The Mets Ownership / Management Thread

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  • Paulypal
    $300MM of Dumpster Diving
    • Jul 2007
    • 14530

    Originally posted by rjsallstars View Post
    "and I maintain part of it is Fred's generational bias toward a "all-American Jack Armstrong" type like David over the flash of Jose, and all the ethnic flavors that color that decision for older people sadly set in their ways"

    This comment makes me want to reevaluate my positive feelings about "free speech". Reyes was loved by Met fans. NY fans, young and old, want a winner. They do not care who helps them win. The Mets did not win with Reyes, they came close, but when the time came for the good players to become great (Reyes), they failed. Resigning Jose to anymore than a 4 year, 60 Million dollar contract would have been irresponsible. If the Mets offered that contract they would have been called "cheap" by the same media that kills them for spending there money foolishly. Say what you will about Wilpon and the Mets organization but you can never call them racist. In my opinion, that comment is a feeble attempt to try to win a discussion that has already been lost. Now back to the yellow teeth. Something that makes so much more sense.
    Agreed This is off the charts ridiculous. You need to consider the source. Every once in a while Strawman throws in a good post. Most times it is completely slanted with innuendo....or just flat out inaccuracies to make his point. He is for the most part entertaining if nothing else.

    He is the Weekly World Report of BBF. You know the rag with headlines such as "Elvis seen riding flying pig". Same sorta thing.

    Comment

    • Strawman
      Registered User
      • Mar 2009
      • 3009

      Whoa fellas - it's irresponsible to go throwing "racism" around like that. I never went there - you did.

      What I did say was that "all the ethnic flavors" involved may have colored the decision of the Wilpons as to who to make the "face of the franchise." One of many considerations, especially for older sports owners who not "get" some of the styles, music, dress, and celebrations. Jose was known for being outwardly celebratory and certainly had some flair in that area - David is more the staid American boy-next-door dude. This can't be denied. It's hardly "off the charts ridiculous" - to borrow the analogy of a certain National Enquirer-style writer - it's patently obvious.

      It just is what it is. And on the non-baseball side - ie, "face of the franchise" - you can hardly go bananas suggesting that in the end, the Mets management favored one style over the other when it came down to a choice. That was their business determination. That's not "racism."

      I do not think the owners of the Mets are racists - heck, Fred put up the wonderful Jackie Robinson Rotunda! The Mets have invested money in the Dominican (maybe they're pulling back from their Latin-American strategy - stupid if you ask me - but they went there early and deserve credit). You guys are a bit over the top.
      Cleon Jones catches a deep fly ball in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Valley of the Ashes, and a second-grader smiles in front of the black and white television.

      Comment

      • WEB
        Team Veteran
        • Dec 2011
        • 548

        The city says a ruling by the federal government marks a major milestone in its effort to redevelop a large swath of property in Queens near Citi Field.

        Looks like he still wants his Brooklyn neighborhood too.

        Comment

        • Mongoose
          Registered User
          • Oct 2008
          • 7596

          Originally posted by WEB View Post
          http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ions-approval/
          Looks like he still wants his Brooklyn neighborhood too.
          Of course. He obviously doesn't care about the team he puts on the field. The whole reason he heisted the team from Doubleday was the free neighborhood he wanted the City to build for him.

          Looks like that insane project, which will cost billions and wreak havoc on already existing business from Willets Point to Flushing, has been scaled back in scope slightly. No estimates here, but instead of costing the City $3+ billion, looks like Fred's neighborhood might cost the City slightly less:


          A 1.4-million-square-foot mall and parking garage is planned for one side of the Mets’ stadium in Queens, with a hotel and stores on the other side.


          In Shift on Willets Pt., City Strikes New Development Deal
          By CHARLES V. BAGLI
          Published: May 16, 2012

          In a sudden departure from its long-held plans, the Bloomberg administration has struck a deal with a developer and the owners of the Mets to build a 1.4-million-square-foot mall and parking garage in Queens next to Citi Field, as well as a 200-room hotel and stores on the other side of the stadium.

          Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for news and conversation.

          The administration planned to hold a news conference next week to announce the new proposal, but word has been circulating in real estate circles and among local elected officials.

          City officials and the developers — a joint venture of Related Companies and Sterling Equities, a real estate company owned by Fred Wilpon and Saul B. Katz, who also own the Mets and Citi Field — declined to comment.

