NEW YORK RANGERS: The 7th and 8th Playoff Spot Is Drawing A Crowd. And Now The DEVILS Decided They Are Going To Matter.
There was the most recent losing streak that tested our mettle. And after every loss during said streak, I wanted to get a little carried away with myself while I was still in the moment and filled with frustration. But because the outcomes lately have been more of the stymied type losses than a lack of effort problem, who could get too crazy about it? So I rode it out; waited and exercised patience (I think) over those games. Then the streak hit six straight losses. The most recent game against the Penguins and going down 2-0 very quickly became something I was bound to erupt over. Then Coach Torts called that early time-out and restored calm and order to the Blueshirt Universe, if for a game.
The Rangers, as you know, composed themselves and won the game scoring five goals there-after. What was more promising than just roaring back, they scored a few times on the Power Play; the weakest aspect of their game. This game against the Penguins also reinforces why we can't turn our backs on them. They work too hard for us not to respect what they've done so far. We know who they are as presently constituted. We are pretty much defined as a team now. What this team lacks is more a matter to be taken up with Glen Sather. But the group of gentlemen we have skating presently are a bunch a fine, hard working guys. We are basically a collection of 2nd and 3rd line players who can not afford to have even a single player take a shift-off mentally or physically, much less whole forward-lines, and even worse, for entire periods.
We are still waiting for Marian Gaborik's stick to ignite, but on the other hand, who envisioned Brian Boyle scoring this many goals for us. So, some of the things we are concerned about in some cases can be washed by another aspect of our game. I'm still doing cartwheels we were able to unload Rozsival, but the truth is Del Zotto's fast-tracked, forced development has been somewhat of a liability to us as well. That situation itself turns out to be a wash also, but when Wojtek Wolski is then considered, the present set up is preferable to the situation prior to the deal. Chris Drury was getting limited time, and the truth is, besides his limited effectiveness, the forward lines were starting to get a little crowded once Callahan, Dubinsky, and Prospal began returning from injury. So with his injury and the injury to Frolov, there-in are two more situations that washed themselves out. Ruslan Fedotenko is a very solid and useful player. But he doesn't stick out amongst the crowd and therefore, we can afford to be without him for now. But it will ultimately be nice to get him back.
There's no denying the losing streak coincided with returning players like Prospal and a continued decline in Drury's game. That's why I was so against disrupting what the new infusion of kids worked so hard to achieve through a-lot of youthful spirit and gumption; and that meant keeping the Rangers a very viable, and competitive playoff contenting team. The call-ups along with Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle are as big a reason as any for the success we achieved right up until we lost six in a row. But in that streak, we saw a dip in Boyle's and Prust's minutes and more erratic handling of Sean Avery didn't we? So, I'm not about to start shaking the pom-poms yet. Knowing who we are works both ways. That win against the Penguins came against a team minus Sid The Slew and Malkin, and additionally coming on the heals of Pittsburgh's brawl with the Islanders, which no doubt took a toll on the team and also resulted in suspensions.
But I remind...again; We all knew we'd be in a toe-to-toe fight for the 8th or 7th playoff spot when we started prognosticating back in October. Knowing that, and coming back against PITT the way we did, should be a reminder to us, that the ride towards April is going to be a bumpy, rough and tumble trip into warmer weather time.
The six game losing streak was our worst in quite a few years. The losses haven't proved to be malignant yet, but they went a long way towards decreasing our buoyancy in the playoffs standings. We were once in 6th place. Carolina went from being a distant 10th (even 11th at one point) to being right up our behinds with 60 points against our 62 points, as we sit in 7th place and they in 8th. Now that Carolina has fit themselves inside the Bracket of Eight, I don't think they're leaving. The next team on the outside looking in is Atlanta with 60 points and they will not be going away however falling out of the top eight just recently. Buffalo has risen like the Phoenix from their early October and November ashes to regroup and come on strong. Over the years, Buffalo's teams are authors of some of the most stampede-like late season surges, and some of the most intense first round play-off series I've ever watched. They just took a 10-round shoot-out victory over Montreal and gained their 60th point tonight (Tues.). They have four wins in their last five games.
Then, the New Jersey Devils, under Jacques LeMaire are now currently the hottest team in hockey and are coming on furiously. They now have 48 points and sit a distant 13th in the Eastern standings. But you do the math. That is the most precarious and dangerously flimsy 12 point difference (between NYR and NJD) in all of hockey. If the Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres or worst case, the Devils, gain a playoff spot come April, it will surely and pathetically come at out expense. The suddenly re-dedicated Devils are currently causing all kinds of Hell on Ice. Under Jacques LeMaire their horns and pointed tails have become rededicated to the art of winning games again. If you take into account how abysmal their goal scoring was to start the season; so bad in fact it got John MacLean fired...; the fact they have surged to the tune of 120 goals scored now is a remarkable feat from where they were. They've always had the weapons. Coach Lemaire has his team well adjusted now.
This battle for a playoff spot is going is going to be played-out in old fashioned trenches.. Teams will be dug-in and the front lines for 7th and 8th place will face-off within 30 to 100 yards of heavily mined, open fields between each other. He who gains two feet forward in a day is a huge winner. Us, Buffalo, Carolina, Atlanta, and eventually the Devils will fight for two points of supremacy on a given night between now and April.
The trade-deadline is still looming. Philadelphia made a reinforcement trade. And it seems more and more the Maple Leafs could be sellers. There's players there the Rangers can use that just might agree with our Cap situation. The growing question is what will, or what can Glen Sather do. And the bigger question is where are the Rangers priorities right now? Do they side with continued development of the young players and not being disruptive with them; letting them play and grow together? Or do they make a move for this season and give away a kid or two in exchange for what I hope won't be another Sather disaster. Simply, we need a forward who can score goals, and a defenseman who can protect the ice in front of Henrik and lay the down the smack'th. But are you from the Torts' school of thought when he says we're building for the future? Or, are you wanting Glen Sather to go out and do something, anything, because that's what he does, and what we're accustomed to when it comes to Sather.
I know what I want. I just don't want to say it out loud.
All I know is we better button-up our chinstraps and bear-down. We're in for a hell of a fight in trying to hold on to what we have.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
N.Y. ISLANDERS ~ Fights; News; Developments; and a Thumbs-Up
New York ISLANDERS: Long Island's Team Not Only Fighting For Respect; But Also For Their Survival.
First of all, Mario Lemieux needs to shut-up. If he doesn't like the League that made him rich and a Legend, let him do his re-thinking and get out. He's been complaining ever since he came into the League and has never stopped. It's no wonder Sidney Crosby is the same way because Sid The Slew still lives in Mario's house (I believe).
Super Mario didn't seem to have a problem playing with one of the most dirtiest players at the time in Ulf Samuelsson. And, he currently employs arguably the dirtiest player in the League today in Matt Cooke. So who is he kidding?
It's really a strain for me to tell you which team I hate more; the Penguins or the Islanders. It would have to be the Penguins right now. But what I can say with delight is, Good for the Islanders! Let this game and the players police themselves. RULES only guarantee the first infraction is always a free shot. Let the players operate under their Player's Code. Hockey has always been that way. It wasn't like Mike Milbury went into the crowd and bashed someone with a shoe...now is it?
The Islanders are a young team and I admire the spunk. But they are an organization that still has an uncertain future ahead.
I came across this great article that ties together franchise rights and team shifts within the NYC area regarding the NBA, MLB and how Brooklyn's Barclays Center and a proposed relocation of the Islanders fits into the local equation. Mikhail Prokhorov, The Dolans, Franchise tax responsibilities are among other topics covered in this article. If you're a local sports fan, it's a great read.
FROM: http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/
TITLE: SPORTS TERRITORIAL RIGHTS PUT NEWARK, BROOKLYN AND
THE N.Y. ISLANDERS AT A DISADVANTAGE.
AUTHOR: Evan Weiner
LINK:
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/professional/sports-territorial-rights-put-newark-brooklyn-and-the-ny-islanders-at-a-disadvantage
Mike.BTB
First of all, Mario Lemieux needs to shut-up. If he doesn't like the League that made him rich and a Legend, let him do his re-thinking and get out. He's been complaining ever since he came into the League and has never stopped. It's no wonder Sidney Crosby is the same way because Sid The Slew still lives in Mario's house (I believe).
Super Mario didn't seem to have a problem playing with one of the most dirtiest players at the time in Ulf Samuelsson. And, he currently employs arguably the dirtiest player in the League today in Matt Cooke. So who is he kidding?
It's really a strain for me to tell you which team I hate more; the Penguins or the Islanders. It would have to be the Penguins right now. But what I can say with delight is, Good for the Islanders! Let this game and the players police themselves. RULES only guarantee the first infraction is always a free shot. Let the players operate under their Player's Code. Hockey has always been that way. It wasn't like Mike Milbury went into the crowd and bashed someone with a shoe...now is it?
The Islanders are a young team and I admire the spunk. But they are an organization that still has an uncertain future ahead.
I came across this great article that ties together franchise rights and team shifts within the NYC area regarding the NBA, MLB and how Brooklyn's Barclays Center and a proposed relocation of the Islanders fits into the local equation. Mikhail Prokhorov, The Dolans, Franchise tax responsibilities are among other topics covered in this article. If you're a local sports fan, it's a great read.
FROM: http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/
TITLE: SPORTS TERRITORIAL RIGHTS PUT NEWARK, BROOKLYN AND
THE N.Y. ISLANDERS AT A DISADVANTAGE.
AUTHOR: Evan Weiner
LINK:
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/professional/sports-territorial-rights-put-newark-brooklyn-and-the-ny-islanders-at-a-disadvantage
Mike.BTB
N.Y.YANKEES ~ JOBA Who?
Pitchers; and Catchers; and Cashman...Oh My!
NEW YORK YANKEES: JOBA'less Chamberlain?
If I'm Joba Chamberlain, I'm retiring from the Yankees today, hiring a lawyer tomorrow and suing the pants off the Yankees the next day for "Decimation of Career".
Why in Hilltop Park would Brian Cashman want to come out and publicly say Joba may not even have a job with the club this season? With everything concerning Brian Cashman lately, you have to take him with a grain of salt regarding the manner with which he strings his words together during his Post-George reign.
If Joba's status is on thin ice, it's because the Yankees broke him due to their lack of skill at procuring home-grown pitching. Since George Steinbrenner purchased the team, there have literally only been a handful of starting pitchers raised through the Yankees' farm who've achieved anything worth speaking of in a Yankee uniform. Those names are Ron Guidry; Dave Righetti; Andy Pettitte.... I will be kind and include Chien-Ming Wang. BUT That's It! I defy you to name two more! Right up until the much-hyped Big Three came up together; Joba; Hughes; and Kennedy, that's all the Yankees Farm ever supplied for the team's use on their mound. In thirty seven years, that's an abysmal history of pitching development.
The fact is, historically, they have never had much use for rookies and prospects during the Old Boss Era (outside of all the work Stick Michael and Buck Showalter put in). Doug Drabek and Jose Rijo are just two youngsters the Yankees traded away along with many more young position players who went on to have very substantial careers elsewhere. The Yankees never had to procure minor league arms because their plan was always to buy someone else's starting pitching star. Don't be fooled by any self-declared youth movements, development, and Farm System Ratings. The signing of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett and their pursuit of Cliff Lee reaffirms the fact they'd rather just pay the money for a ready made pitcher.
