N.Y. Mets: Nelson Doubleday Prophecy Fulfilled

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

THE FORTY YEAR DUPE

Behind the Great Wall of Flushing

I - PAYSON ERA COMES TO AN END

What begins in 1962, and culminates in 1969, slowly starts to unravel in the decade ahead.  Sadly, in 1972, beloved manager Gil Hodges passes away.  He is followed three years later by the Ol' Perfessor Casey Stengel and team founder Mrs. Joan Payson.  Organizationally speaking, Bing Devine and Whitey Herzog are no longer procuring young talent for the club.  Charge of the front office and baseball operations by the mid-1970s are essentially left in the hands of M. Donald Grant.  Fan favorites Rusty Staub, Tug McGraw, and Tom Seaver are traded.

(Grant).. "doesn't know beans about baseball." - Whitey Herzog

Minority owner M. Donald Grant seemingly has no compunction playing the fan perceived role of villain.  The deconstruction of the "Amazin" and "Ya Gotta Believe" Mets continues under general manager Joe McDonald.  Meanwhile, Joan Payson's daughter and heiress Lorinda de Roulet has her own qualms as a baseball magnate.  The aptly labeled Dark Years (1977-1979) are distressing times for Mets fans, young and old.  Ed Kranepool, the last vestige of the Miracle Mets, in 1979, announces his retirement, officially punctuating the end of a nineteen-year-long era.


II - A CONTENTIOUS PARTNERSHIP (1980-2002)

By 1980 the Payson Estate puts the Mets up for sale.  Ed Kranepool submits a bid, but Lorinda de Roulet (as Kranepool describes the process) decides to sell within her inner social circle, including none other than Fred Wilpon.  Along with his brother-in-law, he, Saul Katz, each put up $650,000 as part of a record 21.1 million dollar bid for a major league team.  Now all they need is someone to put up a majority share and unwittingly agree to become a non-managing partner.  John Pickett, the (then) owner of the New York Islanders, brings Fred Wilpon in contact with publishing titan Nelson Doubleday who ironically agrees to put up 80% of the purchase price without first reading the fine print.  He would come to learn of his misstep the hard way.

Within a few years, the team embarks on its greatest span of sustained success.  From 1984 through 1990, no National League team wins more games than the Mets.  They capture two division titles and win one World Series.  After a ten year intermission, the Mets return to the playoffs in 1999 and in 2000 clinch the organization's fourth ever National League pennant.  

However, the business relationship of 22-years, which begins amicably (at best), quickly deteriorates to the point Doubleday grows to loathe whom he comes to view as his duplicitous partner.  In 1986, Nelson Doubleday was selling his family's publishing business to Bartelmann's.  As part of Doubleday's own reorganization, Nelson, Fred Wilpon, and Saul Katz agree to become equal partners in purchasing the Mets from Doubleday and Co. for $85 million (and an agreement to assume $25 million in team liabilities).  Soon after, the New York Times wrote that it was quite possible Doubleday and Fred Wilpon (and Saul Katz) would not have become 50-50 partners, had Doubleday been aware of the clause in their original agreement which provides Wilpon the right of first refusal on any sale of the team.  The issue of Fred Wilpon's right of refusal resurfaces in 1992 when an irate Nelson Doubleday makes a veiled threat to sell his half of the Mets in protest after a majority of MLB owners vote in favor to oust commissioner Fay Vincent.

Otherwise, the two continue bickering over a great many issues, some more famously than others.  Whereas Nelson Doubleday thinks it is business-wise to extend Mike Piazza, Fred does not.  Instead of investing in one of baseball's premier players, Fred is hell-bent on building a new ballpark.  Doubleday knows they can't afford such a grand undertaking and instead proposes to renovate Shea Stadium.

Nelson's growing animosity towards Fred escalates to a point where they occupy separate boxes during games until Doubleday just stops attending.  After years of infighting, they ultimately deem their differences irreconcilable, and by 2002 Nelson Doubleday declares he is done with baseball.  A contentious court battle ensues over the team's fair market valuation resulting in Doubleday being forced to settle on a buyout far below his expectation.

On the way out Nelson Doubleday takes some parting shots at his former partner and son, whom he likens to a "little Pharaoh" and scoffs at the notion of Jeff "learning how to become a baseball man."  Doubleday implores media and fans, ".. run for the hills!" because Fred Wilpon, "is going to run the Mets into the ground."

Very similar to Whitey Herzog's assessment of M. Donald Grant, is it not?

Most, if not all, Mets fans would agree Nelson Doubleday was the more astute of the two partners and possessed the higher baseball acumen.  But with his exit, so went Fred's check and balance, the front office's operational conviction, and, above all, ownership's Mets-centric sensibilities and team pride!

III - ROAD TO RUIN

With Doubleday out of the way, Fred Wilpon focuses his full attention on building Citi Field.  Fred owns the blueprints to Ebbets Field.  He slaps them on his architect's desk and says to him, this is what he wants.  

But how is Fred Wilpon going to satisfy his payment to Nelson Doubleday and still afford to build a new ballpark when his former partner already publicly declared the plan unfeasible?

In 2015, the New York Times wrote that Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz used their accounts with Bernie Madoff to persuade lenders into refinancing certain loans.  This permits them to buyout Nelson Doubleday (according to the lawsuit filed against the Mets owners by the trustee for the victims of Madoff's fraud).  

In a separate 2011 article, former Mets general manager Frank Cashen acknowledged to the New York Times, it was his understanding that several million of his deferred compensation had been invested with Mr. Madoff.  This suggests Bernie Madoff was no stranger to those in and around the Mets front office and that Fred Wilpon and company by this time were already hedging and manipulating accounts.

Fred's next move is firing Steve Phillips and ordering interim general manager Jim Duquette to cease spending.

Lastly, Fred promises lenders that Citi Field will be packed annually with 3.5 million fans.

After two seasons, Fred replaces Duquette with Omar Minaya.  Ownership is agreeable to Omar's payroll increases as long as their realigned Madoff accounts continue sustaining the load, which they do right up until Dec. 8, 2008, when the most egregious investment Ponzi scheme in American history is revealed.  The Mets organization is financially devastated.  Meanwhile, the grand opening of Citi Field, replete with all its inherent debt, is just four months away.

Loans, secondary loans, and refinanced loans get ownership nowhere.  By 2012, the Wilpons are left with little choice but to sell limited minority shares in the team.  During this time, Steve Cohen initially purchases his shares in the Mets (as do notables Anthony Scaramucci and Bill Maher).  The sale staves off creditors for a fleeting moment.  All these years later, the Wilpons remain hundreds of millions in debt.  Never able to fully recover, on September 14, 2020, forty years after submitting their initial bid to purchase the club, Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, and Saul B. Katz finally agree to sell the New York Mets baseball club to Steve Cohen.

Eighteen years after gaining full control of the Mets from Nelson Doubleday; twelve years post-Bernie Madoff implosion; Fred and Jeff Wilpon leave the Mets behind after running the club into the ground, just as Doubleday prophesied.  

Doubleday's departure and Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme are separated by a mere six years. 

