Mike's Mets - Living in the Land of Plenty

By Mike Steffanos

Being a Mets fan no longer means sadly watching the fans of other teams get nice stuff that you can't have.

I was browsing through some of my early posts when I revived this blog in March 2020. I came across this post, written at a time when Steve Cohen had apparently backed off from buying the Mets. It was disappointing — not because I was convinced back then that Steve Cohen would be an ideal owner, but rather it meant that Fred and Jeff Wilpon would linger on the scene for a while longer. As I noted in that post, the Wilpons were "like guests that you were never all that excited about in the first place who have seriously outlived their welcome."

I envisioned a reality show based on ABC's long-running The Bachelor, where I would be allowed to bestow the ultimate rose of Mets ownership to the rich person who checked all of the boxes for me. A little arrogant? Sure, but it was my damn fantasy. I had fun writing the piece.

Although it was written with tongue firmly in cheek, I was pretty honest in laying out what kind of owner I was hoping for. Looking back on what I wrote, it's funny how well Steve Cohen ticked all of the boxes:

He/she needs to be rich. Really rich. Hate to be mercenary, but if you want my damn rose, I don't want to spend the next 10 years worrying about your finances. If you have to ask, you can't afford it. F*** off.

He/she needs to be able to hire good people and then let them do their jobs. Sure, any owner will have a say in any significant money expenditure, but my Big Bucks Dreamboat doesn't have any illusions that he can make day-to-day baseball decisions because he placed third in his fantasy baseball league 7 years ago. Remember, while George Steinbrenner brought the Yankees back to winning in the 70s, he almost buried them in the 80s.

He/she can make a plan and stick with it. I get a freaking headache when the franchise seems to retool and change direction every 5 years or so. Make it a priority to hire good people from top to bottom and build a real organization that can find talent, sign it, grow it and roll it out on a big league field. Splashy free agent signings are cool, but winning is sustained by doing the little things right.

He/she respects the past of this franchise. If you own a team, you shouldn't have to be guilted into honoring those who have shone for your team in the past. Retire a couple of numbers. Celebrate past championships. And for God's sake, I don't want to hear about feuds between you and former players.

Finally, no Drama King/Queens need apply. We've had more than enough of that with our exes. Let's just make it about baseball this time around.

Obviously, Steve Cohen is rich enough that I don't spend any time worrying that his finances could adversely affect how the franchise operates. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. Fred Wilpon never had a Luxury Tax level named after him.

To finish reading this article on Mike's Mets, please click here.

The $90 Million Dollar Question

"Is $90 Million Enough For a New York Sports Team?"

I think most Met fans have seen that the 2012 estimated payroll for the Mets is around $90 Million Dollars. Thats nearly $90 Million more than I have in my bank account, but at the same time... it seems like nothing.

Looking at 2011 Team Payroll Figures: Link
The Mets at or above the level of the other major market teams. Sure... the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, White Sox and Cubs spent more... but the Mets are at least appearing like they play in a city with lots of people, lots of money, and lots of love for the sport of Baseball. $90 Million puts the Mets well below the rest of the major markets and amongst the ranks of the Milwaukee Brewers. Do the Wilpons think that the City of New York is not capable of supporting a team more expensive than the City of Beer and Cheese?

The Disturbing Trend is Easy to Spot:

2008: #2, $138 Mil
2009: #2, $149 Mil
2010: #5, $134 Mil
2011: #7, $119 Mil
2012: $90 Mil

Brian Costa:

"After today's signings, Mets projected to start 2012 with a payroll somewhere in the range of $90 million, down from $143 million in 2011."

So The Question Is:

Should The Wilpons Be Allowed To Own The Mets?

The short answer is no. So is the long answer, but it involves a bit more ranting. Many of you can guess what the next block of text will be about so if it doesn't interest you, just skip the RED text. When we some of you were young your parents may have given in to your demands to get a dog on the condition that you take care of it. You'd need to walk it and feed it and brush it every day. Most kids who duped their parents into this deal would know that their parents would still end up doing most of the work. What the Wilpons are doing is no different than being a snot-nosed kid who wants the puppy... but none of the work. They own a franchise that we, as fans, support. We buy tickets and merchandise, watch games on TV and make them money. In return they are supposed to infuse the team with an appropriate amount of that money so the team we, as fans, are watching is still relevant and good. Instead they are using the team to make money without regarding the fans. Should the Wilpons be allowed to own the Mets? NO!