So once the Yankees finally thought they had a trio of promising pitchers, they very unwisely in my opinion, started calling them up in 2007. Joba Chamberlain in particular, was now pitching in the major leagues after only throwing 88 innings in the minor leagues! In calling up their baby arms, they imposed all kinds of unconventional pitch counts and innings limits. Isn't that what the minor leagues are for; to let these guys pitch and develop? Phil Hughes benefited from more innings pitched at the minor level that Joba did and the differences in their effectiveness bear that out. With somewhere near 300 innings pitched in the minors, Phil Hughes is obviously a more accomplished pitcher and more learned of his craft than Joba at this point. What the Yankees did to Chamberlain was plain irresponsible. He's been toyed with like a Yo-Yo since day number one. And it now seems he's gone from the Joba Rules...To a Joba Ruse...To just being plain ol' JOBA REFUSE.
If you're asking me, the Yankees lack of a standard philosophy on how to develop pitching was all too apparent. Evidence of a feeble plan lay everywhere. So then, like little spoiled-rotten kids, the Yankees opened up all their new presents before Christmas, and when the day to actually open presents came around, what the Yankees had on their hands were three already broken toys. All three pitchers wound up hurt and thrown on the DL under the Yankee Plan.
The Joba Rules as well as the Hughes Rules were absurd in theory and application. Like I said earlier...Isn't that what the minor leagues are for?
Joba Chamberlain showed so much ability coming out of the bullpen when he was first called-up and filled the 8th inning role marvelously and in dominating fashion. He was immediately dubbed Mariano Rivera's eventual successor. What followed was a complete mismanagement and mishandling of Joba Chamberlain. His effectiveness, his role, his health, his velocity and now his very viability are teetering on insignificance. A once very promising career appears for the moment to have been torpedoed by the Yankees, and it sounds like Cashen wants no part of the blame.
How did it get to this? The Yankee mismanagement of Joba is culprit number one. From the Bullpen to starting, to ridiculous pitch counts and three inning starts and a bug-battle with midges; it all culminated with an arm injury suffered in Texas from which he hasn't seemed recovered from yet and was maybe precipitated by a very erratic work schedule.
Now, adding insult to his short career, the Yankees signed former Tampa Bay closer, Rafael Soriano and follow that with a comment hinting Joba's time in Pinstripes is now uncertain at best.
It was a JOBA RUSE all along!
I was always on the side of him being in the bullpen. When he showed how much of a force he was in that role, it made me recall how it was the Yankees themselves who unwittingly created the 8th inning set-up man so commonly utilized in Baseball today.
Ron Davis is widely regarded as the first (un)official Set-Up Man. He was a force in his own right setting up for Goose Gossage. By being so effective, Ron Davis pretty much created the role. But even before Ron Davis, the Yankees created an uncomfortable bullpen situation when Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle was relegated to the eighth inning when the Bombers originally signed Goose.
It was the Yankees who always used the 7th; 8th; 9th inning roles to their fullest advantage. After Ron Davis opened up eyes to a successful formula, the Yankees had a failed starter who was sent to the bullpen to become John Wetteland's eighth inning man. Mariano Rivera dominated the eighth inning like Ron Davis once did. Then Gene Nelson and Mike Stanton filled those roles behind Mo's 9th inning shut-downs. Recalling all that, I always thought Joba Chamberlain was a natural for the role and could dominate it like Ron Davis and Mo did once before.
If you also remember, when Goose Gossage hurt his arm and went on the DL (one of those years; 1980 maybe..) Ron Guidry volunteered to go into the bullpen and close games because he said; paraphrasing all these years later... - "I can help this team more by coming out of the bullpen three or four times a week, than I can pitching once every five days." If Ron Guidry recognized the importance pitching plays at the end of a game, that's good enough for me.
That's why I always thought Joba should stay in the bullpen. But now it appears, according to Cashman, he's just trying to remain relevant enough to stay on the team. While I think the chances of the Opening Day roster not having Joba's name on it are very slim to doubtful, you still can not hide the fact that Joba has become a mere after-thought in Yankee plans.
The blame for the complete mishandling, mis-application, and mismanagement of Joba Chamberlain and his current state of ineffectiveness and/or relevance today falls solely on the lap of Brian Cashman. Cashman literally had no patience to let Joba stay in the minor leagues and let him learn his craft there; 88 innings...that's all he had.
That's not gross mis-handling. I think it's negligent. Any lawyers out there? What are the chances of suing your GM for ruining your career?
Supposedly there are many high-end prospects within the Yankees system at AA and the AAA levels as we speak. Warn Them! Tell Them Beware. Because, if the Yankees aren't cutting a check for some other team's star pitcher, they have proven they have no idea what they're doing with young kids. Where is the proof otherwise?
After Guidry; Rags; Andy; Wang (to be fair), and now Hughes (still to be determined)..... Where is the proof they know what they are doing? Joba; Hughes; Kennedy; All Hurt. Two are now near feeble and one so far seems up to pushing a rock up the hill.
Four credible starting pitchers in 37 years is hardly a record of proficiency.
What they did to Joba is pathetic. Sorry, it's the truth. Not wanting to hear it is another matter.
Mike.BTB
Monday, February 14, 2011
N.Y. METS ~ Beltran: Never Easy Saying Good-Bye
FROM: Head-Butting Mr. Met
NEW YORK METS ~ CARLOS BELTRAN;
The Divorce Papers Are Signed. But How And When Will The Good-Bye Happen?
How do we say good-bye to a player that never wanted to be here in the first place?
After-all, he did go back to the Yankees and offer his services to them for less money than the Mets did while doing so with our offer in hand. Then he wondered why he got boo'ed by fans right out of the gate and as he struggled that first year. We found out he was sensitive to the jeers and that it took him a little while to come to grips with it. An unfortunate outfield collision with Mike Cameron took away important "bonding time" between him and the fans. But he played through all that and became a player of impact for this team. However, the lasting image of Beltran will be of him getting frozen on a curveball to end the 2006 NLCS. That still leaves a bitter taste in many fan's mouths. And quite frankly, no one has ever let him forget it. And it's unfortunate as he likewise, always held the early booing against us.
What came next was a series of media stoked, locker-room finger pointing games, Latino-phobia, injuries, miscommunication with the Front Office and surgery; all while having both him and the Front Office growing wearisome of each other.
Here's the other side to that.
He's one of the few Free-Agents as they go, who came here upon signing a huge contract and lived up to or exceeded his career averages, and in fact had his career year in a Mets uniform. So I'm inclined to say we got our money's worth out of Carlos Beltran while the window of opportunity was open for us and him. He was clearly one of the best center-fielders in Baseball. The money on him is now spent and should not be considered money wasted by us; not when he still has one more year to go in the Orange and Blue and can redeem himself from the previous two seasons. For as long as Aaron Heilman and 10 other reasons exist, blame can never be fully placed on Beltran for 2006.
When our starting players started falling apart like wet toilet paper and the Club was forced to call-up and rely on it's Minor Leagues these last two seasons, Angel Pagan also seized on an opportunity and took advantage of regular playing time and not only stayed healthy for a change, but also flourished. The end result is Carlos Beltran would eventually return to a team he was now suddenly out of place on. The fan base, in our minds, had already transitioned our minds towards a future without Beltran and invested more of our attention into our up-and-comers.
And now in this, the last year of his deal, his contract is looked upon by new management (and the fans) as an albatross (along with the contracts of Ollie Perez and Luis Castillo, although he is hardly at their level of Fan disgust).
Heading into this last season together, the wrangling over who should start in center field this season; Beltran or Pagan, has been going on for a while already. Beltran should start there (even though I am one of those who has moved on from him, but I still must be practical about it). Pagan is comfortable in the corner (RF) positions. If we get the good Beltran we can reasonably expect this far removed and recovered from knee surgery, he should be a good ball player; if not very good. That's a good thing...yes?
If he should slump, slouch, slack or just plain suck, that opens up an opportunity for Lucas Duda, because theoretically, Terry Collins doesn't have an attachment to this group of players......Yes?
There's a problem if we are in close contention of first place or a Wild Card spot as the trade deadline nears. Keep him or trade him; what do we do? I say trade him whatever our standing come July. I'd like to get something for him; whatever that may be. But, I wouldn't have a problem letting him finish out his contract in a Met uniform and getting a compensatory draft pick in return (once he declines arbitration that is) once he signs elsewhere...because we know he won't be resigning here.
His relationship with the fans was always a little contentious..(just a little), and more-so with the Media. But Beltran's conflict with the Club stemmed over a series of back and forth opinions regarding his knee. Then Beltran apparently went and had surgery on the knee without allegedly receiving clearance from the Club. That turned out to be another in a series of Media Nightmares lived out by the Front Office and signalled the signing of the divorce papers was eminent. Now, it's only a matter of time before the final separation between the N.Y. Mets, Carlos Beltran, and Us takes place.
He'll go down as one of the best players ever to wear a Met uniform, but I don't think he will leave New York with a lingering sentiment of endearment for his services. I think the ultimate good-bye will be an ambivalent one. I think the Organization, Carlos Beltran and us the Fans all share a sense of being incomplete as the 7th and our final year together officially marks the beginning of the end.
Who was he to us? Was he a Tommy Agee; Lee Mazzilli? Was he a Mookie Wilson; Lenny Dykstra type guy for us? - Lance Johnson (did you like him as much as I did?); Jay Payton; Cameron? ...Del Unser?
The fact Carlos Beltran's stats blow away any of the former Met center fielder's away and is still probably only third or fourth on many Mets' Fans Favorites Lists, speaks for itself ..(that also depends how old you are..). My All-Time Favorite is AGEE; second would be Dykstra. Beltran is clearly better than both those players.
So how exactly will this good-bye take place? Will he last the season then just walk away? If he does last the season, there inevitably will be that game at the end of the season when the home crowd will get a chance to give him a respectful good-bye. But will they? Or, will he be ushered out the same way he came in...being Booed? There's a-lot of apathy Beltran has always had to deal with and it begs the question, don't ya think?
He was an odd cat for us to try and figure out. He never did seem comfortable playing here..or maybe he just didn't do well with the Media. If he gets traded mid-season, that just may turn out to be the best way to say good-bye for everyone. He may perhaps escape having to get grilled one last time by the NY Media until they catch up with him down the way. And as for us and the fan reaction, who knows what we'd have done as he headed towards the door. We booed Beltran and Santana on the way in.
The rest is for us to think about till Opening Day and it's his turn in the line-up.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK METS ~ CARLOS BELTRAN;
The Divorce Papers Are Signed. But How And When Will The Good-Bye Happen?
How do we say good-bye to a player that never wanted to be here in the first place?
After-all, he did go back to the Yankees and offer his services to them for less money than the Mets did while doing so with our offer in hand. Then he wondered why he got boo'ed by fans right out of the gate and as he struggled that first year. We found out he was sensitive to the jeers and that it took him a little while to come to grips with it. An unfortunate outfield collision with Mike Cameron took away important "bonding time" between him and the fans. But he played through all that and became a player of impact for this team. However, the lasting image of Beltran will be of him getting frozen on a curveball to end the 2006 NLCS. That still leaves a bitter taste in many fan's mouths. And quite frankly, no one has ever let him forget it. And it's unfortunate as he likewise, always held the early booing against us.
What came next was a series of media stoked, locker-room finger pointing games, Latino-phobia, injuries, miscommunication with the Front Office and surgery; all while having both him and the Front Office growing wearisome of each other.
Here's the other side to that.
He's one of the few Free-Agents as they go, who came here upon signing a huge contract and lived up to or exceeded his career averages, and in fact had his career year in a Mets uniform. So I'm inclined to say we got our money's worth out of Carlos Beltran while the window of opportunity was open for us and him. He was clearly one of the best center-fielders in Baseball. The money on him is now spent and should not be considered money wasted by us; not when he still has one more year to go in the Orange and Blue and can redeem himself from the previous two seasons. For as long as Aaron Heilman and 10 other reasons exist, blame can never be fully placed on Beltran for 2006.
