57 Responses to Message to Mets Fans: This Dream is Over

1. doctaK
   January 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am

   Holy Jesus, the Mets not signing Manny has almost zero to do with “guts” or “the dream” and 100% to do with salary. Why don’t people understand that.

   The Mets payroll is around $125-127 million right now. Add Ollie/Sheets and it’s like $125-137. Add Manny and it’s pushing $160 million. By all accounts they won’t be spending $160 million on next year’s team. No one seems to grasp this concept.

2. fredsaid
   January 30th, 2009 at 10:42 am

   If Mike Silva does not get that $160 Mill is overboard then he is just as Sillie as Willie.

3. Josh Bender
   January 30th, 2009 at 11:29 am

   The Mets do not need Manny to win. They needed a bullpen and pitching. They addressed the bullpen, and they WILL address the pitching. Oliver Perez will return, and if you want a gutsy move, they should give Ben Sheets the money.

4. Nik
   January 30th, 2009 at 12:02 pm

   I totally agree and have written about this myself (as have many people). What I lack is another solution besides being vocal.

   This is my original post that talks about guts bring the issue..

   http://citifield.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/%e2%80%9cscott-we%e2%80%99d-love-to-sign-both-your-players-but-we-needed-to-buy-a-second-gold-plated-duke-snider-statue-for-the-rotunda-the-one-in-my-bedroom-got-damaged%e2%80%9d/

   Nik

   P.S. I also have some new Shea photos up as well on http://www.www.kinerskorner.com

5. RB
   January 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm

   They do need some more offense in the outfield. Yes, the bullpen collapsed last year, but so did the offense. There weren’t many clutch hits when there needed to be at the end of the season. They scored a lot of runs last year, but not with RISP when it counts.

6. FF
   January 30th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

   It’s laughable to think that Mets fans will be happy if the Mets just sign Oliver Perez and “call it a day.” How can you bring back the exact same team that failed miserably in 2008, plus or minus a reliever or two? Unacceptable, I won’t stand for it. How can you bring back the exact same rotation and exact same batting lineup that failed miserable and could not get a big hit/clutch hit to save it’s life.

   Sign Manny Ramirez now.

7. RB
   January 30th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

   Agreed, FF.

8. GW
   January 30th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

   THey have no problem raising ticket prices and building a new stadium but can’t sign Manny because he is too expensive. Please. This is a slap in the face to fans who want a winning team.

9. Andrew
   January 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

   Not signing Manny has more to do with money, risk concerning his personality and common sense. $20+ million a year for a guy that can hit and do absolutely nothing else. No thanks.

   Enough about Manny. If you like the way the Yanks do business then go be a Yankee fan!

10. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm

    you people are absolutely ridiculous.. I have been a Mets fan for over 20 years. I am totally against comparing the two teams from NY, however… enough is enough! The Yankees consider their season a bust if they dont win a championship us on the other hand are content on a “post season berth” and its non-sense! I live 2hrs away from Citi Field yet they want us the fans to spend our money to come to this new stadium and cheer for a team thats owners wont go the extra mile to put a winner on the field. I love the K-Rod and Putz moves.. but Perez is way to erratic and our offense cant handle the pressure. Manny hits .330 with 2 outs and RISP.. his energy would lift this team and generate a profit for the new stadium like no other. I’m sorry but I am tired of getting anxious and excited over this team when the owners and management do nothing but slap us in the face… WE DESERVE MANNY… WE DESERVE A CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

11. justin
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    Josh Bender…..couldn’t agree more. a rotation of johan, sheets, ollie, pelf, maine is hands down the best in the NL if not the majors. with garcia, redding, niese, and parnell waiting in the wings each getting innings in the bullpen and/or the minors, you have a force to be reckoned with. the mets would only need 3-4 runs per game to lock down a win and we all know the offense is capable of that.

    let manny be manny someplace else.

