The Mets Police: The Small Market Baseball Team From New York City

The Small Market Baseball Team From New York City

This off season I've enjoyed the Mets frugality. The Mets act as if they don't have all the same advantages as the Yankees. New stadium (check). Their own TV network (check). New York City area (check). They do. They still might be #2, and always will be just like the Jets will never be the Giants and the Islanders will never be the Rangers and the Nets will never be the Knicks. All that is fine, but you don't need to act like you are Kansas City and should have taken a look at someone like Sabathia.

I find Mets fans are generally frustrated that nothing is changing with this team. Wagner for K-Rod is a wash really...so the team is as good as it was going in to August 2008, and in the same division as a team that outplayed you two years in a row you have to assume that means second place. Yes 30 blown saves or whatever it was doesn't help. The Mets still need two starting pitchers, a second baseman, a real catcher and a left fielder (yes I want to believe in Dan Murphy but I also wanted to believe in Keith Miller and Rico Brogna).

I spent a few days trying to find real numbers to show what a small market Queens is and thought they are hard to come by but I did find a few tidbits.

Sports Business Journal says the Yankees on YES averaged 312,000 households, the Red Sox 242,000 and the Mets 239,000. Comparatively 29,000 households check out the Orioles and a measly 8,000 the Nationals. So a few more people watch the Yankees. However if you play the now-dreaded "meaningful games in September" you can get over 800,000 viewers to tune in. (Memo to Fred - let's change the goal to meaningful games in October).

(Taxpayer)field has 45,000 seats. New Yankee Stadium has 51,000 seats. Someone with more time than I have can multiply the seats by pricing and come up with numbers. At first glance maybe the Yankees have a few more bucks (although who told the Mets to build a smaller stadium?). In 2008 the Yankees averaged 53,069 for almost 4.3 million. The Mets were #2 with 51,165 and 4 million (source ). So don't blame the Yankees that you choose to sell 6,000 fewer seats 81 times. The Phillies were fifth and those Red Sox who are having a great century somehow manage with their 37,000 fans.

In 2008 Forbes magazine valued the Mets worth $823 million dollars. (source). The Yankees - $1.306 billion dollars. Comparisons: Boston at $816 million and the World Champion Phillies $481 million last April.

You've got the money. You just charged me a $40 "order charge" on my ticket plan because someone needs to stuff an envelope (and send it to me, for which I paid a $25 delivery charge). So my two tickets are 2 of the 45,000. Lets assume the Mets sell out 80% this year - can we all assume they'll sell tickets to 36,000 people like me between all the partial plans, and we all buy rwo tickets? That alone is $720,000 in order fees and I'm being very generous with the math. Also don't forget your $20 million in taxpayer money being used to advertise a bank. They have that too.

We all hate Boras but we need pitchers and he has them. Get Lowe and Perez in here. You have the money. Two years of choking has been awful. A new stadium is time for a new culture, winning.

www.metspolice.com

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 3:58 PM

What a Piece of Crap Blog.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM

This comment has been removed by the author.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM

What you want is the Mets to be like the Yankees. Spend spend spend. When will you and other Mets fans realize that the Wilpons, who spent over $137 million on team salary last year, do NOT want to go over the luxury tax. You want Manny, you want Lowe, you want K-Rod, you want Tex, you want this guy and that guy. ALL that signage means the Mets will a) be compared to the Yankees as just a team who spends and b) go over the luxury tax and be forced to pay the fine. Just because we spend a ton of money doesnt mean we wont collapse again. This is a good team that has to find a way to finish at the end of the year. Plain and simple.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:20 PM

Actually he makes good points, a little inaccurate but good points none the less. The average price for a skankee ticket is much higher than the Mets and the skanks sell a lot more of their gear every year.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:23 PM

Sign Manny!!

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:23 PM

The Mets spend more than enough money to win. Call them cheap, small market, whatever you'd like, they spend the second most in the MLB, the most in the NL, and far more than the Phillies do. They don't need to spend more, they need to spend smart.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:25 PM

What are you talking about? We have the 3rd highest payroll in baseball! You don't have to throw money around frivilously just to prove yourself to be a big market team. I am, for one, glad we are NOT like the Yankees! Look at this offseason and all the signings they made. They could have had them all for much much less. They basically competed against themselves. No one was even bidding remotely close to them!

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:31 PM

Weak argument. Mets have one of the highest payrolls in baseball. Additionally, all of the mets high-profile targets this off-season have either been signed by the METS or are still on the market.

The Yankees get the best players, but spend their money poorly. They dish out extra years and money when bidding against themselves.

Wait until this off-season is over. At the end of this off-season if the Mets do not sign any of their remaining targets because they didn't want to spend the dough, you may have the a point. But until then, shut up and read metsblog.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:39 PM

*crickets*

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:44 PM

I was coming here to bash this idea that the mets have a small market mentality. But you all have done that for me already... I will say this to you, Mets Police, if you like their business model so much, perhaps you should go root for the 'Skanks...

