MLB needs to take the Mets away from the Wilpons

The Mets have become the walking argument AGAINST the notion that you need to be in a big market to succeed.

How about New York?
Is that a big enough market for you?

Want more revenue streams than New York City?
How about a new stadium?
How about a new TV network?

Nope?
I'm not just talking about putting an uninspired team on the field (three straight losing seasons) and I'm not just talking about them losing stars. (I actually think after three straight losing seasons with no end in sight it is smart to shed payroll and go young.)

I'm talking about how the team is run.

Only the Yankees have the advantage that the Mets have. New York! The New York media. The New York spotlight. THE Metropolis that is baseball first. And a passionate fanbase that as recently as 2008 made the Mets the best draw in the National League.

The Wilpons took all those advantages and needed a $25 million loan from baseball to stay afloat.

And guess what? They need ANOTHER $40 million loan now!

I can understand if this were Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Oakland or San Diego.
They are small cities with low revenue streams.

Not the Mets.

Mix this in with the whole Madoff mess and MLB needs to intervene.
Seriously, they did with McCourt and the Dodgers. The McCourts took a crown jewel franchise, drove them into bankruptcy court and Selig and company intervened.

They clearly couldn't run the team.

Well if the Mets have to keep loans to stay afloat and can't make a BASEBALL TEAM IN NEW YORK PROFITABLE... then why should they be allowed to run the team?

Baseball is healthiest when each team can put a good product on the field (and the number of different division winners over the last decade shows that we are getting closer to that.)

But it also helps to have a team in New York and Los Angeles be at least competitive. They make for good villains and bring a lot of casual fans to the gates.

(At least the Dodgers with all the bankruptcy mess put a winning product on the field in 2011!)

The Phillies, Braves and Marlins should be competitive next year. If the Mets were halfway decent, it would be the most exciting Division in baseball.

For now they need to rebuild. And who knows? Maybe in a few years they will be a pennant contender.

But it won't happen with the Wilpons in control.
They have proven that they can't run the team.

Now Met fans have a tendency to write nasty things to me. They think I am trashing their team constantly and have some sort of vendetta.

Nothing could be further from the truth.
I'd like to see the Mets become successful.
I like David Wright and Johan Santana.
Many friends of mine are Met fans and I'd like to see them be happy.

This isn't me picking on your team.
This is me being outraged and you Met fans should be the angriest of all!

Somewhere out there is a business man or woman who is smart enough to run a baseball team in New York and make a profit while putting a winning team on the field.

Go find the next Mets owner.
And if you want to write something mean to me, use your time and energy towards the Mets and MLB.

They are keeping the team afloat.
They should go bankrupt and have someone turn the Mets around.

Remove the Wilpons.
We can ALL agree on THAT.

Hats

Here's how long Mets owner Fred Wilpon conversation should have been with Bud Selig regarding September 11th first responder hats on the 10th anniversary.

WILPON: Mr. Commissioner. We want to wear hats honoring the NYPD, fire department and Port Authority on September 11th.

SELIG: During the game?

WILPON: Yes.

SELIG: Well all the teams are wearing special September 11th hats that day already. We don't like having teams wearing unofficial uniforms during a game.

WILPON: I understand, but we are a New York team and there will no doubt be fire fighters, police officers, rescue workers who were at the Towers that day at CitiField. And also relatives and friends of those who didn't make it. And we'd like to show a sign of solidarity on this 10th anniversary.

SELIG: What if we had every team change their hats on a whim?

WILPON: What other city had a September 11th? If the Nationals wanted to do something, they should. That's up to them. But September 11th was unique and this is the 10th anniversary and we are the only team playing in New York. I think an exception can be made.

SELIG: You aren't going to sell the hats or try any September 11th merchandise, are you?

WILPON: No. Certainly not.

SELIG: And it is JUST for September 11th, not the whole weekend?

WILPON: Just the Sunday night game.

SELIG: Well, I can't see how that's a problem. It's a nice gesture. Go ahead.

WILPON: Thank you Mr. Commissioner.


Boom!

All the bases covered.
That conversation would last, what? A minute? 90 seconds?

The fact that it WASN'T that simple and it has turned into a "He Said... She Said" spat involving rules that may or may not have been enforced, fines the Mets were worried they had to pay and Bud Selig was mad that it became public shows how incompetent the two parties.