Six ...

IV - FRED WILPON'S CONCATENATED GENERAL MANAGERS

Keep in mind Fred Wilpon is the managing partner.  How he and Jeff run the front office proves as defective as their finances.  They maintain what they call a collegial condition wherein all executives in the loop hold some sway.  But we know that really means over-involvement and mass meddling.  Frank Cashen would have never allowed such a thing.  Thus the list of ensuing general managers hired after Cashen's retirement proves beyond a reasonable doubt how Fred refuses to operate outside his sphere of comfort and competence.

Before stepping down after the 1991 season, Frank Cashen has already stocked the front office with Al Harazin, Gerry Hunsicker, and Joe McIlvaine.  Cashen would later recruit Steve Phillips, who, in turn, recruits into the front office, Jim Duquette and Omar Minaya.  

Before the 1992 season, Fred and Frank Cashen select Al Harazin as the next general manager.  The decision alienates Joe McIlvaine, who takes the general manager's position in San Diego, and Gerry Hunsiker, who accepts the general manager's post in Houston.  Here in Flushing, the 1992-1993 Mets go down as the worst team money can buy.  As such, Al Harazin is relieved of his duties.  But instead of vetting out a new general manager, Fred gets on the phone to Gerry Hunsiker, begging for his return.  After being rebuffed, Fred gets on the phone to Joe McIlvaine, who acquiesces.  Joe becomes notorious for going on scouting trips without informing Fred and for not returning his calls.  This infuriates Fred, as it goes against his collegial office structure.  McIlvaine is fired.  But instead of vetting out a new general manager, the job is handed to Steve Phillips.  Meanwhile, Omar Minaya accepts the general manager's position in Montreal.

Under Phillips, the Mets in 2000 return to the World Series, but the partnership between Doubleday and Wilpon is soon ending.  By 2003, the Mets are a last-place club with the highest payroll in the National League.  Fred freezes team spending until the deal with Nelson Doubleday is closed.  In the meantime, Steve Philips, for various reasons, is fired.  Fred then tasks Jim Duquette as general manager while he tries to restore financial order.  Before the 2004 season is through, Fred Wilpon is again ready for a new general manager.  But instead of vetting out a new executive during the off-season, Fred places a call to Omar Minaya's office requesting his return to Flushing.  Minaya gladly accepts the Mets offer.  He is the general manager when the Bernie Madoff news breaks.  Omar's run ends after the 2009 season.  

A long concatenate of organizationally familiar, if not inbred, executives is finally broken.  Moving forward, Jeff Wilpon is poised to play a leading role in vetting out the next general manager.  However, despite conducting an extensive (albeit feeble) search, Commissioner Bud Selig intercedes by politely imposing Sandy Alderson upon the Mets in light of their fast worsening Madoff condition.  Although unsolicited, Alderson represents the first executive/general manager since Frank Cashen, who is not previously associated with the Mets.  Alderson's not-so-secret mission is to keep the National League's New York City member club afloat in light of ownership's dire financial straits.

After an "old school" rebuild in 2015, the Mets clinched their fifth ever National League pennant.  But their success is short-lived.  During the 2018 season, Sandy Alderson steps down, citing health concerns.  Rumor has it Jeff was already contemplating Alderson's dismissal.  Be that as it may, Jeff Wilpon decides the team will finish out the season with himself, John Ricco, and Omar Minaya (back with the organization) serving together as general manager.

Because that makes perfect sense ...

V - THE COO

Sandy Alderson was clearly a hockey stick thrown into Jeff's bicycle spokes.  But opportunity presents itself again when the Mets general manager steps down.  After conducting another disingenuous vetting process, Jeff Wilpon hires Brodie Van Wagenen, an agent and a personal friend of his, to be the next general manager. 

And there's the rub ...

Instead of competently hiring a well respected and proven executive (such as the available and highly touted Chaim Bloom, per se), Jeff takes the safe route in hiring someone he trusts on a personal level - general manager experience be damned.  Jeff ultimately employs someone who will let him meddle till his heart's content.

Nelson Doubleday never thought much of Jeff.  All these years later, we have a better understanding of why.  He's straight out of a textbook: nepotism, elitism, hubris, lack of practical experience, lack of leadership and interpersonal skills, certainly no self-awareness, lack of accountability and novice superintendence, not to mention his spoiled petulance to the very last insofar as closing out negotiations and final transfer of the team ... everything you'd expect from the owner's son.

"..little Pharaoh."

VI - THE RECORD (2003-2020)

Three Playoff Appearances: 2006, 2015-2016

• Eighteen seasons under Wilpon's ownership
• One National League pennant 
• Two N.L. East titles
• One Wild Card
• Seven winning seasons
• Eleven losing seasons
• Overall Record: 1,381-1,426 (.491) w/ six games left in 2020

VII - LEGACY LOST

Picture if you will ...

A Brooklyn kid and Dodgers fan grows up in the neighborhood of Bensonhurst.  He pitches a no-hitter for Lafayette High School.  Playing to his left is first baseman, Sandy Koufax.  This kid matures into a prominent real estate developer.  In 1980, he and partner Nelson Doubleday rescue Mets fans from the Dark Years.  Fans are thankful.  By 1986, the Mets are world champions, and for the rest of the decade, dominate the local baseball scene.  After capturing another pennant, Nelson Doubleday decides to retire.  Fred Wilpon assumes full ownership of the club.  Mets fans are again grateful and appreciative that their favorite baseball club remains a family-run organization and not owned by some cold corporate Death Star conglomerate.  Within a few years, the Mets are back in the playoffs and go on a wildly successful three-year run.  They recapture the heart of New York City and closeout Shea Stadium gloriously.  In 2009, the Wilpons open the doors to brand new Citi Field, a thoughtfully constructed monument to Mets baseball and its National League heritage.  Joan Payson, Gil Hodges, and Tom Seaver commemorative statues mark the third base, home plate, and first base exterior.  The interior rotunda is a grand museum dedicated to Mets baseball, with additional life-size commemorative statues of Casey Stengel and Willie Mays in his Mets uniform.  Other tasteful hints of the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field are easily detectable by the observant fan.  Once inside, one can cross the Shea Bridge and visit the New York City Negro Leagues Museum with prominent exhibits featuring Jackie Robinson and a host of others.  Fans give their new home a rave review, and the symbiotic relationship with ownership continues.  Happy fans keep packing Citi Field to the tune of 3.5 million per season.  None of which is lost on Fred and Jeff Wilpon, who continually reinvest into the club while driving down debt on Citi Field.  The Mets return to the World Series in 2015 and have since remained a top National League contender.  I was 13-years old when Fred and Nelson Doubleday originally purchased the club.  Forty years later and I'm now 53-years old.  I've been fortunate to be a fan of a well-run organization.  Moving forward, Jeff and the family are more than welcome to occupy the next forty years of my life.  After all, good owners are hard to come by.  Fred Wilpon has been a local hero to us; a Brooklyn kid does good.

As if ...

They do nothing of the kind. 

The Wilpons have impacted forty years of my life.  At this point, it's best if they just leave.