When our starting players started falling apart like wet toilet paper and the Club was forced to call-up and rely on it's Minor Leagues these last two seasons, Angel Pagan also seized on an opportunity and took advantage of regular playing time and not only stayed healthy for a change, but also flourished. The end result is Carlos Beltran would eventually return to a team he was now suddenly out of place on. The fan base, in our minds, had already transitioned our minds towards a future without Beltran and invested more of our attention into our up-and-comers.
And now in this, the last year of his deal, his contract is looked upon by new management (and the fans) as an albatross (along with the contracts of Ollie Perez and Luis Castillo, although he is hardly at their level of Fan disgust).
Heading into this last season together, the wrangling over who should start in center field this season; Beltran or Pagan, has been going on for a while already. Beltran should start there (even though I am one of those who has moved on from him, but I still must be practical about it). Pagan is comfortable in the corner (RF) positions. If we get the good Beltran we can reasonably expect this far removed and recovered from knee surgery, he should be a good ball player; if not very good. That's a good thing...yes?
If he should slump, slouch, slack or just plain suck, that opens up an opportunity for Lucas Duda, because theoretically, Terry Collins doesn't have an attachment to this group of players......Yes?
There's a problem if we are in close contention of first place or a Wild Card spot as the trade deadline nears. Keep him or trade him; what do we do? I say trade him whatever our standing come July. I'd like to get something for him; whatever that may be. But, I wouldn't have a problem letting him finish out his contract in a Met uniform and getting a compensatory draft pick in return (once he declines arbitration that is) once he signs elsewhere...because we know he won't be resigning here.
His relationship with the fans was always a little contentious..(just a little), and more-so with the Media. But Beltran's conflict with the Club stemmed over a series of back and forth opinions regarding his knee. Then Beltran apparently went and had surgery on the knee without allegedly receiving clearance from the Club. That turned out to be another in a series of Media Nightmares lived out by the Front Office and signalled the signing of the divorce papers was eminent. Now, it's only a matter of time before the final separation between the N.Y. Mets, Carlos Beltran, and Us takes place.
He'll go down as one of the best players ever to wear a Met uniform, but I don't think he will leave New York with a lingering sentiment of endearment for his services. I think the ultimate good-bye will be an ambivalent one. I think the Organization, Carlos Beltran and us the Fans all share a sense of being incomplete as the 7th and our final year together officially marks the beginning of the end.
Who was he to us? Was he a Tommy Agee; Lee Mazzilli? Was he a Mookie Wilson; Lenny Dykstra type guy for us? - Lance Johnson (did you like him as much as I did?); Jay Payton; Cameron? ...Del Unser?
The fact Carlos Beltran's stats blow away any of the former Met center fielder's away and is still probably only third or fourth on many Mets' Fans Favorites Lists, speaks for itself ..(that also depends how old you are..). My All-Time Favorite is AGEE; second would be Dykstra. Beltran is clearly better than both those players.
So how exactly will this good-bye take place? Will he last the season then just walk away? If he does last the season, there inevitably will be that game at the end of the season when the home crowd will get a chance to give him a respectful good-bye. But will they? Or, will he be ushered out the same way he came in...being Booed? There's a-lot of apathy Beltran has always had to deal with and it begs the question, don't ya think?
He was an odd cat for us to try and figure out. He never did seem comfortable playing here..or maybe he just didn't do well with the Media. If he gets traded mid-season, that just may turn out to be the best way to say good-bye for everyone. He may perhaps escape having to get grilled one last time by the NY Media until they catch up with him down the way. And as for us and the fan reaction, who knows what we'd have done as he headed towards the door. We booed Beltran and Santana on the way in.
The rest is for us to think about till Opening Day and it's his turn in the line-up.
Mike.BTB
Saturday, February 12, 2011
KNICKS vs. NETS ~ Tonight Newark; Tomorrow Brooklyn!
N.J. ~ BKN NETS: Barclays Center Updates.
NEW YORK KNICKS: I really think Fans and
Radio-Hosts need to start getting a grip!
The drama I'm hearing over Donnie Walsh's contract extension is utter nonsense!
Let's be clear, the New York Knicks are in the best hands they've been in since Dave Checketts was calling shots around here. And to say, if Donnie Walsh doesn't secure Carmelo Anthony in a trade, his job should be in jeopardy? That's preposterous! But that's what I've been hearing on the radio lately.
The plan was not to clear out Salary Cap Space AND sign LeBron James is if were written in stone. The plan was to clear out Salary Cap room first and foremost for the sake of flexibility and having an opportunity to sign a free agent or two. The fact LeBron James was available this past summer coincided perfectly with our plan to create said cap room. Our new found Cap relief was never intended to sign LeBron James per-say, but his availability heightened every-one's want to secure his services. The Cap "clear-out" needed to happen regardless. LJ or no LJ, the plan was to gain Cap relief; Period. And not to mention, this is really all old news!
Why bring it up?
Because, if Donnie Walsh doesn't get a trade for 'Melo done his tenure here should be questioned and perhaps his contract should not get extended, effectively ending his time in his current capacity? Are you kidding me?
I don't want to go off on a Dolan and Zeke rant......but really? Are you kidding me? Isiah Thomas had how long around here, and we are now actually calling for Donnie Walsh's job all of a sudden after he's assembled a team that has played better this season than it has in any of the last eight? Are we really calling Donnie Walsh's work here a failure if he doesn't get 'Melo? Really?
I'll tell you what; I'm going to ignore all that talk I heard this last week because it's some of the most absurd stuff I've heard come out of fans' and radio-talkies' mouths since someone said Zeke was doing a good job.
I'll tell you what else, the way everyone tripped and flopped all over each other, hoping we would sign LeBron was embarrassing! That's right; I said it. And when the smoke cleared upon his signing with Miami, that behavior of ours became topic one; about how much of a frenzy everyone worked themselves into and how the reaction and chase was unlike anything we've seen around here before.
Well, some of you are doing it all over again! Yea, I'd like 'Melo in a Knick uniform just like the rest of us. But I'm against looking and acting desperate to get him. There! I said that too. Of course we need him. But can we just relax ourselves please?!
Is this what the anxiety of a .500 record does to us now?
I'll tell you what anxiety is going to be. Anxiety is the spectre of Isiah Thomas returning to this organization.
And anxiety will be the Knick fans here in Brooklyn who are looking-on with squinted-eyes as to how James Dolan handles Donnie Walsh's job status.
NEW YORK KNICKS: I really think Fans and
Radio-Hosts need to start getting a grip!
The drama I'm hearing over Donnie Walsh's contract extension is utter nonsense!
Let's be clear, the New York Knicks are in the best hands they've been in since Dave Checketts was calling shots around here. And to say, if Donnie Walsh doesn't secure Carmelo Anthony in a trade, his job should be in jeopardy? That's preposterous! But that's what I've been hearing on the radio lately.
The plan was not to clear out Salary Cap Space AND sign LeBron James is if were written in stone. The plan was to clear out Salary Cap room first and foremost for the sake of flexibility and having an opportunity to sign a free agent or two. The fact LeBron James was available this past summer coincided perfectly with our plan to create said cap room. Our new found Cap relief was never intended to sign LeBron James per-say, but his availability heightened every-one's want to secure his services. The Cap "clear-out" needed to happen regardless. LJ or no LJ, the plan was to gain Cap relief; Period. And not to mention, this is really all old news!
Why bring it up?
Because, if Donnie Walsh doesn't get a trade for 'Melo done his tenure here should be questioned and perhaps his contract should not get extended, effectively ending his time in his current capacity? Are you kidding me?
I don't want to go off on a Dolan and Zeke rant......but really? Are you kidding me? Isiah Thomas had how long around here, and we are now actually calling for Donnie Walsh's job all of a sudden after he's assembled a team that has played better this season than it has in any of the last eight? Are we really calling Donnie Walsh's work here a failure if he doesn't get 'Melo? Really?
I'll tell you what; I'm going to ignore all that talk I heard this last week because it's some of the most absurd stuff I've heard come out of fans' and radio-talkies' mouths since someone said Zeke was doing a good job.
I'll tell you what else, the way everyone tripped and flopped all over each other, hoping we would sign LeBron was embarrassing! That's right; I said it. And when the smoke cleared upon his signing with Miami, that behavior of ours became topic one; about how much of a frenzy everyone worked themselves into and how the reaction and chase was unlike anything we've seen around here before.
Well, some of you are doing it all over again! Yea, I'd like 'Melo in a Knick uniform just like the rest of us. But I'm against looking and acting desperate to get him. There! I said that too. Of course we need him. But can we just relax ourselves please?!
Is this what the anxiety of a .500 record does to us now?
I'll tell you what anxiety is going to be. Anxiety is the spectre of Isiah Thomas returning to this organization.
And anxiety will be the Knick fans here in Brooklyn who are looking-on with squinted-eyes as to how James Dolan handles Donnie Walsh's job status.
This arena will be operational with an NBA team in it sooner than later.
If Jason Kidd would like, I can take him for a spin by the REALITY being erected on
Atlantic Avenue as we speak (in reference to his "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude).
Picture as of Saturday; February 12, 2011
Sixth Avenue View with Atlantic Avenue at right.
But getting back to Anxiety? Mr. Dolan, hasn't seen anything yet. If he let's Zeke resume control of this organization, every-time his Knickerbockers come to Brooklyn, he's going to have to deal with all the former-Knick Fans on this side of the river who've had their fill of Zeke and Dolan both, and now root for the home-town team.
With every I-Beam put in place, the talk about the NETS coming is picking up "out here" in the Borough.
With every I-Beam put in place, the talk about the NETS coming is picking up "out here" in the Borough.
The Nets will already be gaining a fan in me. The bigger question is will Dolan lose one...or more? Does he understand the magnitude of the situation? A lot of talk out here amongst us Knick fans in the "Borough" sounds similar to what I just expressed. If a possible..., even remote chance of Zeke returning to the Garden coincides with the home-coming of the Nets to Brooklyn, then James Dolan and his Knicks will have a much larger problem on their hands than just Carmelo Anthony and how much of the farm we're willing to give for him.
BARCLAYS CENTER
BROOKLYN
KNICKS: YOU ~ US ~ WE ~ NOW...and Where? Is the Battle of the Billboards Over?
NETS: More Pictures From Barclays Center Construction Site.
TONIGHT
TONIGHT
New York Knicks
vs.
New Jersey Nets
Prudential Center
NEWARK
Mike.BTB
Friday, February 11, 2011
N.Y. RANGERS ~ The Battle For A Playoff Spot Has Begun
So Chris Drury is pretty much done huh? Bye!
Does this mean Sean Avery will officially get the least amount of ice time now that Drury and Derek (what ever happened to) Boogaard officially won't? Does anyone even know where Derek Boogaard is anymore?
So who gets the "C" now?! That's the $7 million dollar question isn't it?
Watch Torts give it to Prospal. I just know it! WHY do I sense that?
GRrrrrr!
Let's do this one more time: Give the C to either Marc Staal or Ryan Callahan. Then Dubinsky is the A along with whoever isn't Captain.
Remember what I said about Carolina? Well it's coming true. They just leapfrogged Atlanta. And we're next! And you know what I'm going to say next right? G'head..take a second and guess.
If we don't get our game together, the Devils are going to keep winning and beat us out for the 8th playoff spot. How miserable would that be? I know you feel it too. Don't lie to yourself like I'm trying to do.
By the way...Congratulations to Jacques LeMaire on his 600th NHL win as a Head Coach!!
But as far as the Rangers moving forward? Gaborik doesn't seem like he's going to start scoring in bunches for us ever again. So I don't know how we are going to score. I don't know who's going to score. I don't know if we'll ever score on a Power Play again. I just don't know right now.
Back in October, we all knew more or less, we'd be battling for the 7th or 8th playoff spot.