Those parties of course being the Mets organization, who took every baseball advantage in the world and ran the team into the ground... and Bud Selig who every day finds new reasons to want to throw him out of office. How could Selig not see this was the right thing to do?

And of course Joe Torre was thrown into the middle of this, trying to destroy whatever good will is left for him in New York.

A simple thoughtful act of wearing a hat to honor the memories of brave men and women instead became a nice barometer of people who have lost perspective.

And frankly it is kind of fascinating.

Things are more bleak for the Mets than the Dodgers

There were more players in uniform than fans in the stands in Dodger Stadium yesterday.

The team is a bankrupt embarrassment with a tabloid divorce looming over the team along with the Bryan Stowe beatings and its grotesque aftermath and MLB taking control of the team.



It sucks to be a Dodger fan.

It's worse to be a Mets fan.



I'll say it. The Dodger mess will be easier to fix.

If a new owner can be put into Los Angeles this off season, the good will in Dodgerland will come around the nanosecond the owner says "My name is NOT Frank McCourt."



The new owner will have a huge fan base eager to put their support behind the team.

AND they have a young MVP candidate in Matt Kemp and a young Cy Young candidate (and probable WINNER this year) in Clayton Kershaw.



Plus he plays in a Division where the Giants can pitch but can't hit, the Diamondbacks are great one year and bad the next, the Padres are great the other years and bad the next and the Rockies forget to contend before September.



In other words, the idea of being a power in the NL West isn't so far fetched. Just add competent ownership!



As for the Mets... well, their problems haven't featured obscene divorces and people in comas. But they HAVE had the biggest Ponzi Scheme in American History hamstring them.



And oh yeah, playing in the biggest media market in the country probably won't help them stumble to their third straight losing season.



And today we found out that David Einhorn, their great knight on a white steed, who was going to buy $200 million worth of the Mets and probably eventually take over the team and lead them to their greatest days ever, is saying "No Thanks."



The Wilpons are still in charge. The Phillies and Braves are still VASTLY superior. The Marlins have talent and will move into a new ballpark next year. The Nationals are developing talent and have the combination of Strasburg and Harper looming on the horizon.



What do the Mets have?

They have Jose Reyes' impending free agency where, once Albert Pujols comes off of the table, he will be the biggest available name.



They have David Wright who is a nice player but no longer a franchise player.

They have nice players like Dillon Gee, Ruben Tejada, Jonathon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Daniel Murphy.



All nice players.

Not exactly franchise players. Not exactly great building blocks to go past the Phillies, who seem hell to win their 5th straight Division Title and 3 pennant in that same period of time, or the Braves who have stockpiled amazing young talent.



If the Dodgers and the Mets could combine like Voltron, they would be a terrific team. Kemp, Kershaw and maybe Reyes with some nice complimentary players.



But they aren't one team. They are two big budget flops for 2011.

For 2012 and beyond, things are brighter in LA.

Albert Pujols will be a Dodger or a Met… and I predict a conspiracy theory

A bizarre and round about series of events and coincidences have made it clear to me that Albert Pujols will almost certainly not be a member of the St. Louis Cardinals next year.

Before Pujols files for free agency, two large market franchises will change ownership and be in position to bid for him, and I believe Bud Selig will be manipulating the whole thing to help preserve his legacy.

That’s right, I am predicting a conspiracy before there are any facts or events to back up my theory. I admit that is no easy trick. But I think I am on to something.

Follow me…

Bud Selig is retiring in 2012. With the steroid era evidently behind him and if baseball avoids a work stoppage (and the NFL and NBA have one) then he will be able to claim that he left the game clean and thriving with labor peace.

But there are four gigantic messes he needs to clean up before riding off into the sunset.

Two won’t be covered here, but I will mention them: The Rays and the A’s stadium disasters. Neither team can last in their current dumps and nor have a viable solution for survival, especially if the Giants can block the A’s move to San Jose. But that is another post.

The big BIG mess is the state of the Mets and Dodgers, two of the flagship franchises of the National League. According to USA Today, only the Yankees and Red Sox are worth more than the Dodgers and those teams plus the Cubs are the only ones worth more than the Mets.

I don’t think it is stretch to call New York and Los Angeles big markets. And guess what? They are both in financial chaos.