          But according to executives with direct knowledge of the proposal, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, the developer would eventually build a mix of housing, shops and possibly office space just east of the stadium in Willets Point, a shambling, 62-acre district of junk yards and auto repair shops, possibly as late as 2025.

          Before any of that can happen, however, the latest proposal requires a new environmental review, public hearings and a potentially grueling trip through the city’s public review process. The developer must also clean a 20-acre stretch of the heavily polluted Willets Point, which could cost $40 million or more.

          It may be years before anything is built.

          “They’re back to square one,” said Michael Rikon, a lawyer representing Willets Point property owners opposed to the use of eminent domain to gain control of the site. “You’re talking about a three-year process, at best.”

          Until recently, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had been on the verge of announcing the start of one of the signature developments of his administration: turning the often-waterlogged Willets Point area into New York City’s “next great neighborhood.” Initial plans called for a 680,000-square-foot mall, a hotel and up to 400 apartments.

          But after lengthy negotiations over the last year with a series of four developers, city officials learned that most of the candidates could not meet the project requirements without large subsidies and revised zoning.

          The Willets Point site is complicated and requires expensive upfront costs, including cleansing the area of waste and raising the level of the land, most of which is below the flood plain, by as much as seven feet.

          In addition, the area is not very appealing when it comes to attracting new development. Citi Field sits amid an ocean of parking lots, and Willets Point is a collection of sheds and cinder block garages.

          According to the executives, Related Companies joined forces with Sterling Equities to come up with a new proposal that embraced Citi Field. Proponents argue that the city will get what it had always planned at Willets Point, but the timeline and sequencing will be different.

          Under its deal with the city, the developers must clean a 20-acre section of Willets Point and build a 10-story hotel and two retail strips along 126th Street, on the east side of Citi Field, before Related and Sterling can begin the potentially lucrative mall and garage on the west side of the stadium. Some of the parking areas would be converted to green space that the community can use whenever the Mets do not have a game.



          The City already gives Wilpon/Katz the parking lots for practically nothing. Now they're going to get a subsidized mall and garage on those parking lots.

          I suspect everyone on this board would be worth more than the Wilpons if you removed subsidies and dishonest dealing from their net worth.


          "The Fightin' Met With Two Heads" - Mike Tyson/Ray Knight!

          Comment

          • WEB
            Team Veteran
            • Dec 2011
            • 548

            Originally posted by Mongoose View Post
            Of course. He obviously doesn't care about the team he puts on the field. The whole reason he heisted the team from Doubleday was the free neighborhood he wanted the City to build for him.

            Looks like that insane project, which will cost billions and wreak havoc on already existing business from Willets Point to Flushing, has been scaled back in scope slightly. No estimates here, but instead of costing the City $3+ billion, looks like Fred's neighborhood might cost the City slightly less:


            A 1.4-million-square-foot mall and parking garage is planned for one side of the Mets’ stadium in Queens, with a hotel and stores on the other side.


            In Shift on Willets Pt., City Strikes New Development Deal
            By CHARLES V. BAGLI
            Published: May 16, 2012

            In a sudden departure from its long-held plans, the Bloomberg administration has struck a deal with a developer and the owners of the Mets to build a 1.4-million-square-foot mall and parking garage in Queens next to Citi Field, as well as a 200-room hotel and stores on the other side of the stadium.

            Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for news and conversation.

            The administration planned to hold a news conference next week to announce the new proposal, but word has been circulating in real estate circles and among local elected officials.

            City officials and the developers — a joint venture of Related Companies and Sterling Equities, a real estate company owned by Fred Wilpon and Saul B. Katz, who also own the Mets and Citi Field — declined to comment.

            But according to executives with direct knowledge of the proposal, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, the developer would eventually build a mix of housing, shops and possibly office space just east of the stadium in Willets Point, a shambling, 62-acre district of junk yards and auto repair shops, possibly as late as 2025.

            Before any of that can happen, however, the latest proposal requires a new environmental review, public hearings and a potentially grueling trip through the city’s public review process. The developer must also clean a 20-acre stretch of the heavily polluted Willets Point, which could cost $40 million or more.

            It may be years before anything is built.

            “They’re back to square one,” said Michael Rikon, a lawyer representing Willets Point property owners opposed to the use of eminent domain to gain control of the site. “You’re talking about a three-year process, at best.”

            Until recently, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had been on the verge of announcing the start of one of the signature developments of his administration: turning the often-waterlogged Willets Point area into New York City’s “next great neighborhood.” Initial plans called for a 680,000-square-foot mall, a hotel and up to 400 apartments.

