Zozo - An Open Letter to Fred Wilpon

Dear Mr. Wilpon

I have some knowledge that you are a real estate tycoon and you own Major League Baseball’s New York Mets. I also believe that you have turned both of those two separate entities into corporate giants, and in both those regards I am very impressed with your business know how. I also hear that you are a big family man, and one day will leave control of both businesses to your family (hopefully from my mouth to Gods ears, that doesn't happen for a long time). I just have a few questions this FAN would like answers too.

First off, are both these two different businesses run in totally different manners? My reason for asking is because I would think owning a building, you would have to tend to your tenants needs and make sure those buildings are of sound structure and perform up to your tenants needs. Now owning a MLB Franchise you would still have to meet the FANS needs and make sure that the team is also a sound structured organization and fulfilling the FANS needs. The difference I believe for you is differentiating between Tenants and FANS needs. I feel like you treat the three million FANS like tenants, when it should be a whole different type of relationship. Owning a building in my opinion is a major accomplishment and owning an MLB Franchise is not only and accomplishment but and Honor. You have a FAN base of almost three million that live and die with every season that passes and I know you can't win them all but I hope you would try your best to do so. While being a tenant in various different locales I never had that type of feeling about setting up a residents in a building as I do with my association with my favorite ball club.

Mr Wilpon, are you a business man first and a fan of the team second? I kind of understand if you want to make money and not lose it, I believe that is the way most people would want their business ventures to go. The thing is when you have about three million FANS that look for their team to strive to be better, because that is one of our joys in life and sometimes take us out of our everyday doldrums. I feel we expect to be treated more like FANS than tenants.

You also had to deal with a scandal recently and it set back both your empires a bit. I just feel that must of weighed you down some, but it seems like you have rebounded very well. I hear you are looking at (with some business partners) building a massive mall right next door to Citi field? That is going to be a great fan experience when that project comes to complete fruition. Sort of like outside both Wrigley and Fenway Ballparks. Since I have been to both those venues, it is incredible and those fans have it really good.  My next question to you is where is the Great FAN experience these days? Am I supposed to get excited about going to the park and seeing a bigger Diamond Vision screen? I think first and foremost our FAN experience needs to start with reinvesting in the team. Don't get me wrong I do like what ‘Sandy and Company’ have done building up our pitching staff and you have to be excited about D'Arnaud, Flores and Lagares. By the way, I do believe you are missing a true lead-off hitter and someone other than Duda to hit cleanup. I also have heard your organization tell the Fans you lose money year after year, but it feels the other MLB organizations seem to be thriving right now with all this new TV contract dollars coming their way?  It also seems to me you should be able to reinvest more money into the team if almost every other team is doing it, if my calculations are correct? So Instead of investing in the future FANS experience with the mall, and the giant screen televisions, why not invest in bringing in two or three of the last pieces this team needs, and make a real run at this division? I really believe if you treat the FANS right they will return the favor and treat you right. Also in the long run we will help you pay for that Mall next door, with all the revenue you will be making.

In closing, I just feel when my life is at the end of the road, I hope I made a good lasting impression on the people that have crossed my path. I will also try and do my best to leave somewhat of an inheritance behind for my family as well, but most of all I hope I don't tarnish my family name and leave my future generations of family and friends scratching their heads as to what I did while on this earth. So please Mr. Wilpon before all is said and done please take this sour taste out of Mets Fans mouths while you still have a chance to right this ship. I am not asking for you to go spend evil empire type money, but have at your General Mangers disposal what funds he needs to turn this thing around. I believe the right amount of money should coincide with what you are charging to enter Citi field compared to other organizations. If you want a low budget team then you should charge accordingly, not too separate ends of the spectrum. You shouldn't be charging top dollar at the gate and in turn have one of the lowest budgets in the league. You are in the New York Market, and there isn't any stage in the world bigger than New York in my opinion.

So just like one of the Mets slogans was in 1980's you ‘gotta believe’.

 I believe you don't have to sell the team to put the fan base and this team back together again. I believe you stepping up to the plate, for us the FANS, is all we need.

Yours Truly

John Zozzaro