Entering the Winter Meetings, which start this morning in Nashville, the Mets will have a variety of routes at their disposal to secure the players they need.  Having already settled the eight year contract extension of David Wright, worth just shy of $140 million, Sandy Alderson not only secured the team’s best player for the foreseeable future, he has also indicated that the Mets are on the verge of operating like the big market ballclub they are. Also working in the Mets’ favor is their excess of starting pitching.  Whether it ends up being the reigning Cy Young winner, RA Dickey, or youngster Jon Niese, who is signed to a very team-friendly contract, someone probably won’t call Queens home by week’s end.

Whether you think trading away a solid starting pitcher is a good idea or not, the Mets are preparing to move forward.  With as many as seven suitors for RA Dickey and in all likelihood just as many for Niese, the Mets may find themselves the beneficiary of a bidding war of sorts.  With teams on that list like the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays, who both possess some of the most sought after prospects in all of baseball, the Mets have to feel good about their chances this week.

Sandy Alderson and the Mets have trod water long enough.  With the 2014 season pegged as the team’s return to legitimacy, the 2012 Winter Meetings seem an apropos time for things to take shape.  That may mean the addition of a catcher, an outfielder or possibly both, but the time has arrived for the front office to start piecing things together. Trading away a key component such as Dickey or Niese won’t be enough.  Other lesser known quantities, such as Jenrry Mejia, may also find themselves on the trading block this week.  The Mets may dive into the free agent market to get what they need.  The options seem endless, but for the first time in a along time, the Mets should be building towards the future, instead of doing their best to ease the pain of the past.

If things go as planned this week, all the waiting, the cost cutting and maybe even all the losses will begin paying dividends.  Yes, the 2012 Winter Meetings are the place where this team can take the next step.  The deconstruction of the team we once knew is complete.  Let the rebuild officially begin.  Make the moves necessary to begin down that path, and fans will find their way back to the ballpark this summer.  The time has come.  That time is now.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83

It doesn’t appear that signing Wright to a contract extension will be as easy as dollars and cents.  Earlier this season, Wright went on record stating that the opportunity to win a championship going forward is likely more important than the value of his next deal.  This is a unique issue for the team’s front office, which seems to be entrenched in financial difficulty.  Retaining the home grown slugger appears to be tied as much to the players they place around him, as it is in his own net worth.  None of this should seem like a stretch when considering that Wright is set to enter his thirties, having made only one career postseason appearance, in position to sign what may be the final contract of his career.  So what happens next?

In his most recent video blog (HERE), ESPN’s Buster Olney becomes the most recent member of the major sports media to indicated that the Mets appear set for another basically dormant off season.  Content to await the maturity of their pitching prospects or once again handcuffed by the checkbook of majority owner, Fred Wilpon, the consensus that this winter won’t include the renovations necessary to turn the team’s current roster into a likely contender should strike fear into the hearts of Mets fans hoping to see David Wright in blue and orange for the foreseeable future.  Olney also hypothesizes that anything is possible should the team lay an enormous offer at the feet of their all-star third baseman, a scenario few Mets fans can envision citing the thrifty ways of Sandy Alderson’s front office.

Call me crazy, but tend I to take David Wright at his word.  That’s exactly why the scenarios presented by Buster Olney, Adam Rubin and every other person “in the know” in recent weeks make me think we may be witnessing the final days of David Wright in Queens.

Even if everything else comes together.  If the starting rotation takes shape without further delay, if the bullpen suddenly finds its way, and if the team can remain otherwise healthy, the Mets are no less than two quality starting outfielders away from fielding a contending ball club.  Those are two pretty significant, expensive, moves for a front office which appears destine, by all accounts, to stay the course for yet another winter.  If that’s the case, it leaves only money as a way of enticing Wright to stay with the team long term.  This in and of itself presents a problem since Sandy Alderson seems intent on not overpaying at all costs.  If money becomes the deciding factor, as it was with Jose Reyes, then surely Wright will find much larger fortunes elsewhere.

The other unfortunate portion of this equation is Wright’s resistance to in-season negotiations.  This only heightens the importance of the impending offseason as it will be the franchise’s only opportunity to make this happen.  If they are unable to come to terms, then the thought process of the front office will turn to when, not if, Wright should be traded away.  With each game of the 2013 season his plays, Wright’s trade value decreases.  Certainly the organization cannot afford to have him walk away without significant compensation, as Jose Reyes did.  Its for that reason, and the fact that I simply don’t see the Mets putting enough talent around him this off season to convince him that the future in Queens, is sooner than later, that I now believe his time here is coming to a close.

Two years ago it was unthinkable that the left side of the team’s infield wasn’t set in stone for the next decade.  Now it appears the rebuild could become even more complicated.  Losing Wright would be more than a set back.  His value on the field is trumped only by his worth off of it.  The closest thing the Mets have to a pure bread superstar, David Wright’s time here is in jeopardy.  In the interest of the fans, and the future, the Mets must find a way, but will they?

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83

Lets take a look at what we know for sure…

• The Mets payroll was slashed by roughly $50 million dollars heading into the 2012 season.  Whats the outcome of that purge?  As it stands through the middle of August, The Mets appear destined to finish the season with a similar record to last year.  What does that prove?  Have the Mets purged overvalued talent, or proven that the free agent market isn’t all its cracked up to be?  Those debates could go on forever.
• The Wilpons will still be held accountable for $430 million in team debt, $450 million in SNY debt, and $600 million in Citi Field debt at some point in the not so distant future.  That doesn’t include the Madoff settlement, as the Wilpons can still collect damages through other suits, leaving the exact amount owed in flux.  Bottom line…More than a BILLION dollars is owed to several lenders.
• Attendance is dwindling!  Should the team fail to put some wins together, a $25 million dollar drop in attendance revenue, compared to last season, is perfectly reasonable before season’s end.  While that is minor in the grand scope of things, it still adds financial stress to the organization.

With the exception of the recent drop in payroll, none of this was ever breaking news.  The large majority of these debts were relatively common knowledge when Sandy Alderson assumed command of the organization’s front office.  That’s the rub…and the real unknown when discussing the future of the New York Mets.

The one thing that you, I, or anyone else whose name doesn’t end in Wilpon doesn’t know is exactly how much money is in the piggy bank.  That’s why any argument slighting Sandy Alderson or the Wilpons is always a shot in the dark.  If there is no money to spend, the team’s farm system is invaluable, explaining why Alderson has been adamant in his attempt to rebuild the system and/or demand top dollar in return for the organization’s prospects.  If the Wilpon’s are telling the truth when they say Sandy has no financial constraints, then its fair to say that Alderson has some serious explaining to do.

Therein lies the problem when discussing the future of the franchise, because we simply don’t know.  I can tell you that at this point in Alderson’s tenure that his minor league position prospect options have just about been exhausted.  Therefore, I certainly hope the money is available to fill the team’s needs both behind the plate and in the outfield.  If that’s the case, than we can anticipate an rather active off-season, but if it isn’t, or even worse if Sandy simply doesn’t want to elevate the payroll for some unexplained reason, the Mets are in for more hard times.

Again, its the unknowns that are scary.  No amount of investigative reporting, ESP or plain guessing is going to give us a good indication of exactly how much money resides in the Wilpon’s checking account.  Is there enough funny money to make the acquisitions necessary to put this team back on the map now that the in-house options have faltered?  The answer to that question is up to your interpretation, but in reality none of us know for certain.

So we can hate the Wilpon’s refusal to concede ownership…or we can bash Sandy Alderson for his hesitance to act.  Which is right?  Until we have an accurate idea of the team’s overall finances, something that may never happen, we all must maintain a degree of rationale when discussing the future.  The comments of both sides must be taken with a grain of salt.  Until that moment when we know for sure, no one has the big picture, and its for that reason that the future of the New York Mets remains in doubt.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.

As we get ready to begin the 2012 season, there is a lot of negativity surrounding the Mets. Some of it is warranted, but some of it is the product of misconceptions and misrepresentations. I think a lot of it comes from living in the bubble of being fans of one particular team, so everything gets judged with the limited scope of only seeing that team. I’d like to take a crack at setting the record straight in a few areas. Then, hopefully, we can have some productive discussion.

Some people are saying they are a 100 loss team and comparing them to the 1962 squad. Those are people with either short memories or simply not aware of just how bad a team has to be to reach those marks. The Mets aren’t even the worst in the National League, never mind all of baseball, which is pretty much what 100+ losses means.

What people need to realize is…

1. The 2012 Mets Don’t Suck

No, really. They aren’t that bad. In reality, they are pretty middle of the road. Talent wise, anyway. There is a notable difference between being awful and being mediocre. The biggest problem for the Mets is that they are an average team in a really good division (on paper).

Just because they are expected to finish last in a tough division doesn’t make them terrible. Put them in any other division except the AL East and they would probably finish 3rd or better with an above .500 record. They might even be able to win the NL West. There are plenty of teams significantly worse than the Mets. The Cubs, Astros, Padres, Dodgers and Pirates are all a lot worse than the Mets and that is just in the National League. The Mets could also hang tight with the Diamondbacks, Giants, Rockies, Reds and maybe even the Brewers and Cardinals (if things break right, anyway).

So, even if they aren’t a very good team, that doesn’t make them a very bad team. It just so happens that they directly compete with 4 other teams that on paper are measurably better. Even then, I wouldn’t be shocked to see at least one of those teams take the Mets preordained spot in the NL East cellar.

One reason the Mets might be able to sneak past one of those teams is…

2. The Mets Pitching Staff (Including Mike Pelfrey) Doesn’t Suck

A lot of people are down on the the pitching staff, but that is mostly due to what we saw from the other 4 NL East teams. In reality, all 5 Mets starters could pitch on good teams. Even Mike Pelfrey.

