Met Financial Picture in Fifteen

[batmagadanleadoff]

The reality, as multiple members of the front office have explained to me, is a simple one: Alderson has no idea what he can spend, or even when he'll know. And their frantic efforts to supplement pitching with an improved offense is severely restricted as a result. That's a far more difficult problem than simply a frugal budget. Give someone $100, and it's hard to afford a car. Fail to tell him how much money he has, and it's impossible to buy a car. [emphasis, mine]

This, I think, is the crux of the article. If true, Megdal broke a story that warrants major sports coverage.

[G-Fafif]

I appreciate the sharing of stories in this space. Thanks batmags.

[Guest d'Kong76]

What's really funny is that Sell the Team NOW!!! was right like
a dozen years ago (at least!) and it was right under our noses.

[nymr83]

I am thankful to not be so jaded or cynical that I have to spend my time beating a dead horse about Bernie Madoff and the FIRST PLACE NEW YORK METS finances in the middle of the FIRST PLACE METS season.

Being Megdal is probably even more miserable than reading him. Save this garbage for November.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I guess some people, their heads might explode if they hadda keep track of the on field and off field stuff all at the same time.

The Mets are in first place in the middle of June? Good for them. Congratulate the players responsible for this, and everyone in the organization that made this happen. But this doesn't excuse ownership from running the team the way they've been running it for the last, I dunno, it'll be 10 years before you even realize it. There's no reason, no justification. The Mets should have a payroll in the top three, four or five of baseball. Always. Among other things. And first place doesn't get the owners off the hook.

[Edgy MD]

Some people.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Don't act like nobody here knows the Wilpons are incompetent fools unable to make money selling the Mets to Mets fans. They're the worst, everyone knows that.

[batmagadanleadoff]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Don't act like nobody here knows the Wilpons are incompetent fools unable to make money selling the Mets to Mets fans. They're the worst, everyone knows that.

I'm not. If I post a positive article about Jacob deGrom, am I assuming that nobody but me knows how good deGrom is?

[Ceetar]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Don't act like nobody here knows the Wilpons are incompetent fools unable to make money selling the Mets to Mets fans. They're the worst, everyone knows that. I'm not. If I post a positive article about Jacob deGrom, am I assuming that nobody but me knows how good deGrom is?

If it's a crappy post yes. If it's an interesting post talking about various aspects of his success, no.


I honestly don't give a crap about the Wilpons. it's not about keeping track of off field/on field stuff at the same time, it's that I ONLY CARE about the on field stuff. I barely care about the minor league stuff.

Sure, the off-field stuff informs the on-field stuff in some way. But we're not obligated to have the top payroll. The Wilpons put out a product. Take it or leave it.

I'm not writing long diatribes criticizing Indra Nooyi for not re-releasing Crystal Pepsi because that's what I really want him to do with her company. COKE re-released Surge cola. GET WITH THE PROGRAM INDRA! You're an embarrassment to soda companies.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: Don't act like nobody here knows the Wilpons are incompetent fools unable to make money selling the Mets to Mets fans. They're the worst, everyone knows that. I'm not. If I post a positive article about Jacob deGrom, am I assuming that nobody but me knows how good deGrom is? If it's a crappy post yes. If it's an interesting post talking about various aspects of his success, no.

No. Idea. Whatsoever.

Ceetar wrote: I honestly don't give a crap about the Wilpons. it's not about keeping track of off field/on field stuff at the same time, it's that I ONLY CARE about the on field stuff. I barely care about the minor league stuff.

Good for you. I don't give a shit about the Dr. Who TV show, or that on-line scrabble game you guys play. And you couldn't pay me to listen to a Rush record. Figure out what this next sentence should be, if I was in the mood to write it.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Ceetar wrote: Sure, the off-field stuff informs the on-field stuff in some way. But we're not obligated to have the top payroll. The Wilpons put out a product. Take it or leave it.

Horse piddle! They're lucky they have addicts like us who
hang around in spite of them.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: The Mets should have a payroll in the top three, four or five of baseball. Always.

Agreed. Where do they rank this year? Anyone know?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Bottom third.

[Guest d'Kong76]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: And you couldn't pay me to listen to a Rush record.

No reason to get blasphemous on us now!!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

You couldn't pay me to drink Crystal Pepsi at a Rush concert with Jeff Wilpon.

edit -- yes you can

[batmagadanleadoff]

d'Kong76 wrote: And you couldn't pay me to listen to a Rush record. No reason to get blasphemous on us now!!