    dont forget what mr. k rod and mr. putz have already provided for this team

12. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    GW THANK YOU!!! and thank you to the people who have a clue on this site… ok Andrew do nothing else??? he carried a team into the NLCS who’s main threat in the lineup was Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.. Manny in our lineup would be sick!!! but hey keep spending money and going to games when our owners are so content on living in the past and not realizing that sadly, this is a business now and not just for the love of the game… WE STICK BY THE METS EVERY YEAR AND GET NOTHING… Manuel wants him.. D-WRIGHT WANTS HIM…. THE FANS WANT HIM… why cant the wilpons do what it takes to WIN WIN WIN

13. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    TO the people who have a clue.. how about we do this…. when Manny comes to NY to hit monster home runs off Oliver perez.. we all stand and give him a huge ovation, that way Omar and the Wilpons can see how they once again blew another one!!! or better yet since the Wilpons are being cheap as usual.. we dont go to CITI Field that way no income is generated!!!

14. RB
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    Not to mention how much better Manny will make the others around him in the lineup. Look what he did for Big Papi. He’s so clutch, and right-handed! And you can pretty much guarantee Delgado will not have another MVP type season this year. Yes, lineup is decent now, but you can’t say its better than some of the others in the east.

15. KK
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    lol all u guys are too funny!!!!!!! Manny is the best hitter the game has seen and u guys dont want him on ur team thats all B.S ok enough is enough u want to win a championship u grow the balls and u sign manny !!!!! Hes a bad clubhouse person come on already wit this non sense like our club house is any better now or when they signed delgado !!!! delgado wouldnt even stand up for the national anthem and ur worried about manny i dont care wat he does he is the key to the mets winning the world seriessss!!!

16. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    Justin.. the offense is capable of giving 3-4 runs a game huh?? then why couldnt they do that when the game was on the line against Florida??? or wait lets be serious for a second… and talk about the IF FACTOR…. IF Ryan Church is healthy??? IF Delgado boats numbers like he did last year??? IF Tatis and Murphy can play like last year???? I’m sorry but thats 3 too many IF’s for me…this team is banking on too many uncertainties!!! Our bullpen was awful we know that.. we did a good job getting K-Rod and Putz… but what about the lefties?? we’re gonna depend on Feliciano to get Utley, Howard, and Ibanez out all the time?? and the lineup we’re gonna count on putting up runs who couldnt score against teams like the Padres and Marlins? yea.. lot of changes Omar…. way to go… its the same exact team as last year!!!

17. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    To anyone who “understands” that Manny costs too much…go back to whatever small market you come from. I don’t think Pirates or Royals fans have had their season tickets double in the past two years. It’s about time the Mets start acting like a major market in the front office, because they sure are charging the fans major market prices. Yeah they improved the bullpen, but face it, if any one else wanted K-Rod we would have been outbid.

    Now we have to settle for the same mediocre team for a third year in a row, but our ticket prices reflect an all-star team. OPEN YOUR WALLET WILPON, STOP CHEATING US!!!!!!!!!!!

18. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    Like GW said.. the team can build a new stadium, raise ticket prizes etc etc… yet, say they cant sign manny cause he wants to much. Yes, the economy is down and most teams are cutting back we all see that, but I dont know about everyone else but if their is a championship team on the field, I’d pay the extra money it costs in gas for me to drive two hours, and i’d pay a few dollars more to see games in Citi Field knowing this team is a championship contender. I am not going to spend money to see a game when the team isnt doing what it takes to win. In 2006 the team was electric, the city was electric… why cant the Wilpons see how passionate we are and how badly we deserve a title!!! I dont mean to belittle anyone’s opinions, I’m just so fed up with the old fashioned demeanor of the Wilpons. It’s almost as if they’re saying We want to win, as long as its within the rules and guidelines of MLB and if not then sorry we just wont do it. Its time to wake up and make winning a priority and not being a goodie goodie organization…. The Yankees have owned this city forever… why cant we have a shot…..

19. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    Hey Steve, Manny did well in his 2 MONTHS in LA when he was playing for a contract. How about earlier in the year when he quit on his Red Sox teammates because he didnt get what he wanted from management?

    Focus what he did in LA but dont focus on the fact that Boston had a .560 winning percentage in the 4 months with Manny and a .643 winning percentage in the 2 months Manny was in LA. If Manny is such an influence then how did Boston do better with Manny gone?