Don’t believe me? Have you seen some of the pitchers being signed a week prior to the season? The Yankees coaxed soon to be 40 year old Andy Petitte out of retirement because they don’t trust their rotation. The Braves, with their vaunted rotation of young studs, still saw it necessary to give 37 year old Livan Hernandez a spot on their team, even after the lowly Astros released him. The Indians are picking up $5 million of Derek Lowe’s salary. The Rockies recently not only signed 49 year old Jamie Moyer, they even made him their #2 starter.

A lot of playoff contenders are scrambling to fill out their rotations. The Mets problem isn’t that they have bad starters. They just don’t have any really good ones. No #1 or #2 guys. Much like the whole team, they are average starters. The are back of the rotation guys. 3,4,5 type pitchers that can look really good on occasion and get bombed on others.

That includes Big Pelf. I know he has had a rough Spring Training, but he always does. And if you look at him over the years, his hit, walk, and strikeout rates all stay about the same. His Home Run rates fluctuate, so that is the main area of concern. But, when you take away all the hype that surrounded him, all the inflated expectations and all the nonsense and see him as a #4 or #5 guy, you’d see he’s fairly average.

Of course, one thing that is going to be a huge boon for this average pitching staff is…

3. The Offense Will Score a Lot of Runs  

Even with the loss of Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, this team is in a position to light up the scoreboard. If they stay relatively healthy, the middle of the order will have 3 potential 30 HR hitters in Ike Davis, Lucas Duda and David Wright. And believe it or not, Mets fans, Jason Bay reportedly was that type of hitter a long time ago in stadiums far far away. Murphy will be a solid #2 hitter and if the 2010 Andres Torres shows up and stays healthy (until Kirk Nieuwenhuis arrives), there will be plenty of RBI opportunities for the power hitters.

If Ruben Tejada proves last year was no fluke and Josh Thole remembers what he did in 2010, this is going to be a solid line up top to bottom with no easy outs and a lot of ways to wreak havoc.

Remember, this team was in the top half of runs scored with Reyes missing a lot of the second half and being hurt when he did play. They also missed Davis for almost the whole year and Wright for a good chunk of it. A full year of them plus Duda should more than offset the loss of Beltran.

Also, off the bench, Scott Hairston and Justin Turner both proved themselves to be good pinch hitters that can come up big.

Another thing we need to accept as Mets fans is…

4. Fred Wilpon is Not the Worst Owner in Sports

I don’t like a lot of things he has done. His arrogance and cronyism have gotten in the way of a lot of potential success for this franchise. It came to a point where I was part of the chorus of fans at Citi Field chanting “We Want Cuban” at the end of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. But, now that I’ve had a chance to get past the emotion and look at the big picture, I realize,  he really isn’t that bad.

He’s not even the worst owner in the division. Jeffrey Loria, the owner of the Marlins, is a real life Rachel Phelps. The Braves owner, Liberty Media Group, is a corporation that sees the Braves as a marketing tool and asset. They have no intention of putting real money into the team to make them true contenders or even retain most of their own stars.

Fred Wilpon is also not the worst owner in this town. Personally, I’m glad the Dolans are too busy crashing the Knicks to pay any attention to the Rangers. And ask an Islander fan how he or she feels about Charles Wang.

You can look around sports and see what horrible owners really look like. Owners who abuse and disregard their players and fans, swindle their cities and hold them hostage. We’ve got owners that move their teams in the dead of night to get cushy stadium deals. Corporations that just don’t give a damn if the team ever wins, so long as in “synergizes their brand awareness” or whatever the buzz words are.

When Citi Field was being built, Fred Wilpon worked out a reasonable repayment plan for the various loans and such he took out. He didn’t have friends in the mayor’s office undervalue the land to lessen the property tax. He didn’t destroy public parks while insisting on keeping the old stadium up. Say what you will about how the stadium itself turned out, the deal was relatively tax payer friendly, unlike the scams that went down in the Bronx and Miami.

Keep in mind, crazy old guys make the best baseball owners, and Fred Wilpon is one of the last of those. I think he does truly want to make the Mets a successful franchise, he just went about it the wrong way. Hopefully, the experience with Irving Picard and almost having the franchise go bankrupt will teach him some humility and to let his baseball people make the baseball decisions. Then, we’re going to be in for one hell of a ride.

One last thing Mets fans and a lot of New Yorkers need to realize

5. Shake Shack is Ridiculously Overrated

I just do not get the hype about this place. Are hamburgers and milkshakes in one place really that mind blowing? Just because you saw something on TV or in a movie does not make it great. The burgers are only OK and they don’t even offer bacon as a topping. Seriously, how can you be a legitimate burger joint and not have bacon? Considering how long that line is and how much that stuff costs, Shake Shack is really disappointing.

So, I hope this helped to improve some outlooks on the upcoming season. It is not going to be an easy season, but it won’t be a terrible one either. While we may not have to worry about reserving tickets for October already, we’ll have the opportunity to see some good baseball at a good price. You can even look at this as a time for the real fans. A chance to earn your stripes. Our crucible. Let’s separate the wheat from the chaff and find out who really deserves to be called a Mets fan.

But, if you’re still one of those pessimists that is determined to be down about the team and won’t make the trip to Flushing to see them live, all I can say is…

Fine, more beer for me.

This Fan Shot was submitted by MMO reader, Donal Murphy. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over ten-thousand Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask about being a regular contributor, and share your opinions with an engaging community that loves to debate.

Basically he said that the Mets wouldn’t be spending money on free agents anytime soon and that the Madoff situation was partly the reason. Little did I expect that less than two years later the team would go into full out slash and burn mode cutting nearly $50 million in payroll, eliminating 10% of their workforce and eventually eliminating one of its minor league affiliates.

I wrestled with the idea of writing about what I was told. You have to understand my conversation was well before Bernie Madoff and his relationship with the Wilpons became news. I certainly didn’t have an ax to grind with anyone and in fact, truth be told, after having done research for an article about the Welcome Back Veterans program, I learned just how instrumental Fred Wilpon was in the creation of that honorable effort.  It gave me a new found respect for the man. But I had/have faith in my source and Joe D echoed that faith in both my source and myself and thus started the ball rolling regarding Madoff and the Mets, at least partly here on MMO.

I took some heat for it from fans and writers alike. I understood that. I’m not a credentialed journalist, who incidentally are far more protected legally for what they write than a blogger is but, to me, it was newsworthy insofar that it was going to effect the team, most likely for years to come.  Now with yesterday’s news that the Trustee, Irving Picard and the Wilpons, settled the claw back lawsuit, with the Wilpons agreeing to pay $162 million – spread out over the next 3 years – finally we can see some light at the end of this tunnel. As this saga unfolded over time, so much information and misinformation made it’s way into our thought processes it was difficult to discern what was true and what was opinion draped in the guise of fact. To some degree we will probably never know the entire truth about this situation.

Some of the best reporting on this has been by Richard Sandomir of the New York Times. When I reiterate Joe D’s praise of Sandomirs’ objective reporting it’s difficult for me not to mention Howard Megdal who in his book, Wilpon’s Folly, did lay out a great deal of information regarding the situation. Whether he formed biased conclusions or not based on what he discovered, I’d leave for his readers to discern.

In the end, as most civil litigations play out, this lawsuit never made it to trial even though the process of seating jurors was underway. So it does beg the question of who won this high profile showdown? It’s hard to say that either side is walking away unscathed. Picard was originally seeking a billion dollars from this only to have it pared down to $383 million and then finally to settle on $162 million. The Wilpons insisted that they were never “willfully blind” to Madoff’s treachery, as they were never accused of anything illegal in Federal criminal court; if they were we would have seen them in orange jumpsuits along with Madoff a long time ago.

However they recently had a setback in court when Judge Rakoff ruled that it was the Wilpons who had the burden to prove that they weren’t “willfully blind” to Madoff’s actions. Apparently in the end it came down to neither side not wanting to roll the dice on having a jury decide this.  The media tends to self-generate its own momentum on certain stories and this was no exception. I for one still have mixed feelings about the entire case. The Wilpons for years funded this team with as much fervor as a politician does with their favorite Government program. And just like some government programs, the results haven’t been much to brag about.  But, the Wilpons do spend when they have it as history has shown. Unlike many owners who simply choose not to which is their right. It’s the “how” and the “who” the Wilpons spend it on that needs to be recalculated – as it seems to have begun under Alderson’s tenure as General Manager.

None of us can predict the future as the team still has a mountain of debt to pay off along with the lawsuit but having this saga finally come to an end should please even the most jaded of Mets fans. Perhaps some day down the road we will look back on these times as the culminating moment when the Wilpons and the Mets evolved from desperately wanting to be relevant in a city that has been owned by the team in the Bronx since the mid-90’s, to actually setting the relevance in this town.  As a Met fan I want to see this team succeed and if this ownership can rise again, with a winning formula and team, I don’t think there’s one Met fan out there that would care less who’s cutting the player’s checks.

Top of the 9th and the score is 3 to 1 in favor of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets are one loss away from post-season elimination. The St. Louis Cardinals are one win away from the World Series. Cliff Floyd has struck out with runners on first and second. Jose Reyes has just lined out to Jim Edmonds in center.  Hope is rapidly fading when Carlos Beltran makes his way to the plate to face Adam Wainwright in front of a standing room only crowd of 56,357 screaming Shea fans – yearning desperately for a return to the fall classic.