Now that I have that off my chest I need to explain a major issue. The Wilpons WILL lose ownership of the Mets. It's only a matter of time. While the Wilpons own the Mets, it will be like swimming in ski boots. Sure if you are a strong swimmer or naturally buoyant you can keep your head above the water, but it's a pretty dumb thing to do and eventually you're going to drown.

NOTE: Whether the Wilpons needed to pay $1 Billion or $386 Million I never thought they still had the money to pay. Eventually... 2013... 2014... 2021... they WILL lose this team. The longer they hold on, the worse things will get. Bud Selig should step in within the next year and do something or loyal fans will jump ship.

My Two Birds With One Stone:

Governor Christie of New Jersey recently stated that he'd leave politics to help run his New York Mets. Frankly, Christie being a Met fan fills me with a small amount of revulsion but I'll soldier on. Yet, let us say that a new ownership board is formed and that they chose Chris as their President of Operations. Not only would this get the Wilpons out of my baseball team, it would get Christie out of my state's government.

While I loathe Christie's policy of attacking education as a vile and cancerous growth on the country. I highly doubt that his hatred of educators would matter much in the baseball world. In fact, his no nonsense swagger that makes him such a popular Republican would probably be welcomed by Met fans (Conservative and Liberal alike). I also would bet that the NJEA would kick in a little money to help get Christie out of Trenton and into Flushing.

P.S.

If the Governor's staffers happen to read this, I'd love it if you could get moving on doing something for the residents of Little Falls, NJ BEFORE the Flood of 2012.

The Greek Tragedy of the New York Met Fan

In Greek mythology Sisyphus was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity. The OBVIOUS question, Was Sisyphus a Met fan?

The various legends of King Sisyphus do bring an eerie remembrance of Bernie Madoff to mind. He tricked his wife into slaying his rival, betrayed a Zeus to improve his portfolio and even tricked Persephone into letting him out of the underworld so he could scold his wife (for obeying his commands).

So because of the SINS of our team's ownership... have the Mets been doomed to watch the team struggle forward and fail for the rest of eternity?

The tragic fate of this Jerk of a King is similar in many ways to my experience as a Met fan. The Mets begin to climb back into relevance with Mike Piazza. They reach the world series (a year late) and fall to the Yankees. Then... that team starts to crumble. Then... they re-build. They bring in Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. They promote Jose Reyes and David Wright... The team makes in to the NLCS and would go onto the World Series... but Yadier Molina... Then... the team starts to crumble. They try to cobble things together to keep that boulder from sliding all the way back down... but nothing works.

Here we are. At the bottom of the hill. The boulder that is the New York Mets is heavy, and reaching the top seems impossibly hard. Perhaps this time will be THE time, and we'll finally escape the MLB equivalent of Tartarus. Perhaps we're destined to watch that boulder backslide a few more times.

Time will tell.

The Great Met Depression

On December 11th 2008 a date that Met fans have come to call "Black Thursday" Bernie Madoff was arrested for securities fraud. Those who had invested money with his firm stood to lose everything. For Met fans, the owners of their beloved team stood to lose a lot of money, but they assured the fans, "This will not affect the team."

Later we learned that the Wilpons, good friends of Bernie Madoff, may have actually profited from the legendary ponzi scheme. If not profit, perhaps they had, at least, colluded with the swindler to rob others.

The court case seems to be favoring the Wilpons... a little, but does that mean they should still own the team?

NO!

What happens when Frank McCourt has an ugly divorce and can't sustain a major market team? The league steps in and takes it away. What happens when the Wilpon's are set to lose millions? The MLB loans them money.

Now I understand why the MLB likes the Wilpons. They play ball, they follow the bonus guide in the draft, they support everything Bud Selig says and they even hire the general manager he picks, but something has got to give.

Why Am I Harping On This Now?

