soupcan

The answer is no. That cash infusion is to help them cover operating expenses and pay back loans. My hope is that whoever the minority investor is, he is savvy enough to put a clause in whatever agreement he signs with the Wilpons/Katzes that is similar to the clause in the agreement that Fred had with Doubleday allowing him to buy out his former partner when Nelson didn't really want to sell. OE: Sorry that didn't read how I meant it. Doubleday felt forced to take less than what he thought was fair value for his half.

I have no idea how it will turn out either, but I have a strong opinion about it based on things I've read and people I've spoken to. What you say: Edgy DC wrote: the marketplace realities will have a huge amount to say about the future ownership of the team. Likely either the sale of a portion of the team will allow them to operate the team, or it won't and they'll lose more money and be forced to give up majority ownership. I agree with. Again though, based on things I've seen mostly relating to their finances, I see little reason to believe that the current ownership will be able to continue their stewardship of the organization in a manner that would return a consistently succesful team. I don't pretend that I can see the future but I don't ignore obvious signs either.

You know what I mean.

Edgy DC wrote: It may come down to the apparent wisdom of paying him. (Nobody, at a personal level, wanted to say good-bye to Feliciano, either.) Well, Feliciano and Reyes are two very different scenarios, and my point is that they're not even going to negotiate with Reyes. Edgy DC wrote: It's not like the Knicks didn't spend a ton of money; they just didn't spend it wisely. Again, the Knicks analogy was really just about being resigned to rooting for a team that isn't going to be good anytime soon, whatever the reason. Edgy DC wrote: I can't see the good sense in rooting in court for anything but the most just outcome of a terrible situation. The team didn't win too many championships when they were apparently loaded and spending generously, either. Of course one always wants justice to be served. And, like Vic, I like Alderson and his lieutenants. In a normal situation, I would have complete confidence in his ability to rebuild this team. After reading though, how convoluted and enmeshed with Madoff the finances were, I've become convinced that going forward no matter the outcome in court, the current regime will not be able to sustain this franchise as a team that will be consistently successful. It's true that they didn't win much when (they thought) they had money but that can be attributed that to less than stellar front offices. The Reyes situation - should it turn out the way we all think it will - will speak volumes.

I think they're very different from the Knicks. They're shedding salary rather than taking it on, and throwing younger guys into the breach. If you want to resign yourself to a lost season, I understand, but they almost have to get better. Finding enough pitching for them to be consistently better will be an ongoing problem. It almost always is. I don't mean in terms of being hamstrung by bad contracts, more along the lines of just being bad for the forseeable future. I'm VERY upset about the possibility of Reyes leaving. Mets fans love Jose and this would be such a punch in the gut. We all know that if/when Jose is set loose it will have come down to the inability to pay him. Not the lack of desire to. With all that we've learned regarding the finances of the Wilpon/Katz families it seems to me that even if they do come out of this lawsuit without losing everything, I'm very skeptical about their continued ability to be able to financially support a perennial championship caliber team. At the same time you know they are going to fight tooth and nail to keep them. We'll be stuck watching these guys run a team that they can't afford. Sadly (and I sincerely mean this), I find myself secretly (well not so secretly now) rooting for Picard to hammer them in court just so they might be forced to sell. This year will have its ups and downs but will, inevitably be a Bataan death march to utter irrelevance by mid-season. Were that it not so, but alas, the writing was on the wall to any who chose to look thru any but the rosiest of spectacles. So I'll make the most of a lost season by rooting for Alderson to succeed in remaking the team over Collins' interference and Wilpon's restraints. One bad year I can deal with - I'm a Mets fan after all - and if I felt that Alderson were given the tools by management to compete in the future (translation: $$$) then I would simply accept this season and move on, happily looking forward with the same confidence as you in Alderson. But again, I just don't see it happening as long as the current ownership remains in place.

I really have no faith in this team turning anything around anytime soon. I've almost resigned myself to the fact these Mets are the new (old) Knicks and that as fans we're going to have to deal with bad to mediocre play until and unless this financial mess gets sorted out. I'm thinking that's at least 3 years down the road. I. Am. Really. Bummed. That being said I think they've got a better chance of Bay contibuting what we want him to rather than Pagan doing anything close to what he did last year.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Rockies are a good team. I disagree. Rockies are a very good team. Yes and they could have been beaten last night by an ordinary bullpen and guys that don't panic when the ball is hit to them.

Ceetar wrote: Yeah, they need to let things settle, they're a remarkably new team (44%) with new leadership (mostly) and still getting a feel for things. I agree about Parnell, and that's the thing, he probably lost the role as "go to 8th inning guy" at least for now. Something that'll get outs will get that. That's what happens, the pen will be a state of flux but it's too early to declare it disgustingly terrible and the Mets will never hold leads. I wasn't expecting Pelfrey to go from his last start to how he pitched in April last year overnight. He didn't implode (only gave up 1 unearned RBI hit with the other two being inherited runners scoring) and while he missed the strikezone a lot and worked full counts too much, he did battled or whatever. Except for the hit and run by the pitcher which kinda infuriates mef or some reason, he would've probably gone 6. I'm not sure why he couldn't retire the 8th hitter, and I hope the Mets at least take a look at his scouting report today and question if maybe they need to approach him differently. That was probably the crux of it. Had Pelfrey retired him even just twice, he'd have led off the next inning with the easy out, and maybe ended up looking a little more economical. Dickey had a nail issue, Niese is going to have the occasional "I got rocked" moments in his youth. The Chrises are probably goign to be babied along to building up arm strength, but I think in another couple of weeks they'll all be giving us a little more length than now. It is April after all. -Ceetar, the Optimistic Mets Fan

Yuck.

I flipped over to 'Law & Order:L.A.', did Wright homah?

Is Pulsipher available?

This bullpen suuuuuuuuucks.

How does THAT fucking happen?!

TransMonk wrote: Tulo can play short! Cripes. What'd Gary say? I had volume down. He called Tulowitski's play 'Jeteresque'.

Edgy DC wrote: soupcan wrote: Esai Morales gets sent to prison after raping Ally Sheedy. Sean Penn in to relieve. Wow, reachng way back for that one. Whenever I see 'Morales' it's what comes to mind.

Nope sorry, my bad. Not Sean Penn, It's Matt Belisle.

Esai Morales gets sent to prison after raping Ally Sheedy. Sean Penn in to relieve.

That was cool.

I have a feeling this going to get ugly...

This is gonna be a long season.

Well isn't he?

Willets Point wrote: Maybe if meets a cute French exchange student who helps him to learn to believe in himself he will be able to turn things around. And ski the K2!

Well, let me just say that so far in this young season I haven't seen a whole lot that I like about Blaine Boyer. His fiery beard being the one exception. Boyer, 29, who had pitched with Atlanta, St. Louis and Arizona in the previous six seasons, had battled to make the Mets� roster. He recorded a save in the Mets� first victory, a 10-inning win over the Florida Marlins on April 2. He said he felt �like myself again.� But later, he said of the loss: �I can�t even put it into words. It�s an utter letdown.� *Sigh*....now I feel kind of bad for the guy.

It's also the quality.

Well, let me just say that so far in this young season I haven't seen a whole lot that I like about Blaine Boyer. His fiery beard being the one exception.