They haven’t got a pot to piss in , much less a window to throw it out of ….. ideas of grandeur , baseball style .
By Tophatal
Well the MLB off-season is proving to be just as thrilling as teams seek to shed payroll , while others seek to increase payroll , with the ultimate goal of glory , success , and all that it may entail . No need to guess , who the big winners are at this juncture before the season has even started . Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels have sought to make their “big splash” , while north of the border , the Toronto Blue Jays have sought to revamp their roster and increase their payroll .
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Slideshow
The biggest acquisition made by the Blue Jays has been that of Cy Young Award winner R A Dickey, from the New York Mets , and given the franchise’s ongoing precarious financial position , of which their idiotic fans seem to fail to comprehend , it is my firm belief that the front office will continue on , with its own self-styled fire sale . Granted , the Toronto Blue Jays were made privy to the Miami Marlins’ fire sale , where the South Florida franchise has once again embarked upon divesting of the big-money contracts they were handing out out to those free agents like “ cotton candy”. A hellacious season of inept performances , the firing of a manager and the Marlins’ foray in 2012 can be best described as an almighty cluster fuck of “gargantuan proportions” .
In the midst of this mess , the “so-called in-depth investigation “ that Bud Selig has stated would take place , has actually failed to materialize , with no one having been empaneled by the commissioner to even remotely ascertain how and why team owner, Jeffrey Loria , and other Marlins’ front office executives, team President, Larry Beinfest , GM, Michael Hill and EVP ,Dave Sansom , have been allowed to simply wreak havoc upon this franchise, while at the same time giving the team’s fans false hope. It has been this sort of mismanagement that continues to take place around the game , under premise harsh economic times . Personally , I believe it to be “ one great big fucking lie” being suborned by the team owners and countenanced by the MLB hierarchy !
And lo and behold , it is this sort of apathy by the fans who buy into a franchise’s premise that because they have failed to meet certain goals , then they have to divest themselves the “ burdensome salaries” on their books. Unless I am mistaken, these self-styled executives and owners went into these negotiations with the players and their agents with their eyes wide open , did they not ? Furthermore , a close acquaintance patron of this site suggested to me that the Tampa Bay Rays , a franchise , who only in recent years has found a modicum of success has been profitable , due to the erstwhile financial expediency shown by GM Andrew Friedman . That might be the “biggest crock of shit “ within the Tampa Bay area , other than the continued stupidity being showed by the local politicians within the locale. The only reason the Tampa Bay Rays have been financially sound , has nothing at all to do with the accounting acumen of Friedman , because it has more to do with the fact that the franchise like several others , are the recipients of monies , made available to them by way of the league’s tax sharing revenue scheme . In the last seven years alone , the Rays as a ball-club has benefited to the tune of some $146 million . Given the menial profits attained by the franchise , a $20 million off-balance sheet boost can make that final earnings’ mark quite alluring to any fan merely glancing over a pro-forma spread-sheet detailing the Rays’ finances .
Yesterday, another stalwart of the Rays’ franchise in recent years allowed to leave with first baseman , and former Gold Glove winner , Carlos Pena , who signed a one year deal to become the newly designated hitter (DH) for the Houston Astros in 2013 . Pena and his new team will be part of the new league realignment, that sees the Astros making the move from the NL Central to the AL West . Pardon me for saying this , but given Astros’ woes in 2012, I am not so sure that their league mandated move will truly be of benefit for the franchise . Once there , they will have to face off against Los Angeles Angels , Oakland A’s , Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers . And given the resurgence of the A’s and the likelihood that we will continue to see improvement in the play of the Angels and Rangers , there has to be a team within the division, that will end up being the “ whipping post” and “ bitch “ that everyone else gets to “ ravage” . So why not the moribund Astros ?
Astros’ owner , Jim Crane , with the then record amount of $775 million paid to purchase the franchise . He has to know, that he faces an uphill battle in getting this team in a competitive state to take on the likes of the aforementioned teams within the AL West , Manager , Bo Porter and his managerial staff will most certainly make the most of the off-season preparation schedule of Spring Training to get players ready as they embark upon their first season in the AL , in 2013. The Astros first regular season series of will begin a three-game set against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park , in Houston , Texas , starting on 2nd April, 2013.
With a ready-made instate rivalry right off the bat against the Rangers , this should bode well for the Houston Astros , if they feel that they are up to the task. Add in the fact, that Nolan Ryan , current team President and part-owner of the Texas Rangers , was himself , once a player with the Astros , this certainly adds a great deal of intrigue to the panacea of the events that are likely to unfold between these two franchises.
One of the more asinine insinuations being made and which I read in an article written within this forum , given the complete lack of knowledge of the individual , who seemingly only chose put the words on paper , rather than conducting any research whatsoever, This individual , along with the more anally retentive supporters of the Mets’ franchise , tried to suggest that the financially cash-strapped franchise remains a viable and financially solvent concern. Fuck it , when you lose in excess of $40 million , and are projected to lose another $60 million in the subsequent year , you are in no way on a sound financial footing , especially when one of your primary creditors no longer wishes to extend you any further credit facilities . This has been the idiocy , that is being countenanced by so many of the team owners , for which Bud Selig is not prepared to offer the public or the fans an answer. Instead, he chooses to blow smoke up everyone’s ass, as to his own importance , and the fact that baseball has sound business practices .
Funny , I don’t ever once recall , Selig ever delving into the reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers were taken into bankruptcy proceedings (Chapter 11) when there was clear evidence that the former owner , Frank McCourt had been recklessly running the franchise into the ground , while repeatedly using the team and other assets as collateral for several of his own personal business deals . In the aftermath of the franchise’s multibillion dollar sale , McCourt was able to walk away with an estimated $435 million free and clear , as he was also said to be a creditor of the ball club he took into bankruptcy reorganization. How the fuck can that be allowed to happen ? Wherein an owner, knowingly flout one of the most sanctified rules of the game from an executive standpoint , but yet he escapes unpunished . Meanwhile, a player who violates the league’s substance abuse policy for a second time , faces a 100 game suspension and becomes a “pariah” within the game . Yes, this is the mendacity and goddamn stupidity that Bud Selig lovingly presides over, but yet no one within the game much less the media questions his authority or decision-making .