    This clubhouse is full of guys who have no clue, have pointed fingers at one another when things have gotten tough, have folded under pressure, who have no clear leader and you want to bring in Manny with his aloof personality and me first attitude? A guy who quit on his teammates in Boston, who cant play defense, doesnt hustle and is aging? $20+ million a year for a one-trick pony? The team fixed it’s biggest problem last year, the bullpen. Let Manny be Manny someplace else.

20. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

    Andrew…aren’t you neglecting the two WORLD SERIES RINGS the guy is wearing???

21. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

    Justin.. the offense is capable of giving 3-4 runs a game huh?? then why couldnt they do that when the game was on the line against Florida??? or wait lets be serious for a second… and talk about the IF FACTOR…. IF Ryan Church is healthy??? IF Delgado boats numbers like he did last year??? IF Tatis and Murphy can play like last year???? I’m sorry but thats 3 too many IF’s for me…———————-

    I have a few more “IF’s” for you.

    IF Manny behaves…..

    IF Manny hustles…..

    IF Manny feels like playing…..

    IF Manny doesnt quit on his team again……

22. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Boston did better without Manny??? I hope they had big tv’s to watch the World Series from home then…. wake up buddy… have fun watching us ground out or strike out with RISP and losing on the last day of the year for a third time…. and as far as Manny quitting on Boston??? let me ask you this?? say your at a job and you have carried your business for years and they wouldnt be there without you??? wouldnt you want to be paid for your accomplishments??? and after time wouldnt you get frustrated and not want to put the same amount of effort you did when you first started because your boss’s dont appreciate it?? I don’t agree with anyone giving up on their team… but the guy made the red sox legit again.. without Manny protecting Ortiz baseball doesnt have a “big papi” thats been proven… but if your content on Tatis playing and having the same lineup AGAIN.. more power to you!

23. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Andrew…aren’t you neglecting the two WORLD SERIES RINGS the guy is wearing???

    ———-

    Luis Castillo has two world series rings as well……

24. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    to tell ya buddy… has Manny ever been arrested? has Manny ever been accused of steroids??? etc etc… I think I along with a lot of other Mets fans could live with a guy having a little fun on the field and hitting .330 37hr and over 140 rbi’s if in our lineup. It’s all about winning rings and Manny has two shiny rings to back himself up…. thats the same amount this team has in its 47 year history!! so yea… I’d LOVE MANNY BEING MANNY IN NY… and whats that u ask??? thats MANNY BEING THE MOST CLUTCH RIGHT HANDED PERFORMER OF THIS GENERATION!!!

25. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    Dude…seriously??? You’re going to make the Trent Dilfer argument here? You really don’t acknowledge that Manny was crucial to those championships?

26. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    Hey Steve, they were paying him $20 million a year for 8 years. The additional 2 years were option years for a reason. He gave them nothing but headaches. They tried trading him and at one point put him on irrevocable waivers. Who puts a player like Manny on irrevocable waivers unless you just cannot handle him and his personality any longer. After 8 years youre then going to give him two more years when you have the option to say goodbye and move on?

    This guy was being given $20 million a year and NEVER SHOWED THE RED SOX THE RESPECT THEY DESERVED FOR GIVING HIM THE CONTRACT IN THE FIRST PLACE. What did Manny do when he wasnt getting his way? QUIT! YOU NEVER QUIT ON YOUR TEAMMATES NO MATTER WHAT!

    Manny did not carry the Red Sox. Not when you had Schilling pitch with a bloddy ankle in 2004, Lowe pitching in all the cluth games, Ortiz with his clutch hits against the Yanks, Beckett pitching his butt off in 2007. So many all-stars around him and Manny carried the Red Sox? Youre delusional.

27. Clemm
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    Mike Silva –> It’s Hal-E-n…Not Hal-A-n. Only a Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame band we’re talking about here.

28. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    Actually Manny was arrested when he was with the Indians. But otherwise no, never had problem with the law. But he faked injuries, quit on his team in 2006 as well. Pushed down a 65 year old traveling secretary because the guy couldnt get Manny extra tickets for an away game. But hey it’s just Manny being Manny. Give it a funny name and everything is fine!

29. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    Andrew if your content on the team bringing back the same exact lineup.. and spending their money on a 27 year old head case who only performs when he wants to and has 105 walks… in under 200 innings then you must be a Wilpon too!!!

    just take a second and imagine this would ya…..

    Reyes
    Castillo (sadly)
    Ramirez
    Wright
    Delgado
    Beltran
    Church
    Schneider
    Santana

    Santana
    Sheets
    Pelfrey
    Maine
    Redding

    Pretty good team if you ask me!!! Manny hitting 3rd would drive in over 140 runs and would force pitchers to throw D-Wright more fastballs!! and sheets with all this injury talk still managed to log more innings than Perez and would cost less since we’re all concerned on spending money!!!

30. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    yeah ortiz’s clutch hits… take manny out of the lineup and he doesnt see a pitch!!! yes, lowe and curt were huge…. no doubt…. but stats dont like buddy… manny is the best right handed bat of this generation…. and as far as waivers go…. every player is put on waivers then pulled back…. and if you remember correctly the mets, rays, and sox were close to a deal a couple years ago which would have landed manny here but the rays couldnt afford to give up the young talent…. small market teams cant empty their farm system and big market teams are able to trade theirs cause they have the $$$ to sign Free Agents

31. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    Even if the Wilpons were worried about Manny’s character (which I doubt they even discussed given his price tag), spend the money that the fans give you elsewhere…

    Management, how about Perez, Sheets, and Dunn. That’s what, $30 mill? Of which 10M is already budgeted? If you won’t do that sell the team to somebody who will give back to the fans. Then you can go buy the Padres and be content never winning anything but being able to count your $$$$$$.

32. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    It’s not always about the numbers Steve. In a video game, that lineup goes to the world series, but in the real world it’s not as easy. You have to factor in so many other things as well. The Red Sox and Mets are two completely different clubhouse and players. Manny would help on the field but rip an already fragile clubhouse apart. The Tigers went to the world series in 2006. Since then they added Sheffield and Miguel Cabrera, two me-first players. Finished 14 games under .500 this past year.

    I wanted Lowe, Hudson and Dye on this team. So no I am not happy with Perez coming back and I prefer Sheets as well. But then again I dont see a team that everyone is claiming will bomb next year. If it wasnt for the 3rd worst bullpen in the majors, this team would have won the divison by 6 games. This team needs pitching, pitching and more pitching. If we end up with Santana, Perez, Pelfrey, Maine, Redding with Garcia, Neise and Parnell waiting in the minors, along with the improved bullpen AND the exact same offense that tied for the second most runs scored in the NL last year, then yes I would be content with the 2009 team.

33. Pete
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

    Omar hasn’t let us down. Give him a chance to pull something off. Right now Manny’s/Bora$ asking price is 4 years/25 million for a total of $100 million is too high. Remember that he is also Oliver Perez’s agent. Nobody’s budging yet and there are a lot of quality free agents out there. This is what hardcore negotiations are about. Why should Omar blink first? He’s already got a team for Spring Training. Bora$ has the unemployed clients and the prices are dropping daily. I would love to have Manny/Perez on the team but if we end up with Abreu, O. Hudson and Sheets, it could be better. Patience pays.

34. Andrew
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

    and as far as waivers go…. every player is put on waivers then pulled back….

    ——————-

    Irrevocable waivers mean a player cannot be pulled back once claimed. They gave teams the opportunity to claim Manny without the possibility of the Red Sox claiming him back and nobody took him.

    And if Manny is guaranteed to return his salary in merchandise and tv ratings…..then how come he is still available? How come nobody wants him?? Cant be about money if the return is such a lock right? It must be something else……….

35. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

    I agree Danny we need owners who are obsessed with winning and make it a priority… I love watching the MLB network and our only claim to fame is 69′ and 86′ .. pretty sad when your team is 47 years old and has never had a guy win the MVP!! keep sitting there and counting your money Fred and Jeff, thats ok… us legit knowledgeable Mets fans will keep getting excited and anxious and ready for opening day knowing that our organization put its “best effort” in putting a winning team on the field… I know i’m tired of being second best in our own city…. but hey lets keep getting slapped in the face by our owners… and anyone else getting tired of watching the same old “Mets Classics” on SNY??? dont ya think its time to turn around our reputation and start making winning all that matters!!!!

36. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    Pete, I totally agree with you, except for your faith in Mets management. I think they are perfectly content to go into Spring Training with the team as-is.

    Abreu, Hudson and Sheets is never gonna happen. We’ll be lucky to wind up with Perez or Sheets. And with Perez, we’ll totally get fleeced like we did with Castillo, bidding against ourselves.

    Oh and one thing about Manny’s defense, we currently have two 3B (Tatis and Murphy) slated to play there. Manny at least knows the position and has an arm.

37. James
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    To all these people whining that the Mets are not spending enough, their salary will be around 140-150 mil next year and will be the somewhere in the 2nd/3rd/4th highest payroll in baseball and the 1st or 2nd highest in the NL.

    All you idiots are doing is proving that it was a bad PR move to bring in Santana last year against the expected earnings for this year because you now think that spending the second highest payroll in baseball is being cheap.

    Mets will have added K-Rod, Putz, Garcia, Green, Cora to a team that was 1 game out of the playoffs next year while keeping the rest of the team intact (you know unless you are upset we are throwing away Aaron & The Show). We will likely add a lefty bullpen arm to the mix. Outside of the Yankees who had about 80 mil in salary coming off their books this year who even comes close to doing as much as we did this year?

38. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    Andrew, it is the money… thats why so many stars are still there…. besides NY is the biggest market with the best fans in the world… we would make a tremendous profit.. Now, im not saying his price is good cause 4 yrs is too long and 25 mill is too much… but come on…. I just dont see how after putting us through consecutive collapses they can field the same team.. No doubt.. our bullpen blew the division.. they blew 7 for Johan alone which cost the cy young…. and our bullpen is very good now… and yes we did score runs.. but not when the game was on the line…. we need someone who is clutch….

    I am all for Orlando Hudson… he is a perfect fit… dye is also good, pending on what they ask for in return… Lowe would have been great cause he’s big game, he’s competitive and throws alot of groundball outs…. but we barely made an effort there… The braves did overpay, but Lowe is someone we could have used… I want Sheets badly….

39. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    That’s all fine James, but how many teams with their own TV network charge $4100 for two upper deck seats???

    Granted the Yankees are alot more marketable, but there’s no reason we can’t pony up $170/$180m in our position. The difference is the Yankees committment to their fans.

    All that being said, baseball needs a salary cap. But until there is one, the Mets should be throwing their weight around more. Its an insult to the fans that they keep the $$$ for themselves.

40. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    James… we spent $2 million on a guy whos going to sit the bench, and Reed and Corey Sullivan are the exact same type of player… the Mets do have a high payroll, and have spent some money this year… but we basically stole K-rod, and we gave Garcia 1.5 mill with incentives that can make it almost 9 million… the guy hasnt done a thing in two years…. if your going to spend the money spend it wisely….. Jon Garland would have been a good 4th starter and only cost 7.5 million…. that fills the rotation… take the remaining money and go after MANNY!!!

41. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    THANK GOD DANNY’S HERE!!!! You are so right… baseball NEEDS A CAP… but we are considered a large market team… BE AGGRESSIVE…. the Yanks are more marketable cause they have been around since the mayflower.. but… they are committed to their fans and want to win….. if the mets are going to build a new field and raise prices then have a reason for it…. im not spending money on a team that collapses when their under pressure….

42. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    its funny how the mentallity of mets/yanks players and fans are so different… hear mets personel talk and they say “we feel we have a team that can be competitive and make it to the post season”…. hear a yankee personel speak they say ” we feel we have a team that can win a CHAMPIONSHIP”

    METS fans” oh wait till next year..

    Yanks fans ” yea our season was alright, wasnt great we didnt win a ring”

    WHY CANT WE BE LIKE THAT…. WHY DO WE HAVE TO SETTLE FOR SECOND…. CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE WHAT ITS ABOUT….

