Nelson Doubleday Jr., who co-owned the New York Mets with Fred Wilpon for 16 years after selling his family's book publishing business, died on Wednesday. He was 81.

"We were saddened to hear the news of the passing of Nelson Doubleday, Jr.," the Mets said in an email. "Nelson had a love of baseball and the Mets. On behalf of everyone at the organization, we send our condolences and sympathies to his family."

Doubleday was the grandson of Frank Doubleday, who co- founded Doubleday & Co. in 1897, and a descendant of Abner Doubleday, who received initial credit for inventing baseball in a Cooperstown, New York, cow pasture in 1839.

Doubleday & Co. bought a 95 percent stake in the Mets in 1980 for $21.1 million, with the other five percent going to Wilpon, the team's current owner. When the company was sold to Bertelsmann AG in 1986, it sold its share of the team for $80.8 million to Wilpon and Doubleday, who became equal partners.

A stormy 16-year relationship between the two partners ensued and, following a lawsuit, Doubleday sold his share to Wilpon in 2002.