Story over.

Out With the Wilpons & In With the Steve Cohen Era on Another Metsian Podcast

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

with SAM, RICH and MIKE

ninety-minutes

Sterling Partners sign agreement with Steve Cohen. #Mets pic.twitter.com/ogzUcLFkeQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 14, 2020

Let The Celebration Begin!

N.Y. Mets: Introducing The Mets Hall of Pretty Damn Good

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

THE METS HALL OF PRETTY DAMN GOOD

On Sunday we had on the podcast author Brian Wright who has a new book out: THE NEW YORK METS ALL-TIME ALL-STARS, The Best Players At Each Position For The Amazin's

AMAZIN’ quarantined podcast brought 2 u by @BrianWright86! Breaking down his all time #Mets great is very emotional, but fantastic distraction to this surreality we currently live in. Thank U. @BTB_MikeII @Metfanrich LISTEN TO ARCHIVE NOW! https://t.co/US0E3Wjgwd #Mets #LGM @LFGM

— A Metsian Podcast with Sam, Rich and Mike (@AMetsianPodcast) March 16, 2020

Brian Wright selects 30 starting players and reserves, with 18 additional honorable mentions.  He also selects a manager, two coaches, a general manager, and owner.  It is with little hesitation that I say he nails it.  The book is a smooth read with not a single dead spot.  All his player selections receive their own narrative which took yours truly on a journey through many Metsian memories and joyous moments in time.  A very enjoyable read indeed.

What follows is my roster comprised of players not mentioned in Brian Wright's book.


PITCHERS

• R.A Dickey - Nolan Ryan - Craig Swan - Frank Viola - Al Jackson - Matt Harvey
• Ron Taylor - Skip Lockwood - Billy Wagner - Turk Wendell

CATCHERS

• Starter: Paul LoDuca
• Reserve: Mike Fitzgerald

FIRST BASE

• Starter: Lucas Duda
• Reserve: John Milner
• Reserve: Willie Montanez

SECOND BASE

• Starter: Ken Boswell
• Reserve: Jose Valentin
• Reserve: Doug Flynn

SHORTSTOP

• Starter: Asdrubal Cabrera
• Reserve: Rafael Santana

THIRD BASE

• Starter: Hubie Brooks
• Reserve: Lenny Randle
• Reserve Ray Knight

OUTFIELD

• Starters: Frank Thomas, Lance Johnson, Curtis Granderson
• Reserves: Cliff Floyd, Joel Youngblood, Tommy Davis

STARTING LINE-UP
 1) Lance Johnson
 2) Paul LoDuca
 3) Hubie Brooks
 4) Lucas Duda
 5) Frank Thomas
 6) Curtis Granderson
 7) Asdrubal Cabrera
 8) Ken Boswell
 SP) Matt Harvey


THE MANAGER

• Casey Stengel

COACHES

• First Base: Joe Torre
• Third Base: Willie Randolph
• Bench: Yogi Berra
• Pitching: Rube Walker

FRONT OFFICE

• Johnny Murphy, Joe McDonald, Bing Devine, Omar Minaya

OWNER

• Nelson Doubleday 

N.Y. Mets: Why Life After Sandy Alderson Terrifies Me

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

How To Make The Mets Great Again

New York Mets: We can't make the Wilpons sell the team.  So how about a compromise?

Want to know why the prospect of life after Sandy Alderson terrifies me?  For the same reason that life before Sandy Alderson once terrified me: The Wilpons are no better prepared today for running this organization than when they hired Sandy Alderson eight years ago.

Think about this: Fred Wilpon, nor Jeff Wilpon, have never once been forced to venture out into the unknown and secure a general manager of their own volition.

They tried, once.  But the matter in the end was settled for them.  Otherwise, all the footwork had already been taken care for them previously by Frank Cashen, Steve Phillips, and most recently by former commissioner Bud Selig.

I bring into question the last thirty years in support of my claim.

The late former co-owner of the Mets, Nelson Doubleday, by his own admission believed in hiring good baseball people and staying out of the way.

Fred Wilpon ... not so much.

Partner or no partner, Fred to varying degrees has always exercised managing control of the New York Mets.  A dismayed and betrayed Nelson Doubleday learned that the hard way.  Despite Wilpon and Saul Katz originally buying in as mere two percent owners, since day one and throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and through the 2002 season, Fred Wilpon served as team President (until his partnership with Doubleday reached its acrimonious end, after which he assumed the role of Chairman).  As such, Fred historically has been at the forefront of all matters concerning executive employment, specifically the team's various general managers.

Frank Cashen is easily still the greatest hire either owner ever made, and perhaps goes down as one of the few times Nelson and Fred ever agreed on anything.  Frankie Bow Tie served as general manager from 1980 through the 1991 season.  His job description was understated to say the least.  For he conducted business as the Mets grand mystic high exulted ruler of operations virtually unopposed throughout the 1980s.  Ownership essentially signed off on all things Cashen deemed fit.  Deservedly so as he was a supremely qualified baseball man who long ago proved his prowess as an executive.

With Cashen in place, reports of ownership meddling in baseball affairs were virtually non existent.  On the other hand, Cashen succeeded in transforming the Mets front office featuring Jerry Hunsicker, Joe McIlvaine, and Steve Phillips, that despite becoming the envy of the league, quickly earned a reputation for being notorious infighters (but that's neither here nor there).

By 1992 Cashen was getting up in years and so elevated himself for one season to the position of team COO (after which he continued in a consulting role).  Ponderously, he appointed Al Harazin (assistant general manager since 1986, and perhaps the least qualified of his executive choices) to succeed him as Mets general manager.

Insulted and disrespected, both Hunsicker and McIlvaine understandably flipped their respective lids and bolted from the organization with haste.  Hunsicker left to become general manager of the Houston Astros, and Joe McIlvaine likewise accepted the general manager's position at San Diego.  Only Steve Phillips (brought into the fold in 1990) stayed put.

Meanwhile, Al Harazin's two years as general manager were nothing short of terrible.  The 1993 season in particular goes down as one of the more embarrassing campaigns in all New York Mets history.  This two year episode can certainly be blamed on Frank Cashen.  Not coincidentally, though, this is when Fred Wilpon's tribulations begin.  Because by this juncture in Mets history Cashen is no longer serving as buffer between ownership and baseball operations.

Free to fill the void left behind by Cashen, Mr. Wilpon earnestly begins intervening in baseball affairs.  Acting on his own behalf, he turns to the only people with whom he had previously gained any sense of familiarity: Jerry Hunsicker and Joe McIlvaine.  The former rebuffed outright Wilpon's plea to return.  However, McIlvaine acquiesced and returned to Flushung.

Fast forward through the Generation K years, and Wilpon is growing increasingly perturbed with Joe Mac's many unscheduled and often lengthy scouting trips during which he would routinely fail to return Wilpon's calls in a timely manner ... if at all.  Wilpon ultimately makes Joe Mac's aloof and irreverent behavior an issue, and fires him midway through the 1997 season.

