N.Y. Mets ~ State of METropolis Report; Part V

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

METropolis:  Year Nine A.D. - (After Doubleday)

"THE AGE of WILPONianism"

State of METropolis Report:

PART IV - Fans and Tradition

PART III - Positional Players

PART II - Pitching Staff

PART I - Ownership; Front Office

PART V - The Saul B. Katz Dilemma...continued.

If you follow my blog then you know what's coming.  If you're new to my site and Head-Butting Mr. Met; the Mets portion of my blog; then allow me to explain first. 


THE SAUL B. KATZ DILEMMA - is the catch-phrase I've given to the continuing folly emanating  from the local Roosevelt Avenue Mets-R-Us, which is the direct result of sole ownership under Fred and Lil' Jeffery Wilpon; or just the Wilpons if you will; since 2003.  Poor Saul Katz sits idly-by while his in-laws flush his investment into the Mets down the toilet, while at the same time disenfranchising a Fan Base, and running our beloved Metropolitan BBC into the ground - ...Just like Nelson Doubleday said Wilpon would do upon his own exit from the Mets' hierarchy.  You may now consider yourself updated.  So with that said.....,


HAPPY GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY MET FANS!!  You're owner basically jettisoned one of this organization's best players in all it's fifty year history because (see above) ...because he couldn't afford it even if he wanted to.  I myself am not mad Jose Reyes is gone.  I have a problem with not trading him last season.  But if I may, I think I can speak somewhat for my fellow Met Fans who are furious our beloved shortstop is no longer a Met.  And we are equals in that respect; I loved Reyes too.  But my particular frustration lies with this organization's impotence and it's inability to operate like a large market team.

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Nolan Ryan was traded from the Mets before he became Nolan Ryan.  No foul there.  Tom Seaver and the organization grew to hate each other.  So Seaver demanded a trade....and got it.  That remains to this day the single most incredulous gaffe in Mets' history.  We did it to Jerry Koosman too.  And now the fact that the Mets effectually sent Jose Reyes packing for South Beach most certainly earns a spot in the conversation regarding Met stars who for one reason or another, never get to stay.



Let's see.... Darryl Strawberry said, "I wanna be the richest!" - and decided to play before the home crowds in Los Angeles.  Doc Gooden forced his exit out of Flushing by sticking his career up his nose.  Mr. Wilpon was quite sympathetic towards Dwight the first time around when he came up "hot".  Not so much the second time however.  Strike two resulted in Mr. Wilpon suggesting it was perhaps better if Dwight and the Mets parted ways.  That was fair.  Just for fun - David Cone was the victim of a rebuilding effort.  And for Mike Piazza, his time had come.  For me personally, trading Rusty Staub and Tug McGraw were killers.  And I know Lenny Dykstra was a biggie for many fans too.



Again, as to not mislead you, I would have traded Jose Reyes last season.  And if you really, really follow Head-Butting Mr. Met, you'd know I would have traded Jose Reyes back in 2007, along with everyone else.  Yes, I would have gutted this team then.  But that's for another day.  You're welcome to question me about that.  But forget about what I want, or what I would have done.  Forget me.  For there are still matters of "state" to be addressed in this now YEAR NINE of WILPONianism.  Let's figure out why Jose Reyes is not a Met today for all METropolis to know.



With even a fraction more success between the years 2007 through 2009, it's safe to say Omar Minaya would still be here and Reyes would have been locked up long term.  I think we can assume Omar would have pushed for that (then).  And with just one more win in 2007 or 2008; with just a smidgen of more luck; with one more playoff appearance, the Wilpons would have most certainly agreed on the spot.



After several stints on the DL since then with bad hamstrings, then add the Madoff mess into the equation and what you have is a quandary.  Sandy Alderson has been trying to make it clear his intention to scale down payroll is independent of Wilpon's financial situation and pending litigation in the Madoff case.  Not signing Reyes he reasoned, wasn't necessarily worth the monetary risk based on dollars, years, and Jose's compromised lower appendages.  The GM also points directly at ticket sales and fan dollars not being spent at the park recently, or anticipated to not be spent next season as salary trimming factors.



In this case, the singing of Jose Reyes by the Miami Marlins was precipitated by no action taken by the Mets.  They never offered Reyes a contract extension prior to this winter.  And without any sense of want, the Mets did not make their former shortstop a free-agent offer.  That, in itself, is not perturbing to me.  The fact that the pilot light on the Mets' Hot Stove is out and the owner of a major league baseball team in New York City couldn't foot the bill.....is!



And so Jose Reyes has gone FISHing.



I just hope.... I hope! ...Sandy Alderson did not come here to be Fred Wilpon's spin-doctor.  Because that's what it's starting to sound like around here; at least to my ears.  I have no reservations regarding Sandy Alderson's ability to point this organization in the right direction.  In that regard, I still believe there are still more player purgings to be made.  Yes, I believe David Wright should be next.  That's for a follow-up posting.  But for right this minute, I'm not appreciating the "Spin-Control" I'm getting from the Front Office.  Met Fans have gotten their full share of spin over the years from the former Day Manager of Mets-R-Us; Lil Jeff Wilpon...thank you.

Mike.BTB