On Friday, the Mets submitted plans for a minor league ballpark in Nassau County, Long Island. This will be part of the new Nassau Coliseum project that will be voted on by the County residents. All along, many assumed the only bidder would be Frank Boulton, owner of the Ducks and CEO of the Atlantic League. Boulton’s goal is to bring an Atlantic League team to Nassau County, and create another version of what has been so successful in Central Islip in Suffolk County. Later this year, the Ducks will draw their five millionth fan to what is now called Bethpage Ballpark. Who could have predicted such interest with a non affiliated baseball team that began play in 1999?

Why are the Mets getting involved? I put some of the pieces together this weekend, and believe this could be a move to find a home for their Triple-A club, or possibly move the Double-A team from Binghamton to Long Island.

I wrote earlier in the month that I spoke to someone up in Buffalo who indicated the Bisons aren’t happy with their affiliation with the Mets, and would prefer to partner with Toronto after their Player Development Contract expires in 2012. The Blue Jays are currently out in Las Vegas, a terrible location for their team. Not to mention the rare air of the Pacific Coast League, as well as the distractions that come with playing in Vegas. I opined the Mets would have to move to Vegas after 2012 because there would be no other International League location for them. The only possibility could be Syracuse, but it appears they are satisfied with their partnership with the Nationals. Not to mention the fact they are feeding them tons of great prospects. Something the Mets haven’t done in Buffalo.

The situation in Binghamton is far different. The team has fallen towards the bottom of the Eastern League in attendance, and I wonder if it would make sense to create a team owned Eastern League franchise on Long Island. The success the Yankees have had with their team in Trenton could certainly be replicated on Long Island. Again, this is speculation, but the pieces do fit.

As for another Atlantic League team, I think it would be a resounding success. Boulton and company have to be given credit for what they have built with the Ducks. The original idea was to have a Yankees affiliate on Eastern Long Island (Boulton use to own the Yankees Albany affiliate), but the Mets used their territorial rights to block it in the late nineties. Boulton said on my show back in 2009 the success of the Atlantic League is due to Fred Wilpon. If not for Wilpon invoking his territorial rights, the Atlantic League would never exist. He also mentioned during Media Day this year the Mets had their doubts that baseball on Long Island would succeed. The five to six thousand fans who come to the ballpark each night would disagree. I don’t see why another team closer to the five boroughs wouldn’t have similar success.

That brings me to my final question: will the Yankees allow the Mets to field a team on Long Island? They could block the Mets, just like they were blocked in the late nineties from affiliating with the Ducks. With the passing of George Steinbrenner, is the “cold war” between the two teams over? Would Hank and Hal play nice with the Wilpons? The Yankees are such a big brand that I wonder if they really think, or care, about a small minor league team in Hempstead.

More baseball is good for all of us. Whether it’s of the Independent League variety, or a Mets affiliate, the fans win in the long run. The real obstacle is the Nassau County voters who will vote on August 1st for the entire project. It’s hard to see them signing off on a project that could potential raise their property taxes to an even higher level. Unless, of course, they believe the payback promised by County Executive Edward Mangano.

Finally, according to the Newsday report, we should know about the winning bidder in the next two weeks.

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: Atlantic League, Buffalo Bisons, Edward Mangano, Frank Boulton, Fred Wilpon, Long Island Ducks, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Syracuse Chiefs, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals