Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

Another eBay find by Dan. Dan was surprised Sid was only a 48. Sid always seemed big.

I reminded Dan that this was before players like Bonds and McGwire started eating healthier and working out more, and skinny guys like pre-Phillies Lenny Dykstra or the great Buddy Harrelson could play in the majors.

The real takeaway here is that my preferred jersey size is also 48 which means I’m “Sid Fernandez fat” which is quite quite troubling. No Donuts Chain this weekend!

Before I get into this let me say that all of this Mets-following is fun.  Believe me I don’t walk around all day grumbling that @cmhollon is tweetig about Fred, nor do I go around throwing paint on people with black Mets jerseys.  This is one aspect of my life, one I enjoy very much…but I’m not some sort of 24/7 Metsaholic crazy person.

Yesterday some of us got into it on twitter (@metspolice) a little bit.  There’s this contingent of “Choose The Mets” or in twitter parlance #choosethemets.  Read here if you’d like more but in essence it is taking the parts of the Mets you like and rejecting the rest.  Sort of the Mets fans version of arguing whether or not Greedo shot first.

The problem is you’re kidding yourself.

Choose The Mets seems to be based upon not buying tickets to a game at Citi Field.  That will teach those Wilpons.  We shall punish them with our wallets!

Ok, I get it.  However, you guys aren’t committed.

Since the Choosers aren’t going to go to games they will stay home and watch games on TV.

Well, most Mets games on TV are on SNY.  And you know who owns that?  The Wilpons.  So you would then be supporting what many think is the Wilpons’ strongest asset.  So I am taking that away from you.  No SNY for you!

Fine, you can watch the national broadcasts.

Well, no – no you can’t.  The centralized fund gets split up by the owners..so by watching games on Fox you’re making it that much more likely that Fox will get good ratings and renew their deal at a higher rate…and then you know who gets some of that money….the Wilpons.

I guess you could watch Subway Series games on YES and make the Steinbrenners rich and hope that WGN is (a) on your cable system and (b) showing Mets-Cubs.  So maybe you can catch 10 or so games this year.

Then there’s the radio.  Well, this is the last year of the Mets’ deal with WFAN.  The more people who listen the more valuable those rights will be.  So you really shouldn’t listen or you are helping the Wilpons get closer to a beneficial deal in 2013.  Radio off.

You could consider the MLB App and listen to the out of town feed…oh but there’s that centralized fund again.

So, screw it.  No Mets baseball.  Maybe become a Royals fan.  That way you can enjoy baseball without helping the Wilpons…well except for the national TV games, you shouldn’t watch those (see above.)  And you won’t be able to get any Royals merch since MLB merch is centralized.  So no Alex Gordon jersey for you.

And as for these “Mets” you are choosing?  Those are some of the paid employees of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc.  The Baseball Club Inc. has many people working for them including Dave Howard and some PR folks and some groundskeepers and some people who show you where to park.  Oh and some people who are good at hitting a ball with a stick.

Their chairman?  His name is Fred Wilpon.

Mr. Fred Wilpon is a Co-Founder and Chairman at Sterling Equities. He is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Mets. In 2000, Mr. Wilpon Co-Founded and became Chairman of the Brooklyn Baseball Company, owner of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Prior to August 23, 2002, he was a President of the New York Mets baseball team. Mr. Wilpon’s background includes extensive experience in all aspects of the real estate industry, as well as serving as the Senior Executive of many diversified businesses.  (via Businessweek.com)

I get that you are mad, but you can’t choose Fred’s employees without choosing Fred.  If you want to hit Fred in the wallet you’re going to have to swear off baseball.  We both know you aren’t going to do that.

…

Again, I’m not defending the Wilpons.  I personally don’t care if Fred owns the team or not.

What I’m fascinated with is how “The Wilpons” have become this thing that people wake up in the morning and are just so angry about.

“The Wilpons” don’t seem to have been stupid in 2006.  That summer nobody gave a hoot about ownership. That summer Omar Minaya was a genius and the toast of the town.  Willie Randolph had brought pride back to the Mets.  The playoffs have a way of making everyone look good, except Carlos Beltran.

So everyone hated on Beltran.

Then everyone hated on Willie.

Then Omar became stupid.

Now the Wilpons are stupid.   I don’t want to get politics in here but it reminds me of the perception of a certain recent president who was characterized as both an idiot and yet was the mastermind behind some strategy to make money on oil as part of the biggest conspiracy of all time.  From what I read, “the Wilpons” are percieved to be scheming to get rich while going bankrupt and going out their way to destroy the Mets even though it should be their strongest asset.

Maybe they did make some dopey projections like thinking 3.2 million people would fill Citi Field every year.  Seems their proverbial ex-wife cleaned out the bank accounts.  It’s a mess, I get it.

But it’s all we have.

Strap on your dropshadowless Mets jersey, buy some tickets (try Mets Police tickets when I get that rolling again, we don’t have a deal with MLB like Stubhub does so none of your $ will go to “the Wilpons”) and enjoy baseball.

The next time this team wins 95 games the place will be filled and nobody will care about the owner or his son.  Ask any Knicks fan.  And you’ll be choosing the Mets with your ass in a seat.

See you Opening Day at Citi Field.