Author: Media Goon @mediagoon

Very, very interesting read from NYTIMES.com. I will comment as we go along.

The Mets, long one of baseball’s most highly valued franchises, have lost millions of dollars in recent years, including nearly $50 million in 2010, according to two people briefed on the team’s finances.

Nearly lost 50 million dollars last year? And this isn’t even the stuff about Madoff. Just cost of doing business expenses.

The losses — the club’s falloff in revenue was the largest year-to-year decline for any major league team in recent years — are certainly jarring for a franchise operating in the nation’s most lucrative market. In 2009, the Mets, boasting one of the sport’s most expensive payrolls, opened the season in a new park, Citi Field, and the club took in revenue of more than $350 million. Still, it lost close to $10 million, according to the two people briefed on the matter.

Opening up of a new ball park and lost close to $10 million. Has that happened anywhere before? I am far from a financial guru and I definitely do not know about other baseball cities and their finances at all. But, WOW.

The falloff in revenue in 2010 for the Mets was one of the most striking for any club since the losses suffered by the Florida Marlins in 1998, when their roster was decimated by cost-cutting ownership a year after the team won the World Series.

Really? This is as bad as the Marlins fire sale in ’98? OUCH!

And sales of what are known as full-season equivalents — a mix of small and large season-ticket packages — are projected to top out at 10,000 this year, less than half the total sold just two years ago. Without any major player signings after last season’s 79-83 record, there might not be much for fans to root for.

The Mets would not comment on their financial situation, other than to say that ticket sales for the 2011 season are up over the same time last year.

Ticket sales are gangbusters I thought. I guess maybe single game ticket and flex plan sales are up. The people who had plans must have ditched them and went for the smaller flex plans and single tickets.

There is a lot more in this article and its getting late. So, you can read more here and get your own take on the story.

First Castillo to the Phillies and now Ollie Perez signs with the Nationals. I am really hoping Commander Adama, um, I mean Sandy Alderson reprogrammed them to destroy those two teams from the inside. Okay enough with the inside sci-fi jokes.

On twitter Jon Heyman reported that Ollie signed a minor league deal. Heyman also said,”nationals minor league pitching coach spin williams, who had ollie in pitt, thinks his mechanics are off and velocity should return.”

Adam Rubin reported Terry “Colactus” Collins had this to say about Perez:

“I’m not surprised,” Terry Collins said. “I’m surprised there wasn’t a couple of other clubs. Left-handed. A guy with his experience and with his background of getting left-handed hitters out, I’m not surprised he got a shot. And I wish him all the luck.”

This is from Adam Rubin today. Sandy Alderson gave his reasons for having Ollie and Castillo both in camp and why they were released.

The GM indicated Perez’s velocity, which hovered in the mid-80s mph, was not enough to be successful in the organization’s estimation.

“The velocity was not there. The command was not there,” Alderson said. “It wasn’t going to work in a starting role. It didn’t appear as if it were going to work in a relief role, at least anytime soon.”

And in Castillo’s case Sandy said.

Anticipated negative crowd reaction played at least some factor.

Alderson also said he had no regrets bringing the two into camp and not releasing them before spring training.

“For a variety of reasons it was important to have them in camp,” Alderson said. “To start with, I didn’t want to do anything rash or reflexive given what I had heard about the situation here. And so I think it was important to bring them to camp, and then once brought to camp give them a legitimate opportunity. I think in both cases we tried to do that.”

Read the whole story here.

Okay lets see who is going to become the next Mets player that under performs and has the fans target on their back.

Ollie Perez is finally gone. I think it is time to celebrate. Maybe celebrate with a song? Lets all have a little sing-a-long with the
Media Goon. I am sure you all know the words.

Luis Castillo is signed by the Phillies. Can I pay anyone to take Ollie in a trade?

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Luis Castillo has agreed to a Minor League contract with the Phillies, a source said Sunday night.

The fact the Phillies are bringing Castillo into camp shows just how concerned they are about Chase Utley’s right knee. Utley could miss months of the 2011 season because of patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia and bone inflammation, although Utley said Sunday he is “moving in the right direction.”

Wow. Who would have thought Philly would welcome Castillo into the fold. Guess Philly isn’t racist.

Full Story here.