21
2011
Where There’s Smoke…
An article by 
Last week, I wrote a little bit about some information I came across regarding Bud Selig, his friendship with Fred Wilpon, Sandy Alderson, and the state of the Mets. I left that post with this:
“There is something amiss with this franchise. Can you see it?”
Here is another log for that fire to warm you up:
According to ESPN.com, the Mets could be increasing their debt, currently well above $400 million, by as much as $140 million. It all depends on whether the new investors want to use their funds to buy equity stakes in the Mets or earn 3% annual interest and cash out in six years. If the investors decide to collect their interest than Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, who have yet to pay back MLB for money the Mets secretly borrowed a year ago to meet their revenue-sharing obligations, would have surpassed the Los Angeles Dodgers as the most indebted team in baseball history. ~ Forbes Magazine
Each new development leads to more questions.
The Mets are being allowed to operate in a state that violates MLB rules which have always been strictly enforced in the past. At this point the Wilpons have so much stake in the team leveraged by debt, it’s hardly fair to refer to them as owners anymore.
Bud Selig continues to turn a blind eye toward his good friend, Fred Wilpon, whom he has been close with for over 30 years.
In my post entitled, “Not Everything Is What It Seems“, I warned:
They can’t sign Jose Reyes. Even if all it would take is $60 million. It’s not happening. Payroll must come down lower. Slashing it to $100 million is not nearly enough to satisfy the banks, the debt collectors and the folks at MLB who want their $25 million dollars back.
There is a reason that Sandy Alderson is here and it had nothing to do with coming out on top when the Mets were interviewing GM Candidates.
Alderson was hand-picked by Bud Selig to cut payroll and right the Mets ship from a financial perspective. Fred Wilpon couldn’t object because he had just requested a $25 million dollar loan from MLB to help him cover payroll and other expenses.
Alderson’s job here has little to do with building a winner, and almost everything to do with putting the Mets in a position to pay back all the money it owes MLB and everyone else.
For all the talk of Sandy Alderson’s vision of the Mets in 2014, I do not believe he will even be here with the Mets to see it.
I’m certain that he will instead be the top candidate to replace Bud Selig when he retires after the 2012 season, and that Sandy Alderson could become the next commissioner of baseball.
The New York Mets are his test.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
128 Comments + Add Comment
Recent Comments
- DrDooby: on So Where Are All Those Moneyball Players?: Metsie, if Sandy steps down as GM...
- ill_egl: on Mets Have Opportunity To Soar To New Heights: I wouldnt mind bringing Rauch back in...
- Henry: on Team Source On Wheeler: “He’s Ready”: Not sure Wheeler is ready to give...
- DrDooby: on So Where Are All Those Moneyball Players?: Metsie, with all due respect, OPS or...
- DrDooby: on Plawecki Nearing A Promotion From Savannah: Most promotions usually happen around mid June...
Need Tickets To The Mets Game?
Check Out These Great MLB Links!
Photographs From Gordon Donovan
5393 Fans Follow Us On Twitter!
1269 Fans Like Us On Facebook!
2341 Fans Read Our Feed!
1702 Fans Subscribe via Daily Email!
Thanks Joe.
I think there are some here who live in a fantasy world where the Mets are printing cash in some back room, and everything is alright.
No matter what people will find a way to blame Sandy Alderson for everything. In REALITY, we are LUCKY he’s the guy here dealing with these problems and not somebody who NEEDS an open checkbook to turn things around. If the Mets had “hired” any other GM after Omar, they wouldn’t back up a truck full of money to spend on players.
Face it, things are bad in Flushing right now. They have a brand new expensive stadium that is a ghost town, they have a lack of funds to improve the team, and they are STILL involved in a lawsuit for more money plus they are severely in debt.
I think having the Dodgers AND the Mets involved in bankruptcy sales is the worst thing for MLB so, deal with the Dodgers now and deal with the Mets later.
If you’re right that Alderson is next in line to take Bud’s job, then anybody who is upset that Alderson is here now is lost. It’s not in MLB’s best interest to have this franchise be bad.
So if the man who is in charge of trying to turn it around financially and for the long term is the man the owners will trust to be the game’s Commish, then I’d say they are in good hands.
And some who live in the fantasy world that Sandy is actually here to improve the team and win!
Again Metsie.
Explain to me why the potential next Commissioner of MLB may be here to fix financial woes of a New York team would want anything BUT this franchise to be successful in the future
Please answer that.
If your under the impression that your next job will be to Commish MLB. Wouldn’t getting a New york franchise out of the red as well as be competitive in the future be in your best interest?
Because he doesn’t care if we win just that we exist!
Now tell me you dotn’t see any reason why the CURRENT and FUTURE Comish of baseball wouldn’t LOVE a Major Market Moneyball team to show how well he (they) is taking care and protecting Small Market teams?
You don’t think Selig wouldn’t love to retire with the legacy of He fixed the issues of Haves and have Nots under his tenure?
You don’t think Sandy would love to be able to have that on his resume when he has to deal with those teams and get their votes and support?
If Sandy IS HERE to do what was reported it has nothing to do with Bseball or Winning and everything to do with POLITICS!
And we all know Politics is the art of LOOKING like you have the interests of your constituents at heart when really all you care about is the power you want to keep!
Metsie, do you know what the job of the Commissioner is?
He doesn’t work for the fans, he works for the owners.
Keeping franchises that produce high revenues competitive is in his best interest. The Royals being good for 1 year doesn’t do him nearly as much good as the Mets spending $160m a year and winning a division year after year.
The Commissioner’s best case scenario would be
Yankees
White Sox/Detroit
Angels/Texas
Boston
Mets
Cubs
Dodgers
Phillies/Giants
To be super competitive. The $ is in the markets not in a team like Tampa Bay making a run. Look at the $’s and the ratings. Sure its a nice story but it’s in his primary best interest to see the above teams thrive than to see a team like KC, TB thrive.
“do you know what the job of the Commissioner is”
Yeah thats pretty much what I said!
Isn’t it?
His only allegiance is to the rest of the owners the majority of which are in SMALL MARKETS!
By making the Mets a SMALL MARKET spending team he pleases his constituents doesn’t he?
Um no, he does not.
You’re equating numbers to power, not dollars to power.
If you get every Owner in a room okay and the Commish has to side with 1 group
you’re telling me you think he’s going to side moreso with guys like TOR/KC/MIN/OAK/CIN/PIT/SD over Yankees/Red Sox/Mets/Cubs/Dodgers/Rangers/Phillies?