Wainwright scans the signs from Yadier Molina. Beltran, the 2006 Mets team leader in homeruns and RBI, focuses every ounce of the baseball knowledge he has on Wainwright. He’s prepared. This is the moment every child who’s ever taken a baseball field has dreamt of. The season, the city, everything is now in his hands. The intensity flowing from fan to players to concession stand operators becomes palpable.  The drumbeat of “Lets Go Mets”, reminiscent of glory days gone by, echo through Shea’s centerfield speakers. The stands begin to shake rhythmically in anticipation. Wainwright delivers his 1st pitch. Beltran swings…driving a Wainwright curveball high down the right field line.

Time grinds to standstill as the crowd instinctively and collectively holds their breath. Beltran however is far less concerned. He flips his bat with the same exuberance of a Little Leaguer – channeling every emotion into one fluid motion. He knows. Gary Cohen begins to scream “A LOOONG HIGH FLY TO DEEEP RIGHT WILL IT STAY FAIR…IT HIT THE FOUL POLE…IT”S OUTTA HERE, IT’S OUTTA HERE, IT’S OUTTA HERE, IT’S OUTTA HERE…

Present Day – 2012

Of course that never happened, as we know all too well. No we never did get to hear Gary Cohen cement himself into Met history with THAT particular call. Instead we were subjected to Joe Buck’s monotone droning, “And the 0 and 2 pitch; strike 3. The Cardinals are going to the World Series.” Scintillating I know. But somewhere, in some universe, Carlos Beltran and Mets went to the World Series.

How do I know this happened? Simple, Walter Bishop said so. Who the hell is Walter Bishop right? Well to those of us who gather around the flat screens every Friday night at 9pm, you know that Walter Bishop is father to Peter Bishop on the FOX television series Fringe.  Walter Bishop is a scientist du-jour, capable of explaining Quantum Mechanics to a 6 year old to whipping up the perfect strawberry milk shake from his genetically engineered cow, Gene, who by the way in one episode, had transferred into him, the “soul” of his friend and fellow scientist William Bell, played by Leonard Nimoy. Fascinating.

I know it sounds crazy but the show’s main premise is that there are “multiverses”; multiple universes that exist just as our very own universe exists with doubles of you and I and everyone in them, all going in there own different directions simultaneously. In the world opposite of Walter Bishop and our universe, many differences exist.  Everything from President Kennedy marking his 97th birthday – safe from our timeline’s morbid fate – to the Statue of Liberty representing the Department of Defense, stand out as obvious differences. There’s even the somber notion that in the alternate universe, the White House was the main target and destroyed on 9-11, sparing the World Trade Center.

This theory of multiple universes isn’t all that Hollywood-esque. In fact Albert Einstein while formulating his Theory of Relativity postulated the existence of parallel universes as has physicist Stephen Hawking. So if those guys say it’s possible, well hot damn somewhere someone in a parallel universe is celebrating Felix Millan’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

So it got me thinking; what if? What if in some topsy-turvy world, the woes we have felt as Mets fans never existed? Imagine it. Darryl and Doc went on to win another World Series, avoiding their personal demons. What if the Midnight Massacre never took place?  It’s such a tempting and seductive thought considering where the team and we as fans stand today. Hell, imagine no Bernie Madoff. Or perhaps imagine a Bernie Madoff that was perhaps legit?

Yes, it’s admittedly hyper-nostalgic if bordering on sad to have these “what if” type dreams. Considering that every so-called expert has the Mets barely outplaying the Chula Vista Little League champs this year, a little harmless indulgence never hurt anyone.  Every now and again, we need to realize that as fans, this is just a game and hardly life or death issues. The exception of course – the desire many have to see Bernie Madoff strung up by his soap on a rope in prison. Even the Almighty would probably turn a blind eye to that.

Let us dream shall we?

February 22nd 2007 – Port St. Lucie, Florida

Pedro Martinez arrived at Thomas J. White stadium slim, trim and poised to return to form. After the Mets lost the 2006 World Series to the Detroit Tigers in seven games, Martinez whose season was cut short due to a calf strain and a minor rotator cuff pull walked into manager Willie Randolph’s office with a clean bill of health. He was determined to reclaim his status as staff ace.  General Manager Omar Minaya, emboldened by his teams’ World Series appearance and his brand new 3 year $15 million dollar extension, making him the highest paid GM in all of baseball, was given more than just wider latitude by team owner Fred Wilpon. He was also given an additional $40 million in payroll, topping out at a league high $141 million.  Minaya spent $15 million of that on Alfonso Soriano who will take his potent bat, but suspect glove to second base at Shea. Also coming into the fold will be 6 time All-Star Kenny Lofton. The 40 year old will shift over to left field to accommodate Beltran and according to Minaya will provide speed at the top of the lineup along with Reyes.

Joining them would be former Houston Astro and Yankee Andy Pettite, who signed a 2-year contract with the Mets. Minaya was quoted by ESPN’s Peter Gammons saying, ‘We needed to add depth and protection to our rotation. Not having Pedro for us during the World Series was definitely a liability. Adding a player like Andy Pettite addresses our needs both during and post season. So with that said, signing Andy was necessary.”  The well-seasoned trio of Martinez, Glavine and Pettite proved father time wrong in 2007 as all three went on to pitch over 200 innings each and winning 46 games.

Another anachronism to the aging process was Shawn Green, who was acquired late last year from Arizona. Nary a fan in his right mind expected Shawn Green to revert to his borderline superstar self yet in 2007, Green did just that. Leading the team in RBI with 110, Green along with Wright, Beltran and Delgado, provided more than enough punch as the team scored an unprecedented 980 runs.

July 4th 2007 – 6 days until the All-Star game in San Francisco

As the 2007 season moved along the team announced that the naming rights negotiations to the new stadium being constructed directly across from Shea Stadium had been finalized. The final decision on naming rights came down to offers given by Citigroup and Apple Incorporated, with Apple winning the rights with an offer to pay the team $40 million per year for the next 20 years.  Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs along with New York Mets owner and CEO Fred Wilpon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke to members of the press in front of the partially constructed stadium which is being dubbed “The Big Apple”. Construction should be completed by 2010.

By the All-Star break the Mets were comfortably 12 games ahead of the drifting Atlanta Braves. The Braves having lost 3rd baseman Chipper Jones for the remainder of the season with a torn hamstring found themselves the main topic of more than just Baseball news.  Braves team owner Ted Turner, along with thousands of others, were found to be victims of a vast Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff, who bilked hundreds of millions from his unsuspecting clients.

The misfortune of the Braves along with the success of the Mets, helped to bring about a 2 year extension for manager Willie Randolph, through to the 2010 season. And by seasons end, the Mets were sitting once again on top of the NL East, winning 99 games, 17 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves.

October 15th 2007 – The 2007 Postseason begins

Having run rough shot through the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, sweeping both teams in the Divisional and National League Championship series, the Mets were led by the starting pitching of Martinez, Glavine and Pettite. The three combined for 5 of the 7 wins with Martinez and Pettite winning 2 games each.

“What was even more impressive was their focus under pressure and their ability to give us strong innings. The fact that they (Martinez, Glavine and Pettite) all went deep into the games (each averaged 7 innings per start) was huge, absolutely huge. Well beyond what any of us expected or hoped especially from Pedro.” said a champagne soaked Mets pitching coach Ron Darling as he made room for Commissioner Selig who presented Martinez with the NLCS MVP. Martinez pitched 14 innings allowing only 1 run in his two winning starts.

Leading the team offensively came from two truly unlikely sources. 40 year old veteran Kenny Lofton hit .428 with 2 homeruns and 2 stolen bases, both coming in game 4 of the NLCS and Jose Reyes, who hit .447 with an NLCS record 10 stolen bases. On the downside, Reyes pulled his right hamstring in game 4 after recording his 10th stolen base and had to be carried off the field with the help of manager Willie Randolph and David Wright.  The Shea crowd, swelled in the energy of a World Series birth, sat stunned as their catalyst’s season and World Series was now in jeopardy. But would that include the 2007 Amazin’s?

To be continued…

For the last few week’s i’ve been mentally preparing myself for the inevitable fate that Jose Reyes would sign with the Miami Marlins. As much as I tried to stay as optimistic as I could, realistically I knew the team was moving in a different direction. This regime will not give 6 year contracts to players with an injury riddled past as grey as Reyes.

Some Mets fan’s will kick and scream and demand the Wilpon’s heads. How could they not be willing to give Jose Reyes 106 million? Are you really that broke? That cheap? Is this not New York? However these fan’s are misunderstanding the situation. The Mets did not let Reyes walk because of the money. Believe me they have the money to lock Reyes up for as long as they want. And TRUST ME they know how valuable he was toward the on-field product. His value will reflect worse in the attendance figures for the the 2012 season then in the actual standings. The Mets will survive without Reyes, and they won’t have his looming leg injuries to worry about. Especially with a contract as hefty as 106 million over 6 years to boot.

As far as why I won’t boo Jose Reyes upon his return to New York?

How could I boo someone who made a sound life decision for himself and his family? He got the contract he was hoping for (100+ mil), He will be playing in Miami, which is a growing Sports city (see Miami Heat), Brand New Stadium, Brand New (Latin) Manager, Friends (or acquaintances?) on the team (Hanley Ramirez). All this add’s up to a very successful new life for Jose Reyes in South Beach.

I would never boo Jose Reyes for making the decision he made. Will it hurt to watch him play 20+ games a year vs. the Mets? Absolutely. He was my favorite player. He was also the lifeblood of the very energy that flowed through the team in past years (when he was healthy). However that was then and this is now. New Mets team’s will create new chemistry. New energy. Will it be sad not to see Number 7 running and jumping around being himself next season? Yes. But with new team’s come new favorite players and new excitement.

Here’s toward the future! Let’s Go Mets!

