're not down that significantly.
15:14 - Hey, listen, it's about winning, right?
15:17 I mean, you know, the weather was terrible.
15:18 We had obviously, every time we played in April and May,
15:21 until it broke around Memorial Day,
15:23 I mean, you were there.
15:25 I mean, it was in the 50s,
15:26 and either raining or windy,
15:28 and you know, the wind comes off the bay,
15:30 it's not exactly comfortable,
15:33 but you know, winning solves a lot, you know?
15:36 And frankly, that's what we're gonna have to do, right?
15:40 I mean, New York City's a competitive marketplace,
15:42 lots to do in New York,
15:44 and to get fans to come out to the stadium,
15:45 you gotta give 'em a good product,
15:48 something that they can get excited by.
15:50 And you know, we've been spotty that way this year,
15:53 so, you know, that's the way it is.
15:55 Yep, okay.
15:58 (microphone clatters)
16:01 (microphone clatters)
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