New York Mets Ask ‘Cougar’ Dating Site To Help Get David Wright Into All-Star Game

The New York Mets will do anything to try to get third baseman David Wrigth into the All-Star game, even an unlikely partnership with a dating site that caters to cougars.

A marketing official for the team reportedly reached out to a website that pairs up older women with younger men, though the team ultimately decided not to go through with it.

The request came after the dating website Cougarlife.com held a vote on “MLB’s Hottest Cub,” which attracted more than 11,000 respondents. David Wright came out on top, beating Cole Hamels and Matt Kemp.

Sensing the opportunity to give Wright an edge on his competition in All-Star voting, the Mets reached to Cougarlife.com to discuss a deal for the site to encourage users to cast All-Star ballots.

The Mets host the All-Star game this year, which will be held July 16 at Citi Field. David Wright has already been named captain for the Home Run Derby and is the face of advertising for the game.

Had the Mets not backed out, Cougarlife.com likely would have gotten on board. The website has been known for its self-promtions, including a giant billboard over Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles that read “CougarLife.com … for Mother F*ckers.”

Though the Mets passed on the partnership, the team did acknowledge it would do anything to avoid a snub like Wright suffered last year.

“Cougar Life voted David Wright as the hottest cub,” the Mets said in a statement. “In our effort to expand All-Star balloting to wider audiences, so as to increase votes, we did reach out to Cougar Life. Last year there was a big swing of votes at the end that cost David the starting job. We decided to do everything to make sure that doesn’t happened again this year.”

David Wright may have had something to do with the Mets nixing the Cougarlife.com partnership. He told reporters he’s asked the team to ease back a bit on the campaigning, as he feels uncomfortable being rewarded on a team that is a season-low 13 games under .500.

“You appreciate what they’re trying to do, and they’re very good-hearted. At the same time, this is a team game. As much as I’d like to be here to represent this team in the All-Star Game, we can’t let this become an in-between-inning, one-player production. Especially with the way we’re playing as a team, I feel very uncomfortable being singled out for All-Star Game-type stuff.”

So if David Wright does get into the All-Star game, it will be on his merit and not a Mets partnership with Cougarlife.com.