Fred Wilpon turns to the next familiar face.  An in-house hire, Steve Phillips is elevated to the position of general manager.  Phillips in turn is responsible for bringing into the fold both Omar Minaya and Jim Duquette.  But in 2002 Omar Minaya leaves to become general manager of the (then) Montreal Expos.

Steve Phillips earns his pink slip a year later.  Fred Wilpon not surprisingly turns to his lone remaining in-house option, elevating Jim Duquette (whom Wilpon would effectively dictate his day-to-day terms of employment to the point Duquette is literally rendered inconsequential as a team executive.  The freeze placed upon him coincides with Fred Wilpon's efforts towards securing financing for the construction of Citi Field).

By 2003-2004, Mr. Wilpon has seemingly exhausted all internal executive options left behind by Frank Cashen and Steve Phillips.  Or so we thought.  In a bind, Fred Wilpon dials up Omar Minaya begging for his return to Flushing just as he had once before with Joe McIlvaine.  And like McIlvaine, Minaya agreed.  However, in his haste to secure Minaya, Mr. Wilpon failed to relieve Jim Duquette of his duties in a timely and professional manner.  If nothing else, this made for a typically Metsian transition.

With this blog as my witness ... by 2009 and 2010 I began accusing the Mets of being a hopelessly inbred organization, completely bereft of an original idea.  Hardly a hasty conclusion considering for thirty years Fred Wilpon had limited his front office personnel to only those he was familiar with and knew well.  While Jerry Hunsicker goes down as the one that got away, Joe McIlvaine, Steve Phillips, Jim Duquette, and Omar Minaya were all either groomed by or recruited into the organization.  As front office resources, Fred Wilpon exhausted every last one.  As such, this blog began imploring the organization to finally venture off campus for sake of recruiting someone not previously tethered to the Wilpons.

When circumstances turned against Omar Minaya, the future of the organization further terrified me.  I believed then as I do now, the Wilpons do not possess the requisite, acquired, or even applied experience, nor the industry intellect to identify, recruit, and ably secure a learned and aptly qualified baseball executive.

To reiterate, my reason is because they've never before been forced out of their comfort zone where it concerns employing general managers.  Much to my dismay, I was right.  Upon Minaya's dismissal, ownership first sought consultation within the industry before initiating a (farcical) search for a new general manager.  Multiple candidates were interviewed (including in-house executive John Ricco).  Well into the process, however, Fred and Jeff were no closer to hiring a replacement than they were on day one (Jeff Wilpon is now team COO and in control of front office operations, whereas previously and right up until Omar Minaya's hiring this was formerly Fred's domain).

Enter commissioner Bud Selig.  He suddenly makes Sandy Alderson available who at the time was conducting MLB operations in Dominican Republic.  For ownership, a veritable stroke of luck.  Upon Selig's not so subtle insistence, they hire Sandy Alderson Johnny-on-the-spot thus ending their general manager search post haste.  So truth be told, it is purely by default that Jeff Wilpon makes his first general managerial hire.

Fast forward again, and we've now arrived at a point where Sandy Alderson either faces getting fired, or retires on his own terms.

The objective observer might view John Ricco as a natural candidate for general manager considering his time and experience within the organization's front office.  Perhaps best known for performing damage control in 2010 during Omar Minaya's colossal media meltdown, John Ricco not only survived Minaya, but seems as if he may outlast Sandy Alderson as well.

I on the other hand view John Ricco as a worst possible scenario.  He's been tethered to the Mets for at least a decade.  He is too familiar with ownership, and them with him.  He strikes me as just another potential yes man as I refuse to believe Ricco would be granted full autonomy.  J.P. Ricciardi is also still on board.  But I was never impressed with his body of work as GM of the Toronto Blue Jays.  In either scenario, the club would be reverting back to in-house candidates, further inbreeding of the executive pool, and once again insulating the organization from foreign and/or innovative thought.  Re-hiring Omar Minaya would be no different.

Nelson Doubleday warned fans of this looming mismanagement ...

Fairly or unfairly, Jeff Wilpon has long been accused of being a micro-meddler.  The local tabloids are littered with such scuttlebutt.  How many times through the years have you heard the Wilpons trying to maintain a collegial style front office operation?  Isn't that corporate code for meddling?  We know his father is still actively meddling when it was disclosed he sheltered Terry Collins knowing Sandy Alderson wanted him fired.  How more many times have both Jeff and Fred made baseball decisions for the wrong reasons by putting issues of money, attendance, and public perception, ahead of actual winning?  When an organization is run by a reactive (dare I say impetuous) COO, be sure meddling will be order of the day.

We can't make the Wilpons sell the team.  But there is a way of removing their fingerprints from baseball operations.  A strict chain of command has become necessary.  Hire a learned and independent minded President of Baseball Operations.  In the age of general managers basking in the spotlight, I realize employing a Team President seems somewhat archaic.  I understand teams just do not operate that way anymore.  But in this particular case, a buffer between ownership and baseball ops is just what the Wilpons and Mets fans need if they are to continue forward in an agreeable manner towards reestablishing this public trust.

A Team President of Baseball Operations must be someone the Wilpons can trust unconditionally with keeping their best interests front and center at all times, and above all having said interests satisfactorily met.  But ownership must then be willing to completely separate themselves from baseball operations.

In turn, the President of Baseball Operations oversees the entire operation.  He/she hires a general manager and makes sure he/she stays on the straight and narrow, adhering to team objectives, and making sure organizational resources are allocated in the most effective way possible, all the while ensuring the primary focus remains on the agreed upon mission (handed down by the President of Baseball Operations).

The general manager then sets forth on the Team President's mission, and reports directly back to same.  The President then occassionally reports back and assures the owners their interests are still being met.  In this system owners do not speak directly with the general manager where it concerns baseball matters.  In return, the President of Baseball Operations is left to decipher ownership's nonsense before acting upon, and disseminating pertinent information.

All that being said, I believe it's time the Mets instituted a disciplined chain of command.

Sandy Alderson's record is a matter for another discussion.  But as it relates to this narrative, he is likewise tethered.  And this is precisely the organizational condition which must change.

N.Y. Mets: Year Sixteen After Doubleday

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

The AGE of WILPONianism

METS YEAR 0016 A.D.

(AFTER DOUBLEDAY)

New York Mets: Blame SON of PON For Setting My Mood.

It's that time of year again.

The equipment truck has been unloaded; pitchers and catchers have arrived; and the Wilpons still own the Mets.

Despite being one of the winter's busier teams, COO Jeff Wilpon nevertheless made finances an issue again this off-season when he informed media and fans of the club's intention to shave $20 million dollars from this year's opening day payroll.

Son of PON offered no particular reason why; offered no particular insight into the team's plan; and quite frankly, said nothing worth my while other than they're trying to spend less money more wisely.

Therefore, I'm going to make their finances an issue as well.  Because fifteen years have passed since Fred Wilpon's acrimonious divorce from Nelson Doubleday, and where has it gotten us?

In order to answer that, we must rewind this saga back to its genesis.