Having recently signed David Wright to a eight-year $147 million deal , the New York Mets were was unable to retain the services of R A Dickey. To my mind that one move, has pretty much epitomized why the New York Mets remains a fucking mess ! Sandy Alderson, J P Ricciardi and Paul DiPodesta may well have at one time graced the game with their alleged acumen , but they were brought in to right the wrongs wrought under Omar Minaya , while he was the general manager of the New York Mets . Instead , the same old fucking idiocy appears to be continuing within the ball-club, as they capriciously spend money on a player , who does not possess any leadership ability, and is simply looked upon as the “ poor man’s “ Derek Jeter . If ever there was more apt description, to describe David Wright , then those words, best sum up, how he is genuinely viewed within the game . Fans can now prognosticate and pontificate as to what awaits the team for this upcoming season as they begin their Spring Training schedule under Terry Collins and his coaching staff . While that takes place , you can be sure that the team’s primary owners, Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon will continue to wreak havoc within this ball-club , without their being any oversight whatsoever coming from baseball’s hierarchy.
It was the end of an era , as one the best switch hitters ever to play the game simply stepped down , from being a player with the Atlanta Braves . Chipper Jones leaves the game as one of the most celebrated and beloved in Braves’ history , and most definitely a player who was respected by his peers past and present. With his departure, GM , Frank Wren sought to bring in a productive center-fielder , and thought to be someone capable of filling that void was former Rays’ outfielder B J Upton . With Upton’s introduction as the newest member of what is considered to be an already productive lineup within the NL , and it is hoped that the player can simply increase his career numbers while providing the solid defensive prowess he has come to be known for . Upton, will be richly rewarded witha 5 year $75 million contract , making him one of the highest paid players on the Braves’ roster.
One of the deficiencies that blighted the Fredi Gonzalez’s players last season , was the inconsistency of the pitching , and the lack of timely hitting at crucial points during a game. The team will begin their Spring Training Schedule in the month of March with a slew of games that should in fact get these players ready for the upcoming regular season schedule which begins on the 3rd April , with a three game set at home against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta , Georgia,. A long and arduous 162 game schedule now awaits the teams as they each to succeed the San Francisco Giants as the World Series champions in 2013.
During the course of this off-season , more than $1.4 billion in contract negotiations will have been dealt with by the general managers and with agents such as Scott Boras , Arn Tellem , Casey Close , Dan Lozano , Larry Reynolds and John Courtright . There’s a reason why these individuals have now become the bane of the general managers around the game . To my mind , however, the owners are equally as responsible because they also have a responsibility , as they have a right not to acquiesce to the demands the players seeking these exorbitant salaries . But you would be hard pressed to convince a number of fans and purists alike who is actually in right or wrong as it relates to the “ escalating salaries “ within the game of baseball.. I am sure that Michael Weiner , Executive Director of the MLBPA (Players’ Union) would like to see the status quo remain as it is , with his members , as they see their salaries rise consistently in line with the demands they make of league’s owners and the respective teams . .
Courtesy of the New York Times
Baseball Ties Olympic Reinstatement Bid to Women’s Game
By Jere`Longman of the NY Times
Having whiffed on an attempt to link its Olympic future with women’s softball, baseball is now following another gender-equity route in an attempt to gain reinstatement to the Summer Games of 2016.
Baseball officials have aligned with the relatively seldom-played game of women’s baseball to burnish its chances of gaining re-entry into the Olympics after being dropped from the 2012 Summer Games in London.
It is too early to know whether such a move will prove shrewd or merely desperate by baseball, which was evicted from the Olympics for several reasons, including concerns over the lack of participation by major leaguers and widespread doping.
In October, the International Olympic Committee will award the 2016 Games to Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid or Rio de Janeiro. Two additional sports will be proposed for those Games, to be chosen among baseball, softball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby and squash.
In February, baseball was given the cold shoulder when it attempted to persuade softball to make a joint bid to regain their Olympic status. At the time, Don Porter, president of the International Softball Federation, said in a statement that softball would keep its bid separate, adding, “We have offered the I.O.C. a doping-free, universal team sport that reflects the values of Olympism all over the world.”
Translated, softball did not want to be aligned with a sport that is awash in drug scandals and offers competitions, like the World Series and the World Baseball Classic, that may be considered more prestigious than the Olympics.
By contrast, the Olympics represented the height of international softball competition for the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Games before the sport was eliminated, many believe, because of American dominance.
All of the world’s top softball players would be expected to participate in the 2016 Summer Games. Or as Porter said in another recent statement, in a thinly veiled reference to baseball, “The Olympic Games would not be just another competition in an overcrowded schedule for softball.”
Rebuffed by softball, baseball chose to pair its Olympic proposal with women’s baseball, which is rarely played in the United States but, officials say, is played in more than 30 countries by more than 100,000 participants. Still, it is much less visible than softball, which officials said is played in 127 nations by 8.5 million participants.
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Baseball has been caught between a “rock and a hard place “ by way of its endless greed , while not caring to truly look after its on-field product , and how it markets itself not just on the domestic front , but also as a global brand . The game’s situation has further hampered by the intransigence shown by the league hierarchy under Bud Selig . Were it not for his sheer and utter stupidity in caving in to the union , the sport itself would still be part of the Summer Olympics . Selig at the time while trying to portray the image that MLB wanted to remove the illicit use of PED’s within the game , simply acquiesced to the wishes of the MLBPA , in not wanting to fully adhere to the testing protocols of WADA , as followed by the IOC . Now , with their being a joint effort with the International Softball Federation (ISF) to get both sports reinstated by back into the fold, as part of the Summer Games , it will be interesting how both parties will represent their joint case to the International Olympic Committee(IOC). The ISF along with baseball’s international governing body , International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and Bud Selig will seek to present their case at the headquarters of the IOC , in Lausanne , Switzerland . It is not so much that baseball is unpopular as a global sport , which it is not , the real issue has always been Bud Selig’s lack of real authority of the sport he presides over in North America , as the highest ranking executive within the league’s hierarchy . It has been Selig’s penchant for saying great deal while in actuality not doing anything that has in essence made him look a blithering idiot in the eyes of the fans.