            But after lengthy negotiations over the last year with a series of four developers, city officials learned that most of the candidates could not meet the project requirements without large subsidies and revised zoning.

            The Willets Point site is complicated and requires expensive upfront costs, including cleansing the area of waste and raising the level of the land, most of which is below the flood plain, by as much as seven feet.

            In addition, the area is not very appealing when it comes to attracting new development. Citi Field sits amid an ocean of parking lots, and Willets Point is a collection of sheds and cinder block garages.

            According to the executives, Related Companies joined forces with Sterling Equities to come up with a new proposal that embraced Citi Field. Proponents argue that the city will get what it had always planned at Willets Point, but the timeline and sequencing will be different.

            Under its deal with the city, the developers must clean a 20-acre section of Willets Point and build a 10-story hotel and two retail strips along 126th Street, on the east side of Citi Field, before Related and Sterling can begin the potentially lucrative mall and garage on the west side of the stadium. Some of the parking areas would be converted to green space that the community can use whenever the Mets do not have a game.


            The City already gives Wilpon/Katz the parking lots for practically nothing. Now they're going to get a subsidized mall and garage on those parking lots.

            I suspect everyone on this board would be worth more than the Wilpons if you removed subsidies and dishonest dealing from their net worth.
            The convicted felon in the Bronx got his neighborhood inside the ballpark for 1.5m, did you think Fredo was not getting the exact same handout?

            Nothing short of that pile of junk in Shea's parking lot gone, Fredo and Jeff R Us forced to pay every penny for it's demolition and rebuilding a new Shea or both face jail time works for me as MLB runs the team and finds a buyer in the interim. Plus they forfeit all development rights forever.

            Comment

            • Mongoose
              Registered User
              • Oct 2008
              • 7596

              Originally posted by WEB View Post
              The convicted felon in the Bronx got his neighborhood inside the ballpark for 1.5m, did you think Fredo was not getting the exact same handout?

              Nothing short of that pile of junk in Shea's parking lot gone, Fredo and Jeff R Us forced to pay every penny for it's demolition and rebuilding a new Shea or both face jail time works for me as MLB runs the team and finds a buyer in the interim. Plus they forfeit all development rights forever.
              My advice is put that on a banner and show up to the ballpark tomorrow.

              Don't expect to make it into the parade, though:

              The resumption of Banner Day on Sunday comes with a proviso: the Mets reserve the right to deny access to the parade to anyone deemed to have an inappropriate banner.


              Expression Will Be Free, but Only Partly
              By THE NEW YORK TIMES
              Published: May 25, 2012

              The resumption of Banner Day on Sunday comes with a proviso: the Mets reserve the right to deny access to the parade to anyone deemed to have an inappropriate banner.

              But just what is inappropriate? Foul language is obviously prohibited, but what about a banner that pokes fun at the Mets because of their entanglement with Bernard L. Madoff or their inability to re-sign Jose Reyes? Would those be considered inappropriate, too?

              Dave Howard, the Mets’ executive vice president for business operations, declined to provide specific examples Friday. “We’ll know it when we see it,” he said of banners that might potentially be ruled out of bounds.

              Whatever banners fans decide to bring, they will need tickets to the game to participate in the event. Those who intend to take part must check in at the Bullpen Plaza at 126th Street and 37th Avenue. Registration begins at 10 a.m.

              Dwight Gooden, Rusty Staub and the broadcaster Howie Rose are among the judges who will select three finalists. The overall winner will be picked by fans at home and at Citi Field, via texting, Twitter and Facebook. (NYT)


              Can you imagine if Mets fans had free rein? :hissyfit::chainsaw:

              Now that would be worth the price of admission.

              This would be mine:

              THIS COUPON CANNOT BE REDEEMED




              "The Fightin' Met With Two Heads" - Mike Tyson/Ray Knight!

              Comment

              • Gary Dunaier
                Thumbs Down Guy/Moderator
                • Sep 2007
                • 7869

                I wonder if a banner with this text would be okay...

                METS ALWAYS DELIVER OLD FASHIONED FUN
                My GIF has been viewed more than 377 million times!
                https://giphy.com/gifs/mlb-yankees-t...wH6yMO7ED5xc7S

                Comment

                • Gary Dunaier
                  Thumbs Down Guy/Moderator
                  • Sep 2007
                  • 7869

                  Originally posted by Mongoose View Post
                  This would be mine:
                  Fixed the caption for you...