You’re out of your mind. The sport and the owners make more $ when the guys who HAVE the markets are successful.
If you had a playoff okay with NYY/CHW/TEX/BOS versus NYM/CHC/LAD/PHI it’d be an owners and commish dream scenario. Absolute dream.
The amount of $ that would filter through the system would be insane.
Now if you had TOR/KC/OAK/MIN vs. FLA/CIN/SD/PIT? People would be searching their TV’s to find out who’s playing in the Canadian Curling Championship.
The sport thrives when large market teams thrive. The perception thrives when a small team has a chance but you don’t see the NBA hoping teams like Memphis overtake the Lakers do you? Of course not.
Selig has!
Why wouldn’t Sandy who seems to be the POSTER BOY PERFECT APPROACH fr small market teams?
Did the Pirates make more money because the Red Sox paid top dollar for Crawford?
You think Tamps was HAPPY and made a lot of money off letting Crawford go?
Was Texas happy that the Yankees and Phillies were able to outbid them?
Please jessup your argument is weaker than corpse! And I ain’t talking walking dead type corpse!
Metsie you’re missing the point and taking snipits to fit your case. Answer the question
Is baseball as a sport better off with teams like TOR/KC/MIN/OAK/CIN/PIT/SD spending less and having success or teams like Yankees/Red Sox/Mets/Cubs/Dodgers/Rangers/Phillies spending more and having success?
Keep in mind in order to SPEND you have to HAVE the money.
Turning a large market team into a small market team does nobody any bit of good. Not the owners who need revenues, not the commissioner, and not the sport.
Small market teams dont want to STOP big market teams from spending. They want to stop them from OVER spending just to keep them out of the market. A $200mil payroll is a lot different than a $120mil payroll.
If you had a playoff with NYY/CHW/TEX/BOS versus NYM/CHC/LAD/PHI, every owner would benefit in the long run from it.
It’s in Bud Selig, and Sandy Alderson’s BEST interest to turn the Mets financially around and set them up to be a major competitor sometime in the future. In order to get there thought they need to get out of 400+ million in debt.
No YOUR missing the point…
But lets settle it here…
FROM WHOSE POINT OF VIEW do you speak?
The Owners or the fans?
The Owners?
They prefer the yankees and Boston did NOT spend that much so that ALL those star players either take LESS MONEY or be forced to leave the game!
Then the OWNERS make most of the money the fans spend to see the guys who stay in the game and make less!
The Fans?
Sure they don’t care how much the owners spend because they don’t have to ciommit to going and seeing them to pay the Bills!
Just as the mets fans were ALL FOR signing all those guys Omar did and then caused the current financial crisis because they had one horribly injury plagued season and people stopped going!
As wre have ESTABLISHED the Owners don’t care and would prefer no one spent over 70-80 Mil on player salary, The the Pirates would not be so out of it every year and their attendance would not be hurt by only spending 40 Mil less than the yankees did!
The OWNERS would LOVE to see every team in the MLB be a moneyballer!
So when they chose not to they wouldn’t have to spend much to get the player they want!
They would all LOVE a SALARY CAP so that no team could spend more than they do as well!
Catch up and listen to what the MAJORITY of owners would love to have if not for the fact that teams like the Yankees and Boston object not to mention the MLBPA!
No I’m not mising the point you are merely tring to change the point from what does the COMMISSIONER want to see happen and what is good for the owners to what is good for Baseball in your warped mind!
Small Market teams do not want yankees and Boston spending what they do!
It costs THEM money!
Because they can’t compete which means they can’t draw the same crowds!
Look at every talk of parity in the MLB and it is always the small market teams complaining about the cost of players which is a direct result of what they Yankees and Boston do!
They would love it if Sandy ran the yankees after he got done here!
Or was made commissioner so they would have a guy to force other teams to do it when they have a dropoff in attendance!
Stop trying to change the subject./..
from the OWNER POV they think it’s better if everyone spends less on payroll because the fans will still pay the same amount only it will go to the OWNERS not the PLAYERS!
If they had a choice they would go back to the reserve clause if the Law would not compel them otherwise!
Whats best for baseball is irrelevant!
What the owners want is more guys like Sandy running EVERY team!
“What the owners want is more guys like Sandy running EVERY team!”
Then why aren’t the owners hiring them?
He is. Just in a manner inconsistent with “checkbook baseball.” It might take longer, but if done right, it’ll yield a longer stretch of competitive baseball.
Well so far all he has done is draft and you can do that while signing Free Agents just as well as you can by NOT signing them.
Doesn’t really matter because Sandy IS playing checkbook baseball!
He is just spending that money across 10 scrubs instead of on two good players!
My sentiments exactly.
Dodgers or no Dodgers, us Met fans would have been better off if the hit via the Madoff debacle would have been so much worse for the Wilpons. Then maybe they would have been forced to sell immediately, instead of dragging out this terminal illness over the next few years.
I agree that Alderson was never planning to be here for the long term. I always thought he was brought in (as you note) to right the ship, but IMO that was more than just slashing payroll. He was also charged with rebuilding the organization (sturcturally, culturally for player development). You can look at it as building the foundation back up so that if the financial situation does stabilize (so that they can spend some more money) the team will be in position to make it worthwhile.
Interesting about the commissioner gig. First rumor of that I recall hearing.
It also seems quite reasonable to think Sterling Mets (the real “owners” of the team) is more upside down than someone who bought a house in Vegas in 2008!
Y’know…
Last night, the Giants…and now THIS?!!!
Y’know?…
When you arrange financing for an “emotional assest”, as Fred put it, you learn that the heart has reasons that reason itself does not know, to wit: Greed.
Exhibit A: Turning a $5.9m debt owed to Bobby Bonilla into a winning Powerball Lottery ticket.
Happy Monday morning. This sucks.
Interesting read. Especially since there are a few here who still insist the Wilpons made money on the Madoff scam or that Sandy’s here to be cheap because Oakland doesn’t spend money it doesn’t have, either.
Any is right, it’s obviously not just about slashing payroll. They could have kept Omar and just told him not to sign anyone, but they decided to fire him, which meant they were still paying him, too. So no, it’s not just about payroll. It’s about bringing in a smart executive who can field the best team the limited funds can buy, who also knows how to rebuild an organization.
You used the word they a lot Xtreemicon. It wasn;t they. It was Bud Selig who told Fred Wilpon in September of 2010 that he had to fire his friend Omar Minaya and replace him with Sandy Alderson. All the other GM interviews were window dressing to cover up his involvement. Every move that Alderson has made to date, were with cutting costs as the goal. All of them. If he picked up a prospect along the way, it was incidental.
