Former Mets Owner Nelson Doubleday, Jr. Dies

Former Mets owner Nelson Doubleday, Jr. died on Wednesday from pneumonia at age 81.

Nelson Doubleday (left) in 1980 when he and partner Fred Wilpon bought the Mets.Doubleday and Fred Wilpon bought the Mets from original owner Joan Payson in 1980 for a then-record $21.1 million, with the Doubleday publishing company putting up 80% of the purchase price. They rebuilt the floundering franchise from top to bottom, culminating in the 1986 World Series champs.

When Doubleday sold the company in 1986, he and Wilpon bought the team for $85 million. Wilpon later bought out Doubleday in 2002 for $135 million amid a public feud over the value of the team.

Nelson Doubleday was a true behind-the-scenes…