It’s been a tough time for the fans, but Mets majority owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and President of the New York Mets Saul Katz seem to be relying on the patience of their fan base. In a letter from the Wilpons, imagined by Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post, Vaccaro can’t imagine that they can give any indication on how they intend to turn the Queens, NY team around, they are simply telling Mets devotees to keep the faith. It seems that those who still hang around the Mets do so out of tradition or habit, but there are hints, based on what? That better times are ahead.
Vaccaro’s fantasy letter, not really by the Wilpons, but could be in another reality, aims to “end the pretense and initiate transparency, ” there will be no more of this “nourishing optimism” fans have come to expect. The letter speaks of “enormous debts .. and we have had to pare away at our payroll. We know you are smart enough to have noticed, and we apologize for ever having hinted otherwise.”
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Vaccaro anticipates the suggestion to sell the team and responds, “If you were lucky enough to own one of the 30 major league baseball clubs, wouldn’t you do anything in your power to make that work?”
Finally, “We know a New York sports team is supposed to behave a certain way. And we will again. Just not this year, or next year, or until we are out from the vast amount left on our nut … We want to win. But we can’t spend what we don’t have in order to buy those wins. We can’t.” If only the Wilpons could provide the clarity as imagined by Vaccaro. But what would be the point of stating the obvious?