What is a precedent here, is the very fact the men’s game of baseball is in fact seeking to ride in on if not piggy-back in, on the coat-tails in the growing popularity of the women’s game of softball , as it seeks reentry back into the Summer Olympics . If that isn’t a first , then what is ? And even though the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has yet to truly take hold internationally , there is a growing belief , if Selig , simply lets the IBAF take the reins , rather than trying to be the dominant partner in the staging of the event , there would indeed be a greater interest in the quadrennial event , which is next due up in 2013 , with the qualifying rounds set to start in December , 2012, but the main tournament not due to begin until March , 2nd ,2013 with the group phase of the tournament . It now makes you wonder what the fuss has been about concerning the WBC , especially light of the fact that the television coverage and viewership of the event in North America , has been sparse indeed. Yet , on the international front , specifically in the Far East Asia , Latin America and the Caribbean , the fans cannot seem to get enough of the event . Which begs the question , is it not time for Bud Selig to immediately step down , rather than retiring in 2014, as he claims , will be his intent ? A fresh influx of new and progressive ideas are needed within the game , rather than , this ” doing it by the numbers approach” of “hits and misses” , by Selig and baseball’s hierarchy. The irony here will be , if Selig does step down , then joining him also , will be , NBA Commissioner , David Stern , who formally announced , that he will step down in his role , a position that he has held within the NBA hierarchy for almost twenty-five years . A term , slightly out doing his MLB counterpart , as the duo have battled all concerns , friends , foes , and their respective unions , repeatedly over the lengths of their service. Selig has not named or intimated, who his successor might be , but we have been made aware that Adam Silver , NBA Deputy Commissioner, will succeed , David Stern. I do believe that Bud Selig , will countenance the promotion from someone already within the hierarchy , with the support of the team owners . If anything , Selig , will simply seek out a like-minded individual to carry on his policies , while his persona will continue to leave an indelible and some might say a “stain ridden mark” upon the ” game “ .
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Picture gallery .
What, if anything , do you hope to see being achieved during the upcoming season within the game of baseball ? Also , are you of the opinion that the sport needs to adopt a “ hard salary cap” that would see the teams getting an equitable share of television and other ancillary revenues ? Do take time to leave a comment as you see fit on this , and anything else you believe relevant to the subject matter.
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Picture and slideshow details below.
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(1) New Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, Zack Greinke adjusts his cap during a baseball news conference announcing his $147 million, six-year contract, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have seen fit to make several deals this off-season , as GM , Ned Colletti has been given the go-ahead by the front office executives to pursue these transactions . At the commencement of the 2013 regular season , the Dodgers will by far have the biggest payroll in Major League Baseball , far exceeding $200 million. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes ….
(2) Free-agent outfielder Josh Hamilton, right, and his wife, Katie , talk to the media during a news conference in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. Hamilton, formerly of the Texas Rangers, joins the Los Angeles Angels MLB baseball team after signing a $125 million, five-year contract. The acquisition of Hamilton was prompted by Angles’ owner Arte Moreno not wanting to see the franchise left lagging behind the Dodgers in the free agents’ sweepstakes . Moreno instructed GM Jerry DiPoto do whatever it takes to land the “big league slugger” . AP Photo/Chris Carlson …
(3) FILE – This Sept. 27, 2012 file photo shows New York Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey reacting to fans as he celebrates his 20th victory of the season after the Mets 6-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a baseball game at Citi Field in New York. A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that Dickey and the Blue Jays have agreed on a new contract , clearing the way for the New York Mets to trade the Cy Young winner to Toronto. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, because the trade was not yet complete. The 38-year-old knuckle-baller must pass a physical before he joins the Blue Jays. The Mets would get prized catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud as the centerpiece of the multi-player swap . AP Photo/Kathy Willens …
(4) New York Mets third baseman David Wright, center, walks from one interview to the next at baseball’s winter meetings on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Wright and the Mets finalized a $138 million, eight-year contract on Tuesday, the largest deal in the team’s history . AP Photo/Mark Humphrey …
(5) FILE – This Sept. 26, 2012 file photo shows Tampa Bay Rays’ Carlos Pena following through on a two-run home run as Boston Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia watches in the fifth inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. The Houston Astros have signed veteran Carlos Pena to be their designated hitter , addressing a key need as they prepare for their first season in the American League. AP Photo/Elise Amendola …
(6) Atlanta Braves newly signed center fielder B.J. Upton , right, and general manager Frank Wren pose with Upton’s jersey during a news conference introducing Upton, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in Atlanta. Upton replaces free agent Michael Bourn in center field and should provide needed power from the right side. AP Photo/John Bazemore ….
(7) National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern (L) greets Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig before testifying with the heads of the NFL and the NHL to the US House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection about the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports on Capitol Hill February 27, 2008 in Washington, DC. The subcommittee also heard testimony from officials from the US Olympic Committee , National Thoroughbred Racing and the US Anti-Doping Agency . Getty Images / Chip Somodovilla …
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MLB transactions (December-2012) , November
This week in MLB history overview
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Highest paid players in baseball
MLB team values & profitability
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MLB final divisional standings & wildcard standings
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Tophatal's Blog 
So Bud ‘The Opportunist’ Selig is now looking to piggy-back upon the shoulders of the ISF (Int’l Softball Federation) to appeal to the IOC(Int’l Olympic Committee) to get baseball reinstated as part of the Summer Olympics . The earliest chance for reinstatement would be for the 2020 Summer Games .
Had Selig shown, that he had a backbone , and stood up to the union(MLBPA) rather than cowering in a corner like a bitch , then baseball would not have been thrown out of the Summer Games, alongside softball . Bud Selig is a dilettante and a frigging as$hole of the highest order .
“Bud you tired senile ol’ sick bastard, it’s now time for you step down. ” . “But Joe , I’ve gotta pee “. Joe Torre and Bud Selig
And even now with the introduction of the WBC (World Baseball Classic) , which has yet to truly catch the attention of the North American public , because of its staging just prior to the start of the regular season of baseball as a quadrennial event in the odd years .
There is this belief that in almost two decades in charge , first as interim commissioner , then in a full-time position that is said to pay him in excess of $20 million a year , he has brought the game forward.
Baseball is no longer this country’s pass-time , if anything it has become a complete anathema , because of the lack of real authority and leadership that isn’t often seen from the league hierarchy . Selig cowers , if Michael Weiner and his union members (MLBPA) even cough within earshot of the commissioner , never-mind the fact that the league , owners and general managers show about as much business acumen, as the idiots who knowingly ran Enron .. into the ground . The fans themselves in large part are not that bright to begin with , in their lack of what goes on with the ball clubs they support and what actually takes place from an economic standpoint as it relates to the game . .
