A letter to Jeff Wilpon from Howard Megdal

Date: Mon, Sep 20, 2010

What appears below is a letter Howard Megdal has sent to Jeff Wilpon. Enjoy.

Jeff Wilpon
New York Mets
Citi Field
Flushing, NY 11368

Dear Mr. Wilpon,

As you may know, I have been running to become the next General Manager of the New York Mets since the spring. I have covered the Mets for most of my adult life, having written on baseball for The New York Times, ESPN, SNY, MLBTradeRumors.com and many other publications.

However, my qualifications for this position, knowledge and energy I would bring to the task, and comprehensive plan for LOGIC, TRANSPARENCY and PASSION date back to my early childhood.

So while many people are calling for drastic and short-sighted changes to your baseball team, or ludicrously blaming you for, let’s face it, spending tons of money and building an incomparable baseball stadium, I have studied the issues at hand for decades, and believe you will embrace my comprehensive solutions. Your fan base already has: in eighteen separate primaries at Mets Web sites around the Internet, I averaged 74 percent in support of my campaign.

In other words, hire me, and it will not only profit the franchise for years to come, it will make you both heroes in the eyes of the fans and my colleagues in the press.

With the opportunity to serve as your General Manager, I will bring about long-term prosperity in your team’s on-field major league success, make the farm system into a breeding ground for both talent and low-cost major league solutions, and most importantly, make Citi Field a place that regularly sells out while turning your casual fans into regular customers.

I have been a fan since the age of six, a season ticket holder since moving to the area in 2006, and will root for the New York Mets long after my tenure as General Manager ends. I am actively raising my five-month-old daughter as a Mets fan of similar intensity—so rest assured, the plan I wish to put into place has nothing to do with my short-term job security as GM, and everything to do with making your primary investment the success you both deserve.

Moreover, I want to watch October baseball with my father, who raised me on Brooklyn Dodgers stories, my wife, who is as dedicated to your franchise as I am by virtue of having to live with me, and my daughter, who should get the chance to regularly experience the joy I felt in 1986, and that my father felt in 1969, and 1955.

I ask that, before you make any decisions about who your next General Manager will be, that you take some time and meet with me. I will happily come to the place of your choosing at your convenience. I am certain that, once I detail for you exactly how to turn the New York Mets into the consistent winner you both deserve and have sought during your tenure in ownership, we will find it mutually beneficial to work together.

Thank you for taking the time to hear me out. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Howard Megdal

Think he gets a response?

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Omar has until the end of the season

Date: Mon, Sep 20, 2010

General manager Omar Minaya is going to be fired or moved into another job as soon as the season concludes, sources say. One source described Wilpon as in the “fact-gathering” stage in finding a new GM.

-Joel Sherman

In unsurprising news of the day.

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NYT: Criminals wear Yankees gear

Date: Wed, Sep 15, 2010

A curious phenomenon has emerged at the intersection of fashion, sports and crime: dozens of men and women who have robbed, beaten, stabbed and shot at their fellow New Yorkers have done so while wearing Yankees caps or clothing.

-New York Times

No comment.

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This is spectacular [Video]

Date: Wed, Sep 15, 2010

This was hilarious.

Via The 7 Line

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Goodbye (for the season), Johan

Date: Fri, Sep 10, 2010

From the Mets…

An MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan yesterday revealed that Mets pitcher Johan Santana has suffered a tear of the anterior capsule of the left shoulder.� The injury is located on the front and bottom part of the shoulder close to the pectoral muscle, resulting in discomfort radiating through both the pectoral muscle and shoulder.� Santana will undergo surgery in the near future and we anticipate he will be able to resume throwing in the spring.

Doesn’t this sound familiar?

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This is the headline on Mets.com right now

Date: Tue, Sep 7, 2010

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From the desk of Andrew Fletcher

Date: Tue, Sep 7, 2010

Hey,

Andrew Fletcher here from Major League Baseball.� I’m reaching out to let you know that Angel Pagan was nominated as a finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given every year to a baseball player to recognize his community service efforts.

Angel participated in the Mets’ “Teammates in the Community Week,” helping residents in Spanish Harlem plant trees and flowers in a community garden alongside teammates, community leaders and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

We’re hoping you could ask your readers to support Angel by voting at http://www.chevy.com/Clemente, which begins today and runs until October 8.� You can read his full bio at the site, as well.

A really cool aspect is that any fan who votes is automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2010 World Series, where the national Clemente winner will be announced.

Hope you can use this.� Please feel free to e-mail me back with any questions.

Thanks,

Andrew

I can’t not post this in full.

Go Angel.

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Citi Field on Google Maps [Image]

Date: Mon, Sep 6, 2010

But Shea is still marked.

(Click for full size image.)

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Relevant, again

Date: Thu, Sep 2, 2010

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Francoeur out, Duda, Mejia and Arias in

Date: Tue, Aug 31, 2010

Jeff Francoeur has been dealt to the Texas Rangers.

The Mets, reportedly, will get Joaquin Arias in return. Amazing they got anything for Francoeur, honestly.

Lucas Duda and Jenrry Mejia have been promoted from Triple-A Buffalo. Duda will likely get playing time in Frenchy’s absence. And Mejia will start on Saturday.

In other words, outside of the dismal loss tonight, the Mets did everything right!

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Regarding Jeff Francoeur

Date: Tue, Aug 31, 2010

Disregard everything but the chorus.

And via “YaySarcasm”

Also…

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Please, Texas

Date: Tue, Aug 31, 2010

There's a chance Jeff Francoeur could be spending his last day as a New York Met.

Two MLB sources told ESPNNewYork.com that the Texas Rangers are looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder for the bench and are considering Francoeur.

"His name has definitely been talked about," one source said.

-Adam Rubin, ESPNNewYork

They say everything is bigger in Texas. I wonder what Francoeur’s OBP would look like there.

But seriously, this would be a smart move for the Mets.

Let the man go. He shouldn’t factor into next year’s lineup as it is, smile or no smile. Deal him now and let Fernando Martinez (or someone else) get a few rips up at the MLB level in this lost year.

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How to enjoy the rest of the season

Date: Fri, Aug 27, 2010

OR: How I’ve gotten through the last few months for the last few years.

The Mets aren’t dead yet. But they’re far from being alive.

They’re more of a deer who was just hit my a Mack truck. It’s alive, stumbling about, but you just know it’s not going to make it.

So, I present to you, how I’ve lived with the last few months of the last few years: Make every game a season.

What?

Yeah, you heard me. Each game stands on its own. It’s all that there is. The performance of the players should still be judged in terms of the season (looking at you, Jeff Francoeur), but each game should exist as a live-or-die type of event.

It makes things a tiny bit more interesting.

“Hooray, Mets beat the Nationals. Ha! Suck it, Strasburg!” Too soon?

It adds a little spice to something that will otherwise be mundane and boring. Because you know this team won’t be playing spoilers.

Do you have a way to make the last few weeks interesting? Share it in the comments!

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Manuel’s Musing

Date: Mon, Aug 23, 2010

“We've still got a chance to put some stuff together if we play good baseball.”

-Jerry Manuel

What stuff?

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