Right but its not like Alderson/DePodesta/Ricciardi are just ignoring everything they know or think about baseball in order to help this team financially.
Beltran helped them cut salary but Wheeler helps the franchise grow in the future (in a perfect world)
The goal at least in my view isn’t as cut and dry. Having the team cut payroll, return $ etc doesn’t help the league unless they build a farm system adequate enough to sustain winning over a longer period of time.
So lets review then….
Two All Stars gone for one Wheeler….
At that return rate not even the Yankees trading all thier All Stars could field a decent team in 8 years time!
Joe, it’s not incidental or accidental that two of the Mets top three prospects weren’t in the organization six months ago. Slashing payroll might be the priority, but it’s foolish to think that it’s the only goal. Someone has to keep this team interesting and hopefully afloat on the major league level. If cutting the major league budget to peanuts was the only issue here, the front office wouldn’t have been assembled as it was.
You know more than I do. Maybe you can explain it better. I liken it to bringing in a reliever to intentionally walk a guy. Most people agree that’s silly. Just have the pitcher you’re yanking throw four wide ones, then yank him. Omar could have not signed marquee players just as well as Sandy can’t.
Not saying it’s the only goal, only that it’s not the priority it’s being portrayed to be. The draft is where they are actually doing their job, but as far as other moves, can you point to one where there was no financial reward for the Mets in 2011?
Actually Joe there was no Financial reward for the Beltran Trade. They paid his salary to get Wheeler.
K-Rod they paid part of it and got two PTBNL one of which is Herrera (I forget the other guy’s name thats how good HE is!)
I don’t disagree at all that cutting expenses is a major issue, but there’s a way to do it and still keep something to look forward to. The ability to do that was as much a deciding factor on who the GM will be as anything else. Again, anyone can not sign players. I’ll do it for free if they want. But I certainly don’t have the knowledge or ability to build a sustainable winner from the ground up, and this front office does. That’s why I believe they’re here and not Omar, for instance, who cost them money by firing him.
And how does that ground up win if attendance is so low you can’t buy the pieces a Harvey and Familia need around them because attendance is below 2m per season?
You know it’s kind of like saying I won’t eat and all mu money will go towards the house mortgage instead. Great you own a house you don’t need because you starved to death!
Balancing a budget is MORE than just slashing expenses. It’s part of it but selling off your car might pay some bills but leaves you with no way to get to work to earn more money!
And thats the problem with the cuts Sandy has been making.
If he cuts all the payroll he can then our team will be in NO CONDITION to win once Harvey and Familia come up. And no Attendance that would pay for getting it when the time comes!
This is why I said play Kids instead of signing the hairstons and Harris’ he has been signing.
For the 13Mil he spent last year he could easily get two good 4 Mil players who can help us win, maintain attendance and still have 6 Mil to put towards paying down the debt!
Guys like Evans, Pridie (now gone), Misch and Pascucci could easily fill the roles of these K-Mart FAs Sandy is going after and they wouldn’t hurt our ability to win one bit!
X Two of them were via our draft! One is 18 and never played organized baseball as his HS didn’t have a baseball program.
And I find it odd that you put so much stock in Baseball America when they had F-Mart listed for years and still nothing!
Aside from the draft we have traded away two All Star Type A free agents and all we got out of it was Wheeler!
If you think a KNOWN All Star is equal to one untested 1st round BA Listed MAYBE then therein lies the major problem with us ever agreeing.
If Omar had made a deal with a return like that you would have crucified him!
“And I find it odd that you put so much stock in Baseball America when they had F-Mart listed for years and still nothing!”
Wouldn’t that mean that scouts across the sport were wrong also since that is where B America gets much of their data?
You aren’t suggesting we take less stock in scouts are you? Careful there Metsie…
Yes IT WOULD Jessup!
Yet you still trust them on MAYBEs while an All Star is a SURE THING!
No one can be wrong about their being All Stars!
What you back back for a player that is KNOWN should have been MORE than just a single maybe!
So just so I am not putting words in your mouth Metsie
You are admitting that because Baseball America whiffed on FMart thus far that this devalue’s scouting across the league as well as the publication right?
Because BA doesn’t just check in with each teams scout about their own player, they have resources across the country.
So if BA is wrong, and you discredit them as a valuable resource
Then you are in fact discrediting baseball scouts as a valuable resource
Interesting.
Nice try sonny but I am only questionig the scouts Baseball America uses!
Not scouting in general!
There are good scouts and bad scouts!
Just as there are good lawyers and bad lawyers!
Unfortunatly Baseball America prefers some scouts over others!
And apprently the scouts they are using weren’t all that good when it came to F-Mart!
Funny when was the last time a scout at BA got fired for making a mistake?
Our got fired for making a mistake on F-Mart didn’t they?
And if Wheeler turns out to be as wrong as they were on F-Mart how good will that deal for an all star be then?
Will it be worth shutting down a season where we were 7.5 games out of the Wildcard?
High School baseball is not the only form of organized baseball there is. You think Nimmo just spent hours throwing off the side of his parents garage? F-Mart hasn’t panned out because he was rushed back and forth from the minors too early and because of injuries. He’s still only 22. And Baseball America gets it right more often than not.
“Aside from the draft we have traded away two All Star Type A free agents and all we got out of it was Wheeler!”
And $14 mil in salary relief. Did you not read what Joe wrote? The Mets are in dire straits right now, and Alderson comes in and gets a top pitching prospect and $14 mil in relief for two expiring contracts with no future on the team in a year where they were barely staying above .500.
Nope it isn’t…but that has nothing to do with the fact that Nimmo has played in NO organized baseball in his life!
“And Baseball America gets it right more often than not.”
You have some statistical data to prove that supposed fact?
Funny how guys like Nimmo who played NO MIL games is above FMart on the list right now!
“No you did not get 14 Mil of Salary relief!
We paid ALL of Beltran’s salary and saved only PART of K-Rods!
K-Rod was only making 14Mil last year!
Nice try at making up numbers off the top of your head though!
Nimmo did play organized baseball. And was there or wasn’t there an option with a buyout for K-Rod in 2012 that Alderson got out from under? I know you just can’t wait for the day you can prove me wrong, but that day ain’t today.
And was there or wasn’t there an option with a buyout for K-Rod in 2012 that Alderson got out from under?”
and most of you were happy that happy because it freed the mets from paying him 17.5 million. which is good, but what exactly is that money being used for!?!?
thank you….