Tophatal …………..
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I think we’re going to see a year of top-heavy teams. The Angels, Rangers, Dodgers and Blue Jays should all be loaded. At least they appear so on paper. We’ll see if that translates into wins on the field.
Of course with top-heavyness comes mediocrity. We are about to see some bad ass teams.
Padres and Marlins, are you listening?
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Chris Humpherys (@SportsChump)
Top-heavy teams , having paid out millions to bolster their rosters , and at the end of it all , they will serve up the fans a bucket full of crap / bull$hit !
Does anyone truly believe that the Astros will even be competitive enough to take on the A’s , Rangers , Mariners and Angels within the AL West next season ?
There has always been mediocrity in baseball ! Pirates , Rays , Royals , Padres , Rockies , and Orioles, to name but a few , over the past decade plus .
It’s your duty to tap that ass , and then some !
Tophatal ……………
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Chris
Selig , should step down , once this season is over !
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Travis
Thanks for chiming in !
Tophatal….
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I’ve been an avid baseball fan since I was a kid playing with baseball cards.All that time I’ve been a fan of the Chicago Cubs.
Poor me! I watched the Cubs change ownership a couple of times and each one is going to bring us a championship. Baseball has become big business, screw the game, screw the fans, let’s just make money. Ballplayers are grossly overpaid, which isn’t news, but why do they keep doing it? Well, because there is always someone – like the Dodgers this year, the Angels last year, the Yankees before them, etc. that will spend whatever it takes to get what they deem is the best players.
The problem is, putting a bunch of rich ballplayers together doesn’t always give you a good team because they don’t know the meaning of “team.” My mother is a die-hard Dodger fan. I hate to tell her that I don’t think they will win it next year, but I really don’t. I don’t think they will even win their division, I give that to the Giants or the Diamondbacks. As of Selig, he’s just another one in the Good Ole Boy Club. His replacement, whenever that occurs, probably won’t be any better.
But back to the Cubs. I think, and I hope, the way Theo Epstein is going about rebuilding the team is the right way to do it. Theo will trade any current asset for a couple of prospects. This doesn’t cost the team a lot of money and if they get to the point where they are just a pitcher or hitter away from putting it all together, then they will outspend God for that championship. I also think it is kind of funny that no body wanted anything to do with Alphonso Soriano and his contract. Last year he had a great year offensively and improved defensively too. Still, no one wants him. He’s overpaid and over the hill. Well, in two years they will be saying the same thing about Albert Pujols, but he will still have six to seven years left on his contract instead of two or three. Enough said. How’s that for a rant?
JR
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JR
I feel your pain concerning the Cubs , as they’ve been woefully inept over the past eight years at least , and their postseason play in that time has been equally abysmal ! . Bad managers apathetic ownership , and amongst some of the most loyal and vocal fans in the game .
Sam Zell was only after the team because of parent company . The Tribune Group (newspaper publishers [as that was the real jewel in the crown]) . Now that the Ricketts are in , I am not so sure what to make of the family as owners ! They seem intent on going after success , but here’s where the tire hits the road , they still have too many bad contracts on the payroll , along with some really unproductive players !
In light of the moves pursued by GM , Theo Epstein , it will be interesting to see how manager , Dale Sveum and his coaching staff deals with the roster , and how they fare during their preseason schedule , as well as the first few months of their regular season schedule within the NL Central .
Chicago Cubs’ news
Tophatal …………..
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“If the MLB Commissioner , Bud Selig wishes for baseball’s reinstatement then he will have to comply by my wishes , as well as the IOC rules ” ! Jacques Rogge – IOC President
IOC President Jacques Rogge , says that before he’ll allow baseball back into the Summer Games , Bud Selig will have to prove to him , the he can bend over and kiss his own ass , and then return the favor by kissing Rogge’s ass , as well .
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“I’ll accept , how else do you think I ascended to this position ? I kissed some ass and I enjoyed it ” ! Bud Selig
Tophatal ……………
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The Tampa Bay Rays 2013 regular season schedule begins in April – Spring Training
Tampa Bay Rays 40 man roster 2013
Rays’ managerial staff
Rays’ transactions
Team projected payroll
Rays’ front office
Tampa Bay Rays’ profits & revenue stream
Rays standing in the AL East 2012
Team overview stats (2012)
Results in 2012
Head to head games in 2012
Team splits offense and pitching 2012
Rays’ defense
Splits :
Rays’ splits batting & pitching
Tampa Bays Rays’ news (MLB- official site)
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Wendy Fiore
More Wendy to your liking ?
Tophatal ………….
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It’s too bad things didn’t work out with Pena and the Rays. The guys a gold glover and a leader in the clubhouse. If he could hit above his weight he might still be here. I wish him the best in Houston, where I’m sure he’ll be helping the team with tips on the pitchers in the American League.
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aero
There’s no way in hell the Rays will be able to compete this year in the AL East with the moves they’ve made . Fans are simply kidding themselves and are afraid to face up to the reality that Sternberg , Friedman and Silverman are now simply reverting back to the ways of old , and trying to do things on the cheap .
No one within this organization has the credibility to be truthful with the fanbase , much less the media , as a whole . So it’ll b e left to Maddon to fill the fans with the usual rhetoric and optimism .
Pena going to the Astros will prove to be a struggle for the player , because in the AL West . those teams are damn good in terms of their overall .. pitching .
I can see the team perhaps going 76-86 this season within the AL East !
“Chesty Morgan ” and her deadly weapons , truth be known , this season I seriously doubt that the Rays will have the “ weapons ” that will be able to deal with the likes of the Yankees , Orioles , Blue Jays and Red Sox within the division !
Chesty at the height of her fame … had grown men standing to attention , if you know what I mean ?
Tophatal ………
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Hey Alan, we’re back! Been away due to some maintenance problems. Anyway, we sorta knew the Dickey was going to go given all the speculation how both sides just weren’t meeting eye to eye. We don’t blame the Mets for making the trade, the team got younger and obviously that’s the organization’s true intention.
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Blog Surface / CDR
WordPress is becoming a pain in the a#s as a host site as they’re making changes without even advising the users of the site with a simple notification .
