Over at Gotham Nation, Mark Healy wrote an article called Choose the Mets. We started having a twitter “fight” (we’re actually quite friendly) and I invited Mark to join me on email to discuss.
SS: Explain “Choose the Mets” to me. At first glance it seems like you’d like fans to boycott the Mets.
You wrote “Every ticket you don’t buy, every game you don’t watch on SNY, every impulse to blame the media for the endless stream of asinine commentary that rolls off the lips of this ownership group, puts this man and his ship of fools closer to having to sell the team. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.”
But I don’t want to sit home. I want to watch the Mets. Why should I punish myself?
Mark: To me, worth it help the Wilpons leave. Otherwise, it’ll be M Donald all over again.
SS: Well it may be M Donald Grant again anyway. I found myself thinking about Dick Young yesterday.
Isn’t it a drop in the bucket and you’re just spiting yourself? The non frontrunners are always gonna watch.
Mark: If the Mets are going to be a Triple A team, I’d rather it be on someone else’s watch…I like Mike Repole.
SS: Do you think things automatically get better with new ownership?
Mark: Honestly? Yes. I graduated Holy Cross High School with Mike Repole in 1986, he’s now 4 billion dollars richer after selling Vitamin Water to Coca Cola…he refuses to be a minority owner of Mets, b/c he’s not giving Wilpons a dime of his money to pay off their debt.
He is a HUGE Mets fan, and a billionare.
Also, in my yearbook, on graduation day in June of 1986, he wrote “Heals, Let’s Go Mets…see you in the World Series” This guy has to own the Mets…
Know what I’m sayin’?
And I thought that was a good spot to wrap. Check out “choose the Mets” here. Personally, my blog is about supporting the Mets not boycotting. I’m attempting to influence change by discussion of ideas…but I’m going to be at games regardless…whether it’s 1977, 1986, or 2012.
I really like this format – if anyone (blogger/non-blogger) wants to have a friendly discussion like this let me know.
The Mets are a fun team to watch with a lot of likeable guys. Why would I stay away, which only furthers to ruin our history by raising the percentage (i.e. less income from tickets) chance that Reyes and/or Wright is sent packing?
Because the owner mouths off? big deal. This is typical grass is always greener stuff. A new owner will be better. We haven’t won with Reyes so he must suck. A new owner likely means a new GM, and I kinda like Alderson (unless he does trade Reyes).
Ceetar,
If Wilpon stays, a rebuilding effort is going to happen, but it will be with him. He has proven, time and time again, that he is incapable of sticking with a long-term plan.
Sandy Alderson is probably not going to be here to complete that rebuilding job. Logic demands that he is here to protect MLB’s interests. Riccardi, maybe. DePo? Hard to imagine he would take a full-time job in NYC.
Let’s say I am wrong. I can pretty much guarantee that if Repole were to buy the team, he would not only retain Alderson, but be happy about it as well.
As much as it pains me, I think it’s apparent that Reyes is going to be dealt and will playing somewhere else for the rest of his career, regardless, as this process has been now drawn out way too long to say this current group.
If the Mets are going to have to reboot, better to rip the damn bandage off completely.
you lost me at rebuild.
I can agree an ownership group change is necessary if we’re going to cut salary to try to save money and hope it works out next go-around.
But what if we’re actually going to try to make the team better? There are no baseball reasons to get rid of Reyes. This team could be make significantly better at the trade deadline and next season.
You’re making a lot of assumptions, and i’m not going to cut out the enjoyment of baseball on assumptions. rebuilding process? that Alderson is only here for that, and not to win? You’re taking one thing Fred says, and ignore others. (Like it’s up to Alderson what the payroll and baseball decisions are)
I’ll give you a baseball reason: Reyes is going to get paid, probably not Crawford money, in fact, but get paid nonetheless, and a drop in production at leadoff is the least of the Mets concerns.
The Mets have a LOT of holes. The rotation is below average, the bullpen is inconsistent, the middle of the order is ineffective, and the bench is horrendous. Regardless of the payroll, at this stage of things, money, trades, and other personnel efforts are better spread around multiple positions than sunk in large chunks into one, especially that one. Teams are built around arms and sluggers, not leadoff men.
If the Mets get a downgrade at leadoff, they merely go from outstanding to something less. From a team standpoint, that’s perfectly acceptable if it helps bring the rest of the roster up from poor to average in the process. If Reyes was a 3- or 4-hitter leading the league in 3- or 4-hitter stats, sure, you do all you can to keep him. But it gets proven daily around here that superb leadoff numbers have little influence on wins.
In fact, the most potent fan demonstration would be to preemptively sell out 8/5, Jose Reyes Banner Day.
I just can’t react to any of this until such time as I actually see a new ownership partner emerge and what that group actually is and what it actually means.
As a Redskins fan I can tell you it is easy to be a fan of the team and have boat loads of cash to excite people, but that does not always translate into better ownership.
As for Repole, I mean, if he really wants in he’d make an offer. I don’t care who you are you don’t just get to waltz in and demand the complete terms of the deal. He walked away awfully quickly.
Would Mike Repole ditch the black?