Maybe to pay $400 million in debt. You’re welcome.
He’s referencing fair or foul when you did say they “have to” bring him back beause of his cost and he’s worth the risk.
the problem is he’s using that as though you think chris young is the missing link and he’s taking it out of context.
oh yeah you never said that to my knowledge at least. He’s just taking your answer to the question
The Mets projected payroll next year is significantly lower with the loss of Beltran and K-Rod. Other than signing Reyes (or letting him walk), what is 1 move you feel the Mets have to make this winter?
I can see where he’s coming from, he’s exaggerating the point and taking it out of context with the question but he read it differently than I think some of us did.
i should know better than to engage with someone who at one point said the mets priority this offseason should be chris young…. SMH
Can you show me where I said the priority should be to get Chris Young back? Can you show anyone?
I’m just wondering where the “priority” came from. I’m hoping he can for once in his life back up a claim.
I’m very well aware of what I said. He’s a liar. We’ve come to expect that from him.
“Can you show me where I said the priority should be to get Chris Young back”
What did you forget your little point counterpoint peice with Satish?
Yeah what organized Baseball did Nimmo play?
Little Leagues?
It was an option on K-Rod.
Did the Brewers pay him that option?
NO!
Nimmo played in American Legion ball which is organized.
Not to mention the showcase tours which is basically the top HS players in the countries.
Stop with the facts, guys. Metsie knows better than all of us that Nimmo never played ball before and Sandy just found him throwing rocks at a small bush behind his daddy’s barn.
Yeah you’re right Ex. I pretty much rarely even comment much anymore.He twists words,puts words in your mouth,lies,never provides facts but always insists on proof,and a lives in an imaginary world that I just choose not to enter. I should’ve known better.I’ll save the time wasting debates for you guys.
Yeah American Legion is Organized Baseball….
I suppose the Elks have an organized league too!
Hey lets draft this guy he’s the best hitter at Joe’s Bar and Grill!
LOL American Legion…is that like a Bar League?
They are pretty organized too!
ROFLMAO
So paying more towards the draft than at any other point in franchise history was about cost cutting?
Why couldn’t Ricco have done it. why bring in Alderson and have him hire 2 of his guys?
Or are you of the belief that Selig really wants the NL team in the biggest market in the world to function like the Royals in perpetuity? The guy who has made revenue streams and TV raitings his mission in life?
This is why I made the comment that when the Einhorn deal fell through the Mets under the Wilpons are a doomed team. The Wilpons must be forced out either by bankruptcy or na Met fan strike and petition. I know it hurts fans, the city and players but the games must be boycotted until the Wilpons get out of town. They are a disaster for our beloved team and the great city of New York. If they went public I would buy shares and I am sure thousands of other fans would too a la the Boston Celtics. If not we are doomed and the franchse will not survive in New York. Think it can’t happen. When was the last time LA had an nfl Franchise?
OHHHHHHHHHH, so NOW people are coming to terms about how sandy was just brought here to right the ship and fix the mets financial issues. i have said this for an entire year, yet i was being called a hater, a fool, was told to learn english, was told to go back to DR and start a bodega with minaya and jose reyes, i mean, LOL, this is amazing, NOW people are realizing that what i have been saying about sandy was the TRUTH…
what happened people, i thought sandy was a genius, i thought he was doing a great job.. blah blah blah!!!! man, i hope bud selig gets the F*** out and the new commissioner don’t offer any favors to all these buffoons and force these inept owners to just sell the franchise and leave us alone.
Um? a bodega with omar and jose? really?
Are you so blind in your hatred to realize that all you do is despise Alderson for everything he does, and not realize that without him the Mets would be screwed even moreso?
Don’t back pedal, when you comment here anti Sandy you don’t do so because you “recognize” he’s under strict financial orders. You join the circus and act as though the Mets are printing money and he’s failing to do things a Mets GM in 2005, 2006 would have done.
You compare 2011 to 2005 all the time, stop acting like your opinion was right all along please
Alex is simply lying Jessep about the bodega story.I remember it well,it was the day after Jose dropped a bunt and walked off the field to protect his batting title.I forgot the guy’s name he hasn’t been posting much since but he said that Reyes showed his true colors by walking off the field in what may be his last AB as a Met. Omar Fan told the guy to go F his mother and he’s a POS and that’s when the guy said it’s funny how you call Wright a pssy because he doesn’t hit in the clutch yet you protect Minaya and Reyes as they can do no wrong.You must be DR Omar Fan and hate white players.Maybe you,Reyes and Minaya should open a Bodega together.Alex’s name was never mentioned so he’s full of sheeet.It was directed at Omar Fan who we all know is known for that childish behavior and I’m happy to not have to look at his posts anymore.
joe diaz, don’t fall into the jessep, donal and taggee company…
JoeD 1966 says:
September 29, 2011 at 3:04 pm
One POS defends another POS.Let me guess you’re a Dominican.1st Omar,now Jose.Yeah I see your angle.You have no problem calling Wright a pu$$y but you defend that fag for what he did.No you go F your mother.Low life.Go open a bodega with Omar and Jose.
Like or Dislike: 0 0
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/reyes-asked-out-of-the-game.html#comment-185565
Yeah that’s the one and that was towards Omar Fan not you Alex.Omar Fan was attacking everybody for calling Reyes out when he pulled himself out of that game.So why do you lie and say that it was said about you? I could say the same thing and say that it was said about me. After all my uncle owned about 5 bodega’s when he was younger.
I used to go to bodegas when I was younger……..
Joe Diaz, this may be the conversation you’re referring to. It’s the only reference to bodega in the whole story:
JoeD 1966 September 29, 2011 at 3:41 pm
I have no respect for any of those guys Alex.This is not a Jose thing,it’s an integrity thing.Brandon Phillips supposedly left the game injured the other night but we all know he left with an even 300.I was a big fan of his but I lost respect.
alex68 September 29, 2011 at 3:45 pm
jus like jeter in 2008? you got a lot of nerve man… first you insult me and all dominica-ns by talking sh** about minaya and reyes and bodega, yet you wanna establish a debate or any type of conv with me? is funny how over the internet you find really tough guys.. face to face is a whole nother story right…
Des that response from JoeD 1966 was towards Omar Fan and not Alex.Alex chimed in after that guy went off on Omar.You should pull up Omars comments from that day.They were much worse.I’m sure there’s even more Dominicans on this site that could take that comment as an insult.I’m PR and I find it insulting.
by the way, what proves my point is nowhere in your rant and self-pat on the back do you really mention the fact that Alderson didn’t create this mess.