Now with regard to the Mets , I wouldn’t have expected anything else from the organization ! GM & SVP, Sandy Alderson is so full of sh#t to begin with , that nothing that he now says can be believed . The trade of Dickey , he says wasn’t about money , he’s damn well lying ! Alderson berated Reyes , when he left to join the Marlins , and basically insisted that the short-stop was being disloyal . Everything now concerning the Mets’ issues has to do with money as the ball club is still hemorrhaging money . ( the fans are too fu$king stupid to realize that fact) It was all and has always been about money , because they threw $147 million needlessly at Wright without having the common sense to deal truthfully with their Cy Young Award winner R A Dickey . At the same time they still have the long and labored contract of Johan Santana on their books .
As to them (Mets) going younger in terms of the roster , in what way is that really happening .? They’re using a Band Aid to cover a gaping wound with regard to the real underlying problems of this team , and the fact that it isn’t a very good one in the first place . The vast majority of Mets’ fans and the bullsh#t they’ve been writing about the organization is asinine , and makes no goddamn sense . When a fan hasn’t even the intelligence to look at the financial issues and simply pontificates about the make up of the team , it shows their naivete and lack of real intelligence and insight as to what is happening from a business standpoint .
The Mets will be lucky next season , if they finish with a .500 record if that ! It’s a sad reflection but it’s an ongoing trend because of the near willful neglect by Jeff Wilpon , Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz , as the lead executives and owners of the ball-club.
Jenna at her best or at least very near it , as he she doesn’t have a di#k in her mouth to suck on
Beyond needing to get something of a clue how ’bout getting Jenna Jameson show the Mets’ fans what she does best , which is something the team and the organization has been doing for several years now !
The fans need to get a goddamn clue ! Citi Field has become an elephant’s graveyard and was nowhere near … even remotely being filled for the Mets’ home games last season .
Tophatal ………………..
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Toppy….you are so far off base on your Mets take I would have to say you are striking out looking.
I mean really. Sandy Alderson is tryng to do exactly what this team needs. They do not have the depth of talent that it will take to win right now. Yes, he is waving the white flag. He shopped, and then shipped, Dickey out of town. A Cy Young winner (third one traded right after winning the award…David Cone…Roger Clemens) was worth a boatload to a needy team. When the Jays made their deal with Miami, the Marlins were crazy for the catcher…but the Jays NEVER included him in any talks. Yet the Mets were able to get him. It wasn’t about the money….but was about stocking the franchise with some serious young talent. I know that prospects are no guaranteee of success….but hey, everyone in baseball thinks this catcher brings something to the field. He will get his chance to grow next season.
Regarding the club’s finances….next year Santana comes off the payroll at 25.5 mil as does Bey at 16.5 This year they passed on Pelfrey at 6.0 mil. They know they suck and they are doing what they can to shed payroll, sign young…..read it this way Toppy….CHEAP….players who have room to grow. When those younger players hopefully come in to their own….they will have some salary flexibility to pay for talent around them either via free agency or trade.
C’mon Toppy…..give the team some some credit. They ain’t playing for 2013..and quite possibly for 2014. Every New Yorker knows that. Every fan knows that. Why do you think we are so blind? Turn your thinking into what they are doing right. Yes, they have screwed up. Jeff Wilpon is an idiot. But in Alderson, DiPodesta and Riccardi, they have the front office talent to turn this thing around.
Patience Toppy. Patience.
Lauren London….NICE
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We’re going to stock the franchise with some serious young talent , So the Mets’ …. farm system doesn’t have any home grown talent at present ?
The Mets will become like the Royals , building for the future and having nothing to show for it , at all . Two plus decades of ineptitude for the AL Central franchise and counting . With the Pirates not being far behind .
What have the Mets got to hang their hats on by way of competitiveness much less pride ? A bygone ‘ era of memories and nothing of real note in the six years at least .
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Toppy…..
If you really followed the Mets you would know there is no talent left to bring up….after the past few years of trying to do the same. None. Two pitchers ready MAYBE end of the year but by 2014. The farm system is tapped dry.
You are right though, the Three Blind Mice as I call them….Wilpon, Wilpon and Katz…..have allowed this franchise to sink to lows only experienced when they first took the field in the early 60’s.
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balleehoo/ Jed
As a one time Marlins’ fan , when I lived in South Florida , at the time of the team’s inception , I followed all of the teams within the NL East . In late 2010 I completely abandoned the team , because I could no longer put up with the lies and deceit coming out of the mouths of Michael Hill, Jeffrey Loria , Larry Beinfest and David Sansome !
I now wholeheartedly support the Atlanta Braves !
As to the Mets , mismanagement and a coaching staff that over the years couldn’t … spell the word “talent” , much less give you a succinct and detailed meaning of the word ! .
Their draft history hasn’t been parlayed into anything meaningful over the past five years .
Collins seen here with the Mets’ front office executives , as he was formally introduced at Citi-Field as the ball-clubs’ latest manager .
In all honesty though , do you believe that Terry Collins and his coaching staff are good enough to bring them back to prominence and get the job done ?
Latest Mets news feed as well as archived stories .
Big tits …. every man’s dream to bury in between those valleys ! Are you up for that ?
🙂
Bishayn Bishayne came well “stacked” for the party
Tophatal ……………..
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Bishayn aint my style. Kind of gross to be honest. You’ve shared much higher quality talent Toppy.
I don’t know if Collins is the man. He was GREAT in the first half last year but when the team fell apart in the back end, it seemed as though he just couldn’t get them to respond, nor find the words. I don’t have any dog in his future here….if he can groom those kids great…..if he can’t then they will move him out. Its business. The team is not ready to contend so my expectations are low….just let the kids get some experience.
I thought that Omar was killing it for a while. Think about it, they were one strike away from beating the Cardinals and getting to the WS…and then pulled the choke of the century the following year and lost to the Phils. They had talent….and it was fun here….
When they crapped out was the Jason Bey signing. That really killed them.
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Jed
McCourt’s money ? No , he used the bank’s money and the ball club as collateral which is against MLB hierarchy rules .
This is how fu#king stupid Bud Selig , happens to be , prior to Frank McCourt’s pursuit to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers , he also pursued the purchasing of the Boston Red Sox , and at the time McCourt faced some major financial issues , as he was locked in major civil suit with two former business partners on a commercial real estate deal . Frank McCourt did not have the financing to purchase the Red Sox , but yet a few years later because Fox brokers a “sweetheart deal” that allows him to purchase the Dodgers. Everyone thought him the right guy to own that franchise . I’ve always maintained that Bud Selig is an asshole , who has no business being the MLB Commissioner and pulling down an estimated $25 million annual salary .