                  For the last freakin' time...
                  It's FAKE YANKEE STADIUM FAIL!
                  NOT "FAKE EBBETS FIELD FAIL!"
                  FAKE EBBETS FIELD SUCCEED!


                  My GIF has been viewed more than 377 million times!
                  https://giphy.com/gifs/mlb-yankees-t...wH6yMO7ED5xc7S

                  Comment

                  • WEB
                    Team Veteran
                    • Dec 2011
                    • 548



                    Fredo agrees to settlement

                    Under the terms of the agreement approved by Judge Jed Rakoff , trustee Irving Picard agreed to drop his $303 million lawsuit against Fred Wilpon , Saul Katz and their partners in Sterling Equities in exchange for their paying back $162 million in profits received through Madoff's Ponzi scheme.

                    Picard also agreed to accept claims by the Sterling partners for $177 million in losses in the scam.

                    Comment

                    • dstoffa
                      Registered User
                      • Nov 2008
                      • 2872

                      Originally posted by Gary Dunaier View Post
                      I wonder if a banner with this text would be okay...

                      METS ALWAYS DELIVER OLD FASHIONED FUN
                      I guess we found out!

                      Congratulations!
                      -Doug
                      20-Game Saturday Plan, Prom Box 423.

                      Comment

                      • DN4L
                        27, and nobody has more..
                        • Dec 2009
                        • 1830

                        Mets new minority owner.. BILL MAHER!!!!

                        Mr Realtime Bill Maher is one of the new minority owners of the New York Mets..





                        Last edited by DN4L; 06-03-2012, 07:26 PM.
                        "We're relying on you to take the memories from this stadium, and add them to the new memories we make at the new Yankee Stadium, and continue to pass them on from generation to generation." Derek Jeter: September 21, 2008.

                        Comment

                        • mandrake
                          Registered User
                          • Dec 2006
                          • 7505

                          I guess when you get on the commish's bad side , the rules are different !

                          A federal grand jury is investigating the finances of the Dodgers under McCourt, including the possibility of tax evasion, said a person familiar with the matter who declined to be identified because the probe isn’t public. The Los Angeles Times reported the probe last week.
                          In a bankruptcy filing, Major League Baseball alleged McCourt “looted” $189 million from the Dodgers for personal use, a claim his lawyers said couldn’t be supported.



                          Now, if Mongoose is correct about the Mets TV money.........


                          Comment

                          • Mongoose
                            Registered User
                            • Oct 2008
                            • 7596

                            Originally posted by mandrake View Post
                            I guess when you get on the commish's bad side , the rules are different !

                            A federal grand jury is investigating the finances of the Dodgers under McCourt, including the possibility of tax evasion, said a person familiar with the matter who declined to be identified because the probe isn’t public. The Los Angeles Times reported the probe last week.
                            In a bankruptcy filing, Major League Baseball alleged McCourt “looted” $189 million from the Dodgers for personal use, a claim his lawyers said couldn’t be supported.



                            Now, if Mongoose is correct about the Mets TV money.........


                            http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...rs-agenda.html
                            It's not a matter of me being correct. I just repeat numbers published in Forbes and elsewhere. It's a long thread with links...

                            Wilpon takes the T.V. money under a separate corporate entity - SNY. Usually teams use their own regional sports networks to shelter T.V. income from revenue sharing so they can invest it in their team. The Wilpons use SNY to stick it in their pockets.

                            McCourt didn't have the benefit of a RSN to hide money and mislead fans about being too broke to sign anyone. Still, in spite of everything he was pumping more money into his team with almost certainly lower revenue than the Coupons:

                            Visit ESPN for Los Angeles Dodgers live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2024 season schedule.


                            So now he's got more problems, but not Fred and Saul. Somehow they're made of gold and coated with teflon. The entire System - MLB and beyond - seems to circle its wagons around them, a disturbing number of fans defend them, NYC is now spending billions to remove their neighbors and build them a neighborhood. They haven't signed anyone good in 2 1/2 years. All they've done is strip the team of talent, yet somehow with a Pythagorean W-L of 26-28, the team has a record of 31-23.

                            It's all a big enigma.


                            "The Fightin' Met With Two Heads" - Mike Tyson/Ray Knight!

                            Comment

                            • WEB
                              Team Veteran
                              • Dec 2011
                              • 548

                              Originally posted by Mongoose View Post
                              They haven't signed anyone good in 2 1/2 years. All they've done is strip the team of talent, yet somehow with a Pythagorean W-L of 26-28, the team has a record of 31-23.
                              They could go 162-0, sweep the playoffs and world series, and spend a billion on payroll, that aspect makes no difference.

