Country boy Billy Wagner spent a few days being wined and dined in that big city to the north of Philly.
From the MercuryNews.com (Philly.com clone):
"It's been great," the free-agent closer
said of the two-day, wine-and-dine visit, which ended with both he and
his wife, Sarah, heading back to Virginia last night to mull what was
probably a three-year, $30 million contract offer that is likely to
rise."I've seen a different side of New York, that's for sure."
Wagner sounded confident he could handle New York, its pressure and
fast-paced hustle. He sounded as if he believed the Mets could fulfill
his championship desires, and put him in a successful enough position
to make a run at the Hall of Fame.
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I also heard they showed him a DVD with clips of Jerry Seinfeld telling him to "come play for the Mets!" Maybe the Phillies should break out some footage of Sly Stallone?
My take: if the Mets and Phillies offer similar contracts then Billy stays in Philly. If New York significantly outbids Philly in cash or years then he will hop a train up the North East Corridor to play in dumpy Flushing.