So here we are; in the heat of the battle I guess. Fight on Boys... in-spite of the zany ways Coach Torts doles out ice-time. You can start tonight with a win over Atlanta. And hey, we're pretty good on the road right? It's at home we can't win a damn game.
...And that was my cranky Pre-Game: Here's to hoping they don't get me mad. I'm going to wait and see how tonight's game plays out first, before I apply some actual coherent thought to this. (All I know is Avery better get AT LEAST 17 minutes tonight).
Game Time is T-minus 15 minutes. Better lace-em up tight Boys!
Does this mean Sean Avery will officially get the least amount of ice time now that Drury and Derek (what ever happened to) Boogaard officially won't? Does anyone even know where Derek Boogaard is anymore?
So who gets the "C" now?! That's the $7 million dollar question isn't it?
Watch Torts give it to Prospal. I just know it! WHY do I sense that?
GRrrrrr!
Let's do this one more time: Give the C to either Marc Staal or Ryan Callahan. Then Dubinsky is the A along with whoever isn't Captain.
Remember what I said about Carolina? Well it's coming true. They just leapfrogged Atlanta. And we're next! And you know what I'm going to say next right? G'head..take a second and guess.
If we don't get our game together, the Devils are going to keep winning and beat us out for the 8th playoff spot. How miserable would that be? I know you feel it too. Don't lie to yourself like I'm trying to do.
By the way...Congratulations to Jacques LeMaire on his 600th NHL win as a Head Coach!!
But as far as the Rangers moving forward? Gaborik doesn't seem like he's going to start scoring in bunches for us ever again. So I don't know how we are going to score. I don't know who's going to score. I don't know if we'll ever score on a Power Play again. I just don't know right now.
Back in October, we all knew more or less, we'd be battling for the 7th or 8th playoff spot.
So here we are; in the heat of the battle I guess. Fight on Boys... in-spite of the zany ways Coach Torts doles out ice-time. You can start tonight with a win over Atlanta. And hey, we're pretty good on the road right? It's at home we can't win a damn game.
...And that was my cranky Pre-Game: Here's to hoping they don't get me mad. I'm going to wait and see how tonight's game plays out first, before I apply some actual coherent thought to this. (All I know is Avery better get AT LEAST 17 minutes tonight).
Game Time is T-minus 15 minutes. Better lace-em up tight Boys!
TONIGHT
NEW YORK RANGERS
vs.
Atlanta Thrashers
..somewhere down in Georgia
Let's Go Rangers!
Mike.BTB
Thursday, February 10, 2011
N.Y. METS ~ Sell or Stay; Fred Wilpon - PART II
FROM THE DESK OF ~ HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
Read PART ONE Here; The Case To Sell The Team
NEW YORK METS: Fred Wilpon; Sink or Swim?
PART TWO
A Case for Fred Wilpon to Keep the Team Under His Control:
Building a case from a Fan's perspective on whether Fred Wilpon should fight to retain Sole or Controlling Interest in the New York Mets is no doubt based more on sentimentality than actual results and success achieved over the last 30 years because there is only the one Championship to speak-of. But it is a Championship none-the-less and we are grateful for it...right?
Let's try and be fair with Fred and skim over the whole body of work.
We did manage to extend the seasons of 1986 and 1988; 1999 and 2000; and most recently 2006. That averages out to a playoff appearance every six years. It is fair for Met Fans to expect more than that for 30 years worth of work; Sure. But the pattern of playoff appearances does identify three distinct periods where the Mets managed to recreate themselves into a contender. Met Fans most of all, should know once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen whether you're Tommy Agee, Lenny Dykstra, Jay Payton or Carlos Beltran. That goes for winning as well as for losing.
But the big question is ~ Have the responsibilities of Ownership been met?
The 1990 season represented the end of the 80's and the end of an Era for us. Moving forward, Ownership opened up the wallet and allowed the GM to spend quite freely. We know 1991-1993 turned out to be unmitigated disasters in every respect as Al Harazin took the check-book and purchased a genuine MESS. So, Ownership then agreed on a very prudent decision to bring back Joe McIlvaine as GM and rebuild the organization from within again. All (most) Met Fans were in accordance with this plan (leave some..I guess). Generation-K and the "Burnitz" Boppers Project failed just like the previous spending spree did. But this process was worth pursuing none-the-less. We all knew it then. It was a needed course of action and we still know it now in hindsight. And besides, one of my all-time favorites comes from this era; Todd Hundley. But I digress.
To this point, the Ownership still proved to be flexible, capable, and acted with a level of pro-activeness. The organization was still vibrant. But the times changed. So Ownership moved on to a new plan with Steve Phillips. They remained ever agreeable dollar wise, signing off on some big trades trades and then free agents like Robin Ventura while incurring huge increases in payroll. They were Owners of a contender again and still in possession of a fertile Farm System that would yield Wright, Reyes and Kazmir in the future.
I'm trying to set this up fairly for Mr. Wilpon, so let's see if we can agree that before his Sole Ownership, while Mr. Wilpon was still a partner, he and Mr. Doubleday somehow managed to keep warm blood running through the arteries and veins of METropolis all while sometimes having to make tough decisions in the process.
*There was The Early Years ~ the lead-in; the farming.
*The Glory Years ~ '84-'90
*Years of Transition; For three years they ALL lost their way.
*The Second Rebuilding ~ Was a necessary and prudent plan.
*The Return to Contention Years ~ The Piazza Era; We got close.
*The Ensuing Down Period and the End of the Doubleday Era and his partnership with the Wilpons.
That's 22 years and there's nothing about that body of work that should cause Met Fans to go hunting down Ownership with pitchforks and torches; not when there are so many more worse-run organizations than ours. I know that means little to most of us, but every organization makes it's share of mistakes and the Mets made theirs along the way too. A New Ownership will no doubt make theirs also. But the time between Davey Johnson, the attempt to rebuild, and then Bobby Valentine, is a fair amount of time for an organization to regroup and re-emerge with a new cast, while allowing for a few disappointments along the way. Our Ownership, as it still pertains to the Partnership, more than anything always relied on the strength of their General Managers. But both partners, although much more in favor of stability, have never been shy about making a change when change was warranted.
On the other side of the year 2000, we know how fast it all fell apart. So let's just fast forward to 2003 when Steve Phillips, Bobby Valentine, and Nelson Doubleday are all finally out of the picture and it's just Us and the Wilpons with a last place club. Isn't the sole ownership of the Wilpons what this is really all about anyway?
Let's face it, just like what Al Harazin did to the Mets 10 years earlier, after the 2000 N.L. Flag, Steve Phillips assembled a high-priced MESS and left a 2002-03 disaster behind with another monster bill attached to it. And he left it in the lap of Fred Wilpon to pick-up the tab (....again), while also leaving the team in need of another major fix-up. But this time Fred was left to pay this bill down on his own after recently cutting Doubleday a check for his half of the club. So, lurching forward, of course Jim Duquette was told to not spend any money. Can we really hold the Howe/Duquette years against Fred? I guess we could if you chose to.
One argument in the treatment of Jim Duquette goes like this ~ He never had a chance and was a stop-gap GM. But the way they replaced him with Omar before firing him was an act of folly. Another way to look at that situation is ~ Fred Wilpon pounced on the person he felt most comfortable with and if Jim Duquette had his feelings hurt, Oh Well.
You pick.
I guess we could also blame Fred for not trying to sign Vlad Guerrero, whom everyone thought had a bad back AND sign him so as to make the pain of Mo Vaughn and Alomar go away. Right? That's what we really wanted; for Fred to spend a BuZillion dollars on Vlad while having no-one to surround him with from leftovers of the '03 Mets. Oh! Oh! AND...only we can imaging the complete disaster that would have been A-Rod in a Met uniform when his Steroid troubles surfaced. OH MY Goodness! That would have been a real friggin' beaut!
So..., Can we really blame Fred for trying to manage the Club's coffers after so much money was debited from our favorite team's accounts? Surely we can afford our owner some slack in that respect? Are we that poisoned by entitlement these days? Are we so driven to be about "Me" all the time? There is still a certain level of loyalty we should hold in reserve for trying times. By taking on the full financial "burden" of 100% ownership at that time, what Fred Wilpon did was keep our Mets Team operating as a stable Franchise.
But the fact remains, within two years of securing 100% of the team and having it left behind in need of a massive renovation project courtesy of the outgoing Steve Phillips (AND Nelson Doubleday), Fred and Jeff Wilpon locked up Omar Minaya and let him proceed forward with his plan; and let him do so with a check-book in hand and a farm system left barren by a previously mentioned Steve Phillips.. (after Wright, Reyes, and Kazmir). The fruits of Omar's labors with regard to minor league development haven't been realized until the last year and a half.
The Wilpons seemed to be back on their feet after two years and even showed a little chutzpa in the process. Fred and Jeff Wilpon initially proceeded the way Fred has always operated before with Nelson Doubleday. Their GM presented a case based on the needs of the team. Ownership; Mr. Wilpon and Jeff, have never been in a habit of saying No. And there wasn't a time before we got wind of the Ponzi Scheme, that the Wilpon's weren't proceeding as they normally would have, only now with their full confidence bestowed upon Omar Minaya.
Omar Minaya was well regarded around Baseball by the time he assumed the office of GM for the Mets. There were few complaints about the Wilpon's latest choice for General Manager. Omar put together a team that put Fred Wilpon's Mets one pitch away from a World Series in 2006 in only his second year on the job and Fred's 4th year as sole owner of the team. The Mets had done it again. They recreated themselves into a contender and this time Fred and Jeff did it without Doubleday around. If you were there that one night during the 2006 NLCS, when the entire exiting crowd at Shea sang, "Jose, Jose Jose", all the way down the ramps, into the parking lots, and all the way home, like I did, you know damn well no one was hating on Mr. Wilpon then.
When we start pointing fingers, I'm going to point the first one at you; us; we the Fans. Why? Because with the first home game back from a road trip, the Mets had the opportunity to clinch the '06 Eastern Division Title on our home field against the Marlins and we didn't sell the place out. It turned out to be our first Division Flag in 18 years and it was a damn shame the place wasn't packed. Shame on us! I was there and shook my head over every empty seat.
Then, to blame Carlos Beltran's state of shock over an in-coming curveball and his inability to react to a called third strike in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS on Fred Wilpon is irresponsible at best, as is also putting Willie Randolph's failure to bunt a runner over prior to that.
The failure to make the playoffs in both 2007 and 2008; or as many like to refer to them as the two choke-jobs; is like-wise not a matter of Fred Wilpon's futility as an owner but rather a failure at the field level to execute and perform their jobs well and rise to the occasion. That responsibility falls on the Manager and General Manager. We can can come up with many reasons of course. The owner might have hired the person who put it all together, but Fred Wilpon did his part to fund and support his GM's plans. He footed the bill after hiring someone everyone thought was up to the task of being a GM in New York (after all, Minaya grew up in Queens). But more spending solves everything right? Sure..., regardless that we concurred Omar put together a formidable team in 2006 (even though we knew the pitching was flawed and he would still remain with unsettled positions moving forward).. I have my own theory as to why we fell short in '07 and '08, but neither of which I can place blame with Mr.Wilpon. My reasons would center more on Omar and his reliance on Pedro, El Duque and Tom Glavine...Blah blah blah and his inability to rectify LF, RF, C, and 2B blah blah...
The problem is we have a radically different view of things today than we did when I was a kid. Being a good contending team has now morphed into a failure waiting to happen in the absence of winning a Title. When I was a kid, I didn't boo any Met between 1977 and 1982! I'm proud of that. Yet, we boo'd Johan Santana in his first ever start at Shea Stadium. So with that new-age thinking, we singled-out our Owner to vent all our anger and frustrations on; ...an Ownership that was failed by it's players, managers, and General Managers.., foiled by plain old bad luck, victimized by some horrible timing and stymied by untimely, and very costly injuries.