Nakatomi Plaza, Century City, CA: John McClane is acting alone, trying to save hostages from a group of terrorists. But he is not just fighting against the terrorists. The LAPD, the FBI, the media and even some of the very hostages he is trying to protect are working against him. His only ally is a street cop named Powell who he is communicating with via walkie-talkie. In one scene Powell asks, ‘How are you feeling?’ McClane’s response: Pretty (expletive) unappreciated.

I wonder if our own Jose Reyes is also feeling pretty (expletive) unappreciated.

On June 10, 2003, one day prior to his 20^th birthday, the young shortstop made his ML debut. Although the Mets lost a 9-7 slugfest to Texas, Reyes batted 8^th and went 2-4 with 1 double and scored 2 runs.

The following day fans displayed hope when writing on message boards about the first Mets teenager since Doc Gooden. One fan wrote, “The Mets have nothing to lose and everything to gain by seeing how this kid plays the rest of the year. Lets hope Reyes stays longer then the 2 week trial period (Steve) Phillips says it is.” Another fan posted, “In just one game, Reyes along with Wigginton has vastly improved the left side of the infield. Derek Jeter, take note.”

Reyes has definitely surpassed the ‘2 week trial period.’ And then some. He has done everything management and teammates have asked of him. He has become a bona fide superstar, an All-Star, the best lead-off hitter in team history. And he has done all of this while elevating himself to one of the most beloved players in team history.

Fans have shown him the love. Management has not.

Jose has already become the Mets All-Time leader in triples and SB’s. He ranks 3^rd in runs scored, 5^th in hits and 6^th in doubles. He was a silver slugger in 06 as well as league leader in triples and SB’s 3 different seasons. He also is the only player in New York baseball history to post 3 consecutive seasons with 50 or more Steals. He has a career 80% success rate. And at just 27 years old, he is only now entering his prime.

In seasons when Jose was healthy and our every day shortstop, the Mets have compiled a .538 winning percentage. In years when he was hurt or before he assumed the every day role, we have posted a 427 winning percentage.

There is no way to calculate how many games Jose has won with his speed. How many times in 7 years has he legged out an infield hit? How many times has he stretched singles into doubles and doubles into triples? And how many times has his speed disrupted the pitcher’s concentration? The next best thing to stealing a base is the threat to steal a base.

Yet, our GM, the great and powerful Alderson, discounts all of Jose’s attributes, claiming recently that ‘Stolen Bases are a footnote.’

It is clear that Mets management, or lack thereof, is more concerned about the bottom line then winning. A healthy Reyes would force the Wilpon’s hand to dole out the big bucks starting in 2012. Yet, Sandy Alderson has already begun the smear campaign and made less of Reyes’ talents and what he brings to the park day in and day out.

Reyes has been everything and done everything asked of him

However, on the flip side we have Oliver Perez. Perez is clearly one of the most hated players in team history. He has done nothing teammates or management has asked. But yet, he is welcomed to Spring Training with open arms. He almost seems to be less in the crosshairs then Reyes.

Since Alderson’s predecessor handed him $36 million over 3 years, Perez has compiled a 3-9 record with a 6.81 era and tossed only 112 innings. Over this time he has earned $24 million, or to break it down, $214,000 for every inning pitched over the last 2 years.

And yet these two players who have different impacts, different fan support and different work ethic are put on the same level by Alderson and Collins?

Jose is in a no-win situation and it appears almost a foregone conclusion that his days in NY are limited. If he struggles this season, management will certainly not resign him for ‘12 and beyond. And if he puts up big numbers, it seems unlikely that owners who have been digging around the garbage all winter for leftovers would suddenly hand over the big bucks.

All we can do is sit back, hope for the best and enjoy #7 for as long as we have him. Unlike a Hollywood blockbuster, once he’s gone there wont be a sequel.

Sandy Alderson’s comments about the New York Mets not being able to spend this off-season did not make much sense. Why with the impending sale of a minority stake in the team would Alderson come out at the end of August and say that the Mets would not be big players in the free agent market this off-season?

The answer to this question has become very clear. Dave Einhorn is not going to be buying a minority stake in the team. The Mets financial struggles will continue without the infusion of some new capital.

Eihorn has wished to get pre-approval from the MLB to become an owner in the league. This move is unprecedented but Einhorn was doing it to protect his $200 million investment. The Mets actually opposed this provision and it was one of the reasons that they deal fell through.

It was not possible for Einhorn to own the team for five years. He would gain control of the team if the Mets did not pay back the $200 million that he had invested.

Some people have already come out and said that this was Dave Einhorn trying to take advantage of the Wilpon’s financial situation. Einhorn had a lot more of the Mets financial information than what was available to the public and he certainly used this information to his advantage to get everything he could out of the deal.

While it may draw ire from some, the true question is why is this wrong? From a business perspective, you try to ensure that you are getting the best possible deal when you leave negotiations. As much as we try to avoid thinking about sports as a business, they absolutely are.

Since Einhorn was about to put down $200 million, he has every right to try to get as much as he can with his money. Einhorn was pushing for a way that he could get to become the majority owner of the team. He loves the Mets and he viewed it as a smart investment.

Right now, the Mets are in the same position that they were in a few months ago: low on funds and without a savior in place. The Wilpons’ are looking to find another $200 million.

Sources are reporting that the stake in the team will be sold in much smaller blocks to family and friends. These deals will take a long time to complete and it puts the Mets in another vulnerable situation.

If fans thought that this season was a struggle, they should look forward to more of the same next year. Without this influx of capital, the Mets will not be able to bring in high-quality free agents. The roster that they currently have is not one that can make the playoffs and without the ability to spend, it will be the same next year.

With this news, the chances that Jose Reyes will not return to the Mets just increased a bit. If the money is not there they will not be able to bring him back. If the Mets cannot resign or replace Reyes, he might not be the only person that does not come back to Citi Field. Some of the fans might stay away as well.

Yes I know Reyes has been the brightest light in an otherwise dark season for the New York Metropolitans. In what will end up being yet any wasted season in Flushing, Reyes has been unarguably the most exciting player in baseball. On pace to shatter the Mets triples record and also hitting .354. Why would anyone in their right mind want him injured?

Oh yeah he is on pace to get paid 100+ million dollars after seasons end. And oh yeah the team trying to re-sign him has as much money as MC Hammer. Some team is very likely to offer Reyes 150+ million if he continues having the Hall of Fame like season he’s been having. I mean hell Jayson Werth got 120 million dollars and he’s not half the player Reyes is.

Reyes has done everything he possibly can to make sure his value is at an all-time high. Having unquestionably the most productive season in his career. And the key part of it all is he has stayed healthy. More than his production, health is the true factor teams are looking at as Jose Reyes continues his 2011 season. I mean who is going to give an often injured player (which Reyes has been his whole career) a 100+ million dollar contract?

Enter Hamstring injury. Does everyone remember why Fred Wilpon said Reyes “Won’t get Carl Crawford money”?

It was because he believed no team would be willing to commit that type of money to a player with Reyes injury history. So what does Reyes do? He plays an uninterrupted 2011 season without injury. Until Saturday that is. This hamstring injury furthers Fred Wilpon’s thinking. Reyes just can’t stay fully healthy for a whole season. And as good as his numbers have been all season, this injury will be the first thing to decrease his value. And as a Mets fan who desperately wants Reyes back (and thinks he will be back), this is the first time I’ve seen Reyes go down where I truthfully wasn’t disappointed. In the big picture, it may be a good thing.

“Even if the financials break down as reported, one would think the $100 million dollars being earmarked for operating costs will go toward the projected $70 million dollars in losses this season, and any additional losses next season. Basically, the way I see it, this will keep them afloat for two years, and that is assuming they don’t lose the lawsuit.  By the end of those two seasons, the Wilpons better have figured out a plan to make the Mets profitable again, otherwise he will find himself back in this same exact situation in 2013. They have to stop the bleeding, or else.

Considering all of that, I don’t see how they won’t slash payroll by half of that $50 million dollars in flexibility they are expected to gain in 2012. That would mean a payroll that may not even top $100 million next season.”

Truer words couldn’t have been spoken Joe D.  In light of the news that Jeffrey Toobin made with his New Yorker article on Monday – far be it from me to assuage our fanbase with the popcorn and candy notion that all will be smelling like roses in short order.  Fault me if you will.  I like to live in the real world instead of the land of make believe. 

A great deal was discussed this past offseason about the level of flexibility Sandy Alderson would have once a few key contracts come off the books.  I being one, figured at least at that point Alderson would be able to either a) sign a younger player if one such option presented itself or b) re-allocate at least a portion of that money into the amateur draft and/or (international) free agent budget. 

Maybe I should have chosen the red pill but the situation the Wilpons have put themselves in is precarious at best – sad and self-destructive to the Met organization at worse.  To think that MLB could theoretically become the de-facto operators of the New York Mets, ala the Expos, the Rangers, and the Dodgers is absolutely embarrassing. 

Even if as Joe D said – “if $65 million comes off with Reyes’ departure and because Francisco Rodriguez doesn’t vest, only about $23 million gets put back in next offseason — with the need for a shortstop and a closer. And that’s not even taking into account raises to other players.” – that leaves very little room for anything substantial at that point to lessen that type of blow to the product on the field. 

No matter how some of us in the blogosphere want to downplay this situation and be the calm cool and collected heads in the room, there’s little sugar coating this monumental financial debacle that in hindsight could have been easily avoided.  As Howard Megdal mentioned in his article for ww.capitalnewyork.com,

“…it shows Wilpon and Katz ignoring advice from prominent investors ( Merrill Lynch & Ivy Asset Mangement and Sterling’s own Arthur Friedman ) that they clearly should have heeded. Fun fact: that Madoff insurance would have cost Fred Wilpon $1.5 million, with a $500,000 deductible, on $500 million of Madoff holdings. Put another way, Wilpon could have insured roughly his entire Madoff portfolio for the amount he’s paying Gary Matthews Jr. through the end of this year for 65 awful plate appearances last year.”