Photo Courtesy of: Joe Petruccio at MyMetsJournal

Jose Reyes has left the Mets to bring his services to South Beach. Unlike Lebron James, he didn't become Public Enemy #1 doing so (Thanks for no publicity stunt, Jose). He left the Mets because the Mets are no longer a team that is capable of putting out $100+ Mil in payroll. Forget home-town discounts. If the Mets were owned by people not in a financial crisis, they would keep one of their best and most loved (by the fans) players.

Look at the payrolls from 2011 of the other major market franchises:

• N.Y. Yankees $201,689,030
• Philadelphia $172,976,381
• Boston $161,407,476
• Los Angeles Angels $138,998,524
• Chicago White Sox $129,285,539
• Chicago Cubs $125,480,664
• San Francisco $118,216,333
• Los Angeles Dodgers $103,788,990

Now... the Mets HAD sat in that range back in 2011 but in 2012, the Met payroll will likely sit below $100,000,000. They won't sniff that $120 Mil figure (that was a $20 Mil cut from 2010) and they may belong to the bottom 16 teams in payroll when all is said and done.

Does Milwaukee suddenly have more revenue and a larger fan base then a New York team? Does SNY bleed money? Will the league do anything to end our suffering?

No... No... and No.

The bubble popped and the Met fan is left on the breadline of the sports world... again.

Worst Owners in Sports

How hard is it to be the owner of a professional sports team? Well... that's a tricky question. Owning the team and running the team are two different things. Strangely enough... owners who keep their mitts off their teams are generally well liked. Go figure!

Lets look at some of the recent WORST owners from major market teams...

Al Davis, Oakland Raiders (R.I.P.) - Al Davis likes upsetting grown men who like to dress up like they are members of the band KISS. Davis made a habit of moving his franchise up and down the coast of California over his tenure. That... I can't speak to. Trying to find the best market for your club is definitely in the realm of an owners purview. Drafting players and making trades is not. Al Davis made moves that have kept the Raiders from being a threat for years. Now that they have Carson Palmer and Darren McFadden (Not to mention a defense that isn't a COMPLETE joke...) they can crawl out of the cellar. That is if Al Davis doesn't insist on making decisions from beyond the grave.

Peter Angelos, Baltimore Orioles - What do Derek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada and Cal Ripken Jr. have in common? They all played for the Orioles past their prime. Unlike Cal Ripken Jr.: Lee, Tejada and Guerrero all were into their declining years when they arrived. Most people point to Peter Angelos. Now... I sorta feel for Mr. Angelos as he's in the AL East and it is just about the hardest division in all of sports to be relevant without being from Boston or wearing pin-stripes. So... in an effort to be relevant he's gone out and made questionable signings of players past their primes.

Dan Snyder, Washington Redskins - Virginia is Redskins country. They are a much loved team who's ownership seems dedicated to making life difficult. There is a long string of names of players brought in who had issues or question marks and a very small list of players who managed success in Washington. There is also more than one case where things became a media circus because of the WAY the ownership handled things.

James Dolan, New York Knicks/New York Rangers - Dolan is probably my pick for worst owner in sports. He's been the reason the Knicks went from the hottest ticket in New York to a ticket you couldn't give away. However, recently... he seems to have figured out that he needs to keep out of things. The Knicks have Amare and Carmello... the Rangers have Lundquist and fans care. I still think that Dolan is too concerned with hiring his friends and not concerned enough with making his teams win.

Charles Wang, New York Islanders - So... hitching your team to the star of a great goalie isn't the worst idea in hockey. HOWEVER!!! Rick DiPietro is not a great goalie and has spent most of his time being hurt. Beyond that... a 15 YEAR DEAL?!? What? Really? I'm sorry but that is just CRAZY!

Frank McCourt, Los Angeles Dodgers - McCourt's biggest issue is his divorce which financially sank the Dodgers. In terms of managing the team, they haven't done SUCH an awful job. They haven't done such a good job either.

Now Consider the Wilpon's Crimes...