After the passing of club matriarch Joan Whitney Payson, her widow Charles Shipman Payson (and daughter Linda de Roulet) eventually put the Mets up for sale.  Ed Kranepool led a group of investors and submitted a bid which was rebuffed.  According to SABR, Kranepool says that after making a presentation to Linda de Roulet, "... she put together her friends, her social group, and they (Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday) bought the ball club."

It was Fred Wilpon who initially convinced his brother-in-law and Sterling Equities partner Saul Katz into submitting a $21.1 million dollar bid.  According to a 2011 article in the New Yorker, Wilpon and Katz put up a mere $650,000 each, thus requiring investors still willing to sign on despite knowing control of the team would ultimately be vested in Wilpon's hands.  

Jeffrey Toobin of New Yorker magazine continues with John Pickett, then owner of the New York Islanders, informing Fred Wilpon that Nelson Doubleday's publishing company was interested in financing the rest of the bid.  According to a 2015 article in the New York Times, Nelson Doubleday (through Doubleday and Company) put up eighty percent of the purchase price, a record at the time for a baseball franchise.  It's partners were the City Investing Corp, and Fred Wilpon.

With Nelson Doubleday in the midst of selling his family business in 1986 to Bartelsmann, the New York Times wrote it was possible that he and Fred Wilpon would not have become 50-50 partners if Doubleday had been aware of a clause in their original agreement which gave Wilpon the right of first refusal on any sale of the team.  Doubleday, Wilpon and Saul Katz, would ultimately resolve the matter by becoming equal partners in purchasing the Mets from Doubleday and Company for $85 million dollars (and an agreement to assume $25 million dollars in team liabilities).

The issue of Fred Wilpon's right of refusal resurfaced six years later.  A 1992 New York Times article reported on Doubleday's veiled threat to sell his half of the Mets after a majority of MLB owners voted in favor of ousting then commissioner Fay Vincent.  At the time, the team's valuation was estimated between $180 million to more than $200 million dollars.  Doubleday said at the time he would not be putting his half stake in the Mets on the market, but would instead be offering it to Fred Wilpon.

The two never did get along very well - if at all - and they disagreed over a great many things.  Most famously, Nelson Doubleday felt it business wise to extend Mike Piazza's contract, whereas Fred Wilpon did not.  On the flip side, Fred Wilpon wanted to build a new ballpark.  However, Nelson Doubleday knew they couldn't afford it, preferring instead to renovate Shea Stadium.  Their differences and overall business relationship had become irreconcilable, and by 2002 Doubleday decided he wanted out.

That led to their most infamous disagreement, as the two engaged in a contentious court battle over the team's fair market valuation.  Nelson Doubleday believed the team should have been appraised for $500 million dollars, but was forced to accept a $391 million valuation established by a previously agreed upon independent appraiser, Robert Starkey.  As a net result, a furious Nelson Doubleday was forced to settle for $135 million after debt, with a promise for upwards of $40 million more if the Mets moved into a new stadium.

On the way out, Nelson Doubleday took some rather harsh parting shots at his former partner, going so far as predicting Fred Wilpon would "... run the Mets into the ground."  He also likened Jeff Wilpon to a little pharaoh, and scoffed at the notion of the boss' son learning how to become a baseball man.

Looking back, much of what ensued does indeed make Mets fans young and old shake their collective head, oft times in bewilderment, sometimes even in shame.  I speak for myself when saying along with Mr. Doubleday so went ownership's better baseball acumen, this team's authoritative check and balance, the front office's operational conviction, and above all else, there went the organization's Mets-centric sensibilities.

Nelson Doubleday may have said some things in anger, but it's more likely he knew things most of us did not.

For instance, in 2015 the New York Times wrote Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz used their accounts with Bernie Madoff to persuade lenders into refinancing certain loans thus allowing them to buy-out Nelson Doubleday, according to the lawsuit filed against the Mets owners by the trustee for the victims of Madoff's fraud.

In a separate 2011 article, former Mets general manager Frank Cashen acknowledged to the New York Times it was his understanding that several million dollars of his deferred compensation had been invested with Mr. Madoff.

This suggests Madoff was a stranger to no one and had long remained at the forefront of Fred Wilpon's financial operations right up until Dec. 8, 2008, when the greatest investment ponzi-scheme in American history was revealed.

There's no need rehashing all the financial minutia as it relates to Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz in the aftermath of the Madoff implosion.  They already simplified the details for us.  In the summer of 2015, Fred and Saul refinanced $700 million in remaining team and SNY debt.  According to the New York Post Sterling Equities owns 60 percent of SNY, and 60 percent of the Mets.  The five year loans against separate entities carry lower interest rates and tie the maturity dates together.  We are now inside year three of their continuing debt repayment schedule.

However, they were initially forced into selling limited minority shares of the team in order to survive and even get to that point.  We know Anthony Scamarucci, Bill Maher, and Steve Cohen are just some of the new silent, minority owners.  All told, the Mets reportedly raised $240 million from the sale of twelve minority shares according to a report in Newsday, with some shares purchased by SNY, and some privately purchased by Fred and Jeff Wilpon, and Saul Katz themselves.

It was also around this time Ed Kranepool and team COO Jeff Wilpon crossed paths at a team dinner.  Kranepool said to Jeff, "I hear you're selling shares in your team" according to the New York Times.  Kranepool immediately followed-up, "I don't want shares.  I want to buy the whole team so I can run it better than you and your father."

EDDIE!!   EDDIE!!   EDDIE!!

Fast-forward, and Fred Wilpon is upset with the cross-town Yankees over their off-season acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton.  He says their business model is unsustainable.  Hal Steinbrenner continues operating as if it is.

Why is it Fred Wilpon has no problem purchasing the (AAA) Syracuse franchise; has the want and wherewithal for developing the chop shops across the street from Citi Field; and tried involving himself in the Belmont Park project approved for the New York Islanders; yet has stated numerous times that in order for the Mets to increase spending, fans must attend more games and spend their money first?

To that I say gratitude is a two-way street.

Baseball Reference says Mets attendance for the years between 2012 through 2014 averaged 2,175,756 fans per season.  Between 2015 and 2017, they averaged 2,606,659 fans per season which translates into an average of 430,903 more money spenders per season.

Is it coincidence, then, that in 2003 the Mets finished in last place with a 66-95 record, then ordered Jim Duquette to freeze spending, only to finish in fourth place fifteen years later with a 70-92 record, and hand general manager Sandy Alderson a reduced budget over the winter?  Outside of Omar Minaya's ability to extract money from the Wilpons, the evidence suggests this is standard operating procedure.

Sure they recently signed Todd Frazier.  But it was the least they could do considering their recent increases at the gate.  Heaven forbid we expect more.

In the fifteen years between 2003 and 2017, the Mets compiled a sub par 1,194-1,235 (.491) record.  Over that time, they've posted only six winning seasons, won a Wild Card, captured two division flags, and clinched one National League pennant.  They've also posted nine losing seasons (including six in a row).  They won a single-season high 97 games in 2006, and in 2003 won a single-season low 66 games.

We are now 5,523 days and counting into what I call the AGE of WILPON.

