Ranked in order of importance:
1) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
2) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
3) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
4) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
5) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
6) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
7) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
8) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
9) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
10) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
11) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
12) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
13) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
14) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
15) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
16) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
17) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
18) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
19) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
20) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
21) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
22) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
23) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
24) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
25) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
26) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
27) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
28) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
29) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
30) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
31) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
32) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
33) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
34) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
35) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
36) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
37) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
38) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
39) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
40) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
41) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
42) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
43) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
44) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
45) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
46) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
47) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
48) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
49) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
50) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
51) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
52) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
53) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
54) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
55) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
56) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
57) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
58) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
59) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
60) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
61) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
62) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
63) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
64) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
65) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
66) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
67) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
68) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
69) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
70) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
71) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
72) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
73) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
74) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
75) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
76) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
77) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
78) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
79) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
80) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
81) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
82) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
83) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
84) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
85) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
86) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
87) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
88) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
89) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
90) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
91) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
92) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
93) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
94) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
95) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
96) The Wilpons are broke and MLB doesn’t care.
97) The current offense doesn’t score enough runs.
98) As a shortstop Wilmer Flores is both inexperienced and limited.
99) Terry Collins overmanages.
100) Anything related to lineup construction.
While this may in fact be 100% correct, since there is no way to force an ownership change short of fans banding together and refusing to attend ANY games or buying ANY merchandise or watching ANY games on TV, then the focus needs to be on improving what the club already has at its disposal.
And in spite of the lack of great parts at a number of spots (which makes it tough to consistently score runs and hurts the ability to prevent runs), this team can definitely either make the playoffs or come awfully close. If you really believe Totally Clueless gives the current group the best chance, great. I do not.
Yup, those Wilpons sure are broke all right. The question is, how long is that excuse going to apply? Will they ever emerge from baseball owner poverty, or is this just how it’s always going to be? Are we supposed to patiently wait for the Wilpons to rebuild their fortune and if so, how long is that estimated to take? Is there any progress at all on the front, or is it a permanent sort of deal? Because if I was completely broke and I owned a valuable pro sports franchise, I might, you know, consider selling that property to, you know, not be broke anymore.
Seems to me the main villains in this non-hitting narrative are Wright’s position (including the man himself), Cuddyer, and Granderson, with a dash of the ever unreliable Duda. Lots of money already spent on some of those folks.
Since Matt Harvey is a Boras client and a Yankee fan, it appears he will leave in 3 years anyway. He is unaffordable.
So: Anyone up for trading Harvey to Seattle for Cano if Seattle will kick in some salary? NY could give him back the spark he needs to go back to his lazy, talented ways.
I really don’t know that they are broke…based on articles I have read, the Mets and SNY are worth about 2 Billion and have about a billion in debt. That means 1 Billion of equity. Of course, this is not a very liquid asset and they did sell off some minority stakes so they don’t own all that equity. Operating the Mets probably loses money, but add in national broadcasting fees and MLB digital properties (very fast growing revenue), they supposedly had 25 million in operating income last year. Do the math…if they increase payroll by 50 Million, that profit becomes a loss. Unknown to me is how their real estate operation are doing, but in the current economic bubble with low interest rates, they are probably doing well. Winning is secondary to them making a profit. Now, if they hadn’t mismanaged the franchise and destroyed so much brand equity, the team would be worth much more and they would have a much larger profit that could be invested in players.
After reading some of the suggestions (trades,on the field moves, financial decisions) that a few have posted here, I have to say that I’m glad that some of you have zero input in anything that goes on with the Mets.
Me, I don’t even want any input, I just want to know how to gauge my expectations, let’s say. Should I just become comfortable with the idea of the Mets as a so-called “small market” team or is there a point in the future where these “limitations” won’t be as much of an issue anymore?