The Dodgers have been mismanaged to the point where MLB had to take the unprecedented steps of essentially removing the owner from power. (We’ll see if Frank McCourt surrenders the power of the team.)

And the Mets should be on notice. If the twisted finances of the McCourt divorce can make Selig and company take over the Dodgers, then being swindled by Bernie Madoff (and not being sure what they knew in advance) should be even a greater cause for MLB to step in and take the car keys away from the Wilpons.

In the very least, the Mets should be forced to sell.

So that would mean the Mets and Dodgers would have new ownership going into the 2012 season. And also have a disillusioned fan base, declining attendance and a natural division rival playing well (the Phillies for the Mets and the Giants for the Dodgers.)

Whomever is going to run the Mets and the Dodgers will need to assure their paying customers (and TV viewers and sponsors) that not only are the bad days behind them but glamorous superstar days are ahead.

The Giants were in a similar boat when Peter Magowan took over the team in the wake of the proposed move to Tampa Bay. He found the quickest way to get the fan base energized: He signed the best player in baseball, Barry Bonds.

Which brings us to Albert Pujols. He’s a free agent to be. He has nothing left to prove in St. Louis when he finishes this, his 11th season. He has given the Cardinals a championship, post season heroics, MVPs and done so with class and a flair for the dramatic. And, as I said in a previous video, Cardinal fans can NEVER boo him.

Pujols could need a new challenge in his life, the biggest contract in baseball history and a chance to be a hero in a brand new market.

(See Rose, Pete. See Jackson, Reggie. And Albert is better than both of them!)

And if just so happens that the Dodgers have an opening at first base. I may not be 100% sure how VORP works, but I can guess that Albert Pujols replacing James Loney is an improvement.

And the Mets have Ike Davis, who is a nice player. When you have the chance to get one of the great offensive players of all time, you might think about sacrificing a nice player or two!

Both the Dodgers and the Mets will have new owners, money to spend and a city to impress. And they will BOTH bid on Albert Pujols.

Why do I say that with such certainty? Because Selig will make sure of it. Captain Bud will not let an owner take over the Dodgers nor the Mets unless they were intending on trying to sign Pujols.

It makes sense for the Dodgers to win back their fans and show there is a new era in Chavez Ravine.

It makes sense for the Mets to turn the page on the Wilpon fiasco (and no doubt Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins would welcome Albert’s arrival.)

It makes sense for labor peace as players making big contracts is always looked on fondly by the Players Association.

And it makes sense for Selig as he leave the game with franchises other than the Yankees and Red Sox bidding over the biggest free agents.

And which ever team can’t land Pujols will have a nice consolation prize in Prince Fielder.

Think Selig is above this sort of backroom dealings? Or perhaps not clever enough?

PUH-lease. I am not going to even go into the whole “Used Car Salesman” past of Mr. Selig.

This was the guy who maneuvered the ownership of the Expos, Marlins and Red Sox around so his hand picked successor would take over in Boston instead of the McCourts.

This was the guy who claimed to have no clue about the steroid culture, even though allegations were made public as far back as 1988, when Peter Ueberroth was commissioner.

This was the guy who was part of the owners group that ousted Fay Vincent for not doing their bidding and installing himself as owner/commissioner. It was supposed to be temporary. That was 1992.

This was one of the many owners found guilty of collusion in the 1980s.

Shady wheeling and dealing are right in Bud Selig’s wheelhouse.

So a nudge here and there and making sure the new owners come with an aggressive eye on Albert is not as outlandish as colluding, kicking the commissioner out and not noticing that the players all were bigger than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

You heard it here first on Sully Baseball.

I am declaring it a conspiracy before it actually happens.

Colluding is and always will be part of Bud Selig’s legacy.

Never Accuse Fred Wilpon Of Seeing The Glass As Half Empty

So Mets owner Fred Wilpon thinks the Mets overachieved this season.

A year after narrowly missing the playoffs and then adding the best pitcher in baseball, the team imploded in September again and that's overachieving.

But no doubt they fired Willie Randolph because they were under achieving.
Hmmm.

Well let's split the difference and say the Mets achieved.

Wilpon explained his statement by saying ""Look who our second baseman was. Look who our left fielder was. Look who was in our bullpen. "

So you are saying the Mets did well despite the team that the general manager put together?
And you gave that GM a 4 year extension.

Let's hope they achieve next year too!