And these journalists and commentators such as Buster Olney , Tim Kurkjian and Fox MLB analyst Joe Buck . When have you ever heard those individuals talk in depth, about the grave financial issues the game of baseball faces , much less the now tainted “era of steroids within baseball “?
Tophatal …………….
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Jed
It may well take the Mets at least two or three years before they are even competitive enough within the NL East .
I think that for the New York Mets to truly regain some level of respect then they will have spend prudently while building from within . If they cannot do that , then they will continue to be mired in the mediocrity we’ve witnessed from the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates over the past fifteen years ( Pirates & Royals -record in the aforementioned time-span).
Here’s a breakdown of the Mets’ results in 2012
Head to head games against the Braves , Marlins , Nationals and Phillies ….. between 2008-2012
Projected team payroll & potential payroll in existence
Mets 40 man roster
Mets depth chart
Mets offense
Mets’ pitching
Team defense (Mets )
Mets offense in games (2012)
Mets pitching in games (2012)
Mets offensive splits (2012)
Mets pitching splits (2012)
NL overall team stats
MLB team stats
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Shai Corrina
Vanessa Veasley
Draya Michelle
I like some of the gross stuff , as it at times , it lightens the mood ! Or would like to see pictures of Rosie O’Donnell or Joan Rivers ?
See you on the flip side buddy !
Tophatal …………….
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Jed
Well versed with the Dodgers ? Why was Frank McCourt allowed to repeatedly use the ball club as collateral on business deals that were said to be highly risky ? And how is that neither MLB CFO Jonathan Mariner or Bud Selig did anything about that , at all ?
That was one of the things that came to light in the bankruptcy procedural hearings when they franchise was auctioned off , in a bid process that was so sleazy that the vast majority of team owners were dissatisfied with the whole process Bud Selig interjected himself in the midst of it all .
She’s getting a lot of practice in , for next role , before lying on her back . Paris Hilton
I work in corporate law as research analyst and economist , but I also have over 15 years of international banking, international finance , mergers & acquisitions experience to go along with a decade of service in the British Royal Marines . And I have yet to come across an environment that has been so mismanaged , as we currently see in the game of baseball . Oh no , wait , how could I forget those moronic as$holes in the world of the NHL ! They all make Paris Hilton seem like a Ph D candidate for either Harvard , Yale or Stanford . Take your pick ?
Tophatal ……………..
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I can’t answer that question. McCourt got financial break after break in his time with the Dodgers.
He put up no money for the team and got a loan from FOX for the down payment backed by his Boston parking lot. The loan was called in when he failed to pay, FOX got the lot and sold it. He broke the “Team” into about 10 different businesses with the approval of MLB. The team. The parking lots. The land around the stadium. The stadium. He is a real estate guy and he knows how to leverage his assets. And that’s what he did…..into deep debt. The luckiest asshole to ever own a professional sports team….But a real scumbag.
Paris Hilton is a skank by the way.
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If Sandy Alderson was such an ingenue as a personnel executive but also from a business standpoint , then how is it as Selig’s #2 in the hierarchy structure , he allowed all of that bullshit to go on with the Mets , Marlins Cubs and Dodgers , when there was glaring evidence within the league’s midst of wrongdoing on the part of the owners and those franchises’ financial situation ?
If you’re going to walk the walk , back it up with something .
Tophatal ………………..
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I have nothing to offer about the Cubs or Marlins. I think I am pretty well versed in the Dodgers and Mets though you may disagree. I am not aware of the Commissioner’s rights to get involved with any club’s finances. I know that owners sign away alot of rights when they join the fraternity of MLB but what they specifically allow, I don’t know.
I think you are confusing Alderson’s role for the Mets. He has no sway over the business itself. That’s Jeff Wilpon’s turf. Alderson acts only within the parameters he is given. I don’t think you can find anything I have written, on your blog or my own, that says Alderson will save the business or is responsible for the financial side….cuz he aint. He is all about talent acquisition. And I also think that he performed that role exceptionally well but instead of me saying so, we’ll let Wikipedia handle it….and pay close attention to his responsibilities when in the Commissioner’s office….BASEBALL OPERATIONS. Not BUSINESS!
Oakland Athletics
Roy Eisenhardt, one of the firm’s partners, left to become president of the Oakland Athletics when his father-in-law bought the team. In 1981, Alderson joined Eisenhardt to become the Athletics general counsel and in 1983 was named the team’s general manager, a position he held through 1997. Under Alderson, the Athletics’ minor league system was rebuilt, which bore fruit later that decade as José Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987), and Walt Weiss (1988) were chosen as American League Rookies of the Year. The Athletics won four division titles, three pennants and the 1989 World Series during Alderson’s tenure. In 1995, team owner Walter A. Haas, Jr. died and new owners Stephen Schott and Ken Hofmann ordered Alderson to slash payroll. As a result, Alderson began focusing on sabermetric principles toward obtaining relatively undervalued players. He was a mentor to his eventual successor, Billy Beane.
Major League Baseball
Alderson left the Athletics to work for Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office, where he was executive vice president for baseball operations between September 1998 and 2005.
San Diego Padres
Alderson was employed as CEO of the San Diego Padres from 2005 to 2009, with the team winning back to back division titles in 2005 and 2006. He lectured at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.
In 2010, Alderson had been working as commissioner Bud Selig’s point man to address the issues of the corruption of baseball in the Dominican Republic, the largest supplier of Major League Baseball talent outside the United States.
New York Mets
Alderson was hired by the New York Mets after the 2010 baseball season to replace Omar Minaya as general manager. He was officially introduced as the general manager of the team on October 29, 2010, signing a four-year deal with a club option for 2015.
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Jed
It’s written into the * league’s bye laws in terms of their business practices . It has been repeatedly emphasized by Jonathan Mariner CFO of MLB Operations.
And with regard to Sandy Alderson , Selig was in continuous contact with him on a litany of issues concerning the game’s operations , even with the executive having been in several positions with a number of teams around the league . Sandy Alderson , was one the first executives who pointed to the fact that the teams were simply overpaying for talent (which they still are to this day) . Yet his warnings weren’t being heeded by his fellow executives much less the team owners and specifically Bud Selig , himself .
