"became fixated on the idea that Castergine would have a child without being married. He frequently humiliated Castergine in front of others by, among other insults, pretending to see if she had an engagement ring on her finger and openly stating in a meeting of the team's all-male senior executives that he is "morally opposed" to Castergine "having this baby without being married,'" the lawsuit alleged. It added that no one, including the team's general counsel, challenged Wilpon's statement.

The lawsuit said Wilpon also told Castergine, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, that she would make more money and get a bigger bonus once she was married. Then, it said, he told her "something had changed" after the birth of her child and that she was no longer as "aggressive"as she used to be.

After she complained to the team's human resources department, she was fired on Aug. 26, the lawsuit claimed.

In a statement, the Mets said, "We have received and reviewed the complaint. The claims are without merit. Our organization maintains strong policies against any and all forms of discrimination."

In the lawsuit, Castergine's lawyers described how the one-time $6-an-hour ticket agent for the Philadelphia 76ers gained experience in more senior jobs with the Philadelphia Flyers, Orlando Magic and the Boston Bruins before joining the Mets organization.

The court papers said she introduced major pricing changes, new benefits and a flexible exchange policy for season ticket holders, earning two $50,000 raises, annual six-figure bonuses and a promotion to senior vice president. One industry publication even described her as "the