N.Y. Mets ~ MET YEAR NINE A.D. (After Doubleday)

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

WELCOME TO

MET YEAR NINE A.D.
(After Doubleday)

in the

Age of WILPONianism

The State of METropolis:

2012

"In the Absence of a Declaration of Rights for The Fans"

Welcome to the 50th Anniversary Season of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club.  Unfortunately, that's the best you're going to get from me today.  First, you must know I do not relish in mocking my beloved ball club.  I just believe in accountability from ownership.  And well..., in the absence there of, this is warranted.  Time and again, against the fan's better sense, this organization has repeatedly lied about it's status and health.  So in the spirit of Spring Training, today will be more of a stretch and light exercise in passive aggression than anything.  Now that you've been warned, welcome back to the New York Mets portion of my blog; HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET.  And it's nice to be back butting heads by the way.

How apropos is it that The SAUL B. KATZ DILEMMA finally gets it's day before the Senate during the Ides of March.  Wilpon the Elder, Wilpon the Younger, and Saul the Passive, can either once and for all lay this latest danger to The Dilemma to rest, or suffer an ignoble baseball death after having been bled of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Empire's coffers.  Irving Picard and his small army of para-legals are at the gates boys.  A gold piece is perhaps in order for any jury member who doesn't harbor contempt against rich people ripping off rich people.  Good luck with that.

Sadly, as the Mets open up camp in Florida, The Saul B. Katz Dilemma continues to head straight into the sun.  Or if you'd like - the S.S. Wilpon continues to head straight for the iceberg.  Whichever.  It's your team too.  If you don't know by now, the overall term given to any and all folly relating to Met ownership under King PON and Son of PON's reign is, and has been dubbed by me, The Saul B. Katz Dilemma.  The Mets are Saul's dilemma because he's just a stooge in the Age of  Fred's WILPONianism.  We are now entering Year Nine of the post Nelson Doubleday era.  Consider yourself updated.

Pitchers and Catchers!  It's time for Day Manager Lil' Jeffrey to roll up the gates on the 50th Anniversary at the old man's Roosevelt Avenue Mets-R-Us.  And for all you kids, Sandy Alderson will be on hand to give out balloons, candy, and Funny Tweets.  Don't miss out!

Even if I was joking, I can't help but think somewhere, peacefully, lies an old New York Giants' season ticket holder who had enough gumption to stand up to not only stiff, grumpy, old, 18th century born men, but to the Baseball establishment itself.  She was part of a group that put Major League Baseball under threat of direct competition via forming a new league.  Mrs. Joan Payson invested into and born unto this city the New York Metropolitans; Mets for short.

Loosely translated, our Mets were born of rebels wanting to return National League Baseball back to New York City.  And once upon a time, the name REBELS was given serious consideration as the team's nickname.  But today, the spirit of those Rebels; the Sky Liners; are no more.  The honorable Mrs. Joan Payson must be rolling over in her grave incensed over the collapse a certain Brooklyn Dodger fan from Lafayette High School hath wrought upon her once lovable team.  For in the hands of their present owner, the viability of National League Baseball has arrived at another dangerous crucible in it's existence; one that now has literally brought fifty years of baseball in Flushing by the Bay to it's knees.  And somewhere else, alive and well, Nelson Doubleday probably sits thinking - I told you this would happen.

Oh, what in the name of William Shea hath the Wilpons done to our beloved Mets?

But if you know me or read this blog, you know I'm far more forgiving that this.  Any Met baseball is good Met baseball.  Right?  It's just that I refuse to dump on mediocre players, nor take pride in predicting another losing season if the House itself is not in Order.  And there's the rub.  The Wilpons have long swung the Gates of CITI wide open allowing Chaos and Ruin entrance into our not-so-humble new home.  Like everything Orange and Blue, "meaningful games in September" start at the top.  And there-in lies our problem.  The House is falling.

I ask you Met fans, how do you like Colorado; Seattle; Milwaukee; Texas; Atlanta; or even Baltimore?  Been to any of those places lately?  There's no need to travel anymore because in terms of being dollar foolish and penny wise, We are now like Them.  They are Us.  Welcome to America and most places that are not inclined to throw New York City teams a pity party.  Go forth young Met Fan.  Just don't let the look of bewilderment be too obvious in the face once you leave the city limits and you'll be fine.

Money Ball is upon us and that means one thing - Baseball on the Cheap.  And by the end of 2012, it could very well get worse.  It's unfortunate, and not to mention unfair, that the Mets' players are tasked with having to save an organization rather than just winning games; especially when the club couldn't afford to keep their best one from leaving.  Just keep in mind, an asset is still an asset.  And the decision not to trade Reyes last season was just a poorly disguised in-season ploy to keep the gate up.  We knowingly got duped.  It happens.

All I can say is this - The true powers that will ultimately decide the fate of the Wilpons rest not with Irving Picard or the Justice System.  They lie in the confidence of the Fan who will either chose to prop up and fund the Wilpons by reaching into their pockets for Mets Baseball, or by deciding not to, oppose them.

Power to the People.  The Future is ours.  We are the Empire State.

Let's Go Mets!






Mike.BTB