I don't know about you, but I'm convinced ...

The Nelson Doubleday prophecy is fulfilled.

Podcast Episode #3: N.Y. Mets Off-Season Marches On

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

A
METSIAN

Podcast
with Sam, Rich, and Mike

EPISODE #3
Featured Guest:
Gary Mack of MetsMusings.com 
 
A quiet off-season is making the Mets look busy by comparison.
More ranting about the Wilpons; What's the plan at second base?
Look back at the 2003 season; Players who've worn #3 in Mets history.
Curtis Granderson appreciation, and a bunch of other stuff ...

NYM: Grande Dame of the Metropolitans

Here's my latest for 

RisingApple.com

Happy Birthday to N.Y. Mets Co-Founder, 

Mrs. Joan Whitney Payson

Episode #107 - That Boulder Rolling Down Hill has a Mets Logo on it

Here's our latest podcast at 

RisingApple.com

Sam wanted a rant, so I gave him one, or two.

Sam, the Converted Met Fan, hosted, I offered my two cents, 

and John from Metstradamus.com was our featured guest.

Topics:

The passings of Darryl Hamilton and Nelson Doubleday...

Wilpon rants, Stephan Marbury? more Wilpon rants, Sandy Alderson rants...

Does NYC foster chaos and dysfunction?  Promises promises, and fan backlash,

Wilmer Flores, Dillon Gee, Michael Cuddyer, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo.

Mets players who've worn #7, the 2007 season, a President, 

What if the Mets had moved to Brooklyn?  Wait Till Next Year, and more.

Episode #107 - The Rising Apple Report: A Mets Logo Boulder Rolling Down The Hill

Mike

N.Y. Mets: Nelson Doubleday Restored NYC's National League Tradition

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Nelson Doubleday Jr.

1933-2015

Owner: 

New York Mets

1980-2002

NEW YORK METS: Nelson Doubleday Jr. Helped Restore New York City's National League Baseball Crown.

One of the very few, and very best owners of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club passed away at his home in N.Y. Wednesday at age 81 of pneumonia.

Nelson Doubleday used his family's publishing empire to form Doubleday and Company with the purpose of purchasing the Mets from the late Mrs. Joan Payson's estate.  Nelson put up 80% of the $21.1 million to purchase the Mets.

He was a hands-off type, but his presence resonated throughout the organization.

The club enjoyed their greatest prosperity while Mr. Doubleday presided.  He took over a perennially last place club in 1980, and hired Frank Cashen as general manager whom turned them into a 90-win club by the 1984 season.

By 1986 the Mets were World Series champions, and in 1988 won their second division title in three years.  They returned to the playoffs in 1999, and won the National League championship in 2000.

His relationship with Fred Wilpon grew to a 50/50 partnership, then deteriorated, and ultimately dissolved by the end of 2002.  After 22-years as co-owner of the Mets, Nelson Doubleday sold his half share in the team to his former partner.

Nelson Doubleday was instrumental in initially acquiring catcher Mike Piazza, then retaining him with a strong financial commitment.  Doubleday was also in favor of renovating Shea Stadium over Fred Wilpon's preference to build Citi Field.

I personally started my teenage years in 1980, and so Nelson Doubleday was somewhat of a savior.   The team was obviously mired in a very bad condition, and quite incapable of reorganizing after the passing away of Mrs. Joan Payson.

Under Nelson Doubleday, National League baseball once again ruled New York City.



Mike

Roosevelt Avenue Preview: The Saul B. Katz Dilemma 2014

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Welcome To Season Twelve Of

THE SAUL B. KATZ DILEMMA

For some, this is a refresher.  For my learned followers, bear with me.  For the unknowing, here's the definition of terms:

In 1980, Doubleday Publishing purchased the Mets for $20.1 million.  In 1986, Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon, in turn, purchased the Mets for $86 million from Doubleday and Company.  Initially a mere 1% investor, Fred Wilpon's share in the team grew to 50%, while the relationship and partnership simultaneously deteriorated.  By August 2002, Fred Wilpon agreed to pay Nelson Doubleday $135 million for his half of the team.  By year's end, the sale was complete.  Fred Wilpon, and family, then assumed full ownership of the New York Mets Baseball Club, ushering in, what this blog has dubbed:

The AGE of

WILPONianism

Today Marks Day 4,088 On The Wilponic Calander,

In The Year 12 A.D. (After Doubleday)

In order to facilitate the transaction, Fred was required to cut Nelson Doubleday a check, up front, for $100 million dollars, with the balance to be paid over several years.  It was on the heels of that check, ownership sought financing for Citi Field.  The Madoff scandal was then revealed, and threatened to obliterate the whole operation, and theoretically, still does.  The Mets never achieved their predicted attendance figures promised to the banks, and instead, have hemorrhaged money for the last five seasons, and piled up even more crippling debt, on top of their Citi Field financial commitments.

Enter Saul B. Katz, who has known nothing but misfortune since teaming up with Fred and Jeff.  He doesn't speak to the press, so you do not know what he's thinking, or what he's like.  He's a mysterious figure to Mets fans.  So, what good mystery man doesn't need a good saga to perpetuate his myth?  Therefore, this entire twilight zone existence Saul married into, this condition, is what this blog dubs, his Dilemma.

I liken it to money getting stuck on fly paper.  Uncle Saul has seen his shares in the team devalued, due to a 25% reduction in overall ownership, since distributed to other various $20 million dollar share investors. Whether he is an accomplice, or a victim of the whole Mets mess, matters not to me.  I just feel sorry for him...., and us.

Why do all this?  Well, for entertainment purposes only.  I assure you.  But also because, on his way out of Shea Stadium's offices for the final time, Nelson Doubleday prophesied Fred Wilpon and his son would run the New York Mets into the ground.  We are now twelve years into the deconstruction.

To begin the new year, the Mets dodged a $250 million dollar note due in June.  That money has been refinanced over the next seven years, but the club still owes SNY $600 million due in 2015, and I just do not know how they are going to pull that one off.

In the very near term, the Mets now need to come up with $120 million a year just to keep up on their loan refinancing and the debt on Citi Field.  They have a projected rounded off 2014 payroll of $90 million, which raises their immediate need for cash to $210 million.  Last year, the club only generated $230 million in revenues.  So, how exactly are they going to save enough to pay off over half a billion dollars next year?

Thus, the Saul B. Katz Dilemma continues.....

The Mets are 868-913 during the Age of WILPONianism, averaging a 78-83 yearly record over the last eleven seasons.  During that time, the Mets have posted a winning record four times, and a sub-.500 record seven times.  They've exceeded 90 losses three times, and achieved over 90 victories only once.  They have posted a losing record in each of the last five years.  In the last eleven years, they have participated in the post-season once.

Fred Wilpon's team is on its fourth field manager, third general manager, and second ball park.  On that note, attendance has gone down in each of Citi Field's first five seasons.

The upcoming 2014 season was the one when things were to begin changing for the better.  Mets minor league prospects are on the rise, the team could potentially post a .500 record, attendance might go up, and ownership might break even, or, actually turn a profit for the first time in years.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.  So, again, welcome to year twelve.