What can you say to defend that?  Perhaps the Wilpons are as dim witted as they claim when asked if they knew about Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.  All I know is we as fans need to enjoy what we have right now.  Enjoy Jose Reyes.  Enjoy Wright.  Enjoy Beltran.  Take a moment to realize that by nit-picking every single fault that Reyes, Wright  and even Beltran have, only takes away from the fleeting time we have to enjoy watching them play (and hopefully helping the team succeed ). 

We seem to be always looking for something better and never quite satisfied, at least some of us fans.  I’m sure if the 80’s greats of Carter, Hernandez and Strawberry were playing today the same cadre of Met fan nit-pickers would point out those players faults to a tee.  Somehow I see Keith Hernandez, if he were on this team today, ripped about by those fans who would say he’s not elite since he’s not a power guy, therefore he MUST be traded.  It’s sillyness and I’m sure those same fans would sit around the water cooler years later and reminisce about the good old days, about the players that the team traded or let go, all to have success elsewhere.  I feel sorry for those fans for they never see what they have in from of them, until it’s too late.

It has long been known that Jackie Robinson has been a personal hero of Wilpon’s, so much so that they Brooklyn Dodgers influence has been seen in the Mets organization while it has been under Wilpon’s ownership.

When constructing Citi Field, Wilpon gave the architects the plan for Ebbets Field and told them that he wanted the Citi Field rotunda to look exactly like the one at Ebbets Field. Wilpon finally acknowledged that this was a mistake. He said “all that Dodger stuff – that was an error in judgment on my part”.

It is nice to hear this admission from Wilpon, but it does not change the fact that until the Mets get a new stadium, the influence of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Ebbets Field will prevent the Mets from having their own unique image.

Reading Wilpon’s comments, it is apparent that he really loves owning the team. He wants to do everything he can to make the Mets a winning team. They are a huge part of his life and he wants to see a World Series victory parade in Queens.

One of the more interesting pieces in the article is about the impact that Wilpon had on star pitcher Sandy Koufax. The two were high school friends and the only reason that Koufax joined the team was so that he and Wilpon could hang out more. Koufax also stated that he didn’t even go out for the baseball team until his senior year of high school.

It is clear that Wilpon has been around baseball for his whole life and that he loves the game. He played in high school, got drafted, but then decided to play at the University of Michigan.

While Wilpon was involved with his real estate holdings to make money, that never seemed to be the case with the Mets. He roughly broke even every year. He wanted to see the team win. Making money was secondary. Wilpon still enjoys the simple joys of being at the game such as having a burger and hot dog from Shake Shack. It is clear that the Mets are more than just a business venture.

Omar Minaya noted that Fred was “happiest when he’s talking about baseball, arguing about baseball”. That is exactly what fans should want from an owner. Someone that is involved with the game. Someone that loves the sport. The Mets have exactly that with Fred Wilpon.

As a part of his love of the game, Wilpon likes to talk about his players. These comments are the ones that have created the most controversy.

The first player addressed by Wilpon is Jose Reyes.  In regards to Reyes, Wilpon said, “he thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money”, referring to the seven year, $142 million mega deal the current Red Sox outfielder received this off-season. Wilpon then continued by saying, “he’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it”.

Is this really an outlandish claim to make? It would seem not. Talk has been that Reyes will be lucky to get a five-year, $90 million deal.  This talk has come from the blogs as well as some of the top MLB sources. There is really not a problem here. Wilpon knows what Reyes’ value is. The only mistake he made here was publically making this comment.

From there, Wilpon went on to discuss David Wright. He said that Wright is “a really good kid. A very good kid. Not a superstar.” This comment is much more controversial than the one he made about Reyes.

Wright has appeared in five All-Star Games, won two Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers in his first seven seasons with the Mets. His career 162 game averages are 27 home runs per year, 106 RBI, and a .302 batting average. These are superstar numbers.

Wilpon had no right or reason to call Wright out. He is a great player who is going through a tough streak. This is an issue that Wilpon should have addressed with Wright privately. He should not have aired his feelings to the media. Think of what it does to the Mets chances of signing free agents in the future if they know that the owner will openly criticize them.

Wilpon also addressed Carlos Beltran’s performance. It is good to see that Wilpon was also willing to shoulder some of the blame for the Mets past decisions. He noted, “we had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series”. That schmuck in this case was Wilpon. He is the one with the checkbook and he went out and got a player that he wanted.

In its own right, that is great to see. The “Freddy Coupons” label has stuck around Wilpon for so long.  The Mets payroll has been over $100 million every year since 2005 and the $142 million dollar total this year is the second highest in the Mets history. Yet all of this is still not enough.

Wilpon then continued to opine that Beltran is “sixty-five to seventy percent of what he was.” Beltran was a star during his three of his first four years with the Mets. Then, the injuries struck. Beltran has seemingly returned to form this year, but he no longer is a threat on the base paths or a top-flight center fielder.

While Beltran has had his ups and downs with the Mets, it is clear that he earn a big deal with more than just his performance in the 2004 playoffs with the Astros. In 885 games with the Royals and Astros, he hit 146 home runs, good for one about every six games, and stole 194 bases while hitting .284.

In just 785 games with the Mets over seven years, 100 less games than he played with the Royals and Astros over the same time period, Beltran has 142 home runs, 97 stolen bases and is hitting .279. The only change has been in Beltran’s ability to steal bases and in his defensive prowess.

When looking at the numbers, it would be hard to argue that Beltran is just sixty-five to seventy percent of what he was. Once again, that is not the issue. The problem is that Wilpon is making these comments publicly. He is devaluing his own assets.

The actual comments, when in context, are not that bad. He is simply voicing his opinion about his player. The problem is that he made these comments knowing that they would be published.

This is the same situation as if a boss was making negative comments about a worker to another executive. This is certainly acceptable and happens all the time in the business world. Wilpon is the boss of the Mets and he certainly has the right to discuss his underperforming employees with others in a position of power. But the reporter he spoke to was not a Mets executive. This is the issue. It is a problem if that same boss had decided to announce the negative comments about his employee so that the whole workforce, and the whole world could here them. That is where a line is crossed.

The bigger implication from Wilpon’s comments is the impact it will have on the team’s future. What free agents are going to want to sign in New York knowing that their owner may very well publicly call them out? How can the Mets be a winning franchise when there is tension between the front office and the players?

The answers to these two questions are obvious. To the first, the answer is none. No baseball player wants to be subjected to that. The answer to the second question is that they can’t. The team can’t win if everyone is not on the same page.

It is pretty clear that Wilpon’s comments came out of his frustration with the team. He wants to see the Mets win, but yet they cannot produce. Wilpon gets frustrated with the team just as all the fans do. Fans can complain and believe it is their right to do so because they shell out money to support the team. It certainly is their right to do so.

However, it is forgotten that Wilpon also spends money on the Mets. He spends way more money than any fan does. And yet he hasn’t complained when there has been a bad product on the field for the past three years, he has spent money trying to improve it. His frustration has been building up, and he finally let some of it out in the interview.

Were Willpon’s comments right? No. Should he have made them publicly? Absolutely not. However, just understand that Wilpon is actually coming from the same place as the fans are. He wants the Mets to win. He has always wanted the Mets to win. The team has been run that way and not run like a business for all of the years it was under his ownership. That is why he breaks even every year. Wilpon has made his money in real estate. All owners know that you don’t get into sports to make money. You do it because you love the team or the game.

At the end of the day, Fred Wilpon wants the same exact thing that every Mets fan wants: a New York Mets World Series Championship.

Mets’ chief cook and bottle washer Fred Wilpon made some interesting comments recently that were published in this week’s edition of the New Yorker magazine. In particular, he singled out four of the team’s best players. But perhaps the article may have been edited before it went to print.

I believe I may know what Mr. Wilpon really said to the New Yorker. After all, I once got an e-mail from him that started with “Dear Mets Friend”, so you could say I know what makes him tick. (Never mind that thousands of other people received the same e-mail. He sent it to me with love!) Here is what was printed in the New Yorker followed by what he really meant to say:

What He Said:
“(Jose Reyes) thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money. … He’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it.”

What He Meant:
“I wish I had Carl Crawford’s money.”

What He Said:
“We had some schmuck in New York who paid (Carlos Beltran) based on that one series. He’s sixty-five to seventy percent of what he was.”

What He Meant:
“He hit the Cardinals so well in the ’04 NLCS.  Why couldn’t he take the g*dd*mn bat off his shoulders against them in the ’06 NLCS?  Adam Wainwright’s got a good curve, but it ain’t no Sandy Koufax curve.”

What He Said:
“(David Wright is a) really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar.”

What He Meant:
“David Wright is a really good kid.  A very good player.  But he’s not Sandy Koufax.”

What He Said:
“(Ike Davis is a) Good hitter. … Sh**ty team – good hitter.”

What He Meant:
“Ike Davis is a sh**ty hitter on a good team.  No, wait.  Ike Davis is a good hitter on a team with a sh**ty owner.  No, that can’t be right.  Ike Davis took a sh*t today.  Ah, f**k it!  Ike Davis is Jewish like Sandy Koufax – that makes him good.”

Fred Wilpon has been alive for three-quarters of a century.  He’s been collecting Social Security for over a decade now.  (Hope he’s saving it.)  In other words, he should be retired already!  If Julio Franco could walk away before he was half a century old, than why can’t his former employer do the same?