You’re again blaming the guy who was asked to come here FOR THE GOOD OF THE FRANCHISE AND THE SPORT rather than blame the entire process that got us here.
You’re labeling Sandy Alderson enemy #1, when he had literally nothing to do with the situation this franchise is in financially.
He hasn’t fixed it either!
Lets see what the Attendance is like next year!
If they lose another 50-70 Mil due to lack of attendance then like I said the best you can say is Sandy tread water with little flexability to fix the issue anytime soon!
The issue that needs fixing and CAUSED all these problems is the lack of attendance.
Tell us what about trading Beltran and K-Rod mid season and maybe letting Reyes and Wright makes that problem go away and what’s next if it gets worse?
Metsie
“The issue that needs fixing and CAUSED all these problems is the lack of attendance”
3.3 2006
3.8 2007
4.0 2008
3.1 2009
2.5 2010
2.3 2011
So based on these numbers YOU are suggesting that the attendance drops from 2009-2011 are solely responsible for
“According to ESPN.com, the Mets could be increasing their debt, currently well above $400 million”
If you think it was attendance that caused all these problems, well……….I wish I could live in your world where things are easy and cut and dry. The attendance doesn’t help, but I don’t think you appreciate the magnitude of these issues if you think ticket sales were the cause.
If “attendance” was the reason for all of their problems then the Mets have the worst rainy day fund ever. Wouldn’t the revenues from 2006-2008 be enough to help them through bad times if its such a huge part of the equation?
3.3 2006
3.8 2007
4.0 2008
3.1 2009
2.5 2010
2.3 2011
2008-2009 then 2009-2010 saw the biggest decline in ticket sales. And i’m pretty certain Sandy Alderson wasn’t here then right?
If you think attendance and hot dogs is the only reason why the Mets are buried in debt then I wanna live in your world of magical thinking. And Bernie Madoff would like to hire you as his lawyer.
How much money did they lose in 2009 Jessup I notice you didn’t say!
How much did they spend in 2009?
You didn’t say!
Apparently SPENDING wasn’t what caused the lack of attendance.
They had a payroll of about 147M and didn’t lose a penny in 2009 despite DECREASED attendance!
So the spending didn’t cause the financial issues the lack of attendance did!
If we had signed Cliff Lee last year we would have not LOST money! (Not saying we could have signed him just pointing out how Spending increases Fan Attendance not reduces it)
In the years where we spent look at the Attendance results!
2004 – 2.31m (Before we started spending)
2005 – 2.89m
2006 – 3.38m
2007 – 3.85m
2008 – 4.04m
2009 – 3.15m
2010 – 2.56m
2011 – 2.38m
If Reyes goes do we draw enough to even match 2004 numbers?
So what did Sandy fix pray tell? 2016? I mean if the financial problems are as real as Joe reports they won’t make it till then!
Reyes and Wright are the last salaries he can cut in the meantime! Total Savings 20 Mil! (15m Wright 5 Mil Reyes current)
And how many ticket sales will we lose because of it?
He isn’t SOLVING the financial issues he is merely cutting the salary it used to pay for and as a result making the financial and attendance problem WORSE not BETTER!
You can pin that fact on anyone you want as I know you will deflect to protect savior but the truth is he isn’t fixing a thing!
Gettiing Attendance up over 3.1m would solve their financial issues by paying the bills!
Letting Reyes walk, Trading Beltran for Wheeler, Trading K-Rod for two PTBNL’s is not the solution to their problem!
The Salary you cut by doing that may come off the books but so too did any ticket sales those STARS maintained for you!
And once Reyes and Wright are gone and he can’t shed Bay and Santana what does he do if attendance STILL doesn’t pay the Bills?
Quit?
Tell Bud to take over the team?
What happened the LAST TIME the MLB took over a team?
Did they stay in the city they were in?
Or did they move away?
Well if what Joe said is true and Sandy continues down the road he is on say goodbye to the NY Mets!
As they say Be careful what you wish for dude you might just get it!
So again, then its your belief that Madoff, new stadium etc are not the bulk of their financial woes but that their attendance is?
If their attendance is the issue then why are they so in debt after just 2 years of less than 3 mil in attendance?
By the way “2004 – 2.31m (Before we started spending)”
2001 93m
2002 94m
2003 117m
2004 96m
that’s a funny way of “not spending”
Oh and to answer your question of “What happened the LAST TIME the MLB took over a team?”
The last time the MLB took over a team it was 2010 and the team was the Texas Rangers. Nice example though.
What pays the Bills Jessup?
ATTENDANCE!
So YES Madoff helped them stay fluid and was the backup if attendance did not cover the nut in a single year!
That backup plan is gone and we now have two years where the Attendance did not cover the nut!
What is 70 Mil in losses plus 50 Mil equal?
140 Mil!
Add to it the stadium they built (When attendance wasn’t a problem) and the TV network they financed!
The TV network will take care of itself as with all the bycotts ratings will actually go up!
The Stadium is a long term investment that should pay for itself IF the attendance improves.
Naming rights pay nice portion of that plus all the advertising there!
Having DEBT is not a problem to anyone where that debt is related to assets!
The Stadium and the Network are valuable assets!
Yes they owe about 400 Mil (140Mil of is related to Attendance losses)
The rest are nothing more than long term mortgage and investment borrowing which isn’t a problem since they can sell a piece of the satdium (they do already with naming rights) to keep up those payments and the network is AHEAD of schedule on being profitable!
So having debt isn’t crushing and no one has said they can’t pay off the debt just that they have not paid it off yet and really thats only in regards to the 25 Mil they borrowed from the MLB!
They already paid back 25 Mil of the original 50 Mil they borrowed in 2010!
And they are selling peices of the team to pay the rest!
I guess your not too clued into how big finances actually work!
Having debt doesn’t mean your broke!
Just means you could be if you don’t find ways to maintain the revenue you were making when you borrowed it or lose the asset that can be sold to pay it off!
Last time I checked they still own the Network that is paying it’s own way and they still own the stadium that can pay the bills or sell off pieces of it to make a payment when they fall short!
“What is 70 Mil in losses plus 50 Mil equal?
140 Mil!”
Wha!?!?!?
Im not a genius when it comes to “MATHEMATICS”……BUT…..I think 70mil plus 50mil equals “120mil” not 140 mil..but hey I may be wrong I did those calculations of the top of my head…
You then go on to bash Jessup and stating:
“I guess your not too clued into how big finances actually work!
