(WTVR) — A New York Mets baseball player is facing some harsh criticism after taking time off after the birth of his first child.
WPIX reports Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy missed his second straight game Wednesday. Murphy’s wife went into labor on Opening Day, so he flew to Florida to be with his wife and newborn.
While Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson fully supports Murphy’s decision to take three days of paternity leave, some sportscasters think differently.
In fact, Mike Francesa, a popular New York City radio host, is now under fire for some of his comments.
“One day, I understand. Go see the baby being born, and come back. You’re a Major League baseball player. You can hire a nurse to take care of the baby, if your wife needs help,” Francesa said. “What do you do in the first couple days? Maybe you take care of the other kids… Your wife doesn’t need your help the first couple days, you know that.”
The New York Daily News reportedthat Murphy admitted he had heard about the controversy.
“My wife and I discussed it, and we felt the best thing for our family was for me to try to stay for an extra day, that being Wednesday, due to the fact that she can’t travel for two weeks … just to have that support system with her,” Murphy said.
Murphy played all but one game for the Mets last year. That’s more games than any other player on the team.
Major League Baseball players are allowed three days of paternity leave.