Mike.BTB

N.Y.Mets ~ Doctors Swing and Miss Again

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  3,487 Days of the Same Old Stuff, and Counting.



Eh..., What's Up Doc?  No really.  What's up?  Why is another Met injury being RE-EVALUATED?  And why does this cycle continue?



In the name of Dr. Moreau, will someone please explain to me how I can get a medical degree before Opening Day, so I can help the Mets with their ongoing health care problems myself?  Instead of just complaining about it, as you see, I'm willing to take a more active role in my favorite team.  It's not like I can do any worse.  The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone - Learn how to open child safety caps - and have a good billing clerk.  How hard can it be?  To think, these doctors go through over a decade of school to learn their craft.  Did we get the stoners of the class?



If the Mets haven't been getting their medical issues so wrong, for so long, I wouldn't have to say things like:

Welcome to Day Three Thousand Eight Hundred Seven of

The AGE of WILPONianism.

On August 24, 2002 - Fred Wilpon secured Nelson Doubleday's 50% stake in the team.  We've been shackled in the grip of WILPONianism ever since.

One of the hallmarks in this era of ponderous futility has come via the Mets' history of repeated medical misdiagnoses, questionable practices and policies, and in-fighting over treatment.  Even more problematic than those issues, has been the great deal of indecision on the part of team doctors.  A word of caution - That's if we take things at face value.

When you're the owner, you're going to get Wilpon this and Wilpon that.  So being he's nothing more than a pinata to us right now, let's get to talking about how this Medical Staff has now baffled not one General Manager; not two General Managers; but THREE General Managers under the Wilpons.

In the case of Jim Duquette, there is no case for Jim Duquette.  Fred Wilpon never allowed him to act like a General Manager.  What Fred said in those days was law.  That went for injuries, insurance, cortisone shots, and band-aids as well.  In the case of Omar Minaya, in the earlier years of his reign, no one was interested in mocking his command of the English language.  But towards the end, I believe the Media perhaps enjoyed cornering Omar Minaya into tongue-twisting situations that demanded explanations, such as the constant flow of controversy surrounding the Mets' on-going ailments, injuries, and continuing mishandling of them all.  The Media caught Omar off guard with Beltran-Gate and made him pay a severe price for it, as if relishing in the moment.

Over the last two seasons, the Medical Staff has even succeeded in making Sandy Alderson; a vastly intelligent, and very well spoken person; sound like a babbling fool.  At times, even he is at a loss for words when he has to change stories on a near daily basis and is forced to backtrack on previous player diagnoses.

For us Fans, this is old hat.  For Sandy Alderson, he's now a victim of the Machine too.

Why is David Wright going back to New York now? - Now being the key word.  And why can't these guys ever figure things out the first time around?  That said, last season, rumors floated about contract issues and insurance policies influencing some of the Mets' recent decisions.  I don't know what the problem is and rumors are just that, - rumors.  But if it's not the owner; if it's not the General Managers; and it's not a case of malingering players; what could possibly be the problem?  These are supposed to be renown doctors.  What are we supposed to think?

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Johnny Franco "Did Us Proud"

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:   Neighborhood Guy Elected to Mets' Hall of Fame.


He did the neighborhood proud.  It's no secret John Franco is from Brooklyn; more specifically Bensonhurst; which happens to be my neighborhood.  Lee Mazzilli's too.  He graduated from nearby Lafayette High School, as did the Mets' embattled owner Fred Wilpon and Dodger great Sandy Koufax - among others.  This week, John Franco was the fifteenth player elected into the Mets Hall of Fame.  We're always so proud when another local kid did us good.


I was fortunate to come across Johnny three times in the normal course of my life.  The first time came in the Staten Island Mall while simply doing some toy shopping.  Then two more times I just happened to run into him here on 86th Street in Brooklyn.  That's one thing about John Franco - he always stayed home in the city and was always very cool to the public.  Stories about his affability abound, whether through encounters like mine when ever he pops back into the 'hood, or catching him at a Cyclones' game, or from his fellow Staten Islanders.  He always remained a NYC guy.


Is he a legit candidate for Baseball's Hall of Fame?  I doubt it.  Although, there are arguments to be made on his behalf.  Being fourth All-Time in Saves and second All-Time when he retired should count for something I guess.  He's additionally the All-Time Saves Leader for Lefties.  My one knock on him would be that he doesn't have over 1,000 strikeouts (975) for over 1,200 innings pitched.


Were the Mets wrong to trade Randy Myers for John Franco?  After all, Randy Myers went on to lead the League in Saves three times after the trade.  In his career, John Franco led the League three times as well, but only twice for the Mets.  Franco wasn't as dominant as Myers turned out to be.  Then again he was never a power pitcher.  He was a lot cooler though with a slick slider.  Both pitchers' relative effectiveness came to an end at basically the same time; somewhere around the 1998 season or so.  But were the Mets wrong in hindsight?  Nah.  Johnny Franco was a great Met and an equally good leader on the team.  Captains have never played much of a role in Flushing.  That's something I can easily do without and so I don't get caught up with it.  However, that doesn't take away from the fact John Franco was a fine one none the less.


But is John Franco a New York Met Hall of Famer?  Yeah!  Absolutely.  It was great watching him celebrate the Mets 2000 National League Championship.  And back in 1990, he and Darryl Strawberry almost willed us to another division title under Buddy Harrelson.  Yes, Franco is deserving.  He was emblematic of a decade of Met Baseball.

*     *     *     *

This always starts the "Who Belongs To Be In" debate.  If John Franco is in, then shouldn't Jesse Orosco get elected as well?  His work between 1983 and 1985 goes largely under spoken.  What most remember is 1986 and his glove being flung up in the air in triumph.  Back in 1983, he started receiving League wide recognition winning Pitcher of the Week honors as the Mets began turning things around.

Are there any more candidates for the Mets' Hall of Fame?  Certainly.  But no one stands out as an absolute no-doubter.  There are however, very very strong arguments for several players.  Ron Darling, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Lee Mazzilli, strike me as three strong candidates for future consideration.

Mike Piazza is a given and just a matter of time.  His number will probably be the next to be retired by the Mets as well.  But no talk of retiring numbers however should take place without mentioning Jerry Koosman.  What the Mets are waiting for is beyond most fans.  Retiring any player's number before retiring #36 is an insult to this Franchise's history.

In light of the sad and latest turn in Gary Carter's health, there will be growing sentiment to retire his number too.  And personally, in a similar sentiment since his passing away, I'd like to see Tug McGraw's #45 retired.  I know I'm on an island with that one.

*     *     *     *

While we're at it, this is a great time for a light Honorable Mention List:

CATCHER:    "The Dude" John Stearns!  -  Todd Hundley  -  I thought Mike Fitzgerald was a fine receiver.

FIRST BASE:   John "The Hammer" Milner!  -  John Olerud  -  Donn Clendenon  -  Eddie Murray, a personal favorite player of mine  -  insert Dave Kingman here.