43. James
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    Danny, I love how you know there is “no reason” we shouldnt be able to afford 180-190 million. The Red Sox sure seem to be a LOT more profitable than us (with good reason) and they don’t even come close to that amount. Fact is that the Mets have spent the last few seasons banking on a certain amount of income from the stadium and the new network which are all going to drop significantly from their original expectations.

    Maybe your job isn’t feeling it, but the fact that the Mets are still growing their payroll at this time is pretty rare right now.

44. James
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Steve, I would much rather have Garcia for the 5th spot and Perez in the 2/3 hole than Garland in the rotation and Garcia only gets his 9 mil if he is getting the results we want which means that we are getting him for a steal.

    The Cora money is a bit of a waste, but come on, you really think that saving even as much as a mil on him would mean we could spend 25 mil for 3/4 years on Manny?

    As for Yankees being more marketable, it is largely because of their name brand, that is not something we are going to steal from them by signing Manny.

45. James
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    Steve, so not only should they spend 25 mil on Manny but you also expect them to spend 10 mil on Sheets and hope his arm holds up? Okay. Perfectly reasonable.

46. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    First of all, I said $170/180m. Secondly, I’d be happy with high 160′s if they’d change the team and add something more than a closer and some bench players. Like I said, if no Manny, get Perez and Sheets. And then add Abreu or Dunn.

    Lastly, go to http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2008/01/23/mlb_payrolls/

    The Sox had the 2nd highest payroll behind the Yankees going into last season, at $155.7m. And they’ve consistently been 2nd or 3rd the past few years. And they have 15,000 less tickets to sell than Citi Field (or American Taxpayer’s Field, either way), and 25,000 less than Shea.

47. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    James, the Red Sox also have one of the higher payroll’s in baseball, and they are more profitable because you can Market history and winning… they have a lot more tradition and history then us so they do make more money…. dont you think its about time we step up and try and change our teams history around and start to focus on winning rather than worrying about whats right or wrong for baseball… Until baseball gets a salary cap its going to continue to happen. Obviously, the economy is going to effect all aspects of the game… but like I said earlier… wouldnt you be more inclined to spend your money to see a team dedicated to winning, rather then going to see a team who’s owners are committed to their fans…

48. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

    how can you rather have garcia over garland and perez in the 2/3 hole??? garland is an innings eater and wins 12-14 games. Perez walks the world, and gives up a ton of hr’s and doesnt eat innings… no doubt sheets is a risk… his injury resume speaks for itself…. but the guy had 198 innings last yr.. only walked like 47 guys…. and can be an ace…. he’s not going to cost a lot of money…

    and your right.. signing manny wont steal the yankee name.. thats a given… but it would give this team more of the city spotlight like the team OWNED in 86′ and would show US THE FANS that owners are giving us the best chance to have a winner

49. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    Let’s all not forget that ticket sales and TV contracts are the big money-makers. When you sell a Yankee or Red Sox t-shirt in the U.S., the money goes to a fund split by all the teams.

    So, let’s see. Yanks and Sox own their own network. Mets own their own network. Yanks and Sox draw tons of fans. Mets drew over 3 million.

    And most importantly, think of all the post-season revenue. Ticket prices go through the roof for playoffs. I think my two upper deck reserve seats last year cost $1920. Granted you won’t get 10 home games in the postseason, and some of the money will be returned to the buyers, but still, multiply the games played by 55,000 at Shea or 45,000 at Citi Field and it pays to field a winner.

50. Steve
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Danny,

    what do you think about you and I going and buying the Mets from the Wilpons??? haha… obviously, we’re the only two fans in here who are tired of being slapped in the face by our poor excuse for owners… COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!!! IF YOU PRODUCE A WINNER FANS WILL COME!!!

51. Pete
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    Danny, I don’t have faith in management to up the payroll. They just lost a bundle, will probably lose Citi $ and their name is being mentioned in Congress. Demanding an unexpected $25 million makes us look like the blueberry girl on Willy Wonka. With that said, I do have faith in Omar. I can see him pulling off a trade with all the extra outfielders that we have for a pitcher like Murphy/Evans/Parnell for Oswalt, Halladay or Peavy. Then signing Abreu for 1 year $9 million. He hits like a righty anyway and will love playing with fellow countrymen, Johan and K-Rod. Swap Castillo for a LOOGY and sign Hudson for 3 years $30 million. Finalize it by signing Pudge to battle Schneider and Castro for a catching spot. In my opinion this makes for a better team now and for the next few years.