Having debt doesn’t mean your broke!”
My question to you all Financial genius/all knowing one…Have you ever worked for Lehman Brothers??? LOL…your addition is shoddy at best, wouldnt want you dealing with more complicated numeral equations….
Anyone who downplays the Madoff connection to the Mets financial problems are delusional or in denial
haha Leroy at least we probably uncovered who is handling the Mets financial books right?
It was a typo Leroy you can’t edit posts if you hadn’t noticed.
The last time MLB took over a team that team got to the World Series.
actually attendance (or lack of) is what pushed them over the edge.
all the madoff, etc. stuff put them on thin ice, but if the attendance had remained where it was at first (2009 was good, right?) or improved, they would have at least been breaking even or close to it the last couple years.
losing ticket revenue when you had no reserves was the straw that broke the camel.
Good point there Any!
The issue was Madoff was giving them rediculous returns that allowed them to stay fluid and once that revenue stream was lost (the the fact they lost money) it hurt their ability to juggle the bills.
But as you said the team was not losing money when they drew 3.1 Mil people to the stands in 2009.
Break even at worst.
The goal should be to try to maintain that 3.1+m attendance via buying some GOOD players who will win enough to maintain it (in the 5-10 Mil area as opposed to the K-Mart 1-2 Mil area we seem to shop in) and hope to at least not ADD to the debt while you try to find some young players who can increase that attendance like Harvey and Familia!
Instead of gutting the team and reducing the attendance further, Try to keep at that break even number until the bad contracts like Bay and maybe Santana can be purged!
If we do that the money we pay Santana and Bay (nearly 36Mil) will come off the books plus whatever excitment Harvey and Familia bring to the fan base!
I have no problems cutting Salary but cutting Salary that also cuts attendance does us no good whatsoever!
So what do you think was the cause X…please be specific.
You think having Carlos Beltran made us broke?
You think having Jose reyes made us Broke?
You Think K-Rod bankrupted us?
We lost 70 Milo last year please tell us all how the 20 Mil castillo and Perez got caused 70 mil of losses!
Your the one living in the cut and dry world where cutting payroll solves the problem when for every contract you cut you cut off the funds those payrolls generate!
Your going to save 5 Mil off the budget by letting Reyes go and you will lose far more than 20m in ticket sales because of it!
Now re-signing him will cost you 15 Mil more instead. But you will still be ahead because you won’t lose that 20+mil of attendance!
I got it so your idea of getting out of $400+ million in debt is to spend more money that they don’t have.
We just disagree on financial principals then I guess. There’s no reason to discuss it further.
Nice try!
No the idea is to spend money on an INVESTMENT that puts people in the stands and makes MORE money than they are spending to get it!
Giving Reyes 20 Mil contract will return FAR MORE than 20 Mil in Attendance revenue!
Spending 1-2 Mil on Hairston certainly won’t INCREASE attendance!
In fact it will probab;ly decline if we re-sign him and not Reyes!
It’s called INVESTMENT!
Sure you can make $4 booking your kids band to play a club but pay Metallica thier 10K Guarantee and you can make 25K just on the first 1000 Tickets sold!
STARS DRAW FANS!
Investing in Stars is what sells tickets!
Having stars also gets you wins that sell even MORE!
Having scrubs who cost little don’t sell enough tickets to pay their own salary!
This is the point you can’t seem to get through that thick moneyball skull!
Stars draw fans,they sell tickets.Absolutey! But when we have 6 stars Beltran,Santana,Reyes,Wright,Bay and K-Rod and the team still sucks.You get left with a high payroll,declining attendance because of all the sucking and huge operating losses.
You think the Mets are merely $50-$70 mil in the hole?
you have spit alserson’s d*** out of your mouth for five minutes and wake up.
metsaddict77, now there’s some class. You keep uo the good work over there.
i usually try to maintain some level of decorum,but the way you defend alderson is ridiculuos. the way you talk about him , you make him out to be infallable.
Well first, you failed.
Second, can you tell me WHY this is his fault? If I build a terrible home, one with foundation problems, mold, and espetos and you are brought in to fix it… will the homeowner blame you and forget about everything that lead up to the day you were brought in to help?
That’s my problem. My problem is everybody latches on as though Alderson is coming in with his own best interests at hand to lessen payroll and not the longevity of the franchise.
Well lets see he cost us 18K in ticket sales!
Thats a start!
He gave up on a team only 7.5 games out of the Wildcard (Cards were 10 games out later that year and won)
He traded away two all stars and got only Wheeler and two PTBNL
He is shunning Reyes who is a fan favorite and big draw for attendance.
And even suggested he would trade Wright the only other guy worth seeing if the Kids Price is right!
He lost more games than the year before!
What else do you need to see to say we are worse not better?
Taking a gun and shooting Harvey and Familia in the head?
Tell us all who is playing behind Harvey and Familia when they come up in 2014?
Lets see…
1B – Ike Davis – ok thats fine
2B – Havens? (Question mark still) Turner (a guy you call bench Jockey!)
SS – Reuben Tejada (Another guy you say is not much more than a bench jockey)
3B – Daniel Murphy – An Injury proned over 30 year old player by then? Whats your take on that again? Somethig along the lines of Bench Jockey?
RF – Lucas Duda – Ok I like him…(You don’t! Bench Jockey was the word you used)
CF – Pagan or Coco Crisp? Really? (aren’t they bench Jockeys? Maybe Hairston still right?
LF – Jason Bay? 16 MIl over 30 can’t produce?
C – Thole or Paulino?
How many wins is Harvey and Familia going to have with those guys in the lineup pray tell?
And who is going to close their games so they don’t get the no decisions wholesale?
You keep saying that we are going to win in the future when the Kids get up…
Pray tell when is this future you propose, Who is going to be on that team and will anyone posting here today be alive to see it?
Reyes was a big draw? Well then explain why the attendance has gone down while he was still here?
Winning puts butts in the seats, and it’s going to take a while to get there, signing Reyes alone, at this point, will not improve attendance.
Why did it go down?
The Loss of Delgado?
The Loss of a credible ace in Glavine and a missing Santana?
Whats it going to go down when Reyes goes to Florida?
Do you know?
No Jessup didn’t hazard a guess at what the lineup would look like in two years behind Harvey and Familia?
Running away from another question that puts the ALL KNOWING ALL WISE JESSUP on the spot and asks him a simple question How id Harvey and Familia going to make us winners with Bench Jockeys (Your assessement not mine) behind him?