SECOND BASE:   Ron Hunt, of course  -  Wally Backman  -  Felix Millan!  -  Gold Glover Doug Flynn  -  Fonzie  -  Do we have to put Jeff Kent on this list?

SHORTSTOP:   Yes, Jose can be on the list.  -  Rafael Santana was slick and had 65 RBI from the 8th spot!  -  Frank Tavares.

THIRD BASE:   Hubie Brooks!  -  Wayne Garrett  -  Lenny Randall anyone? -  Hojo  -  Robin Ventura  -  Ray Knight.

LEFT FIELD:   Cliff Floydd  -  Bernard Gilkey  -  Joel Youngblood, Man I liked him!

CENTER FIELD:   Lance Johnson now moves ahead of Lenny Dykstra because Lenny is proving to be such a mess.  Yes, Carlos Beltran makes the cut too.

RIGHT FIELD:   Doesn't anyone stand out?  Or is it just too early in the morning for me to think of someone.  Xavier Nady; we hardly knew ya.

STARTING PITCHERS:   I know there's a great divide to include Nolan Ryan into these lists.  -    Gary Gentry  -  Sid Fernandez  -  Craig Swan  -  David Cone  -  How can we not include Ed Lynch?

RELIEF PITCHERS:   Skip Lockwood was my guy!  -  Niel Allen  -  Roger McDowell.

MANAGER:   Frank Howard deserves a good mention  -  Bobby Valentine too  -  Yogi Berra.

COACHES:   Rube Walker  -  Joe Pignatano  -  Bob Gibson  -  Frank Robinson.

COACH/EXECUTIVES WHO GOT AWAY:   Jerry Hunsicker  -  Whitey Herzog.

OWNERS:   Nelson Doubleday - Buy us back...!  Please?

Let's Go Mets

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Are We There Yet?

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

The NEW YORK METROPOLITAN BBC - A.D.

.111

What does this percentage mean to you?

NEW YORK METS:  Tragic Numbers and Prophecy.   ...And How Exactly Do You Run Into The Ground?


The Mets have hit their Tragic Number.  No playoffs for you!  And for Fred, no September chock-full-o-meaningful games for him neither.  The Mets beat themselves and won the right to go home in a timely manner at the conclusion of the season.  But the above percentage isn't about clinching a confirmation in your in-box regarding the 2011 playoffs.  The above percentage represents something much more tragic; if you will.



That percentage my friend, is the rate at which the Mets have participated in the playoffs since the 2003 season; the first year of the burgeoning SAUL B. KATZ DILEMMA; or, if I must; - the first year of sole ownership under the Wilpons.


Met Year Nine A.D. (After Doubleday) has ended in yet another season of not making the playoffs.  In the Age of WILPONianism, that makes eight out of nine years without a New York National League representative in the post-season.


I predicted them to finish .500 this season.  I'm still hoping that works out.  But I, along with many of my fellow Mets Fans, didn't have any real expectations of playing in October this season.  Did you?  If you did, I don't mean to speak for you.  But I do question your Earthiness.


For me personally, there are two ways to handle our Mets achieving their Tragic Number this season.


One tact is to take our players and situation for what it is at face value and support them for being a gamely bunch; results aside.  The fact is, in order to be fair to the new GM, this season and these players are part of turning the page.  So at least we've initiated that much.  And I like them.  Sure, these are mostly Omar's Kids; but "that" isn't for now.  The point I'm trying to make is..., anger and frustration would very much be in order if Omar were still here and if this was two years ago.  But with the change in GM's, so too should the slack be loosened by us; the hanging judges; for progress sake; and not be too hard on these guys in their present condition and constitution (minus a few select veterans).


So, I'm cool with the way the season is winding down.  I'm not necessarily happy struggling to get back to .500, but I am contented with the new direction Sandy Alderson will be taking us.  Things aren't clearly visible to us right now.  There's a lot of foundation work that needs to get done first.  But I'm cool.  Change takes time; even knowing next season may be more of the same.

Then secondly, I look at our present situation in the broader scope of our Ownership's record over the last nine years.  It's been abysmal; one playoff appearance in nine years.  And with every intention of beating a dead horse; I love to remind us Met Fans, that on his way out the door Nelson Doubleday predicted Fred Wilpon and "Pharaoh" Jeff would run our beloved Mets "...Into The Ground."

Are we there yet?  Did it happen already?  Are we...in the ground?  Is this the Doubleday version of Allegory of the Cave?  When exactly do we get to say Fred ran this team into the ground?  When it folds?  There's a line of demarcation somewhere.  Did the line get washed away by Hurricane Irene?
What constitutes being...In The Ground?


Since 2003, the Wilpons are on their fourth General Manager and fifth field manager.  That stinks of instability.  From 2003 through 2010 the Mets have posted a 643-652 record.  After today's loss, and sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals, the Mets record this season is now 71-79.  When you do the math, their nearly complete nine year winning percentage smells like hot garbage too.  The numbers don't lie.  Fred and Jeff Wilpon will end their ninth year as the sole dudes in charge under the .500 level.  And if in fact the Mets finish this season below the .500 level, it will be the fifth time they've played beneath the par-level and officially make it a feat they'd have performed more often than not.


None of this should reflect on Sandy Alderson and the job he has ahead of him...yet.  In jettisoning some unwanted players and unloading contracts for prospects; he's done quite well so far.  The state of the Mets and the players presently on the field are largely his inheritance.


But questioning the prophecy seems like a timely thing to do.  Is...Did...or Have Fred and Jeff Wilpon finally run this team into the ground like Nelson Doubleday bitterly predicted back when their partnership dissolved in 2002/2003?


Does near financial ruin qualify?  Madoff?  Or is the potential safety net of finding interested piece-meal buyers enough to keep the Wilpons out of the proverbial "ground"? 




Don't forget this; Doubleday wanted to renovate Shea Stadium.  Fred always pushed for a new park.  It was Doubleday's opinion they couldn't afford a new park (then).  Just saying.  But does giving us Ebbets Field Deluxe; originally minus the Mets' Hall of Fame or any indication our team played there; qualify as one of the biggest disconnects between Fred and the Fan Base?  Then include his debt on the park and how it sky-rocketed our ticket prices.  Does that qualify?  Maybe not so much because hey..., we got a new park.  But every circumstance about Citi proved ruinous for him and to a large extent, us.


Does a sub .500 record and an often times absurd decision making process over a nine year period qualify?  Does making headlines more for the wrong reasons than the right or good reasons qualify?  Did the lack of a coherent Standard Operating Procedure which crippled the organization after all the years of Wilpon's self-described "collegial system" ...qualify? 


Sure, Sandy Alderson is here to change that part.  But is he changing-up; shaking-up; or salvaging something that Fred Wilpon ultimately "Ran Into The Ground"?


I know plenty of us are ready to answer that question, post-haste.  At the same time, it's an open book still being written.  We are certain of this much; not many things have gone their way since the S.S. Wilpon set sail on it's own.  She's taking on water.  But she ain't down yet.


Add this as another commemorative hash-tag on the sleeve of the SAUL B. KATZ DILEMMA.




Mike.BTB