If you want to complain that we're snake-bitten; jinxed; cursed; or doomed and it's the Wilpon's fault, - as Owner, he takes a share of the blame. But his appointments and the teams created under them, with his consent, failed in spite of however much the owner supplied them with the resources to succeed. The Wilpon's did eveything Omar asked them to do. He cut the check. He did what owners are supposed to do; supply resources to good Baseball minds...(and the debate about Omar is another topic). The rest gets decided on the field. Omar wound up creating his own perfect storm with Fred's money, but Fred and Jeff must be made to stand trial for it (.) (!) (?).
I know what we wanted. We wanted the Wilpon's to spend even more money. We wanted him to outspend some mistakes. THAT's what some of you wanted. Admit it.
The truth is we were always more upset with the directions our GM's took us, than the course of actions our owner(s) decided upon. But because Fred is the constant, we choose to pile it all on him. And because we say accountability starts at the top, Fred Wilpon gets the wrap. We displaced our frustration with getting stymied for so long throughout a long series of GM's and their big, bright ideas and who incidentally racked up high payrolls with little hardware to show for it all the while playing in a New York town of big expectations. And well..., what you get is a lot a heat-seeking rants targeting Mr. Wilpon and rumblings about the state of the team even after all those darned managers and GMs get fired and replaced.
The last two seasons; 2009 and 2010, set-up to be a perfect storm and the S.S. Wilpon definitely got tossed-about on some pretty treacherous seas. The crippling, incapacitating injuries suffered by the roster over the last two years, compounded with an ill-timed and unforeseen Madoff Scandal threw a big stick into the spokes of this wheel and sent everyone hurtling head over feet into on-coming traffic. And now "everyone is looking for someone to sue". Meanwhile, if we had just one more positive outcome in both '07 and/or '08, Mets History would read very differently.
Having gone through it, I know what it feels like. Man! It was rotten! But how do we translate what happened on the field to deny us playoff births in those two years with Fred Wilpon being an incapable owner? It doesn't. We just want it to, because after the fans trade everybody, fire every manager, and fire their GMs at their whims, it's still never good enough when we play Fantasy GM with Fred's money.
The whole call to end our time with Fred Wilpon as owner of the New York Mets is and has always been a knee-jerk reaction we chose to conduct ourselves with and act upon. I'm not trying to insult anyone; I include myself among the Met Masses.
Mr. Fred Wilpon is not a giant, corporate, cold and distanced conglomerate megalomaniac, who treats the Mets as a satellite holding within his empire. He is very open and proud of the fact he runs his operation as a Family Business; the very thing old Baseball sentimentalists and old school gentlemen clamour for. And quite frankly, I like it too. It's the way Baseball Ownerships ideally should be. He's a local guy too so he knows what we're like around here and how we can get. You can not deny the man cares about the team and suffers right along-side us with every loss. That's well documented and talked about. AND absolutely, without a doubt, you know he listens to us. We Fans do have the Ownership's ear.
In Metropolitan's History, we've been in the hands of two Ownership Groups ~ The Original; Lady Joan Payson and the continuing portion of the partnership between Doubleday and Wilpon. We are a very stable Franchise, and have been since our birth into the National League. I think I speak for all Met fans when I say we found that to be a tremendous source of pride with regard to our Club.
We have a new General Manager now with his new lieutenants in place. He still have very credible veterans on this club and a new crop of prospects starting to make their way to the big club. Of course the plan is changing as we speak and the landscape of METropolis will change, but this General Manager has built a winner before and he comes here with assets in place to be creative with.
So Madoff Dilemma aside, what's so wrong with staying the course and siding with continuity and stability with our ownership? Is it beyond us at this point to give our presently embattled Owner a shot in the arm?
If we would focus our frustration more correctly, I think we will all find that we really do like the guy. If we knew he turned a deaf ear to us, then why not let him fall, crash and burn like the Hindenburg. But he does listen to us, and we do appreciate that whether you admit it or not. What other fan base can say that right now? When we speak, the Wilpons know. So, search inside your Mets-Sole and let's tell him to tough this out and fight.
We are New Yorkers, or relatives in the areas thereof. We are invested fans in the whole deal. And one of the measures of character is how you react in the face of adversity. Who's to say he can't make a come-back (like one of his teams did in 1986)?
Well, Wilpon has his adversity to face, and we have ours. Can we agree to let TIME be an ally and see if we can stick this out with our owner, until the moment if he faces an ultimate end with the Metropolitans? He said he ran things like a family, and we always seemed to be OK with that right up until three years ago during the second "Choke". And now, we all have a Family member in need. OR, is the bad-blood between us too thick?
If in fact he does survive this, maybe he'll have that epiphany and start bleeding Met Orange instead of Dodger Blue and we'll get an owner who's going to re-check his efforts and try to make a better go of things. Maybe then we can badger him for a Tom Seaver statue and get him to retire a few more numbers for us.
That's all I got. If one of my arguments sounds more convincing than the other, then that's where I stand. There's obviously a slew of details and occurances left out of all this. But this is a case for Fred Wilpon to keep the team versus selling it.
So, for the sake of stability, familiarity and preservation of our tradition...,Good Luck Mr. Wilpon...may some Met Magic come your way and things turn out Amazin' for everybody. But, Ya Gotta Believe...first.
Mike.BTB
Read PART ONE Here; The Case To Sell The Team
NEW YORK METS: Fred Wilpon; Sink or Swim?
PART TWO
A Case for Fred Wilpon to Keep the Team Under His Control:
Building a case from a Fan's perspective on whether Fred Wilpon should fight to retain Sole or Controlling Interest in the New York Mets is no doubt based more on sentimentality than actual results and success achieved over the last 30 years because there is only the one Championship to speak-of. But it is a Championship none-the-less and we are grateful for it...right?
Let's try and be fair with Fred and skim over the whole body of work.
We did manage to extend the seasons of 1986 and 1988; 1999 and 2000; and most recently 2006. That averages out to a playoff appearance every six years. It is fair for Met Fans to expect more than that for 30 years worth of work; Sure. But the pattern of playoff appearances does identify three distinct periods where the Mets managed to recreate themselves into a contender. Met Fans most of all, should know once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen whether you're Tommy Agee, Lenny Dykstra, Jay Payton or Carlos Beltran. That goes for winning as well as for losing.
But the big question is ~ Have the responsibilities of Ownership been met?
The 1990 season represented the end of the 80's and the end of an Era for us. Moving forward, Ownership opened up the wallet and allowed the GM to spend quite freely. We know 1991-1993 turned out to be unmitigated disasters in every respect as Al Harazin took the check-book and purchased a genuine MESS. So, Ownership then agreed on a very prudent decision to bring back Joe McIlvaine as GM and rebuild the organization from within again. All (most) Met Fans were in accordance with this plan (leave some..I guess). Generation-K and the "Burnitz" Boppers Project failed just like the previous spending spree did. But this process was worth pursuing none-the-less. We all knew it then. It was a needed course of action and we still know it now in hindsight. And besides, one of my all-time favorites comes from this era; Todd Hundley. But I digress.
To this point, the Ownership still proved to be flexible, capable, and acted with a level of pro-activeness. The organization was still vibrant. But the times changed. So Ownership moved on to a new plan with Steve Phillips. They remained ever agreeable dollar wise, signing off on some big trades trades and then free agents like Robin Ventura while incurring huge increases in payroll. They were Owners of a contender again and still in possession of a fertile Farm System that would yield Wright, Reyes and Kazmir in the future.
I'm trying to set this up fairly for Mr. Wilpon, so let's see if we can agree that before his Sole Ownership, while Mr. Wilpon was still a partner, he and Mr. Doubleday somehow managed to keep warm blood running through the arteries and veins of METropolis all while sometimes having to make tough decisions in the process.
*There was The Early Years ~ the lead-in; the farming.
*The Glory Years ~ '84-'90
*Years of Transition; For three years they ALL lost their way.
*The Second Rebuilding ~ Was a necessary and prudent plan.
*The Return to Contention Years ~ The Piazza Era; We got close.
*The Ensuing Down Period and the End of the Doubleday Era and his partnership with the Wilpons.
That's 22 years and there's nothing about that body of work that should cause Met Fans to go hunting down Ownership with pitchforks and torches; not when there are so many more worse-run organizations than ours. I know that means little to most of us, but every organization makes it's share of mistakes and the Mets made theirs along the way too. A New Ownership will no doubt make theirs also. But the time between Davey Johnson, the attempt to rebuild, and then Bobby Valentine, is a fair amount of time for an organization to regroup and re-emerge with a new cast, while allowing for a few disappointments along the way. Our Ownership, as it still pertains to the Partnership, more than anything always relied on the strength of their General Managers. But both partners, although much more in favor of stability, have never been shy about making a change when change was warranted.
On the other side of the year 2000, we know how fast it all fell apart. So let's just fast forward to 2003 when Steve Phillips, Bobby Valentine, and Nelson Doubleday are all finally out of the picture and it's just Us and the Wilpons with a last place club. Isn't the sole ownership of the Wilpons what this is really all about anyway?
Let's face it, just like what Al Harazin did to the Mets 10 years earlier, after the 2000 N.L. Flag, Steve Phillips assembled a high-priced MESS and left a 2002-03 disaster behind with another monster bill attached to it. And he left it in the lap of Fred Wilpon to pick-up the tab (....again), while also leaving the team in need of another major fix-up. But this time Fred was left to pay this bill down on his own after recently cutting Doubleday a check for his half of the club. So, lurching forward, of course Jim Duquette was told to not spend any money. Can we really hold the Howe/Duquette years against Fred? I guess we could if you chose to.
One argument in the treatment of Jim Duquette goes like this ~ He never had a chance and was a stop-gap GM. But the way they replaced him with Omar before firing him was an act of folly. Another way to look at that situation is ~ Fred Wilpon pounced on the person he felt most comfortable with and if Jim Duquette had his feelings hurt, Oh Well.
You pick.
I guess we could also blame Fred for not trying to sign Vlad Guerrero, whom everyone thought had a bad back AND sign him so as to make the pain of Mo Vaughn and Alomar go away. Right? That's what we really wanted; for Fred to spend a BuZillion dollars on Vlad while having no-one to surround him with from leftovers of the '03 Mets. Oh! Oh! AND...only we can imaging the complete disaster that would have been A-Rod in a Met uniform when his Steroid troubles surfaced. OH MY Goodness! That would have been a real friggin' beaut!
So..., Can we really blame Fred for trying to manage the Club's coffers after so much money was debited from our favorite team's accounts? Surely we can afford our owner some slack in that respect? Are we that poisoned by entitlement these days? Are we so driven to be about "Me" all the time? There is still a certain level of loyalty we should hold in reserve for trying times. By taking on the full financial "burden" of 100% ownership at that time, what Fred Wilpon did was keep our Mets Team operating as a stable Franchise.
But the fact remains, within two years of securing 100% of the team and having it left behind in need of a massive renovation project courtesy of the outgoing Steve Phillips (AND Nelson Doubleday), Fred and Jeff Wilpon locked up Omar Minaya and let him proceed forward with his plan; and let him do so with a check-book in hand and a farm system left barren by a previously mentioned Steve Phillips.. (after Wright, Reyes, and Kazmir). The fruits of Omar's labors with regard to minor league development haven't been realized until the last year and a half.
The Wilpons seemed to be back on their feet after two years and even showed a little chutzpa in the process. Fred and Jeff Wilpon initially proceeded the way Fred has always operated before with Nelson Doubleday. Their GM presented a case based on the needs of the team. Ownership; Mr. Wilpon and Jeff, have never been in a habit of saying No. And there wasn't a time before we got wind of the Ponzi Scheme, that the Wilpon's weren't proceeding as they normally would have, only now with their full confidence bestowed upon Omar Minaya.