                              Comment

                              • Mongoose
                                Registered User
                                • Oct 2008
                                • 7596

                                Fred and Saul got away scot free with their role in the Madoff scandal.

                                Now this:



                                Willets Point land a shameful steal of a deal for Mets
                                City is on the way to paying $500 million for tract and gifts 23 acres to Wilpons and partners for retail, entertainment and hotel complex by Citi Field
                                NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
                                Friday, June 15, 2012, 6:30 AM

                                Mets CEO Fred Wilpon and partner Steve Ross of The Related Companies will get 23 acres of land for Willets Point redevelopment, but won't have to start building any residential housing until 2025.

                                ONLY in Michael Bloomberg’s New York are we asked to believe that giving away huge swaths of city-owned land to millionaires is a wonderful deal.

                                The mayor announced Wednesday that the city had selected the Wilpons, of the Mets and Sterling Equities, and Steve Ross of The Related Companies, to develop 23 acres of land in the Willets Point redevelopment area in Queens.

                                The Wilpon-Ross partnership, Queens Development Group, will be handed this land completely free of charge, so it can build its own new retail, entertainment and hotel complex adjacent to the Mets’ Citi Field.

                                Yes, free land, even though the city is on track to spend nearly $500 million buying that very land from scores of industries and auto repair firms that operated there for decades, putting in new sewer lines, and erecting new Long Island Expressway ramps.

                                Free land, even though Queens Development has committed to developing only one-third of the entire 60-acre Willet Points project City Council approved back in 2008.

                                Queens Development won’t even have to begin construction on a single unit of residential housing — part of the original lure of the project — until 2025.

                                “How do you give away 23 acres of land for nothing?” Jerry Antonacci wants to know. He has run Crown Container, a waste hauling and recycling plant in Willets Point for nearly 40 years and has been battling the city’s efforts to move him out. “This is like the biggest heist ever,” Antonacci said, “We all knew the Wilpons wanted our land for themselves all along, and now they got it.”

                                But when City Hall originally got Council’s approval for Willets Point, there was no mention of giveaways or of the Wilpons as a possible developer.

                                Just the opposite.

                                Back then, Bloomberg’s aides assured the Council that any taxpayer money spent on Willets Point would be recouped when the city sold the land to a developer that would be chosen later.

                                Council was understandably skeptical. For one thing, all previous development projects always had a developer’s name attached to them when they came up for vote. This one didn’t.

                                Then there was the big city money upfront for acquiring private land.

                                On Oct. 17, 2008, for instance, then-Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber was grilled by former City Councilman Hiram Monserrate about the land sales.

                                “Our goal would be to get the city taxpayer money back out of this,” Lieber said

                                “In the sale of the properties?” Monserrate asked.

                                “That’s correct,” Lieber said.

                                Lieber conceded that if potential developers claimed the cost of cleaning up the polluted land was too high, the city might agree to “get less for land.” He never said anything about free land.

                                Back then, the city’s skin in the game was $400 million. That has now gone up by another $80 million to build the LIE ramps for the project.

                                Back then, the project’s timeline was five to 10 years. It included a convention center, a new school, twice as much housing.

                                Now, you won’t see any housing open for maybe 15 years. No convention center. No school. And two-thirds of the Willets Point site will remain undeveloped and polluted possibly for decades.

                                “We are thrilled to have been selected by the City to . . . rejuvenate Willets Points into a stunning, new, mixed-use neighborhood,” Jeff Wilpon said as he stood next to Bloomberg.

                                Sure, they’re thrilled. You’d be, too, if you had just been handed 23 acres of land paid for by taxpayers, right next door to your own new baseball stadium.



                                Meanwhile Alderson has cut payroll to the bone and has indicated he's not going to spend any real money on acquisitions for the foreseeable future.

                                The current team isn't so far away from being a real contender. I said that last year. Had they retained Pagan, Beltran and Reyes they would have had extra pieces they could have dealt for pitching. Failing to spend a cent to acquire any further players just wastes the decent core of talent the team actually has.

                                You have to wonder how much money is enough for Fred and Saul? I guess to make a whole lot of money, you have to make it your main priority.

                                Too bad championship baseball isn't anywhere on their to-do list.


                                "The Fightin' Met With Two Heads" - Mike Tyson/Ray Knight!

                                Comment

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