No hint at what the LONG TERM PLAN has as it’s starters in 2014?
No CLue as to who we might purchase with the PAYROLL FLEXIBILITY you keep chirping about or how Hairston makes us better in 2014?
Nothing?
You can’t answer those questions answerman than you have no business opredicting eventual SUCCESS with the moves we are making!
All you have is HOPE not a PLAN!
As evidenced by your PLAN that would not go past 2012!
SEAT OF YOUR PANTS GM!
Either that or I’m tired of arguing with somebody who goes in circles nd proclaims victory when the other person simply gets too dizzy to chase them
Last week you said that I claim Harvey and Familia are crap. You said that.
Now apparently i’m claiming that they are the centerpieces around a 2014 season.
Frankly, if you could just let me know what the next thought I have is? It would make my life easier.
You want to think the NY Mets financial problems are from Sandy Alderson that is fine. It’s dumb, but that is fine. And we don’t really need to go any further than that.
You blame the guy who gets here AFTER they are $400+ million in debt. I can’t make that seem logical and I can’t argue with somebody who thinks it makes sense either
Yeah post the link slappy!
If you can’t then we will have PROVED who is the one making up crap and spoutng it as fact!
POST THE LINK!
I never said you vcalled them crap I said you called all the guys we could use in the Minors crap!
Harvey and Familia were not part of the conversation but you go ahead and PROVE I’m lying and I said you called the crap!
We will settle this once and for all who exactly is LYING here!
Metsie: “If you can’t then we will have PROVED who is the one making up crap and spoutng it as fact! POST THE LINK! I never said you vcalled them crap I said you called all the guys we could use in the Minors crap! Harvey and Familia were not part of the conversation but you go ahead and PROVE I’m lying and I said you called the crap! We will settle this once and for all who exactly is LYING here!”
To which I’d like to show you exhibit A please
November 18, 2011 at 10:14 am .
You said “Why do People applaud him for fixing things when our three best players from 2010 are not on the team anymore and all we have acquired so far is cheap crap?”
Then I replied on November 18, 2011 at 11:15 am with “Why do People pretend that Zach Wheeler is crap?”
To which you (you are Metsie right?) said on November 18, 2011 at 11:20 am .
“Same reason you conclude that Davis, Murphy, Tejada, Duda, Gee, Niese, Havens, Flores, Harvey, Familia, Mejia, Neuwenhuis, etc…etc… are Crap! They have not done anything in the MLB yet so according to you they never will!”
Here’s your link: http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/11/mets-sign-vinny-rottino-and-valentino-pascucci.html#comments
And this was ME proving that YOU are WRONG. Proving that YOU said that *I* think Harvey and Familia are crap and that they WERE in your quote.
Game.
Set.
and Match. Have a great evening, this conversation doesn’t need to go any further than this.
Yep that list of players was compiled from something you said 6 months ago….
WE HAVE NO ONE in the Minors to build with!
Should I look for the link?
Metsie: So what you’re saying is.
You demanded I lied when I said that you claimed I believe Harvey and Familia are crap
I prove to you that you said that exact thing just days ago
And rather than say “sorry” or “you’re right” you duck away and try and spin it into some way you may be right?
You said you never claimed I said Harvey and Familia are crap. I proved you said those exact words. Case dismissed. Face it.
LMAO metaddict, now THAT was funny.. good stuff man
C’mon Alex. Stop the righteous self-pity. You are really too good to wallow in it. Now back to baseball and the business of baseball.
“I was told to go back to DR and start a bodega with minaya and jose reyes,”
Alex I didn’t know where you came from and really, I didn’t care. I’m interested only in the ideas written here on MMO. You’ve had some good ones, and maybe some not so good — just like the rest of us. Join your fellow Americans and discuss baseball, not bragging points.
if this is true and not MMO selling the mets propaganda to keep the fans interested, then there is only one thing to be done and that is sell the team, if you cannot afford to run your business get out of it. the mets are losing generations of fans as they continue to be the laughing stock of baseball were nobody wants to play, unless u r wash-up and overpaid by them. If this continues even SNY will be driven into the ground by fred. a complete joke.
It should also be noted to all of those who believe in going Overslot in the draft that the new CBA has a new Payroll Tax Threshold on Draft signings that can be as high as 75-100% plus forfiture of Draft picks!
SO if this source is correct and the financial situation is as bad as portrayed you can forget about going overslot anytime soon!
That is a concern, but not a huge one, in my opinion. The Rays wowed everyone with a shocking $4 mil or so in signing bonuses, an unusually high number. If the Mets were to give out even $3 mil (still unusually high), and the tax was the full 100% (still not confirmed), I’d say it’s worth it to pay that much (little) on a good draft.
The reality of what drives baseball and the New York Mets is clear. It’s business. Sometimes business happens among neighbors. Read these lines from the Wall Street Journal:
“What the [heck], he played baseball in my backyard. How can I turn him down?” Selig said at a luncheon with baseball writers before the All-Star Game. While growing up in a Milwaukee suburb, Einhorn said he used to play baseball in the backyard of Selig’s neighbor.
I was called “crazy” and “stupid” to have suggested Alderson was more “appointed” than “hired” to lead the Mets while the Wilpon’s rehabilitate their finances. I’m not upset. I realize this web site is written by fellow Met fans rather than professional journalist.
point is, everyone is entitle to their opinion without being called stupid, or fool, or uneducated. we’re grown men here. is not supposed to be that way, funny thing is, face to face i am sure they wouldn’t have the guts to say things like that..
……and women, disregarding another gender is as bad as any claims of racial remarks made towards you so stop playing the part of martyr here, you’re responses are less than kind when you claim that you can tell people who they can and cannot reply to. Respect is a two way street, and doesn’t include making up lies either, as you have towards me with me attacking your or donating to this site……..back peddle that…….
sigh………………………………………………………….
not 8 hours ago, you wrote this in the post about Bobby V going to the BoSox
” I think most of the time these people just write and report total bs and we the fans take it as the truth! Why listen or read reporters at all?! It’s all crap.”
Amazing how quickly things can change to fit our own preconceptions.
It does get a bit frustrating however having to wait for my fellow Met fans to “catch up.”
Come on people smarten up already!
Lifelong, you’re hilarious. We’ve caught up because we’re a lap ahead and looking at your sorry derriere holding onto old ideas many of us knew already!!! Besides, in your prior post you said you weren’t upset. Why the change of heart?
Des when did you first realize and post on this web site that Sandy Alderson was appointed by Major League baseball to run the New york Mets?
