Ex-Mets Coach Files Age Discrimination Lawsuit Against Team

The New York Mets are gonna have to lawyer up, thanks to one unusual lawsuit filed against the club.

On Tuesday, the frustration of unemployment got to former interim pitching coach Phil Regan.

While most 85 year old’s commonly spend their days alongside family and friends, if not bird watching or playing bingo, Regan is different. Instead, the former pitcher who’s 52 years removed from his last start, is taking the Mets to court and filing an age discrimination lawsuit. Set to turn 86 within the first month of the 2023 season, Regan last worked for the Mets in 2019.

Regan’s lawyer, Matthew Bilt, further addressed his client’s decision to pursue legal action against the team that he’d spent six decades playing and coaching for.

“There is nothing funny about a person being told that they are being passed over because their employer wants someone younger,” Bilt said in a statement, according to TMZ. “That’s discrimination, plain and simple.”

Soon after the Mets severed ties with Regan, they hired 33-year-old Jeremey Heffner — who was born when Regan was 52. Heffner has since remained in his position as pitching coach, embarking on his fifth season with the organization in 2023.

Bilt also revealed that the thought of suing the Mets had lingered in Regan’s mind.

“Suing for discrimination in professional sports is extremely rare,” Bilt said. “In fact, Phil debated doing this for many years. But the hurt from the conversation he had with (former Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen) continues to haunt him to this day. He can hear the exact words playing in his head over and over. Phil knew this had to be done.”

Meanwhile, the Mets have yet to address the matter.