• They're Dodger Fans
• They've Cut Payroll Below New York Standards
• They've Disparaged Their Own Players
• They've Alienated Fans
• They've Bungled Media Relations
• They Were Fooled by a Swindler
• Or They ARE Swindlers
• They're Seen as Cheap
• They Are in REAL Jeopardy of Losing Their Marquee Players

The Interesting Case of Jeffrey Loria, Florida Marlins - Now... a guy who makes the WORST owner lists in almost every internet article is also a guy who I believe knows how to make a team win championships. Jeffrey Loria builds a team from the ground up. When he sees an opening, he takes it, and aggressively goes after free agents to drive at a World Series. Look at this coming season. He's got some major talent on the field: Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez etc... He's got some serious talent in the rotation with: Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez. Now... he's courting players like Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols and others to try and win another ring. Should he get his targets he probably will. AND... with a new stadium... maybe he won't have to start rebuilding the season after.

Looking At Things From THEIR Perspective

I've done a lot of posting about what I'd do, or at least LIKE to do if I were running the Mets. I mean I've listed every solution from signing Reyes to going after Albert Pujols and back again. I think it might be more important to look at things from the perspective about the guys paying the bills.

Let us face some facts:

• Attendance Is Down
• The Team Isn't Winning
• They Either Participated In Or Were Taken By A Ponzi Scheme
• They Will Need To Pay Irving Picard Between $83 and $383 Million

Let us also remember that a year spent rebuilding without stars like Wright and/or Reyes means LOWER attendance, LESS wins and LESS revenue with which to pay Irving Picard. So... forgetting what is in the best interest of the team... what is in the best interest of the OWNERS?

Let us look at assets:

• David Wright, the face of the franchise, he's a homegrown talent with a large fan following. He's had a couple of rougher seasons now, and might net you more talent in a trade.
• Johan Santana, He's beyond the point where he's a draw for fans because he hasn't pitched in a long time and he's not the pitcher he was.
• Ike Davis, He's the future face of the offense which is fine, but he won't draw big box office numbers by himself.
• Scrappy Go-Getters, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda and R.A. Dickey might all be fine players but they aren't getting fans into the seats.
• Generation 2K, You have a crop of TOP starting pitching talent in the farm but it could be over a year away and could fizzle like Generation K did.

If Alderson did nothing, and let Reyes walk there isn't enough there to keep the fans interested. The Wilpons WANT fans to be interested. They would love to bring in an Albert Pujols who could single-handedly bring in a slew of fans with his reputation alone. However, Pujols does NOT make sense for the Mets and their pitcher's park. So... what should the Wilpons do to keep fans in the seats for 2012?

The Fan Plan:

• Re-Sign Jose Reyes - (It's a good-will gesture to the fans that you are not going to play it cheap in a big city like NY. It says, "Yes, we can afford to keep our home grown talent.")
• Lock Up Wright - (Does he live up to the marquee billing? Maybe not, but he's the face of the team and you need to maintain the face of your team until you can establish a new one. Think the Yankees with Jeter into Cano.)
• Let Alderson Find His Gems - (I'd love the Mets to anti-up and get a Yu Darvish or C.J. Wilson but that is a little much. Instead let Alderson take low-risk chances on guys like: Chris Young, Scott Kazmir etc...)
• Get A Legit Closer - (For a short-term deal. I'm starting to feel like Francisco Cordero is the best fit because he can come in with a 1-2 year deal, do his job... then retire.)

If the Mets did those things they could stay relatively competitive in 2012 and still start promoting the crop of young talent from 2012 to 2014. This way you aren't sacrificing the future but also not giving the fans reason to panic and/or abandon ship. It is in the Wilpon's best FINANCIAL interest for Alderson to spend SOME money.

Met's Undergoing A Facelift

Every so often a brand or company needs to change things up because what they've become "Known" for isn't a positive. At this point it is better to DROP brand equity and RE-ESTABLISH a new and more POSITIVE image. Think of the big box pizza places:

Pizza Hut - Your favorites. Your Pizza Hut.

Papa John's - Better ingredients, better Pizza... Papa John's

Over a year ago Domino'ss decided to change things up. Domino's was and IS known for CHEAP pizza. You can eat your weight in bread, sauce and cheese for around $20. However nobody ever thought of Domino's as GOOD pizza. Last year they decided to change things up. They started to run commercials where they acknowledged their short-comings and promised to change things. What has followed is one of the most succesful ad campaigns in corporate history. Domino's has never been regarded more favorably by consumers and their sales numbers are way up from where they had been.