Now you’re trying to suggest that Jeff Wilpon and his dumb ass now dictates how the Mets should be dealing with payroll ? Then why would Alderson berate Jose Reyes as being disloyal , after he repeatedly did nothing trying negotiate a contract that would mutually beneficial for both parties ? Alderson ” has a dick and a pair ” or he simply cowers like a effeminate clown every time member of the Wilpon family squeaks !
Sam Zell simply bought the Cubs as an asset stripping exercise and it was common knowledge that was his intent , as his only wish at the time was get hold of the Cubs’ parent company The Tribune Group (newspaper publishers & their affiliated and non-affiliated tv stations such as WGN ).
Miami Marlins Ballpark (34,500 seat venue) built at the cost of $575 million of taxpayers’ monies courtesy of the city of Miami . The city itself is currently under investigation by the US Justice Department as how they went about subordinating the debt and what were the communiques that took place between the MLB hierarchy , Marlins’ organization (front office) and the city council . Mayor Tomas Regaldo has been asked pointed questions on this whole episode, which he refuses to answer directly , simply stating that all questions should directed to the city’s legal counsel .
Team owner Jeffrey Loria , for the second time in nine years has gutted the roster , merely because this team came up short but primarily because Ozzie Guillen was a piss poor manager who simply didn’t know how to communicate with the players.
Previously to Loria , the club’s first owner, H D Wayne Huizenga (founder of Auto Nation , Waste Management Inc & Blockbuster Inc ) did the same thing claiming the franchise had lost millions . My question would be , if you were willing at the time to spend countless millions to obtain high-priced free agents to win a World Series title , then why not keep that team together to make an attempt at a defense of that title ?
Up until 2011 , the Marlins had been a willing participant in baseball’s ” asinine tax sharing” revenue scheme .
Links here showing team revenues & profits
Highest paid players in baseball
Team payrolls as of 2012
That bye law states that teams cannot incur more than 30% debt in comparison to its capitalized value .
The Los Angeles Dodgers when they filed for bankruptcy (Chapter 11) had debts exceeding $1.3 billion and assets slightly under $1 billion .
I rarely use Wikipedia , it’s not that reliable a resource , but it does help to have a business background in international finance and economics .
Anything else you need to know ? Because it appears all you’ve been able to obtain are snippets of information .
Tophatal ……………
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Jed
I’ll give credit where it’s due but I don’t suffer fools gladly nor do I countenance incompetence ! When David Einhorn came in flushed with cash ready to make a considerable investment in purchasing a major stake in the Mets . Why b was it that everything then went sour .
Einhorn (est worth $3 billion) is a venture capitalist flushed with more cash than he knew what to do with. Alderson, and apparently the ownership felt his money wasn’t needed even after he’d bought an initial 5% stake and then asked for a seat on the board , having expressed his interest in buying a majority stake , with an option to purchase the ball club outright within eighteen months .
You claim my comments with regard to the Mets are somewhat skewered . Far from it , valid points have been raised , which you nonchalantly overlook .
Tophatal ………..
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I hope we have dispelled the thought that Alderson had a hand in this business decision by now.
It was the ownership that blew the deal up. Wilpons changed the terms of the negotiated deal on several fronts as they got close. Yes, Einhorn had language to own up to 60% of the club if the Wilpons continued to suck.
Why did they break the deal???????
They don’t want to sell!!!! They want to own the club forever.
From ESPN.com
The New York Mets could not reach agreement on a deal for David Einhorn to buy a minority stake in the team and have broken off talks, the organization announced Thursday.
The sides have been in negotiations for months, with Einhorn reportedly poised to pay $200 million for a non-controlling stake in the team. Einhorn would have had the option of boosting his stake to roughly 60 percent in three to five years, a source told ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. That option could have been blocked if the Wilpons returned Einhorn’s $200 million and allowed him to keep one-sixth ownership of the team.
Einhorn said he believed the deal was on track as recently as the middle of last week, but then was troubled when he received modifications to the contract before last weekend.
One example, Einhorn said, was that he wanted a clear path from Major League Baseball to gain approval from other owners to become majority owner of the Mets should he successfully exercise that contractual right in a handful of years.
Einhorn, 42, said the Wilpons informed him early on that MLB would have a problem with that language in the contract. So Einhorn indicated he met with Bud Selig, who said that the commissioner’s office would not be an impediment to the contract calling for a trigger for other MLB owners to vote to approve him as majority owner should the agreement with the Wilpons eventually call for it.
But, Einhorn alleged, the Wilpons subsequently lobbied MLB to prevent the language calling for a vote of other owners from being included. And the latest contract revisions had omitted the clause that previously had appeared in the agreement, Einhorn said.
“After all, it wouldn’t make sense to invest $200 million into a team and then be denied the ability to exercise a negotiated option down the road due to the inability to obtain the required vote of other major league owners at that time,” Einhorn said.
Einhorn said that was only one example of several unilateral changes made to the agreement by the Wilpons entering last weekend.
“I was surprised,” he said. “I was very surprised.”
I am told from insiders that they did this because the team was playing so well until the all star game…..way over their heads…..and they felt they had increased leverage. That’s when they went for 10 owners at 20 million each….which failed miserably.
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Jed
Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon are the founders Sterling Equities Inc and those two on a clear day they couldn’t tell the difference between a balance sheet and aluminum foil at times used in baking . And in terms ESPN as a source of business related news that’s akin to wiping one’s ass with a piece of sandpaper as they have no credibility in that field . ” Clown school is in” , when it comes to legitimate journalism with the sports’ broadcast outlet !
“Hey Fred , I’ve got an erection , do you think your wife can fit me in ” ? Saul Katz ,left , and Fred Wilpon co owners of the Mets and founders of investment company Sterling Equities Inc .
Tophatal ……………..
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Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon will be the ruination of the Mets . And also baseball’s hierarchy are so out of touch that they’ve become an embarrassment to the game . How the hell can Selig and his paeans allow McCourt , Zell , Tom Hick and Ken Gillette get away with they have done in the past eight years ?
Gillette and Hicks have owned the following sports entities , that have faced bankruptcy proceedings Texas Rangers ( new owners Nolan Ryan & his syndicate group) , Dallas Stars and English Premiership soccer team Liverpool FC , now owned by NESN who are the holding company for the ownership group of the Boston Red Sox .
Tophatal ………….