If Fred Wilpon truly loved the Mets, he’d sell the team and quit while he’s behind.  The Mets have a long way to go before they can hand out World Series rings.  Hopefully, the next time they do, none of them will say Wilpon on it.

Dear Fred Wilpon,

When you were a child, didn’t your mother ever teach you that when you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all?

In all seriousness this was a mistake on Mr. Wilpon’s part. The Mets are currently 2 games below .500 and by no means out of it this season. Sandy Alderson has been on record saying he believes this team can win now. Mid-season trades are looking less and less likely to happen everyday this team stays in contention. But in the event the team begins to fall farther out of contention, now what?

Wilpon just openly ripped his 3 best offensive players in the media. If you are trying to trade any of these guys come July 31st, now your bargaining position could be faltering.

Wilpon basically calls Reyes an oft-injured player with zero chance to land Carl Crawford money. He says he has had “everything wrong with him.” While I agree he won’t get 142 million dollars, he will very likely break 100 million if his career year continues on current pace. Then what? Jose Reyes leaves and we get a 1st round draft pick and a sandwich round pick? All because you are too incompetent to resign him because of his injury riddled past? That’s silly in my opinion. He’s a fan favorite. Wilpon and Co. should be doing everything in their power to bring Reyes back after 2011. You think Citi Field is empty now? Wait until you let Jose Reyes sign with the Angels. However I still think Reyes is a Met in 2012. Not changing my long withstanding opinion over this media stupidity.

It also makes no sense to rip Carlos Beltran. If the Mets fall out of contention he may very well be your best trade chip. As owner of the team your job is to increase his value, not decrease it. Our rebuilding process may very well be helped by dealing Beltran for a prospect or two. We need to sell him as the player he has showed us he can be in 2011. The last thing owners should be doing is his hurting his value in the media.

And last but not least we come to David Wright. I’m going to keep this short and sweet. HOW DO YOU RIP THE FACE OF YOUR FRANCHISE?!?!? “David Wright is NOT a Superstar”…Umm I’m pretty sure he is. He’s been a top 3 player at his position for the best 5-6 years. That qualifies as a Superstar in my book. Not to mention the fact he’s the face of our franchise. Without a doubt he’s the Mets Derek Jeter. It’s just plain stupidity no matter how you look at it.

I was recently at the Mets Team Store on the Field Level at Citi Field looking for some Mets T-shirts. After being pleasantly surprised to finally see R.A. Dickey and Angel Pagan number shirts for sale, my jaw dropped when I saw yet another piece of Brooklyn Dodgers merchandise.

This wasn’t yet another tribute to Jackie Robinson or Ebbets Field. This was something else entirely. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you photo documentation of the latest shirt for sale at the Mets Team Store.

A Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers shirt? Really? Let’s look up a few things about Mr. Koufax to share with our readers.

Sandy Koufax had a great career in the major leagues. He finished his career with a .655 winning percentage (165 wins, 87 losses), pitched four no-hitters (a record at the time), struck out 382 batters in a single season (also a record at the time), won three Cy Young Awards and was the National League MVP in 1963. He also was a member of four pennant winners and three World Series champions. As a result of his outstanding career, Koufax was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972, his first year of eligibility.

That’s a lot of accomplishments for a pitcher whose career was cut short because of arthritis. But that’s not what stands out most for me on his Hall of Fame plaque. Let’s focus on Sandy himself, or rather, let’s focus on the cap he’s wearing in the plaque. What’s that on his cap? Oh, yeah…

It’s a LOS ANGELES DODGERS cap!

Now why is he wearing an LA on his cap rather than a “B” for Brooklyn? That’s because Koufax did very little in Brooklyn as a Dodger.

From 1955-1957, the last three seasons the Dodgers played at Ebbets Field, Sandy Koufax’s record was 9-10, or the same record compiled by Jonathon Niese in 2010. He was also very wild, walking 108 batters in 204.2 innings and posted a 4.00 ERA. Once the Dodgers packed their bags and left Brooklyn for LA, Koufax blossomed into one of the all-time greats in baseball.

So why on Earth is Citi Field selling Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers shirts when he did practically nothing as one of Dem Bums? It surely can’t be because the Mets appreciate pitchers who go 9-10 while pitching in one of the outer boroughs. If that were the case, then the store would also have a full stock of Jonathon Niese T-shirts (which they don’t; what’s up with that?).

No, Mr. Wilpon. You know the reason as well as I do. Sandy Koufax was a childhood friend of yours. The two of you went to Lafayette High School in Brooklyn together. Sandy comes to spring training as a favor to you to talk to your pitchers.

We get it. You’re BFFs. Fine.

But please. Sandy Koufax wasn’t a Met. He was barely a Brooklyn Dodger. Stop trying to make it seem like he was. The Mets don’t play at Ebbets Field. They don’t have a “B” on their hats. Therefore, if you could, we’d like you to stop trying to shove the Brooklyn Dodgers down our throats. We know this is probably hard for you to do, so perhaps we can reach a compromise.

Do you remember which two players led the major leagues in home runs and RBI during the 1950s? Maybe the photos below will help.

The man in the photo on the left is Duke Snider, who played in Brooklyn for 11 seasons (1947-1957). The man on the right is Gil Hodges, who came up to the Brooklyn Dodgers for good in 1947 after playing in one game for the team in 1943.

Both men played the majority of their major league careers as Brooklyn Dodgers, winning six pennants and one World Series in Brooklyn. They also have one other thing in common. Let’s roll out the photo album one more time to assist you.

Your eyes are not deceiving you, Mr. Wilpon. They were indeed both members of your New York Mets.

Duke Snider played one season for the Mets, making the All-Star team in 1963. Gil Hodges played parts of two seasons for the Mets (1962-63), hitting the first home run in franchise history on April 11, 1962. He also did something on a grander scale seven years later. It may or may not have involved winning a championship. I’ll have to look that up.

Do you see what I’m getting at, Mr. Wilpon? Why are you selling Sandy Koufax merchandise when you can sell Duke Snider or Gil Hodges gear? They were both Brooklyn Dodgers far longer than Koufax was and contributed to more success in Brooklyn than your boyhood buddy did. Plus, they have the added appeal to Mets fans because they both donned the orange and blue at some point.

As of right now, there is nothing for Duke Snider at Citi Field and only a first base entrance named after Gil Hodges. I know I’m not the only fan who’s appalled that you’re trying to sell Sandy Koufax as a Brooklyn Dodger to Mets fans. In fact, my wife (you may know her as “The Coop”) also has an opinion on the lovefest between you and the Brooklyn Dodgers, which she will share with you now:

Speaking of both teams for whom to pay homage, you also discredit the origins of the “orange” from the term “orange and blue” in your child-like fascination with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and that’s the New York Giants.

While the Dodgers were quick to embrace their new identity on the west coast with winning a championship in two years, the now-San Francisco Giants had to do nothing BUT embrace their New York roots. And why was that? Because prior to 2010, they had not won a championship in their 50 year old home and a lot of their rich history was based in New York. Even when the team won, they visited the old site of the Polo Grounds (where both the New York Giants and…oh some other team…oh yes, the New York Mets once upon a time played) with the Commissioner’s Trophy to pay homage to where their history originated. I don’t believe that the Dodgers visited the old site of Ebbets Field after winning a championship so quickly after switching coasts. The Giants embrace New York and the Mets need to embrace the Giants history as well.

It’s not so much the Koufax jersey or this blatant “to the victor go the spoils” attitude at Citi Field that is troublesome — there is also no mention of New York Giants history. You’d like to be fair, then how about this? In addition to selling Brooklyn memorabilia, why not include the Giants as well in a nostalgia store? Not to mention, one of the most storied baseball players in history, Willie Mays, played for both New York and San Francisco Giants AND ended his career with the Mets. Wouldn’t it be great to not only acknowledge those teams but to also have an actual connection to the Mets? There’s no limitation to having Giants or Dodgers jerseys either in the nostalgia store – you can sell old Mets jerseys as well and even other items such as collectible yearbooks and souvenir cups.

My wife and I are just two people, Mr. Wilpon. But we’re not the only ones who feel that you have overdone it with your homage to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Citi Field.

You’re the owner of the New York Mets. You also love the Brooklyn Dodgers. If you absolutely must share that Dodger love with the fans who pay their way into your homage to Ebbets Field to see the Mets play, at least share it with players who have ties to both teams. Is that so hard to do, Mr. Wilpon?

Peace, love, Mets, y’all,
Ed Leyro and Taryn Cooper

Too big to fail

You can almost apply that theory to Major League Baseball.  In the past decade, we saw the Montreal Expos go bankrupt and essentially relocate to Washington, D.C. after contraction was prohibited in the collective bargaining agreement set forth in 2002.

Prior to that arrangement, Bud Selig suggested that the Minnesota Twins (now a perennial playoff contender) was a contraction possibility.  I remember Jesse “The Governor” Ventura of Minnesota, taking Selig to task, when in all the talk about contraction, nowhere in those lines was thought of contracting the team Selig still had ties to (at the time), the Milwaukee Brewers who weren’t all that great at the time either.  But that’s neither here nor there.  The point is, no one really can argue that if there is talk of contraction, the smaller markets are the first to be considered.

Moving right along, MLB has its own quandary today, and it has to do with finances of two of its largest market and noteworthy franchises: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets.  In both cases, one could argue that their failings and flailings start right at the top: with their respective ownership.

In L.A., Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has been going through a very public and messy divorce.  Judging by most reports out of the City of Angels, the team itself is being used as a pawn by both parties in the contested separation.   McCourt’s soon-to-be-ex-wife, Jamie, is looking to be half-owner of the Dodgers as a result, since it is presumed to be an “asset” of Mr. McCourt and therefore fair game in their divorce settlement.  As it appears, most of their settlement talks are centered around Ms. McCourt’s right to ownership of the franchise.

