According to Forbes Magazine, the Mets currently operate in violation of baseball’s debt rules:
“Insiders attribute the lack of oversight to the laissez-faire culture of MLB executives and the independence and fiscal feistiness of team owners. Others are more cynical and say that as long as you toe the line with Selig, supporting his revenue-sharing plans and labor negotiations, you get what amounts to a free pass when it comes to oversight of your business practices. The Wilpons are well-known friends of Selig. The McCourts have always supported the commissioner’s initiatives. Both got in way over their heads.”
The Commissioner runs Major League Baseball not by fiat, but by consensus. And for the most part that’s worked pretty well for a number of years. But there probably is a cost associated with getting everyone on the same page. The question is whether the favors Bud Selig has done for various owners will ultimately come back and bite him.
Bud Selig simply cannot leave too soon for me. The former used car salesman has been using the ‘used car’ rules much too often. I wonder how he keeps his owners out of jail, with their bending the rules for their own needs. Now the headlines in the press are talking about the Dodgers and the Mets at the same time and oooops, he just threw Frank McCourt out of the Dodger board room. The Mets top brass, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz are spending their time trying to beg, borrow and steal enough $$$$ to keep the team running now that Bud has told them his pockets are closed.
Without knowing how much owner Fred Wilpon stands to lose, it’s safe to assume the Bernie Madoff scandal will be considered a turning point in New York Mets history.
Fortunately the one big change at the Citi Field offices is the new twosome in charge of the baseball team – Sandy Alderson, and Terry Collins. Sandy did some work on the West Coast, but has never been involved in a New York team before – and he’s done very, very well. Speaks softly, but carries a big stick. And Terry Collins? The best team manager in my memory. These guys – many of whom have not played together before – just love Terry and will play their hearts out for him.
Yesterday they had their first four game winning streak over the Diamondbacks. Smiles and high fives all around. Played on a sunny Easter Sunday afternoon in front of a very small crowd – we’ll just note that it was a Holiday.
C’mon back folks – they’re doing good things at Citi Field.
