POT REPORT EMBARRASSES METS OWNER

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon admitted he is concerned
about the team's image following reports of widespread marijuana use by
players.

"I am personally embarrassed with what has happened in the last few days,"
Wilpon said Saturday. "I'm embarrassed not only for myself, and my family,
I'm embarrassed more so for the organization."

Wilpon was not available for comment Friday, when general manager Steve
Phillips denied "rampant" drug use by players on New York's major league
roster.

Tony Tarasco, Mark Corey and reliever Grant Roberts were identified by
Newsday as among at least seven players who had used marijuana this season.
The paper, which did not name any other Mets, cited unidentified sources
close to the team.

"I think the organization has an image problem now, in terms of what we saw
yesterday or today in the newspapers or in the media, and we're in the
process of correcting it," Wilpon said.

Wilpon completed his buyout of co-owner Nelson Doubleday on Aug. 23, ending
their acrimonious partnership after 16 years.

Earlier this week, the Mets restructured their executive officers. Wilpon
now serves as chairman and chief executive officer in the newly created
office of the chairman. His longtime partner Saul Katz is president, and
his son, Jeff Wilpon, is executive vice president and chief operating officer.

"This organization will be a world class sports and entertainment company,"
Wilpon said. "It will take some time. We're in an evaluation process now.
It doesn't mean it was bad before. We not going to make change for change
sake. There probably won't be massive changes. This building will be run
differently."

Players on 40-man major league rosters are not subjected to random testing
for marijuana. As part of their new labor agreement, players agreed to
mandatory random testing starting next year for illegal steroids.

Players with minor league contracts are tested for drugs.

Wilpon thinks the new labor agreement will help cut down on suspected drug
use in the big leagues.

In the clubhouse, some players sat in front of their lockers reading a
memorandum from union head Donald Fehr on the steroid testing that will
begin next year.

"I think the new collective bargaining agreement is going to help," Wilpon
said. "It might not be a perfect system, but it's a good step in the right
direction and I think that's going to be helpful."

The Mets were the butt of jokes on late-night television Friday, but Wilpon
defended his players.

"I think that it is a problem because they were doing something that is
against the rules of society and against the rules of the New York Mets. Do
I think it's a catastrophe? No," Wilpon said. "The important thing to
impress upon these young men is that's not the road to take. If they take
that road they are going to be injuring themselves.

"I am particularly disturbed about the implications of painting the whole
organization with the same brush," he said. "I know many of those guys in
that locker room. They are good citizens, they are good fathers, they are
good husbands, they are good family people and they are not involved in any
illegal kind of things."

Despite the embarrassing story, Wilpon said this is not the low point of
his 23 years with the Mets.

"This isn't even close. We have been through times that have been much
different than this," he said.

The 65-year-old Wilpon also talked about having lunch Saturday with his
8-year-old grandson Benjamin, who asked questions about the marijuana story.

"He asked me about it. I was going to address it anyway," Wilpon said. "I
told him what I thought was right and what was wrong and how he should lead
his life, that his role models should be people who live good, clean lives."

Wilpon does not blame his manager or general manager for the problems on
the team.

"I don't think that Bobby Valentine or Steve Phillips could have done any
more than they've done," he said.

Valentine said he is not ashamed of his club.

"I'm proud to be the manager of this team," he said. "We've had some things
that it takes a lot of hard work to turn into good opportunities. Nothing
that's not fixable."