You should go where all the professional journalists hang out at NYPOST.COM and DAILYNEWS.COM. I have no doubt you will learn much from Andy Martino and Mike Puma, than you can learn from us dum-dums here.
Wow Alex what did you ever do to Kay?
she’s just a baiter.. i pay little to NO ATTENTION to her..
Thanks for proving my point
Where you been Alex? I thought you went over to the ‘darkside’
LOL, hey petey, my man, i am in the darkside. whoever don’t like sandy and his jedi mind tricks is part of the rebellion!!! LOL…
btw, have you been watching any winter league baseball? i have been watching the DWL, kazmir is pitching for el escogido and our boy valdespin is playing 2b for the tigres del licey…
No I haven’t what network carries the games?
well, i have direct tv, so i watch the dominican channel. they have games all the time
Paging Einhorn!
Now we all know why Bobby V would never consider managing the Mets again. He is a smart guy, a very smart guy.
Is this really news to Met fans? Those that have been following closely should have already connected the dots. Don’t think many of us really believed the ‘this won’t affect the operation of Sterling Mets’ comment the Wilpons made when Madoff was arrested.
I can’t even fathom how long it’s going to take to turn this franchise around with the Wilpons still as owners. And IMO the only reason they are still the owners is b/c of Selig.
There is no doubt what the outcome of the Picard lawsuit against the Mets will be is something that until resolved the Mets will not be able to truly move forward in my opinion.
That being said not knowing the Wilpon finances while they have debt how bad it truly is remains to be seen. Though seeing it may soon be fast approaching.
The Wilpons broke off the Einhorn deal after they got some positive decisions from the Judge in the Picard lawsuit. I find it hard to believe they would just drop him if they were so close to financial distress that they could lose the team. It looked more like someone that didn’t need the money badly enough to risk losing control of the team. Now maybe they are I don’t know no one does for that matter but that was just my observation on that 1 scenario.
There were even reports how the Einhorn deal needed to be done so the Mets could meet payroll obligations in 2011 but it seems so far that was not the case.
When they traded Beltran Alderson said they were able to get the player they got because the Wilpons took on more of Beltran’s salary to get Wheeler. For a team that is in dire need to slash payroll I would think they would be unwilling to do this.
Is Alderson here to right the ship? Yes but I thought that included getting out from some of the bad contracts as well along with making the team better via draft trade and all the avenues available to him. This is the case for any GM taking over a team I would think.
As far as if Selig forcibly appointed Alderson or not I can’t say. I have seen nothing but opinions that he did so until something more substantive surfaces I can’t say I believe he was forced on to the Mets. He was the popular choice by many media and fans alike to be the new GM and in the end he was the new GM.
What will Alderson do when Selig steps down after 2012? I don’t know but I can’t really fault him if he felt like he wanted to be the next Commissioner of MLB. I would hope he would stay and see this through but that’s just me.
Maybe by the time i click “post comment” news will break that the Wilpons have filed for bankruptcy but for now outside of how the Picard lawsuit ends up I don’t see that happening.
Good point there MNJ…
The Madoff situation hurt their cash flow as they lost the easy money it brought.
But that said they still have not lost any due to it! The current financial issues and debt may be in a hold pattern due to not knowing how much they have to pay in the Picard case, But if it goes to their favor then the financial issues of the Wilpons are not a big problem neither is the debt!
The 386 Mil that does not go to picard is then freed up towards paying any of the 400Mil debt they have!
The question that is key here is how not to INCREASE that debt by losing anymore money on low attendance!
One side thinks cutting payroll which might help reduce the amount that could be lost but ALSO reduces the amount made off attendance.
They will make less money without Reyes than they would WITH him!
The question people should be concerned with is the money we pay Reyes to MAINTAIN the attendance he brings more than the money his attendance brings!
I doubt highly that it is!
Paying Reyes 20 Mil will generate more than 20 Mil per year in Attendance related money!
Not paying him will result in losing MORE money than we saved by not paying him!
And thats the point that seems to be lost on the folks who say just slash the payroll without any consideration given to if that Payroll is what generates the attendance in the first place!
So, in 6 years, prospective investors have the option to cash out?
Is that what the new scare is?
So, in more time than it would take for a 2012 top prospect to make it to the majors, investors can choose to cash out?
And nothing can change in 6 years?
How long did it take to turn the Rangers around?
Because if we are unable to turn this around in the 7 years since the last administration, something went very. very wrong. To the point where the Wilpons would be forced out.
I think the Wilpons ( especially if it is fairly known now that most of the 7 limited partners are basically just lending the Wilpons 20MM apiece at 3% accrued interest per year which by my math comes out to 28MM payable after 6 yrs. instead of wanting to be long term equity or shareholders of the Mets) and then of course Sandy are going to want to turn the Mets into Tampa Bay Ray North in 2014 ( after the Mets are out of the Santana & Bay contracts and probably out of Wright too) with mainly cheap, homegrown 0-4 yr. players dotting the Mets roster and just a 60-70 MM payroll for a couple of years from 2014-2016. So that the Wilpons can make a huge profit on operations those 3 years that they can hold in reserve to payback some or most of the limited partners in 2017. How else would they be able to pay back even 4 limited partners and 112MM in 2017? This is of course on top of all the other existing debt on the Met franchise which right now is over 450MM. As Don Corleone said at the summit meeting of the heads of the 5 families- How did things ever get so far? Why do you think Jeff Wilpon was in a San Diego suite with Sandy and Chad MacDonald on the signing deadline day for the 1st year player draft urging Chad and Sandy to sign all of the Met draft picks? If most don’t know now that the Wilpons ( and this directive is coming from the Wilpons not Sandy) mainly want to rebuild from within over the next 4-5 yrs. and eschew expensive Type A FA for quite awhile, one needs to get a clue.
You forget the Wilpons use the “Bobby Bonilla math”.
Regarding: “Bud Selig continues to turn a blind eye toward his good friend, Fred Wilpon, whom he has been close with for over 30 years”
An owner should NOT be commissioner of his sport. How the players union ever let that happen is amazing. This is an item that players should speak up about. The Commissioner should be an impartial individual to oversee players AND owners
People…
Take what Joe is telling you…
To the bank.
Lehman Brothers?
The internet is a wonderful thing for sure but I am tired of seeing so much speculative reporting by so many bloggers who probably know less about baseball than my wife does. Now anyone who has an axe to grind has a soap box to stand up on and be heard. Too many opinions by too many people who need to get a life.