In the meantime, some under-the-radar financial transactions were ultimately brought to light regarding the finances of the team on the West Coast.  While he greenlighted a $70 million expenditure this offseason, McCourt tried to use the Dodgers’ cable rights as collateral in a deal with FOX worth $200 million, should they default on the loan.  This deal was promptly rejected by Selig, adding fuel to Jamie McCourt’s fire, countering that McCourt had endangered the team’s financial stability by brokering this type of deal, and that she was entitled to the information regarding these deals.

While McCourt preaches that is all right with the team and that he’ll still own the team and pass it along to his children some day, new manager Don Mattingly has to deal with this in the background, while the team picks up players that are supposed to compliment its young core including Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw.

Sound familiar?  It should.  Substitute “Massive Ponzi scheme investment, false profits, dwindling attendance, shoddy baseball operations and bloated player contracts that have another year before coming off the books” for “McCourt divorce”, and we have ourselves the New York Mets, ladies and gentlemen.

In light of recent liquidity issues being brought to the our attention with the Wilpons and specifically Sterling Equities borrowing $25 million from the MLB discretionary fund and submitting a bid for a loan syndicate to get even more cash flow, along with borrowing an additional $50 million at some earlier point and MLB saying they will not allow the Mets to use MLB as a lifeline for money anymore, it just adds to the masochism of following this team.

The Mets, well, we all know the story too well.  A collapse in 2007, a floundering in 2008, massive injuries in 2009 and 2010 to an aging and overpaid/underachieving staff has caused a domino effect with many things in the organization.  For one, ticket sales are so low, that they caused audible concern in many outlets at the end of last season and revamped their ticket office, cutting ties with Mets ticket VP veteran Bill Iannicello and bringing in new blood in the ticket office.

My theory is that when CitiField opened in 2009, ownership thought that not only would the team draw, even if they did go through their “slumps” interest would be achieved in the novelty of the new stadium.  That wore off quickly when the summer doldrums hit.  Towards the end of ’09, secondary market tickets were going for as low as $0.99!  Couple that with another underachieving year, the Mets were literally giving tickets away to later games in the season, just to fill the seats.

No sales from fans = no revenue generating.  I would be willing to bet that SNY is probably one of the few profitable items in the Sterling portfolio of companies.  Keep in mind, of course, that Sterling Enterprises is a real estate investment trust…that industry has also taken a hit to their interests, that’s a fact.

In the meantime, I wonder how long this madness can continue, for either the Dodgers or the Mets.  The Dodgers were competitive as far as two seasons ago and could very well say that their fall off the precipice had to do with a down year from their star Matt Kemp and perhaps an unproductive Manny Ramirez (he’s on the Tampa Bay Rays now, where players careers go to die…Tampa will be addressed later of course).  The McCourt drama is just backpage headlines, they could say.  Save the nixed loan deal from FOX, we really don’t hear about liquidity issues as there seems to be cash generated through some arm of the Dodgers.  Of course, I am not in LA…so that’s just being totally subjective.

It seems to me, as an outsider looking and as a diehard fan of one of those franchises, that the only people who suffer here are the fans.  The reality is that the Mets have not decreased payroll.  They, too, have a built-in excuse about the underperformance of high ticket free agents, injuries and wanting to go for low-risk/high-reward instead of the low-reward/high-risk route they had taken in the past seven years.  But the Mets did, technically, spend this offseason, but they were acting frugally.  Perhaps some fans thought it might have been a good thing to overpay Cliff Lee when Lee has a better chance of winning anywhere else BUT the Mets at this current moment.  Other may have wondered why they couldn’t have taken a shot at Carl Crawford.  I have no idea, but locked into Jason Bay for now kind of limited that idea.  There are tons and tons of unanswered questions, but the Mets can’t say they didn’t spend and have not spent in the past.  It’s where they are spending it, who they entrust with it and what has happened.

I couldn’t help but wonder though…Does MLB have its own “Too Big To Fail” policy regarding franchises?  I discussed in a podcast the other night this domino effect that specifically the Mets have had.  In the past, I was trying to be objective, not buy everything that was handed tome at face value and try to look at things analytically since I have analyzed financial information for a majority of my career.  I was trying not to look at things like a “fan.”

Then one of my blolleagues on this podcast said something that hit me: when the Mets release info, it’s typically when it’s worse than they are saying.  Whether dealing with injuries, managerial issues, even the stadium, it’s too little, too late.  It makes me wonder if when a large market team is scraping around for coins in the sofa cushions, it’s time to sell the team.  If the Sterling team is in as much debt as the news is speculating, it’s going to be impossible to find someone to assume those liabilities.  The same, to a lesser extent, in LA.  Frank McCourt is getting lines of credit left and right.  What happens if a judge declares his wife 50% owner?  Will he have to buy her out of her share?  Or will this court case drag on forever and ever, and their fans will have to take a back seat to get a decent product out there?

And if the Mets go bankrupt and are excused from paying the debt…how far will MLB go?  Who will they allow in as an owner?  I’m talking new blood and not these old fart billionaires who have made this an exclusive Boys Club for years.  MLB might need an overhaul overall, and with Selig’s contract up in 2012, there might not be a better time to impart this.

Similar to that tree in the woods, if the Mets and Dodgers fail in MLB, will anyone notice?  Probably not.  We won’t notice because the ownership club in MLB is strong enough to set it up that even those who are not the strongest (of teams) can and will survive.  If MLB has gone to these great lengths to keep these teams operational simply by either turning a blind eye or extending lifelines, then I am expecting more of the same until the very worst has happened.  And we don’t even know if it will come to that.

Keep in mind a few years ago, as I mentioned above, Selig wanted to contract the Twins and Expos.  Now there’s suggestion that the Tampa Bay Rays are up for contraction.  They went from one of the most exciting teams in baseball three years ago, to one that is barely finding an identity there on the Gulf coast.

Imagine that being a team in New York or Los Angeles.

Wouldn’t happen.  There is too much at stake in those markets.

Too big to fail?  Indeed.

A little more than two weeks ago it was announced by Fred and Jeff Wilpon that they were exploring the option of adding a partner(s) to own the New York Mets.

Naturally the news hit the blogs and Twitter in no time and there was talk among Mets fans on who they would want to own the team. There were two names that came up many times as possible new owners for the Mets:

James Dolan: Not surprising at all, he already owns two of the major sports teams in New York, the Knicks and the Rangers who both make Madison Square Garden their home. Dolan in the past has even expressed his interest in owning the Mets. He certainly has the money to run another team and would certainly compete with the Yankees in spending.

Mark Cuban: Mark Cuban as we all know is a self made billionaire. He currently owns the Dallas Mavericks.  Cuban has also been very vocal about wanting to own a Major League Baseball team. He has tried unsuccessfully to purchase both the Chicago Cubs and recently The Texas Rangers but was blocked by MLB for not being a good ole boy.

Both Dolan and Cuban have the money to run a major league team in a big market that’s for sure. Dolan has showed in the past he is willing to spend money. Cuban always wants to win. If I had to pick 1 to be the owner it would have to be Mark Cuban. Dolan has done a horrible job with both the Knicks and Rangers over the years. Dolan stays loyal to the people he hires to run his teams to a fault. Glen Sather has been the President and GM for The Rangers for too long. Many including myself believe that if Isiah Thomas did not a bring a lawsuit on MSG he would still be running the Knicks.

Then you look at how Mark Cuban has turned the Dallas Mavericks around since purchasing the team. Before purchasing the team the Mavericks had a winning percentage of 20%. Cuban has owned the team for 10 years now and their winning percentage now stands at 69%. The Mavericks have also made the playoffs every year under Cuban’s ownership including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2006.

The chances that both Cuban and Dolan would buy a 25% stake in the team are pretty low. I can’t imagine either owner wanting to fork over 250-300 million dollars to have no say in operations or the direction of the team. I also doubt MLB is going to allow Cuban to own a team, considering they have already turned him down twice.

Cuban has already gone on record as saying that he would be very interested in buying part or all of the Mets, but was also adamant that the Wilpons would have to make the first move and call him. I don’t blame him.

Who do you want to own the team? It doesn’t have to be realistic, it’s just to have a discussion.

The moment I walked into my local A&P it was as if I had stepped into an 80′s disaster flick. I swore I saw someone who looked like Charlie Sheen scream “Wolverines!” carrying a box of Hot Pockets in the frozen food section.

I witnessed more gallons of milk, loaves of bread and cartons of eggs leaving the shelves, that I realized either we’re having yet another blizzard or everyone in New Jersey is on a rabid French toast fix.

There’s nothing I want more than for Spring to be sprung already. Luckily we have just two more weeks to bear until pitchers and catchers report in Arizona and Florida. Of course being a Met fan, we all know Mets baseball season is around the corner when the familiar name of Bernard Madoff meanders his way into Mets news yet again.

Whether you consider this is news or not depends on your point of view I suppose and if you, like me, have heard this for quite some time already. It seems that the Wilpon family desire to bring in a minority owner (or owners?) to alleviate any possible financial effects non-baseball related issues have with Sterling Equities.

In layman’s terms, just in case the Wilpons owe more than Mr. Met’s blood to Irving Picard, trustee in charge of recouping the financial losses incurred by Madoff’s victims.

This is nothing new in professional sports. Teams tend to usually have majority and minority holders as Matt Cerrone points out over at MetsBlog. For those Mets fans who are fanatically desiring new ownership, the Wilpons bringing in a partner, by default, actually gives that idea a slight possibility.

