Patience: Not A Mets Fans Virtue

Patience is a virtue that New York Mets fans do not have.  That's why my rant below is just a dream.  Mets management will of course, continue caving to the pressures of the media and fans.  They will continue spending $140+ million per year on salaries and gouging  fans with obscene ticket prices.

Spending $140 million each year is not working.  The Yankees, spending $200 million each year, guarantees nothing. (although it worked this year).

I am a different breed of Mets fan; one with the patience to endure mediocrity for a few years in order to build a true and lasting winning team.  No more band-aids please.  I'd rather mimic the Twins or A's formula for building a winner.  I'm not proposing cutting payroll to $70K per year (Twins - 23rd in MLB).  But I am proposing lessening our dependence on long term contracts to high profile free agents. And to spending more money on scouting and developing young players.  And to holding onto these young players.  Stay the plan, don't waver.  This can only work if the fans, media, and management have patience.

The media are the biggest culprits for putting so much pressure on management and for provoking the fans ire. They say that the Mets must compete with the Yankees; that in New York, you need big names to draw fans, that the Wilpons need to do it this way because they need to sell seats to pay for their ballpark and make a profit.  This is, unfortunately, a cycle that once you're in, you can't get out.  

Could a GM pull this off in New York?  He needs to have the smarts, the discipline, and most importantly the courage, to stick to the plan.  I think, it's fair to assume, that Omar Minaya is not the man that I'm  describing.

Don't tell me that Jeff Wilpon will never hire this man.  I know that.

I think that Billy Beane is the guru the Mets are looking for?.  He is experienced and successful in working with a low payroll ($47M in 2008, $62m in 2009).  Between 2001 and 2006 his A's won over 100 games twice, over 90 games three times, and 88 games once.  Billy Beane is the kind of guy who will do it his way or not at all.

The LA Dodgers spent $100 million on salaries in 2009.  The Phillies $111M.  The Angels $118M.  That's a far cry from the $140M the Mets spent this year and an even higher amount Mets fans think it will take to have a winner next year.  Imagine the possibilities if Beane were to be operating with a $110 million payroll, double what he had to work with in Oakland.

Billy Beane, is a winner who can come to New York and beat the system. The first few years might be difficult as he weans the media and the fans from thinking that the only way to win is by spending more money. 

Imagine the Mets, a division winner, with a payroll of $100M.  Imagine the ball park filled to capacity, lower ticket prices passed along to fans through saving $40M per year in salaries.

That is my dream and I'm willing to wait for it to come true.

Sports Talk Radio - Time For A Nap

Sports talk radio has gotten so boring in New York, that I rarely listen anymore.  Five minutes of Mike Francesca is too much.  Believe it or not, I'd rather listen to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. 

As history has recorded, July 1, 1987 marked the birth of WFAN and 24 hour sports talk radio.  At 3:00 PM on 1050 AM radio, Suzyn Waldman signed on and was the first voice heard.  Other "originals", included Greg Gumbel, Jim Lampley, Art Shamsky, Howie Rose, and Steve Somers.  Of course, sports talk radio has a much longer history than 1987.

I can remember as a 13 year old listening to WMCA (after it had changed from "The Good Guys -top 40 music). Jack Spector, Ed Baer, and John Sterling (yes, the Yankee broadcaster) had shows.  I remember calling in to Ed Baer, one Saturday afternoon, and talking about the Cazzie Russell/Dave Stallworth controversy as to who should start for Knicks.  After I made my witty and profound argument for Stallworth, I closed with "and the Jets and Giants in the Super Bowl this year".

All time great broadcasters, Bill Mazer (WHN) and Marty Glickman (WNEW), also had late night shows.  Remember Art Rust Jr. on WABC?  When he talked about the Yankees, he would preface his remarks by saying "In the big ball yard in the Bronx".  Rust Jr., a black man born in Harlem, also was an accomplished author.  His first book, published in 1976, controversially titled "Get That Nigger Off The Field", explored the rocky beginnings of blacks in baseball.

Many of the people named above, whom younger fans have never heard of, were icons in the sports media world back in the 1960's and 70's. Now it's all about Mike Francescha, and Joe Benigno, and their unbearable, repetitive rants.  It's bad enough to listen to three hours of Benigno and Roberts in the morning, but to follow that up with five hours of Mike Francescha is downright exhausting.  

The only person I can listen too is Steve Somers, aka the Schmoozer.  When he is on the air, during a rain delay, or following a Mets game, it is a pleasure, and so entertaining to hear his long monologue about the "Metropolitans".  He has longer conversations with the callers than anyone else, mostly because there are personal stories behind the drudgery of the same news being repeated.  And Somers, has a subtle sarcasm, that if you understand it, makes it hilarious.

Here is my suggestion to WFAN.  Clean house.  Fire virtually everyone except for Steve Somers and a few others (like the traffic girl).  Find some new, fresh voices.  Be more creative and innovative, like bringing in different fans for a daily show.  Run a trial for the overnight show, and if it works, implement it during the 10 AM show.

Please; I'm already tired of Limbaugh and Hannity.