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A cash infusion would be far better than having the bank all over your ass but you’d be hard pressed to tell Katz and Wilpon, that as they’re so use to doing thing their own way, and then gouging the fans in return for the ” privilege ” of attending a Mets’ home game .
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Jed
Alderson is doing what the team needs ? $147 million to Wright ? Berates Reyes for being disloyal in taking more money from the Marlins ? And they allow Dickey to go, while still having Santana’s bloated contract on their books . Sound business sense ? How can Alderson justify his actions with Reyes , when he then offers that exorbitant contract to Wright and then allows Dickey to leave , and as such disrespecting the player with such a derisive offer .
I’ve read one patron’s ludicrous comments about Dickey having to pay higher taxes in Canada . If that idiot doesn’t believe that the player, will seek to have an accountant assist him in lessening his tax burden . then he should not commenting on anything within this forum, as it relates to sports .
There’s no common sense being shown by the Mets at present , because if there had been , their issues on an off the field of play wouldn’t be so bad .
The Mets lost $ 41 million in the last fiscal year and their projected to lose in excess of $65 million this upcoming season . I’m off base ? More like your bias and objectivity has clouded your judgment .
Typically what I’d expect from a Mets’ fan who has no real idea what the hell is going on with the team ,. They’re still on the brink of financial ruin . And while the Mets are said to be growing, what do you think the rest of the division will be doing , specifically the Braves and Nationals ? At least if we’re to have a debate on this , let’s look at all sides of this issue .
Do you dole out compliments , when you see sheer ineptitude within your midst ? Because in case you hadn’t noticed , that is also a sign of apathy .
Tophatal …………..
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I don’t recall him berating Jose Reyes for leaving. He understood. They never even made Jose an offer because they knew there was more money out there. I am glad they let him go….but don’t understand why they didn’t trade him at the deadline. They knew they couldn’t hold him. Why let him go to free agency and just get a draft pick? Would be interesting to know who they took with that pick.
I am also glad they traded Dickey, as I wrote before. He was a good financial deal at 12.5 per year but they obviously felt youth, and keeping that money to themselves, was better. Disrespect? I guess so, but this is a business. So it goes. Sorry. Let’s move on.
I too struggle with the David Wright signing, as you have read and commented on. If you are going young, then go young. Go big or Go home. I would not have done this.
Santana’s contract was signed by the prior regime, not Alderson. It has one year to go. Nobody would take that on before the season, I am sure. Maybe he can be moved at the deadline to a contending team. Watch for that to happen, even if the Mets have to eat some of his salary.
I think the Mets still have a long way to go. But they are on their way Toppy. Its going to turn and while you, for some reason, have a bone up your ass for Sandy Alderson, he has done this thing very well in the past.
Lastly, we tussled a bit a short while ago about their finances….Yes, the club lost 40+ mil last year and are projected to do worse yet again this coming season. But I told you they could refinance things at SNY to raise some cash to get them through these troubled….by their own stupidity……times. You said no way.
Well read on big fella.
Amazin’! Mets owners refi $450M in loans
By JOSH KOSMAN
Last Updated: 12:16 AM, January 3, 2013
Posted: 11:29 PM, January 2, 2013
The owners of the Mets have scored some financial relief.
After a months-long process, team owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz have refinanced $450 million in loans borrowed against cable network SportsNet New York, which airs Mets games, The Post has learned.
While the financial terms could not be learned, some of the proceeds are expected to go toward funding the cash-strapped team’s day-to-day operations.
The Mets declined comment. SNY did not return calls for comment.
Sterling Equities — the sports, real-estate and investment firm owned by Wilpon and Katz — owns about 65 percent of SNY. Time Warner and Comcast are also partners in the channel.
The owners have been working with Bank of America since October to line up the refinancing. By completing it before year-end, they have also avoided higher capital gains taxes on their SNY investment.
The refinancing comes just days after Standard & Poor’s downgraded the credit rating for Citi Field to BB — two notches below investment grade — from BB+ with a negative outlook.
The firm is concerned there will be “slight cash flow declines in the near future” before the Mets’ finances stabilize. S&P estimates that stadium revenue fell 6 percent last year, with seat revenue suffering the most significant decline of 13 percent.
Suite sales were the saving grace, rising 11 percent — but S&P said that was due, in large part, to the Mets’ parent, Sterling, now owning “about 20 percent of the suites.” Those Sterling-owned suites are used by minority owners like hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen.
Rival ratings firm Moody’s holds a different view and in November upgraded its outlook on the ballpark.
So Toppy, I have answered all your comments with a mix of opinion and a strong dose of reported fact. I’m not just blowing smoke here….
peace
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How much of that debt is subordinated in terms of the refi ? And at the same what are the terms of financing , projected revenue growth because in large part it’s all based on speculation and both you and I know the Mets’ finances are not where they need to be .
Tophatal …………..
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Jed
Standard & Poors , everyone’s place of reference but those assholes , still and will refuse to downgrade the US’s credit rating ! LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
Tophatal ……………..
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So Alderson didn’t berate him ? Calling him disloyal, as the two sides are in the midst of contract negotiations , how would you determine that as a position ?
The front office executives and the owners within the game are egotistical assholes ! And the players are not that far behind !
Only in NYC can you have a mayor such as Bloomberg wax on lyrically about Citi Field while his city is a financial mess ! Bear mind , he seeks to use city resources for the building of that edifice , while providing the Mets with favorable tax advantages . Why is it the fans don’t question what their state and municipal politicians are doing with their revenues, but yet they bitch and whine about the federal government taxing them so heavily ? Apathy , if nothing else .
Tophatal ……………
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balleehoo
“Fiscal cliff ? How’ bout we get Pelosi to suck our di#ks ? It’s far better than discussing this bullsh#t ” ! Boehner and Obama
——
“Bud you gotta help me man , that bitch of a wife , of mine , is out to take me to the cleaners and some Colombians are after my goddamn ass over a business deal that got f#cked up . ” Bud Selig and former Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt
Really ? These four will turn the Mets around ? LOL,LOL ,LOL !! There’s more chance of Clay Aiken gettin’ head from Ellen DeGeneres , than that scenario happening in baseball .
The one thing that baseball and the US gov’t have in common , both entities are so f$$king clueless .. when it comes to handling their monetary matters !. Fed chairman Tim Bernanke and Tim Geithner ………………. the MLB hierarchy and team owners …………. are so fuc#king clueless that it doesn’t bear thinking about .
Tophatal ………..
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