It’s doubtful that the Wilpons would outright sell the franchise but then again, I’m sure everyone thought Bernie Madoff was just a shrewd investor at one point. And that the Madoff scandal had little if any effect on the Wilpons. Remember that line?  That’s where I have to part ways with a few of my other fellow bloggers.  Anything is possible.

I remember a time where I was lambasted by more than a few of my colleagues who said I was making a mountain out of a molehill, when I wrote a piece regarding the effects the Madoff scandal will have on the organization. Truth, like time, is slow moving but totally inevitable.

In a book by Erin Arvedlund, “Too Good To Be True”, the author took the position months ago that the Wilpons would end up selling the team. Kerel Cooper of the blog site On The Black was linked by the Wall Street Journal, when a video of Mets executive David Howard taped on the Fox Business Channel, had him totally refuting Arvedlund who’s prediction that the Wilpons were interested in selling the team. It was confirmed by the Wilpons themselves just a few days ago, of their intent on selling “a portion” between 20-25%, of the team while maintaining operational control.  That’s what we know, now.

Cooper made a great point at the time when he asked, “Why would Arvedlund make this stuff up?” I agree. In a time where libel suits are issued like parking tickets, I found and still find it hard to swallow everything the Wilpons have said regarding Madoff.  Be it their right to remain silent it still doesn’t bode well for any prospective buyers, willing to essentially loan the Wilpons a few hundred million in exchange for tremendous risk.  Joe D said it best in his piece the other day as well.

However the truth of the matter is – at this point – what can any of us do? I can’t agree with some of the fanbase, if you want to call them that, who have this burning desire to see the Wilpons fall apart like a house of cards.

As a Met fan I find it hard to understand why any supposed Met fan would wish that, even in spite of the Wilpon’s seemingly questionable business practices. We may never know, with any certainty, what the Wilpon’s motives were in regards to the entire Madoff situation. The case so far is sealed and all parties are refrained from commenting. I sincerely hope that whatever happens doesn’t effect the team on the field.

My God is it Spring yet?

I’ve tried my very best to call upon the better angels to guide my thoughts on the recent firings of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel.  What seems to be becoming the yearly sideshow where the Wilpons are apologizing in some fashion for the Mets abject failures, I can finally say it’s taken its toll. Normally I’m a fairly positive person; a glass is half full type of guy, but after taking some time to dissect and digest what the Wilpons had to say, I’ve become more jaded than ever.

So, in honor of Omar Minaya, let me say, with that said, my apologies to those who feel we should take everything the Wilpons have said at face value. I unfortunately no longer have that benefit to offer them.

In one of his recent articles on MMO, Joe D made a great point when he illustrated the contentious fact that for some still unexplained reason, Oliver Perez was allowed to remain on the 25 man roster.  It also made me start to think.

Contrary to what so many of us thought, when the subject of Oliver Perez was raised by one of the beat writers, Jeff Wilpon said that Omar Minaya never once asked for permission to cut Perez or Castillo. “Not once.” – Joe D

Jeff Wilpon went on to say at the presser,

“There was never a time where there was a suggestion where they said, ‘Get rid of so-and-so and eat the contract.’ If that had been brought up, we would have taken it under advisement and spoken about it with. But that was never brought to us.” – Jeff Wilpon

I’m finding this difficult to believe, in spite of the general consensus regarding Omar Minaya’s tenure. Let’s just assume for a moment that this was a true statement and Minaya never did present the Wilpons with the option of eating Oliver Perez’ contract.

Why would Minaya compound on his foolish decision to sign Oliver Perez to a bloated contract, by continuing to keep him on the roster knowing fully well that he’s clearly no longer a major league capable pitcher?  Even the much maligned Jerry Manuel knew that, hence the rare times he actually used Perez.

Yes it was Perez’s right to refuse an assignment; that much we all know by now. It was also Minaya’s right, actually more like his duty, to field 25 contributing baseball players. We are told to believe that for some unknown reason, Minaya preferred to shortchange his team. Why? Was it the hope that Perez would wake up one morning and magically regain his 93 MPH fastball? Was it the money left on his contract? If so isn’t the primary role of a GM – my apologies for being redundant – to field 25 contributing ballplayers? Can someone answer that logically?

Minaya I’m sure at some point in the near future, would still like a job somewhere in Major League Baseball. Why would any team want to hire a former General Manager willing to handicap his team in such a manner?  It would be akin to a Scarlet Letter on his resume from here on out. All of this we are told to assume as fact – or at least that is what Jeff Wilpon stated in the Wilpon press conference.

I hate sounding conspiratorial and the last thing that interests me is controversy for the sake of controversy, but I like to think I still have some deductive reasoning brain cells left. I have yet to find an interview of Minaya where he explains his side of the story regarding keeping Perez on the roster.  It was never asked of him at his impromptu press conference the day of his firing, which interestingly enough took place BEFORE Jeff Wilpon said Minaya never offered the option to ownership to eat Perez’ contract. 

It would be interesting how he answers that question even more than the answer itself. Some will say who cares, Minaya is gone. True to an extent, but a few others in this drama remain and are doubtful to ever leave with one in particular who will have his finger on the next GM’s pulse. So the question remains and if there’s a legitimate answer, albeit perhaps a damning answer if that for Minaya, then so be it. Case closed.

Just keep this in mind, even though he’s been relieved of his duties, Omar Minaya is still under contract with the Mets for the next two years and like many contracts, many have morals clauses and moral clauses often have stipulations where one cannot publicly admonish their employers or face some sort of penalty (financial?).

Talk about being thrown under the bus. I hope I’m wrong, I really am but how many times have we been told to take people at face value over the last few years? It didn’t work out too well for those Weapons of Mass Destruction did it Mr. Bush? How’s that American Recovery and Reinvestment plan working out for you President Obama? I know totally different and truely weighty subjects but, I have a feeling you know what I’m trying to say.

I know this comes off like another trash the Wilpons piece. I have given them credit when it’s due especially when Fred Wilpon stoically and unceremoniously founded the Welcome Back Veterans program. A program that’s helped millions of Veterans returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’ve also called them out when appropriate as well, especially Jeff Wilpon.

However, try to see this through Omar Minaya’s eyes.

Would YOU say something to contradict what your boss says about you if he’s essentially going to pay you a few million dollars over the next 2 years to do nothing? Especially if your contradiction nullifies the contract?  I guess that answer speaks wonders about all of us and not just Omar Minaya.

Reports have surfaced Omar Minaya’s better angels are booking a flight to Aruba as we speak.

This past Monday I watched Kevin Burkhardt’s candid interview with Fred Wilpon. It was insightful and refreshing to see our owner’s human side mixed with his business approach to running a baseball team. However, the one thing that disturbed me was his willingness to put everyone on the table. When Burkhardt mentioned specific players (Santana, Reyes and Wright), Wilpon’s response was less then reassuring. ‘If a dramatic move like that would get us five pieces,’ Wilpon said, ‘maybe that’s the thing to do.’

To us fans, the Mets are a passion, a lifetime commitment. But we also realize it’s a business. Just like CEO’s of General Motors, FedEx or Microsoft are concerned with the bottom line, so is Fred Wilpon.

Jose Reyes is my favorite player on the Mets and to see him playing elsewhere would be heartbreaking. But from a business point of view I can understand it. I wouldn’t like it, but I can understand it. He has battled injuries for 2 straight seasons and people are starting to wonder. Carlos Beltran has been unjustly crucified since arriving in New York. I’d hate to see Beltran go, but I can see that decision—from a business point of view. The same can be said of Johan who has spent a decent amount of time on the DL and wears down late every season.

But David Wright???

Although I completely disagree one can argue that Reyes, Beltran and Santana have not earned their money. However, David Wright has done everything we’ve asked of him. And more.

Without a doubt he is the best hitter to ever wear a Mets uniform. He’s our all-time leader in doubles, 2^nd in career batting average, 3^rd slugging and hits, 4^th in HR’s and OBP. Next year he will become our all-time leader in Runs and RBI’s. And lets throw in a couple of gold gloves and 5 All-Star games for good measure. Opening Day next year David will only be 29.

Whereas Reyes and Beltran unfairly have their ‘toughness’ called into question, David Wright is reliable. Since becoming our every day 3b-man in 2005, he has averaged 156 games. Again I say, he’s done everything we’ve asked.

Many fans and fellow bloggers, myself included, have attacked David for his lack of leadership. We keep waiting for him to assume that role a la Keith Hernandez. It’s becoming pretty evident, however, that it is not in his makeup. And that’s fine. Not every great player was a team leader. David’s also been criticized for striking out way too much. True. But so did guys named Reggie and Mickey and Babe.

Filling 4 or 5 holes in exhange for Wright may seem good on the surface. But I disagree. I recall a time when the Mets made a trade and got back 2 young OFers with lots of upside, a solid defensive 2^nd baseman and a tall, lanky RHP. However, I don’t think many would consider the Seaver trade a high point in our history.

After we traded The Franchise this entire organization went into a nosedive that lasted nearly a decade. Attendance dropped and Shea became nicknamed Grant’s Tomb. Lets not make that same mistake again.

Not since the likes of Darryl Strawberry have the Mets had a player with the ability and talent I see in David Wright. A player with these gifts comes along once in a generation. I really don’t feel like waiting another two decades to see it again. I’d like to be able to cheer for David NOW–and not in 20 years when we welcome him back for Old-Timers Day.

It appears to be a forgone conclusion we will do some major overhauling this winter. We all expect the Mets to embark on a campaign of rebuilding. But when Fred Wilpon claims that he will listen to offers, I ask him to put in ear plugs and don’t listen.

You don’t build a winner by getting rid of David Wright; you build a winner around David Wright.