52. James
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    I can understand all these arguements about investing in the team 4 or 5 years ago when we were way underspending our team. But our salary right now is on par with teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Detroit and way ahead of teams like the Phils, Cubs, Braves and Giants which make similar money in our terms.

    Yes, the Yankees spend a lot more money than us, you know what they have spent 60-70 mil more than EVERY TEAM IN BASEBALL the last decade or so, so I have a hard time arguing that the Mets are not spending enough when every other team in baseball is in the same boat. If we were 50 mil behind the Red Sox, Dodgers or Detroit I would be right with ya, but we are one of the top payrolls in baseball. I also feel like the team has stretched their budget within reason the last few years when it counted (like Santana last year), and I am hopefull they will do it for a guy like Dunn or Abreu this year.

    Would I like to have Manny? Yes. Will I still be excited about the season, the ballpark and the team next year if we dont? Heck yes.

53. James
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    Wow, Pete, that is an awefully big wish list you have there for 1/30.

54. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    Pete, you really like Hudson? I don’t know, maybe its that I don’t see him regularly. He just seems so overpriced for the numbers he puts up. Plus I see Cora starting over 100 games this year. Castillo is going to be a pinch-hitter in leadoff spots late in the game.

    I wouldn’t mind Abreu on a one-year deal. Seeing as how they were willing to give Alou $8 million each of the last 2 years to play 40 games, they should give it a durable guy like Abreu.

    I wouldn’t mind signing Pudge and carrying 3 catchers. It would be nice to be able to have Castro as a pinch-hitter. How painful is it to watch them send up Marlon Anderson or Anderson Hernandez or any of the other myriad of underachievers we’ve had on the bench lately (I count Easley as a starter, he was good for us).

    I don’t think we’re in the running for any of the elite pitchers, our farm system is depleted despite our good marketing of it. Sheets is an amazing pitcher though. If we can get him on an incentive laden deal based on IP its worth it. You know if he’s pitching he’s going to be nasty. Plus, remember that Curt Schilling had injury issues in his 20′s, then he figured out how to stay in shape and was just dominant from 30 forward. They are similar pitchers, let’s take a shot.

55. Pete
    January 30th, 2009 at 3:07 pm

    James, I know its a big wishlist. I’m just throwing out options.
    Danny, Actually, I don’t really think that Hudson is that much of an upgrade over Castillo. Their ages are a lot closer than most people think. Maybe Omar can mend fences with the Orioles and get Brian Roberts? I still expect another move by Omar. As far as starting pitchers goes, I can’t see us getting Sheets now that we have Garcia. I still think that Pedro will be the long man and Redding (from Rochester 1hr. from Buffalo) and Niese (21 years old) will be in AAA Buffalo. Also remember that come trade deadline there will be a huge fire sale for teams that aren’t in it. My point is that this is no time to overpay for anyone, not even Manny.

56. Danny
    January 30th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

    Oh and Steve, thanks for the offer but I needed a second mortgage to pay for my Mets and Rangers tickets, not buying any baseball teams anytime soon!!!

57. Fran
    January 30th, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    Manny is a Jerk. The guy quit on his teammates because he didn’t get what he wanted(I guess 20 million for 8 years wasn’t enough) in a time where a lot of hard working people are getting laid off. How about acting like a professional Manny???? F^%K him. Boston would have been stupid to give him a contract extension since he was 35 years old!!!!!! He definitely was a big part of the Sox winning 2 WS but he definitely played a big part in them not winning it last year cause If it weren’t for his antics, the Sox would have kept him and they probably beat the Rays and they probably beat the Phillies and win the World Series.

    And for the people who say that the Mets didn’t have clutch hitting. Well, that was only an issue because the bullpen blew a lot of games, which put pressure on the offense to come back and tie games or win it in the extra innings. Since the bullpen is now fixed, our offense won’t have that much pressure on them.

    Two Thumbs to the Wilpons for not getting this guy!!!!!

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