Nelson Doubleday Jr., the Mets majority owner the last time the club won the World Series in 1986, died Wednesday. He was 81.
After buying the club in 1980, Doubleday presided over the rebuilding of the franchise, which had become a laughingstock over much of the previous decade. He remained a club owner until August 2002, when his partner, Fred Wilpon, bought out his shares following a bitter dispute.
Wilpon, who became a Mets limited partner in 1980, remains the team’s controlling partner, with his brother-in-law Saul Katz.
“We are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Nelson Doubleday Jr.