That band gets rave critical reviews, especially from trained musicians. But I can't ever get past that singer's voice. What was Lee's voice famously described as by the NYT: "like a munchkin giving a sermon".

[Guest d'Kong76]

Pulling in at #18, your NY Mets...
http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/

[Ceetar]

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: Sure, the off-field stuff informs the on-field stuff in some way. But we're not obligated to have the top payroll. The Wilpons put out a product. Take it or leave it. Horse piddle! They're lucky they have addicts like us who hang around in spite of them.

Well sure, but they DO have us. But just because we're addicts doesn't mean we have an added right or insight as to how the meth should be made.

Ceetar wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Don't act like nobody here knows the Wilpons are incompetent fools unable to make money selling the Mets to Mets fans. They're the worst, everyone knows that. I'm not. If I post a positive article about Jacob deGrom, am I assuming that nobody but me knows how good deGrom is? If it's a crappy post yes. If it's an interesting post talking about various aspects of his success, no. No. Idea. Whatsoever.

I don't need to read a repost of a "deGrom is good" topic either if it's already been done to death. I can read the ones that were already posted. if you find a new article with new info, post that, sure.

[ashie62]

The first Rush Double live album "All the Worlds a Stage" is killer.

[Guest d'Kong76]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: What was Lee's voice famously described as by the NYT: "like a munchkin giving a sermon".

Never heard that... funny.
Here's an instrumental:
WbsC_fGArVc

[dgwphotography]

I went to school with a cousin of Alex Lifeson, and met him and Geddy Lee after a show during the Signals tour. It was not at all what you would expect the back stage of a rock concert in the 80's to be like.

[Edgy MD]

"You guys rock!! It's so cool to finally mee... are you playing Parcheesi?"

[dgwphotography]

LOL - that's pretty close. they had their families with them, which I thought was pretty cool.

[Frayed Knot]

Geddy Lee, btw, huge Blue Jays fan.
You can often see him on camera in seats behind the plate during home games.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I thought he was a big Cubs fan.

OE: Maybe I'm remembering he got interested in baseball
because the Cubs were on TV a lot in the afternoons.

[Frayed Knot]

A Toronto boy born and raised.
And, trust me on this one, if there's highlight film from a Jays game, brother C doesn't miss it if it includes shots of Geddy

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: I thought he was a big Cubs fan. OE: Maybe I'm remembering he got interested in baseball because the Cubs were on TV a lot in the afternoons.

I heard Curtis Granderson in an interview a few days ago saying that he was NOT a Cubs fan even though he grew up in Chicago because he'd get pissed off when WGN was broadcasting afternoon games when he got home from school and 'Saved by the Bell' got pre-empted.
So he became a Braves fan instead. Maybe that explains the 3 Ks tonight.

[batmagadanleadoff]

... it's been a while now since David Wright was an elite player. I'm waiting patiently for the reveal that the owners forced Alderson to re-sign Wright in 2012, against Sandy's better instincts. Those Mets were so rotted out, that they probably wouldn't have won half their games even if Wright won the MVP ....

It's coming, little by little. Joel Sherman speculates:

Why have the Mets not solved their problems? Here are the main reasons: 1. Money spent poorly: This administration has not been given open purse strings, but it was permitted to spend on four position players � extending David Wright and Juan Lagares, and signing Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer. None of that is working out real well. Ownership probably was the motivating force to retain the popular Wright (for eight years at $138.5 million), but Alderson was hired � in part � to talk his bosses out of dubious decisions. And Alderson was on record that it was a bad idea to give second-generation contracts to players when it came to Jose Reyes, yet it was done for Wright.

read it all at http://nypost.com/2015/06/13/mets-offense-flounders-under-sandy/

Edited June 14, 2015 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

Joel Sherman: another place not to look for insight.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

d'Kong76 wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: And you couldn't pay me to listen to a Rush record. No reason to get blasphemous on us now!!

Oh man, how did I miss this Rush bashing?

Geddy has been singing in a much lower register for the past decade or so. Great stuff. You don't know what you are missing.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Joel Sherman: another place not to look for insight.

I was going to bitch about that excerpt and halfway through I realized there were so many holes I didn't know where to start.

I can't tell if he's arguing that the Mets should or shouldn't spend money.