Omar Minaya was well regarded around Baseball by the time he assumed the office of GM for the Mets. There were few complaints about the Wilpon's latest choice for General Manager. Omar put together a team that put Fred Wilpon's Mets one pitch away from a World Series in 2006 in only his second year on the job and Fred's 4th year as sole owner of the team. The Mets had done it again. They recreated themselves into a contender and this time Fred and Jeff did it without Doubleday around. If you were there that one night during the 2006 NLCS, when the entire exiting crowd at Shea sang, "Jose, Jose Jose", all the way down the ramps, into the parking lots, and all the way home, like I did, you know damn well no one was hating on Mr. Wilpon then.
When we start pointing fingers, I'm going to point the first one at you; us; we the Fans. Why? Because with the first home game back from a road trip, the Mets had the opportunity to clinch the '06 Eastern Division Title on our home field against the Marlins and we didn't sell the place out. It turned out to be our first Division Flag in 18 years and it was a damn shame the place wasn't packed. Shame on us! I was there and shook my head over every empty seat.
Then, to blame Carlos Beltran's state of shock over an in-coming curveball and his inability to react to a called third strike in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS on Fred Wilpon is irresponsible at best, as is also putting Willie Randolph's failure to bunt a runner over prior to that.
The failure to make the playoffs in both 2007 and 2008; or as many like to refer to them as the two choke-jobs; is like-wise not a matter of Fred Wilpon's futility as an owner but rather a failure at the field level to execute and perform their jobs well and rise to the occasion. That responsibility falls on the Manager and General Manager. We can can come up with many reasons of course. The owner might have hired the person who put it all together, but Fred Wilpon did his part to fund and support his GM's plans. He footed the bill after hiring someone everyone thought was up to the task of being a GM in New York (after all, Minaya grew up in Queens). But more spending solves everything right? Sure..., regardless that we concurred Omar put together a formidable team in 2006 (even though we knew the pitching was flawed and he would still remain with unsettled positions moving forward).. I have my own theory as to why we fell short in '07 and '08, but neither of which I can place blame with Mr.Wilpon. My reasons would center more on Omar and his reliance on Pedro, El Duque and Tom Glavine...Blah blah blah and his inability to rectify LF, RF, C, and 2B blah blah...
The problem is we have a radically different view of things today than we did when I was a kid. Being a good contending team has now morphed into a failure waiting to happen in the absence of winning a Title. When I was a kid, I didn't boo any Met between 1977 and 1982! I'm proud of that. Yet, we boo'd Johan Santana in his first ever start at Shea Stadium. So with that new-age thinking, we singled-out our Owner to vent all our anger and frustrations on; ...an Ownership that was failed by it's players, managers, and General Managers.., foiled by plain old bad luck, victimized by some horrible timing and stymied by untimely, and very costly injuries.
If you want to complain that we're snake-bitten; jinxed; cursed; or doomed and it's the Wilpon's fault, - as Owner, he takes a share of the blame. But his appointments and the teams created under them, with his consent, failed in spite of however much the owner supplied them with the resources to succeed. The Wilpon's did eveything Omar asked them to do. He cut the check. He did what owners are supposed to do; supply resources to good Baseball minds...(and the debate about Omar is another topic). The rest gets decided on the field. Omar wound up creating his own perfect storm with Fred's money, but Fred and Jeff must be made to stand trial for it (.) (!) (?).
I know what we wanted. We wanted the Wilpon's to spend even more money. We wanted him to outspend some mistakes. THAT's what some of you wanted. Admit it.
The truth is we were always more upset with the directions our GM's took us, than the course of actions our owner(s) decided upon. But because Fred is the constant, we choose to pile it all on him. And because we say accountability starts at the top, Fred Wilpon gets the wrap. We displaced our frustration with getting stymied for so long throughout a long series of GM's and their big, bright ideas and who incidentally racked up high payrolls with little hardware to show for it all the while playing in a New York town of big expectations. And well..., what you get is a lot a heat-seeking rants targeting Mr. Wilpon and rumblings about the state of the team even after all those darned managers and GMs get fired and replaced.
The last two seasons; 2009 and 2010, set-up to be a perfect storm and the S.S. Wilpon definitely got tossed-about on some pretty treacherous seas. The crippling, incapacitating injuries suffered by the roster over the last two years, compounded with an ill-timed and unforeseen Madoff Scandal threw a big stick into the spokes of this wheel and sent everyone hurtling head over feet into on-coming traffic. And now "everyone is looking for someone to sue". Meanwhile, if we had just one more positive outcome in both '07 and/or '08, Mets History would read very differently.
Having gone through it, I know what it feels like. Man! It was rotten! But how do we translate what happened on the field to deny us playoff births in those two years with Fred Wilpon being an incapable owner? It doesn't. We just want it to, because after the fans trade everybody, fire every manager, and fire their GMs at their whims, it's still never good enough when we play Fantasy GM with Fred's money.
The whole call to end our time with Fred Wilpon as owner of the New York Mets is and has always been a knee-jerk reaction we chose to conduct ourselves with and act upon. I'm not trying to insult anyone; I include myself among the Met Masses.
Mr. Fred Wilpon is not a giant, corporate, cold and distanced conglomerate megalomaniac, who treats the Mets as a satellite holding within his empire. He is very open and proud of the fact he runs his operation as a Family Business; the very thing old Baseball sentimentalists and old school gentlemen clamour for. And quite frankly, I like it too. It's the way Baseball Ownerships ideally should be. He's a local guy too so he knows what we're like around here and how we can get. You can not deny the man cares about the team and suffers right along-side us with every loss. That's well documented and talked about. AND absolutely, without a doubt, you know he listens to us. We Fans do have the Ownership's ear.
In Metropolitan's History, we've been in the hands of two Ownership Groups ~ The Original; Lady Joan Payson and the continuing portion of the partnership between Doubleday and Wilpon. We are a very stable Franchise, and have been since our birth into the National League. I think I speak for all Met fans when I say we found that to be a tremendous source of pride with regard to our Club.
We have a new General Manager now with his new lieutenants in place. He still have very credible veterans on this club and a new crop of prospects starting to make their way to the big club. Of course the plan is changing as we speak and the landscape of METropolis will change, but this General Manager has built a winner before and he comes here with assets in place to be creative with.
So Madoff Dilemma aside, what's so wrong with staying the course and siding with continuity and stability with our ownership? Is it beyond us at this point to give our presently embattled Owner a shot in the arm?
If we would focus our frustration more correctly, I think we will all find that we really do like the guy. If we knew he turned a deaf ear to us, then why not let him fall, crash and burn like the Hindenburg. But he does listen to us, and we do appreciate that whether you admit it or not. What other fan base can say that right now? When we speak, the Wilpons know. So, search inside your Mets-Sole and let's tell him to tough this out and fight.
We are New Yorkers, or relatives in the areas thereof. We are invested fans in the whole deal. And one of the measures of character is how you react in the face of adversity. Who's to say he can't make a come-back (like one of his teams did in 1986)?
Well, Wilpon has his adversity to face, and we have ours. Can we agree to let TIME be an ally and see if we can stick this out with our owner, until the moment if he faces an ultimate end with the Metropolitans? He said he ran things like a family, and we always seemed to be OK with that right up until three years ago during the second "Choke". And now, we all have a Family member in need. OR, is the bad-blood between us too thick?
If in fact he does survive this, maybe he'll have that epiphany and start bleeding Met Orange instead of Dodger Blue and we'll get an owner who's going to re-check his efforts and try to make a better go of things. Maybe then we can badger him for a Tom Seaver statue and get him to retire a few more numbers for us.
That's all I got. If one of my arguments sounds more convincing than the other, then that's where I stand. There's obviously a slew of details and occurances left out of all this. But this is a case for Fred Wilpon to keep the team versus selling it.
So, for the sake of stability, familiarity and preservation of our tradition...,Good Luck Mr. Wilpon...may some Met Magic come your way and things turn out Amazin' for everybody. But, Ya Gotta Believe...first.
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
BASEBALL ~ Serie Del Caribe 2011; MEXICO CLAIMS CHAMPIONSHIP
2011
Caribbean Series of Baseball
* * * *
MEXICO is this year's Winter League Champion.
For our Neighbors to the South, it's their sixth Caribbean Series Title.
The Caribbean Series Finals are played using a 6 game round-robin format between the 4 participating members; Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela. The team finishing with the best record is declared Champion. This year's tournament was held in Puerto Rico. Last year, Venezuela hosted.
Mexico finished the tournament 4-2. Their 4th and final victory came early Monday. Puerto Rico would play that evening going into their game with D.R. sporting a 3-2 record. If Puerto Rico could win their game, it would have forced a one game playoff which would have been played yesterday against Mexico. My Uncle kept txt'ing me with updates, but alas there was no happy re-cap for Puerto Rico. An extra game was not necessary as the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico (3-3) giving Mexico claim to the Caribbean Championship.
Congratulations Mexico!
sources:
EL VECERO NY
EL DIARIO NY
DIARIO DE MEXICO U.S.
Mike.BTB
N.Y. METS ~ Loaded Up and Trucking to Florida
NEW YORK METS:
..."We got a long way to go and a short time to get there...But we're gonna do what they said can't be done..."
YEEeeeeeeeee! ~ HAaaaaaaaaaah!
The Brooklyn Version of Smokey and the Bandit
Days Till
Pitchers and Catchers
8
Let's Go Mets!
Mike.BTB
KNICKS News & NETS Views from the The Barclays Center Site
YOU ~ US ~ WE ~ NOW
...and, WHERE?
NEW YORK KNICKS: Amare' Stoudemire is MIA;
...Missing In Advertising that is.
It appears the Knicks' promotional campaign along Atlantic Avenue at the Barclays Center/Atlantic Yards site has run it's course. Gone is the N.Y. Knicks billboard from the side of a warehouse located inside the Atlantic Yards footprint that depicted Amare' Stoudemire standing at the forefront of a scene from DUMBO with the Manhattan Bridge as a background.
The billboard along Atlantic Avenue was originally thought by many to be retaliation for the Nets' building sized advertisement on 8th Avenue just a few blocks from Madison Square Garden. However, Nets CEO Brett Yormark advised the public he spoke previously with the Knicks about the move and that they were never engaged in a Battle of the Billboards.
Maybe Jim Dolan thinks differently, evidenced by this little ad that's been sitting atop Flatbush Avenue at 7th Avenue?
* * * *
UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2011
BARCLAYS CENTER of BROOKLYN
Sixth Avenue View; Atlantic Avenue at right.
On Atlantic Avenue at northeast corner of Sixth Avenue.
On Atlantic Avenue at northwest corner/front of arena
Here's the Best of the Rest:
Friendly Link: Check up on Nets Basketball with NetsDaily.com
Mike.BTB
Sunday, February 06, 2011
N.Y. METS ~ Wilpon vs. Fan; Fight-On or Sell? Part One
From the Desk of ~ HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
NEW YORK METS:
Fred Wilpon ~ His Troubles presently stem from Bernie Madoff, the Trustee, and the Lawsuit being brought against him. But his real PROBLEM lies with us; The Fan. And there's nothing the Media can do about it.
PART ONE:
The Case for Mets Fans Wanting Fred Wilpon to Sell the Team:
Well, for starters, if he would have been as emphatic and stern with conviction towards the state of his team and the on-field results at various times, as he's been with the stance he's taking against the Madoff Trustee, we'd probably be a little more sympathetic towards his current dilemma. But when you take into consideration that Fred Wilpon had numerous opportunities to set the record straight with his hard working, loyal, paying Fan Base and failed to do so in an open and timely manner, it's an affront to the people who foot the bill, i.e.; - Us. Revealing just how dire their situation is only when he finds the Doomsday Clock striking two minutes to Midnight is insulting at best considering the abundant publicity circulating during the whole life of the Madoff Scandal.
But this is just the back-end of 30+ years under his partial or full ownership. Under the Wilpon's (and Doubleday) ownership, what started out with Order under Frank Cashen's leadership as GM of the Mets, turned drastically into Chaos after Cashen retired. Order has been absent from this organization since. This now encompasses a period of 20 years.
After Cashen retired, Al Harazin ushered in the Age of Super-Soakers, Fireworks, and Tours of the Bronx courtesy of Bobby Bonilla (whom still remains on the Mets payroll to this day in yet another Wilpon financial machination). Then, Joe McIlvaine, on his way out the door heading off to San Diego said he was sick and tired of all the Front Office in-fighting going on with the Mets. Jerry Hunsicker too, would later leave this organization but was more delicate and tactful in describing the Chaos reigning in the Front Offices of METropolis. When Joe McIlvaine did return as GM of the Mets, Fred Wilpon couldn't get his GM to tell him where he was going, where he'd been, or get him to return his calls.
Then there was the Florida Marlins post-1997 fire-sale, the acquisition of Mike Piazza and the matter of retaining him in a Mets uniform. Nelson Doubleday was adamant about signing Mike Piazza. Fred Wilpon was against the expenditure and the two clashed over the deal. Nelson Doubleday also wanted to renovate Shea Stadium while Fred Wilpon always had his mind set on building his Ode to the Brooklyn Dodgers. We all understand by now how contentious the relationship between the two partners was. By the end of 2002, Fred Wilpon purchased Nelson Doubleday's half of the team. On his way out, Nelson Doubleday had nary a kind word to say about Fred Wilpon, and even less gracious things to say about Jeff Wilpon. Saul Katz is part of the Family, so the prospects of a discord between the Wilpons and him are safely said to be slim. But what's to say Fred and Jeff Wilpon will not foster an equally contentious relationship with the next potential limited or half partner(s) of the Mets, especially if they want to implement new ideas?
Let's resume with a reminder of a GM who had to take a leave of absence from the team due to a "sex scandal" occurring inside their continuing Front Office Gone Wild atmosphere, and the continued reliance by the Wilpons on post-Cashen neophytes running his club. Then how was the GM matter handled by the Wilpon's after hiring Jim Duquette? While still in office, the Wilpons hired Omar Minaya long before Jim Duquette's body could get cold and rigor mortis set in. They handled it shabbily....As Shabbily as Fred, Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya handled the Willie Randolph firing.
After 1990, aside from some success in 1999-2000, and 2006 with Willie, this team has spent more time in a state of folly, than it has being an organization maximizing upon it's market situation, financial potential, business strength and attractive lure, to draw in top level Executives and/or Front Office expertise. Instead, especially since the 2003 season, the fan base has been beset with one bad decision after another with Tony Bernazard being a mere twig on an already rotting tree. Want more? Just look back on all the Medical hi-jinx that has gone on with this Club. It just hints to the fact since the days of Frank Cashen, the steady devolving of the Mets continued all the way into our present day. Whether those decisions have been made on the field, in player personnel, scouting, administration, the Front Office, or Ownership, - it seems the last nine years have garnered more ridicule than results and all matters of accountability must start at the top.
Bereft of an idea, they had to seek the Commissioner of Baseball's advice to find a suitable replacement to be their General Manager, and quite frankly, save their whole operation. They held many interviews for their GM position, but ultimately, as this was their first time operating solo, without a net, and without any practical experience in Baseball Executive matters, they could only base a potential Executive's ability to fill their opening on...Nothing; That's right...Nothing!
For the first time the Wilpons were independent of a familiar light guiding them through the dark so they relied on the Commissioner's suggestion. And only then, did Sandy Alderson agree to interview at the Commissioner's behest. And that was no interview; - That was an appointment! How fortunate for the Wilpons. Because were it not for Sandy Alderson, the N.Y. Mets were about to hand over their organization to an incredibly unknown, unproven, Newbie. That could have very well set in motion the final and most complete implosion of WILPONianism...until this lawsuit against the Wilpons rolled around. That said, at this point, it may be too late for the Wilpons regardless of Sandy Alderson.
Many agree (many don't), that for as long as the Wilpons remain as owners of the New York Mets, the perceived black cloud over Flushing will never go away. It will just continue to darken, and keep raining down gloom upon the fans at Citi Field. They may be right this time with fans and Media united in thought. In nearly a half-century of Mets Baseball, throughout the decades we Have Proudly Been a stable Franchise. And now, over the last 8 years, entering a 9th, the Wilpons have brought terrible instability (not to mention insanity) upon our team, and aggravated the situation by not being forthright with their customers and fan base.
Because of that, the relationship between the Wilpons and the Fans may finally have been irreparably damaged and this time, it's personal. Even the Media can not chose sides or affect the relationship between us because they are inconsequential in this rift between Fan and Owner. The Media can't make Fans go to games, nor can a Sportswriter make an Owner do well; or sell his enterprise. But when Fans draw their line in the "stands" and stop showing up because their Owner allowed the relationship to deteriorate over time and then got lied to, well, sometimes.., things get to a point of no return. And in Mr.Wilpons case, that means fans returning to our seats and showing confidence in him. We can always watch our favorite players at home and save ourselves a fortune in the process. If the Fans have indeed turned on you Mr. Wilpon, you may have no choice but to sell the whole damn thing because the truth is, you just can't afford the Team if we really stop going to games this season. You're down somewhere in the neighborhood of 30% already.
You once had a Golden Opportunity to really hit a Grand Slam with the Fans and finally, truly and fully re-secure our unyielding loyalty once and for all (considering I did get a Championship out of you in my lifetime). Instead, you grounded into a Triple Play and ruined any rally we generated together in 2006.
How? Why?
Our Met History was made to feel second rate to your affinity with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The shrine on Roosevelt Avenue bears that out. You took away our pinstripes years ago, but you then hid our Apple back near the junk yards to start life at Citi. You didn't even know enough to to have a Grand Opening of the Field inclusive with a Mets Hall of Fame in it; not to mention, nary a Mets representation of our History anywhere. That came later in a reactive move, after we demanded we get all that back! And if all that was actually originally planned for Year Two anyway.....,
SHAME ON YOU!! Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance! The luxury boxes were ready though...weren't they?
I am a Brooklynite, and get as misty-eyed about the Dodgers as any former fan of the Bums anytime I get the chance. Believe me when I say that ~ BUT Not at the Expense of My Favorite Baseball Team; The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club and our own Beloved History.
The shrine to the Dodgers as much as the rapid decline of the team since '06 strained any good-will the Wilpons might have gained since that season. And now, any confidence the Fans had tethered to the Wilpons in light of the newest developments involving the Madoff swindle have painted everything over with a coat of Despair.
Maybe, just maybe, the National League Baseball Team of New York City has not yet realized, reached or achieved it's maximum potential, and it's because it's present Ownership has reached it's own Law of Diminished Returns. Perhaps, we depleted all their growth potential back in 2006 with Minaya and the mistakes he made afterwards. In light of the Madoff Dilemma, maybe they were operating with less Real Money than we thought all along. If that's the case, perhaps the Wilpons were ill equipped to operate the Mets Franchise as sole owners to begin with; then decimated themselves with debt on the new park; just like Nelson Doubleday wanted to avoid. Or...something like that.
The Sterling enterprises might be more indicative of the titan Fred Wilpon really is in a business sense and in that sphere of life.. But he's demonstrated when operating the New York Mets, he's no such thing. Instead, under sole ownership of Fred, Jeff and Saul, except for one year, the Mets have teetered more towards disappointing and terrible while their respectability is tanking right along side their Portfolios.
And so, now..., Bad just got Worse. Their very Baseball existence is in question.
Our original owner; Mrs. Payson, was an old New York Giants Fan who created MET History. Our *second owner; Mr. Wilpon is an old Brooklyn Dodgers fan, who has done more over the years since 1986 to contribute to MET Misery than Kenny Rogers or Yadier Molina have. He's been here the longest and holds the baton.
Perhaps, the resources that playing in New York City can provide a team with have been underutilized, or worse, mis-used, mistreated or wrongly applied. Perhaps, a new Owner with a different vision and a different methodology applied to our team, can take the "newest" National League Club of New York City to a level more emblematic and representative of what playing in Empire City can be and what being a MET is all about, more like Joan did, and the angry one who left did.
NEXT: PART II
The case for Mets Fans wanting Fred Wilpon to retain the team:
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK METS:
Fred Wilpon ~ His Troubles presently stem from Bernie Madoff, the Trustee, and the Lawsuit being brought against him. But his real PROBLEM lies with us; The Fan. And there's nothing the Media can do about it.
PART ONE:
The Case for Mets Fans Wanting Fred Wilpon to Sell the Team:
Well, for starters, if he would have been as emphatic and stern with conviction towards the state of his team and the on-field results at various times, as he's been with the stance he's taking against the Madoff Trustee, we'd probably be a little more sympathetic towards his current dilemma. But when you take into consideration that Fred Wilpon had numerous opportunities to set the record straight with his hard working, loyal, paying Fan Base and failed to do so in an open and timely manner, it's an affront to the people who foot the bill, i.e.; - Us. Revealing just how dire their situation is only when he finds the Doomsday Clock striking two minutes to Midnight is insulting at best considering the abundant publicity circulating during the whole life of the Madoff Scandal.
But this is just the back-end of 30+ years under his partial or full ownership. Under the Wilpon's (and Doubleday) ownership, what started out with Order under Frank Cashen's leadership as GM of the Mets, turned drastically into Chaos after Cashen retired. Order has been absent from this organization since. This now encompasses a period of 20 years.
After Cashen retired, Al Harazin ushered in the Age of Super-Soakers, Fireworks, and Tours of the Bronx courtesy of Bobby Bonilla (whom still remains on the Mets payroll to this day in yet another Wilpon financial machination). Then, Joe McIlvaine, on his way out the door heading off to San Diego said he was sick and tired of all the Front Office in-fighting going on with the Mets. Jerry Hunsicker too, would later leave this organization but was more delicate and tactful in describing the Chaos reigning in the Front Offices of METropolis. When Joe McIlvaine did return as GM of the Mets, Fred Wilpon couldn't get his GM to tell him where he was going, where he'd been, or get him to return his calls.
Then there was the Florida Marlins post-1997 fire-sale, the acquisition of Mike Piazza and the matter of retaining him in a Mets uniform. Nelson Doubleday was adamant about signing Mike Piazza. Fred Wilpon was against the expenditure and the two clashed over the deal. Nelson Doubleday also wanted to renovate Shea Stadium while Fred Wilpon always had his mind set on building his Ode to the Brooklyn Dodgers. We all understand by now how contentious the relationship between the two partners was. By the end of 2002, Fred Wilpon purchased Nelson Doubleday's half of the team. On his way out, Nelson Doubleday had nary a kind word to say about Fred Wilpon, and even less gracious things to say about Jeff Wilpon. Saul Katz is part of the Family, so the prospects of a discord between the Wilpons and him are safely said to be slim. But what's to say Fred and Jeff Wilpon will not foster an equally contentious relationship with the next potential limited or half partner(s) of the Mets, especially if they want to implement new ideas?
Let's resume with a reminder of a GM who had to take a leave of absence from the team due to a "sex scandal" occurring inside their continuing Front Office Gone Wild atmosphere, and the continued reliance by the Wilpons on post-Cashen neophytes running his club. Then how was the GM matter handled by the Wilpon's after hiring Jim Duquette? While still in office, the Wilpons hired Omar Minaya long before Jim Duquette's body could get cold and rigor mortis set in. They handled it shabbily....As Shabbily as Fred, Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya handled the Willie Randolph firing.
