It’s hard for me to see the team I love always being embroiled in some sort of turmoil brought on by the owners themselves, namely Fred and Jeff Wilpon. How can any of us ever trust these two again?
Fueled by two Ponzi schemes, misrepresenting their impact on the team, the frequent public relations blunders, and now a sexual discrimination lawsuit, my growing disdain for the Mets owners is certainly warranted.
For too long, the Wilpons have run their franchise with varying degrees of failure and far too little success. But ever since getting caught up in the Bernie Madoff scandal, it seems as if every single move they’ve made has been in the best interest of themselves. They are not concerned with the success of the team, nor do they care about the fans. The bottom line has become their bottom line and the fans are just along for the ride.
Last year I made a personal determination about the Wilpons. I truly believed, in the deepest parts of my sports soul, that when the Mets were ready to contend and ready to win, that the money would be there to plug in the final missing pieces. I believed that while they spoke about a decreased payroll, the cash would be there when all our top prospects finally arrived and the team was at the verge of putting together a winning season.
We have finally gotten to that point, and I have never been less confident that the owners will do what it takes to put this team over the top. ‘With all this young talent’ I would think to myself, ‘how could they rationalize not spending?’ What has occurred to me of late is that this ownership group is as far from rational as could be.
For me, there isn’t a singular incident. The lawsuit by former Mets VP Leigh Castergine only added to the frustration, but I can’t call it the straw that broke the camel’s back. It’s just a guttural feeling at this point. It doesn’t feel like an organization that I’m proud of, but more like an out of control mess with no direction. At this point, an escape plan seems like a pipe dream.
The Mets are on the cusp of being a winning team. They could still realize that goal despite being saddled with such a dysfunctional ownership. However, the hopes of winning are dampened by the stench of antiquated ideals and small market realities. I hope I’m wrong. I hope the money shows up and that the Mets are about to enter another great age of baseball in Queens. For now, all I have is that hope.