Why am I talking about pizza? It's a good question. So let's look at some big-market baseball teams:

New York Yankees - A Team of Legends

Philadelphia Phillies - The Greatest Rotation in History

What are the Mets know as? Lovable Losers? Plucky Underdogs? Choke Artists? Financial Fraud Criminals? The OTHER Team in New York? I'm betting that the Wilpons are looking to change the team and I don't think changes will be small. They started when the Wilpons signed a GM like Sandy Alderson. The Mets were not going to invest in bad contracts with over-achieving players. They were going to change things. Changing the very way we expect to see a New York team run.

Step 1: Clear House

The Mets have already expunged Omar Minaya and his cronies from the franchise. HOWEVER... it wasn't so much the front-office that needed to be cleared as the overall soul of that office's team.

I now believe (THIS IS THE GLASS HALF FULL GUY) that the Mets will be cutting ties with David Wright and quite possibly ALSO Jose Reyes. I think they'll try to trade Johan Santana and I think the Mets are gearing for a resurgent 2013 and a big run in 2014.

That doesn't make the Id of my inner sport's fan very happy, but it does appease my inner Super Igo. If I think logically, I think the Mets can build a winner in two years by cleaning house and starting from basically scratch. If they go other routes... spending money and trading prospects... I can no longer be sure that the Mets will ever break through the ceiling of the other teams in their division.

Step 2: Establish A NEW Brand

The Mets of the Omar Minaya era were headlined by Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes (Jason Bay?). This was not the Steve Phillips Mets where stars went elsewhere. This was the team who went out and GOT the marquee players.

There is a new generation of Mets on the horizon and I TRULY believe they will make up the future of the franchise. Therefore the Mets will be known for nurturing a crop of pitchers up from the minors and creating a pitching team to rival those jerks who wear red and white.

Step 3: Win The Fans

Convincing me that I can win in two years if I let my favorite players go is one thing. Convincing fans to not abandon ship when the franchise stops paying for top talent this next season is another. The Mets are on the verge of alienating a HUGE percentage of fans. It's going to be rougher for the Wilpons than you might think.

If the Mets don't spend in 2012... attendance will dwindle, viewership will drop and ad sales will take a nose dive. So... the Mets need to give the Met fans a message to help them through. I'm not sure what that will end up being but I expect the slogan surrounding the team to be updated in the near future.

STAY TUNED: Tomorrow I'm going to write a piece on some rumblings around the organization and what it could mean for 2012 and 2013.

The Great Jose Debate Begins

Now that the season is over, the batting title is won and the team looks towards 2012, you are going to hear the name Jose Reyes A LOT. Jose was the BEST player on the Mets in 2011. Sure... Carlos Beltran had a GREAT start to the year and may have landed the Mets with a future Ace, but Jose was the brightest star.

I read a very good article in the NY Post on Jose and how the Mets are in a Lose/Lose scenario with Reyes in terms of bidding. We've heard it all before:

• He's injury prone
• He's the spark plug of the offense
• He's already lost a step
• He's one of the most POPULAR players with the fans
• The Wilpons are cheap
• The Wilpons don't want to appear cheap
• Alderson doesn't like long contracts
• He's home grown.
• We obviously can't keep him
• We obviously can't let him go

A 2012 WITH Reyes:

Glass Half Full: The Mets sign Reyes for 6 years and $105 Mil. Reyes does start 95% of the games and has a good year. The pitching, led by Johan Santana and Jon Niese, holds strong and the Mets win the division with healthy batting out-put from Reyes, Wright, Davis and Jason Bay. Matt Harvey is called up in September and surges to a great opening display, and will be the #3 pitcher in the playoff rotation.

Glass Half Empty: The Mets are forced to offer Reyes 6 years and a vesting option for a 7th. Reyes has an okay year but is hobbled before the All-Star break and starts only 65% of the games. David Wright continues to be hot and cold while Jason Bay is benched in favor Fernando Martinez. The team finishes 5th in the division as the Nationals promote Bryce Harper and surge ahead.

