Bernie “Made Off” With Mets Season
By Mike Silva ~ July 16th, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.
The All Star break was filled with Roy Halladay rumors, Pedro Martinez signing with the Phillies, and the Yankees possibly going after Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. What about the Mets you ask? Well, looks like Jeff Francoeur will have to do this year at Citi Field. Despite the new ballpark the Mets appear content to keep the payroll at $145 million and sit on the sidelines. If you are confused, don’t be, because it looks like Bernie Madoff has a lot to do with it.
Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post reported this week that it’s possible Fred Wilpon lost as much as $700 million in the now infamous Ponzi scheme. Interesting that it might not be bad drafting, injuries, or poor front office decisions, but rather, a shamed Wall Street financer that brings down the Mets.
Obviously I am, just like everyone else, purely speculation about the Madoff impact of the Mets finances. The Wilpon’s claim that the baseball operations is separate from Sterling Equities (as it should be), but you have to wonder how a personal financial hit impacts the overall Wilpon business umbrella. Do they need the profits from the baseball operation to make other business ends meet? Are they less inclined to take a loss, if any, to make a run at a championship? Maybe just being shamed by a “good friend” is enough to disengage them from spending money, regardless of whether it’s the baseball team, or real estate.
Since 1986 the Mets have had a string of bizarre bad luck. We all know about Mike Scioscia, the “worst team money can buy”, Scott Kazmir, and the collapse. The final insult to the fans would be to have no present, or future, thanks to Madoff. Where did the Mets season go? See if you could schedule a visit to Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina and find out. Hopefully the team, unlike Bernie, will be relevant before 2139.