A meeting with Fred Wilpon and Omar Minaya

So I guess Fred Wilpon must have called Omar Minaya into his office.

OMAR: You wanted to see me boss?

FRED: Yes, Omar. Thanks for coming in. Close the door.

(Omar gets up to close the door, then pauses. Sensing something ominous, he looks back.)

OMAR: I’d rather not.

FRED: It’s best for both of us if you do.

(Omar stands still… not moving.)

FRED: ZEILE!

(Former Mets thirdbaseman Todd Zeile walks in. He glares at Omar and then shuts the door.)

OMAR: Was that Todd Zeile? What the f---?

FRED: I keep him around. He needs a job and sometimes, I need some muscle.

(Omar sits down.)

FRED: Let’s review some stuff, OK?

OMAR: Fine.

FRED: This is your 4th season as GM.

OMAR: That’s right.

FRED: And you’ve done some good things… like trade Kris Benson for John Maine.

OMAR: And bringing in Pedro and Beltran! Don’t forget that!

FRED: Um… they came here because I opened up my wallet. And any yahoo calling Mike and the Mad Dog knew that bringing in Pedro and Beltran was a smart move.

OMAR: I traded for Johan Santana! Don’t forget that.

FRED: OK, so besides the Benson trade, your great accomplishment was seeing that Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana might kind of sort of help the squad.

OMAR: I’m a visionary.

FRED: Right. Have you noticed that our team is doing a swan dive for the second September in a row?

OMAR: We’re right in it!

FRED: And last year we all blamed Willie. Well Willie is gone, he’s sliding into second base to great cheers at Yankee Stadium. And we’re saying “Johan Santana and then pray for Hurricane Ike!”

OMAR: I got Johan! He’s MY pick up.

FRED: Meanwhile you traded away Heath Bell and Matt Lindstrom, who we could use in our bullpen. Brian Bannister who we could use in our rotation.

OMAR: Hey, young kids are always a risk.

FRED: Omar, do you see the team is breaking down again?

OMAR: Fluke injuries.

FRED: Isn’t part of your job making sure that the bench is stocked with players who could fill in in case of injuries?

OMAR: I’ve been doing it.

FRED: Robinson Cancel? Andy Phillips? Ramon Martinez? Raul Casanova? Trot Nixon?

OMAR: We need their veteran leadership!

FRED: Have you noticed you have a tendency to sign old players. I mean really old players!

OMAR: Not THAT old!

FRED: You signed Moises Alou to a multi year deal! You had us sign Julio Franco to a 2 year deal when he was in mid 40s! Damion Easley is 106!

OMAR: That’s an exaggeration.

FRED: You put together a team filled with 30 and 40 somethings and are stunned that they crash and burn down the stretch?

OMAR: They are healing in the trainers room.

FRED: Unless there is a f---ing Cocoon at the bottom of the whirlpool, I don’t see this team healing.

OMAR: So what are you saying?

FRED: You’ve had four years. That’s a recruiting class in college. And when people look at our roster, I have to say the sentence “I convinced him to come out of retirement one last time” more often than a Clint Eastwood film festival. It’s over.

OMAR: Over?

FRED: It wasn’t Willie’s fault. We need a new direction.

OMAR: So you are going to fire me?

FRED: Yes.

(Omar cracks his knuckles.)

OMAR: And I assume Mr Zeile will enforce that.

FRED: That’s the case.

OMAR: It would be a shame if the New York press got a hold of certain pictures.

(Fred’s eyes widened.)

FRED: Willie told me he destroyed those.

OMAR: Oh, pictures can be copied. And mailed quickly.

(Omar holds up his iPhone.)

OMAR: And with a click of a button they will be in Mike Lupica’s Outlook Express.

FRED: God DAMN you.

OMAR: No need for that. This can be between you and the petting zoo.

FRED: (Seething) What do you want?

OMAR: An extension.

FRED: AN EXTENSION????

(Omar holds up the iPhone.)

FRED: Fine… you have an extension.

OMAR: Another four years.

(Fred meekly nods.)

OMAR: Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you.

(Omar gets up to leave. He opens the door and Zeile is still standing there.)

OMAR: Get used to me Zeile… I’m sticking around for a while.

(Omar walks down the hall and makes a call on his iPhone.)

OMAR: Isaiah! It’s Omar! I used your job saving technique! Man it works like a charm.