Four years ago, the New York Mets shook up their pitching staff after firing pitching coach Dave Eiland and bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez and hiring then 82-year-old Phil Regan.
“When we assessed the first 2½ months of the season, in particular over the course of the last several weeks, we felt the bullpen performance had a lot of room to improve,” general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said at the time. “I think that is the root of this move. Our belief is we have the talent to be better than we’ve performed.”
While with the Mets, Regan coached star pitchers Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard, who Regan claims all got better under his watch.
Regan stayed with the team only for the half-season as he was hired as the interim coach, although, the former pitching coach is now suing the team, claiming they fired him due to his age.
Phil Regan Sues The New York Mets
According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by TMZ Sports, the now 85-year-old former pitching coach is suing his former team, the New York Mets, claiming they fired him due to his old age.
While he was with the team filling in as interim coach after they let Dave Eiland go, the Mets saw many improvements with Regan, including the fact that the team’s ERA lowered significantly and that pitchers Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard all improved with the help of Regan, per the lawsuit.
Regan even claims the team’s general manager at the time, Brodie Van Wagenen, admitted to him that he wasn’t going to come back next year because he was “too old” and “if we don’t find the young pitching coach we are looking for, we will hire you back,” the lawsuit states.
The then 82-year-old was replaced with 33-year-old former MLB pitcher Jeremy Hefner in the offseason.
Regan is suing for unspecified damages.
Attorney Matthew Blit Speaks Out
Regan’s lawsuit is filed by high-profile employment attorney Matthew Blit, who spoke with TMZ Sports, saying, “Phil is the first to crack jokes about his age, however there is nothing funny about a person being told that they are being passed over because their employer wants someone younger. That’s discrimination, plain and simple.”
The attorney went on to say, “Suing for discrimination in professional sports is extremely rare. In fact, Phil debated doing this for many years. But the hurt from the conversation that he had with Mr. 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.”
Phil Regan’s Coaching Experience
Before becoming a pitching coach, Phil Regan spent 13 years in the Major Leagues from 1960-72 where he played with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox.
Prior to coaching for the New York Mets, Phil Regan coached 10 seasons at Grand Valley State University. He then moved to the MLB with the Seattle Mariners where he served as their pitching coach from 1984-86. He was also a pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) and the Chicago Cubs.