No, they are just a poorly run team that seems to have more than its share of bad luck. Are there potentially elite hitters coming out of this farm system? Why do the SF Giants always seem to bring up real baseball players like Joe Panik and Matt Duffy and we’ve got dunces like Eric Campbell and Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada and now even Dilson Herrera. These are guys who plainly don’t know what to do on a baseball field. Why is it like this no matter what GM is running this organization? I’m not tired of the Wilpons being broke– lack of money might even prevent them from spending it on the wrong players– I’m tired of dumb mental mistakes, sloppy baseball, lousy fielding, poor baserunning, and a continuous round of injuries to key players.
Stu nails it again…it’s just sorry baseball to watch. Under the Wilpons, we have had 1 great year out of 14. They are the constant…nobody else to blame.
Off Topic–Where is Gary Cohen on Met telecasts last 4 road games?
About a month ago, Greg wrote about his father and some medical “stuff”.
Just hope your father is recovering well and that you get to enjoy Fathers Day together!
Bob
Off topic–What happened to Gary Cohen on this road trip?
Thanks,
Bob
thers’s no D in isaster
Dennis, what do you think of Totally Clueless as manager? If you think he hurts more than he helps, I’ll value your opinion. If you like him at the helm, I’m glad you have zero input in anything that goes on with the Mets.
While Terry is no genius, he doesn’t have much to work with. Washed up old guys (Granderson, Cuddyer), dumb, underproductive youngish guys (Flores, Campbell, Tejada). Guys who need more seasoning (Plawecki, Herrera). And a perpetually injured “face of the franchise.” Does Alderson know what he’s doing? Why can’t he and those much ballyhooed assistants of his find and develop an elite hitter?
The franchise has developed and kept maybe 5 star hitters in over 50 years…Wright, Cleon, Alfonzo, Mookie and I guess Darryl and Reyes, though they left in their primes. Do you want to count Mazzilli? It is clearly under 10. So sad that you have to laugh. It has to be the worst franchise in hitter development in baseball history.
LA Jake…..I don’t love him or think he is doing a great job, but I also don’t think he’s the worst manager there is. If they continue to slide, then by all means he should be let go. I certainly don’t think Joe McCarthy….I mean Wally Backman, is the answer. Isn’t the childish Totally Clueless name getting to be old? He’s so clueless that he’s built a career in MLB……I’ll take that anytime.
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The real outrage is that the Wilpons are not broke, they’re made out of freaking money. Poke around the Sterling Equities website, and they own real estate like most of us own pairs of socks. They own billions worth. I’m no expert on this stuff, but I’m not clueless about it either, and I’m thinking that if the Wilpons sold about 10% of the real estate they own and invested it in the Mets, the payroll would be one thing fans (or the GM) would never have to worry about. That we wouldn’t be having to worry about the fact that, under the current philosophy, by the time Conforto and Nimmo and Rosario are contributing at the major league level, deGrom and Harvey and Familia will be dealt for prospects rather than paid the money they’re worth on the free agent market.
Imagine owners for whom owning the team would be their primary focus…who wouldn’t ignore the team’s fortunes because they can make the money from UES condos instead.
Dennis, who said he was the worst manager there is? I merely maintain he’s a very bad strategic manager and there are better ones out there. Wally happens to be one, whether you like him or not. His track record with both teams as a whole and individual players is undeniable. Not sure why you dislike him personally apparently, but that’s your choice.
Nothing against Backman, just a little joke about him considering some people view him as the 2nd coming. Truth is, he might make a difference with this club. But in one of your previous posts somewhere, you blame Collins for not improving players with their mental mistakes. But shouldn’t that have been taken care of in the minors, where some of them may have played under Wally? Regardless, despite our disagreement, at least we can both agree we want this team to be successful.
Dennis, yes, we want them to be successful. And yes, I firmly believe Wally would improve this team. And yes, as a minor league manager, he needs to work with players on this stuff. But yes, at the major league level, Collins has to find a way to stop the repetition of mistakes. Whether it is fielding practice or benchings or whatever, he needs to correct it. But his teams don’t improve. We’ve seen the same thing year after year. And if he can’t fix that imo he shouldn’t be in the dugout. And if the same thing happens with Wally or whomever is next, I’ll say the same thing.
All good points. I don’t have a big problem with Collins, but at some point your overall record does reflect the job you’ve done, which in his case is a losing one.
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