A 2012 WITHOUT Reyes:

Glass Half Full: The Mets watch Jose Reyes leave and use the money they would have spent on Reyes signing Yu Darvish. Meanwhile Ruben Tejada is given the job at SS and Reese Havens wins the starting 2B job in spring training. The story of the year is how the Mets are on the rise as Darvish sparkles and Havens earns an All-Star selection in his first year. Harvey joins the team in late September and the Met 2013 future looks bright.

Glass Half Empty: Not only DON'T the Mets sign Reyes but they fail to land a single legit star. Attendance dwindles and David Wright announces to the media that he would like to be traded. To make matters worse, Johan Santana doesn't pitch a single inning and the team is completely out of the playoff race by Mid-June. Harvey and Familia both get promoted but struggle under the pressure of being looked on as saviors.

Right... so... probably something in the middle of those scenarios either way it shakes out. Here is the basic gist. The Mets sign Reyes, they WILL pay too much. The Mets don't sign Reyes, they get two picks and become the laughing stock of the big-market teams (losing countless fans). I love Reyes as a fan but I love the Mets too and want them to win.

Frankly I don't envy Alderson's position...

Paying More To Make More

My post yesterday discussed the three biggest pitchers on the market this offseason and the biggest holds people seem to have are about the budget. The Wilpons don't have the money and the budget will not be over $110 Million. Okay... fine... then the Mets attendance will continue to diminish and the process of building up the fan base will take even longer.

If the Mets spent NOTHING: They let Reyes go and used minor leaguers for every hole they had left, they would lose fans in DROVES. The $20-ish Million saved by not signing Reyes will bes LOST in yearly revenue between ticket sales and lowered merchandise sales.

If the Mets ONLY resign Reyes: They are merely treading water. While teams like the Yankees and Phillies are going out and gaining talent and improving the Mets become stagnant and lose fans or potential fans of the future.

If the Mets signed Reyes AND another SUPERSTAR player: They earn themselves buzz and press and become a magnet for new fans. They also energize the existing fan base. I'm not saying that they immediately earn back every dime they invest and there is plenty of risk but it's simply to risky not to send an IMPROVED product onto the field in 2012.

Spending Other People's Money

How Much Money Do The Mets Have?

If you trust the Wilpons... none. The Wilpons claim to be losers in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme and... frankly... I think they probably were (overall). Do I think that they'll get off paying NOTHING? No, they'll need to pay. Picard had to have some sort of evidence to try the suit in the first place. They won't be giving back $1 Billion, the won't be giving back $300 Million, they'll be giving back something, but I'm pretty sure David Einhorn's money will cover it.

So the Mets have? Listen, it's not like I have access to their books. It seems to me that the Mets should be able to field a team at or above $120 Million simply based on geographic location AND having their own network. That isn't so far above what I would call the poverty line for major market teams ($100 Million). The Wilpons and Alderson know that they cannot field a team below that point without risking severely negative fan response.

Why They WON'T Spend Money: Beyond Jose Reyes, there aren't a lot of players the Mets could uses. They aren't going into the Pujols derby, (as much as I'd like them to) they aren't going to pay the posting fee for Darvish, they aren't going to over-pay for Wilson, so... who are they planning to spend the money on?

Why They WOULD Spend Money: How do you energize a fan-base who are frustrated and disillusioned? You sign someone who would (just by putting on a uniform) bring fans to the ballpark. Jose Reyes is one of those guys but it's not the same when you're bringing him BACK. There are only two other "Wow Factor" players hitting free agency: Albert Pujols (32) and Prince Fielder (28). The issue, as we all know, is that there is nowhere to play them. So... unless you sign Albert and trade Ike Davis that doesn't make sense. Think you can make a splash that would get the fans excited? I would love to see another solution to get the fans excited. If they can't get someone really good, I don't think Alderson wastes time and money with too many people in between.

Impact Free Agents:
Albert Pujols (32)
Jose Reyes (29)
Prince Fielder (28)
Brandon Phillips (31) [If his $12 Mil option is declined]
Yu Darvish (25)
C.J. Wilson (31)
Carlos Beltran (35)
Grady Sizemore (29) [If his $8.5 Mil option is declined]
Lance Berkman (36)
Heath Bell (34)
Jonathan Papelbon (31)
Francisco Rodriguez (32)