After the death of George Steinbrenner in July the obvious question was who will take George’s mantle as the next dynamic MLB owner? In a league long on country club, and short on flair, Mark Cuban seemed to be the obvious choice. I opined at the time that he would be a great choice to take over the Texas Rangers, who were still in bankruptcy. Alas, Cuban lost out to Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan. Cuban has actually struck out twice, also losing out on an attempt to purchase the Chicago Cubs.

Last night at Madison Square Garden, where his Dallas Mavericks took on the Knicks, Cuban sounded like a man that wants into the club, but will not beg Bud Selig and company. “I am not going to chase after it,” Cuban told reporters. He did acknowledge the Mets are located in a great city and would be a great business opportunity. Those words should be music to the ears of Mets fans, because Cuban might be the right tonic after 30 years of the Wilpon;s.

The more you hear about how Fred Wilpon has managed the finances of the Mets, the worse it appears this story will end. Every top financial publication has questioned the strategy of seeking minority ownership. Most believe the Wilpon’s will have to relinquish control of SNY or the Mets, possibly both, to satisfy the suit brought about by Irving Picard.

Howard Megdal, at Capital New York, rightfully questioned the intentions of the Wilpon’s with their public statements since it was revealed they were involved. It’s been a litany of denials, mixed with false bravado, seemingly challenging everyone’s information. Obviously the fact that ticket sales, deferred player compensation, and employee 401k’s were invested with Madoff tells us the team was just about as close to the scandal as any other victim.

I said to Adam Rubin of ESPN NY on Sunday the Wilpon’s care about the team. I believe that, but their business acumen makes me wonder if they are fit to run any business, much less a public trust like the New York Mets. Additionally, it’s taken them 20 years to clean up management dysfunction within the organization. Sandy Alderson is a good start, but it appears this was more a result of Bud Selig’s direction than a mea culpa from the Wilpon’s about their management style. Just like the Yankees needed a break from CBS ownership in the seventies, the Mets may need to move on from the Wilpon’s today.

They need a dynamic owner that will maximize the talents of this new All Star front office. More importantly, they need an owner the fans will trust and embrace. The Wilpon’s have never been, nor do I think they ever will be, those people. Mark Cuban is a self-made billionaire that turned one of the worst franchises in the NBA into a perennial contender.

Cuban told Esquire in November of 2008 “wherever I see people doing something the way it’s always been done, the way it’s “supposed” to be done, following the same old trends, well, that’s just a big red flag to me to go look somewhere else.” That is exactly what scares the bejesus out of Bud Selig. However, that same attitude might be necessary to solve the Mets problem. What is a worse? An owner who pushes the envelope, or one of your flagship teams facing bankruptcy?

Not only has Cuban spent on players to make Dallas better, he’s renovated the locker room, put the team up in five star hotels, purchased a 757 private jet, and been a proponent of his coaches using advanced statistical analysis.  He has a top shelf mentality when running the team, just like Steinbrenner. It also sounds like his belief in statistical analysis would fit in famously with Alderson, Ricciardi, and DePodesta.

The arena has also been a place where Cuban could revive the team. His approach is a bit rah-rah, but he clearly understands what the fans of Dallas needed as far as the in game experience. With a new jewel of a ballpark in Citi Field, I am sure Cuban could adjust to the sophisticated New York market. I also think, unlike his time in Dallas, he could execute his philosophy and make a profit. Cuban will energize a loyal Mets fan base that it will dwarf what he’s accomplished with his NBA team. That says a lot considering it’s quite a feat what he’s done with the Mavericks the last 10 years. NBA commissioner David Stern said it best to when he told Tim MacMahon of ESPN “every group of fans wants to feel that their local team has someone who is living, eating and breathing their competitive situation, their future and their enjoyment of the environment in the arena. On those fronts, Mark has been a terrific leader and owner of the team.”

Mark Cuban is exactly what the Mets need, just like George Steinbrenner was perfect for the Yankees back in 1973. It would be in the best interest of MLB to pursue Cuban and see if there is a fit here in New York with the Mets.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

Mike Silva

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Tags: Bernie Madoff, Bud Selig, Chicago Cubs, Dallas Mavericks, Fred Wilpon, George Steinbrenner, Jeff Wilpon, Mark Cuban, New York Mets, Sandy Alderson, Texas Rangers