After 1990, aside from some success in 1999-2000, and 2006 with Willie, this team has spent more time in a state of folly, than it has being an organization maximizing upon it's market situation, financial potential, business strength and attractive lure, to draw in top level Executives and/or Front Office expertise. Instead, especially since the 2003 season, the fan base has been beset with one bad decision after another with Tony Bernazard being a mere twig on an already rotting tree. Want more? Just look back on all the Medical hi-jinx that has gone on with this Club. It just hints to the fact since the days of Frank Cashen, the steady devolving of the Mets continued all the way into our present day. Whether those decisions have been made on the field, in player personnel, scouting, administration, the Front Office, or Ownership, - it seems the last nine years have garnered more ridicule than results and all matters of accountability must start at the top.
Bereft of an idea, they had to seek the Commissioner of Baseball's advice to find a suitable replacement to be their General Manager, and quite frankly, save their whole operation. They held many interviews for their GM position, but ultimately, as this was their first time operating solo, without a net, and without any practical experience in Baseball Executive matters, they could only base a potential Executive's ability to fill their opening on...Nothing; That's right...Nothing!
For the first time the Wilpons were independent of a familiar light guiding them through the dark so they relied on the Commissioner's suggestion. And only then, did Sandy Alderson agree to interview at the Commissioner's behest. And that was no interview; - That was an appointment! How fortunate for the Wilpons. Because were it not for Sandy Alderson, the N.Y. Mets were about to hand over their organization to an incredibly unknown, unproven, Newbie. That could have very well set in motion the final and most complete implosion of WILPONianism...until this lawsuit against the Wilpons rolled around. That said, at this point, it may be too late for the Wilpons regardless of Sandy Alderson.
Many agree (many don't), that for as long as the Wilpons remain as owners of the New York Mets, the perceived black cloud over Flushing will never go away. It will just continue to darken, and keep raining down gloom upon the fans at Citi Field. They may be right this time with fans and Media united in thought. In nearly a half-century of Mets Baseball, throughout the decades we Have Proudly Been a stable Franchise. And now, over the last 8 years, entering a 9th, the Wilpons have brought terrible instability (not to mention insanity) upon our team, and aggravated the situation by not being forthright with their customers and fan base.
Because of that, the relationship between the Wilpons and the Fans may finally have been irreparably damaged and this time, it's personal. Even the Media can not chose sides or affect the relationship between us because they are inconsequential in this rift between Fan and Owner. The Media can't make Fans go to games, nor can a Sportswriter make an Owner do well; or sell his enterprise. But when Fans draw their line in the "stands" and stop showing up because their Owner allowed the relationship to deteriorate over time and then got lied to, well, sometimes.., things get to a point of no return. And in Mr.Wilpons case, that means fans returning to our seats and showing confidence in him. We can always watch our favorite players at home and save ourselves a fortune in the process. If the Fans have indeed turned on you Mr. Wilpon, you may have no choice but to sell the whole damn thing because the truth is, you just can't afford the Team if we really stop going to games this season. You're down somewhere in the neighborhood of 30% already.
You once had a Golden Opportunity to really hit a Grand Slam with the Fans and finally, truly and fully re-secure our unyielding loyalty once and for all (considering I did get a Championship out of you in my lifetime). Instead, you grounded into a Triple Play and ruined any rally we generated together in 2006.
How? Why?
Our Met History was made to feel second rate to your affinity with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The shrine on Roosevelt Avenue bears that out. You took away our pinstripes years ago, but you then hid our Apple back near the junk yards to start life at Citi. You didn't even know enough to to have a Grand Opening of the Field inclusive with a Mets Hall of Fame in it; not to mention, nary a Mets representation of our History anywhere. That came later in a reactive move, after we demanded we get all that back! And if all that was actually originally planned for Year Two anyway.....,
SHAME ON YOU!! Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance! The luxury boxes were ready though...weren't they?
I am a Brooklynite, and get as misty-eyed about the Dodgers as any former fan of the Bums anytime I get the chance. Believe me when I say that ~ BUT Not at the Expense of My Favorite Baseball Team; The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club and our own Beloved History.
The shrine to the Dodgers as much as the rapid decline of the team since '06 strained any good-will the Wilpons might have gained since that season. And now, any confidence the Fans had tethered to the Wilpons in light of the newest developments involving the Madoff swindle have painted everything over with a coat of Despair.
Maybe, just maybe, the National League Baseball Team of New York City has not yet realized, reached or achieved it's maximum potential, and it's because it's present Ownership has reached it's own Law of Diminished Returns. Perhaps, we depleted all their growth potential back in 2006 with Minaya and the mistakes he made afterwards. In light of the Madoff Dilemma, maybe they were operating with less Real Money than we thought all along. If that's the case, perhaps the Wilpons were ill equipped to operate the Mets Franchise as sole owners to begin with; then decimated themselves with debt on the new park; just like Nelson Doubleday wanted to avoid. Or...something like that.
The Sterling enterprises might be more indicative of the titan Fred Wilpon really is in a business sense and in that sphere of life.. But he's demonstrated when operating the New York Mets, he's no such thing. Instead, under sole ownership of Fred, Jeff and Saul, except for one year, the Mets have teetered more towards disappointing and terrible while their respectability is tanking right along side their Portfolios.
And so, now..., Bad just got Worse. Their very Baseball existence is in question.
Our original owner; Mrs. Payson, was an old New York Giants Fan who created MET History. Our *second owner; Mr. Wilpon is an old Brooklyn Dodgers fan, who has done more over the years since 1986 to contribute to MET Misery than Kenny Rogers or Yadier Molina have. He's been here the longest and holds the baton.
Perhaps, the resources that playing in New York City can provide a team with have been underutilized, or worse, mis-used, mistreated or wrongly applied. Perhaps, a new Owner with a different vision and a different methodology applied to our team, can take the "newest" National League Club of New York City to a level more emblematic and representative of what playing in Empire City can be and what being a MET is all about, more like Joan did, and the angry one who left did.
NEXT: PART II
The case for Mets Fans wanting Fred Wilpon to retain the team:
Mike.BTB
Saturday, February 05, 2011
PIGSKIN ~ SUPER BOWL XLV
SUNDAY
February 6, 2011
February 6, 2011
Arlington, Texas
SUPER BOWL XLV
NFC CHAMPIONS
GREEN BAY
PACKERS
PACKERS
vs.
AFC CHAMPIONS
PITTSBURGH
STEELERS
This is it. This is the last sixty minutes of the 2010 NFL season where opposing teams and grown men get to legally beat each other senseless and get paid for it. Six months of sanctioned violence ends Sunday evening in the biggest clash of them all; THE SUPER BOWL !!
Our new unofficial National Holiday.
Win this game, and we elevate you to levels of esteem only the greatest of great Americans and what their respective contributions to American Society have earned. That's right, win this game and you're right up there with the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Wright Brothers, Niel Armstrong, Elvis, and Snookie from Jersey Shore. Why do we bestow such praise on these athletes and reality stars and deem they be so important in our new-age American psycho-obsessive Pop-Culture polluted lives? Because!
I could say a lot worse but I'll stick to the notion we strayed. Let's leave it at that.
I could say a lot worse but I'll stick to the notion we strayed. Let's leave it at that.
And then to top off the Big Game, Monday follows as the most unproductive workday of the calendar year. France ain't got nothing on us come February 7th.
Our new unofficial National Holiday; The Super Bowl - has become to poor defenseless little Chicken's wings, what Thanksgiving came to mean for unsuspecting and unfortunate turkeys wandering the forests and backwoods of the New World. And in terms of Fanatic hedonism, Super Bowl Sunday can be compared to a Bacchic Dionysia replete with sacrificial goats, wine, dancing and song. The festival that has become Super Bowl Sunday comes replete with barley/hops, and Margarita-Mix induced revelry, rising BBQ flames in frenzied anticipation of sacrificial Flightless Fowl Genocide, while all done in praise of their all-mighty PIGSKIN Symbol of Supremacy; the Lombardius Trophyus.
*sigh*
Let me tell you something. Nothing screams "Gimmie Back My Football Game" more than confetti, TV commercials, stupid Half-Time People Tricks and Coors Light. Just gimmie back the damn game will ya? C'mon! This is why I love the Conference Championship Games so much more.
At some point during the Vaudeville Extravaganza & Medieval Puppet Torture Show, a Football Game breaks out. That's when I start to pay attention (note to advertisers).
...Just so you know;
The BASKET-O-BAGELS was plentiful this season.
I'm proud to announce a net accumulation of +21 BAGELS heading into the Super Bowl. I hope everyone ate one or two of my picks in good health over the season and washed it down with an Egg Cream. Some Bagel Picks you have to admit, were awesome, while some of them came out of the oven burnt to a crisp.
So here we are; The Big Game. I'm pushing all my Bagels to the middle of the buffet table; BTB is All In.
This next Bagel roll-out will be Feast or Famine.
Drum Role Please.....?
(Saturday NYDN Line)
MY PICK ~ ..and all 21 Bagels are on:
STEELERS +2 1/2
The Game:
The Green Bay Packers are the Hottest team in Football. But the Pittsburgh Steelers are Bone-Chilling good. Which would you rather be?
The Packers have shown a tendency to disappear on Offense from drive to drive. Once you get to Aaron Rodgers, you have the Packers. There is no Packer Running Game. There is only Aaron and his Wide Receivers. When he gets hit, he's one Quarterback. When he's allowed to get Hot, he's another Quarterback. Throughout, they remain one dimensional.
This is the biggest factor facing Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packer's; ~ They are only going to beat the Steelers if Aaron Rodgers can stand in the pocket long enough for his receivers to gain separation or gain a bad angle, so as to beat the Steelers deep; as in over the top; as in with the Old Fashioned "Bomb".
The deep opportunities will be there. But can he wait for the play before the Blitz comes crashing down on him? That's the game right there; How much time will his Offensive Line and Backs give him by picking up the LeBeau Blitz? Not if..., When the Steelers threaten his safety, will he hang in and take a hit? Because if he leaves the pocket and runs against Dick Lebeau's Defense, it's going to hurt. So, Aaron won't be running much. His destiny is inside the Pocket Sunday. That's the trade-off for the Steelers having the ability to shut down almost eveything else the Packers can try. The trick is, he had better hurry up. The Blitz will be coming and Rodgers won't have much time.
The Steelers however, can keep a game close with their Defense and when they absolutely, positively, need to drive and score, they are brutish enough on Offense to do it, and have shown consistency getting it done. Besides that, Big Ben is going to do to Green Bay, what people think Aaron Rodgers can do to Pittsburgh. Ben is going to be disruptive both in and out of the pocket. Many points I made in the Jets/Steelers game about Big Ben still hold true. He's too Big, Bad, Bouncy, and Bold for Green Bay's Defense. He's going to befuddle the Packers and own them Sunday.
There's This; That; and the Other. But this game may boil down to which team's QB can withstand a better hit and get more done in between shots. Simple as that.
Getting back to my original question ~ Which would you rather be;
The Hottest Team in Football?
Or,
The Hottest Team in Football?
Or,
A Brutally Good Team?
Well.., You know how in Hawaii where the volcano's lava meets the ocean? The lava instantly cools when the water hits; Blackening and hardening the lava in a cloud of steam. Now take something that acts with brutish impunity for what stands in it's way, like say...., a GLACIER. They are just big, ignorant, methodical moving masses lurching forward with complete disregard for what may be in their way....
....Towards a SEVENTH Vince Lombardi Trophy for the Rooney Family.
HAPPY
SUPER BOWL
SUNDAY
..and Merry Pigskin to All...!
Mike.BTB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)