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:54 PM

Small market? Only compared to the Yankees. The Yankees, whom since their giant spending sprees have yet to win a world title. When they won in the 90's, they didn't spend $200M to do so. My memory recalls a team from Tampa doing pretty good, on a very small market budget. The Mets need to have more prospects come up and do well. A-Rod, Pavano, Jaret Wright, Giambi, Abreu, and other overpaid stars have yet to do what they were paid to do and that is win it all.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 4:59 PM

I wish I had the time back that i spent reading this drival....

This is the weakest argument i have ever heard.

The MEt's payroll is 3rd in MLB. By that alone, the ycan not be considered a small market mentality.

Get a clue

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM

You would think these Mets fans that complain on how mets spend money have stock in team.

If they spend 100 million or 500 million who cares. What they spend doesnt affect you personally. You think because they stay under budget tickets won't go up? cmon...

As a fan all i care is if they do something that will not allow us to improve in future period end of statement.

Going over luxury tax or not I can care less.

As a Mets fan I care about winning a W.S. NOT REMAINING UNDER SOME TYPE OF LUXURY TAX

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 5:20 PM

"skankee" is a very clever insult!!!

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 6:20 PM

You commenters should stop telling people who to root for just because they believe the team should spend more money. You people are clowns. Just because they don't agree with how the mets operate, why should they go root for another team. What gives you the right? Fans like you are the reason the mets don't go the extra mile to win. You accept the chokejobs of the last 2 years and are begging for a 3rd!

Trooper York said :

January 9, 2009 at 6:52 PM

Ha ha, you Mets fans are funny. The only reason the Yankees haven't won is because the Red Sox who followed their business model have. Except for Tampa Bay who snuck in for a one shot deal that happens every so often like the Marlins or the Diamondbacks. The comon thread in all of those these was superior pitching which is what stopped the Yankees last year when they tried to build from within and with secondary free agents. If they would have spent the money on Beltran and Santana the Mets would never have been able to touch them. When the Yankees take the rubber band off the wallet thats the end of the story. The rest of it is whining. The Red Sox are trying to keep up as they are getting Smoltz who could have been a great pickup for you guys. A vet with playoff experiance. Of course he is a winner and the Mets don't want winners.

What a bunch of maroons.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 7:40 PM

hmm...The Mets and Red Sox franchises are worth about the same, and they have about the same payroll. The Yankees make $500 million more than then them and their payroll trumps them.

Next, i wouldnt call 80,000 more yankee viewers measly, figuring that 80,000 is ABOUT 33% OF TOTAL METS VIEWERS.

And lastly, the Mets aren't the only ones who charge a lot for tickets, a lot of teams charge more than people would like.

So why do you wonder why the Mets can't spend like the Yankees?

If you're gonna make a claim, at least back it up with numbers that ACTUALLY make sense. And talking about stuff you think you know but really have no clue about is dumb.

PS: If you want a team that just spends and spends and spends to win, why don't you become a Yankees fan?

Trooper York said :

January 9, 2009 at 9:19 PM

Hey I didn't know that Freddie Coupon had time to post on this blog. Shouldn't he be worried about all the money that guy swindled him out of since the Coupons are such trifty financial wiz kids.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 9:32 PM

Wow would you like some french cries with your Whaaamburger.

Your just another whiny clueless fan with a blog who think he knows everything.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 10:40 PM

"Mets spend a fine amount of money"

Funny how all the Mets defenders are "anonymous" as in "SAME PERSON".

Yeah I am too, but I post just 1 time unlike this jackhole. Nice try FRED get off the computer and open your fucking wallet for once. High payroll my ass, its barely above teams who generate WAY LESS MONEY than the Mets do.

Anonymous said :

January 9, 2009 at 11:21 PM

@ Trooper York:

The Red Sox have actually copied the Athletics' business model, but just have more money to spend.

The organization accepts Sabermetrics and hired Bill James as a senior advisor, which led to two championships in four years.

The Yankees business model is simply overspend on the best free agents available each year. They draft poorly. The Red Sox actually think carefully and draft very effectively. The only similarity between the two is that they both spend a lot of money.

Anonymous said :

January 10, 2009 at 8:50 AM

As long as there are only two baseball teams in NYC, the Coupons can spend enough to stay in contention while claiming they are spending money more wisely than the Yankees. They'll always be a second-rate team, but the fans will not care. They can continue to make obscene amounts of money from fans who thank them for meaningful games in September.

According to this strategy, the Mets look smart even when the Yankees win the WS, because they didn't spend as much money. And when the Yankees don't win anything, the Coupons look like a couple of geniuses.

The second-place mentality has been mastered by the Coupons. And judging by the comments on this blog, it is working marvelously.

Anonymous said :

January 10, 2009 at 3:10 PM

I love the one guy complaining that the "Anonymous" is all the same person, when he's actually posting under that exact title.

I agree with the majority of posters here. The mets spend plenty of money, and I don't want them to become like the yankees. The mets are smart with their money, they signed k-rod for an awesome price. I'm sure the yanks woulda overpayed if they needed a closer. Besides, people forget that wilpons lost BILLIONS in the Madoff scam. So, I dunno bout you guys, but if they are spending anywhere near what they were before, I'm just happy its not really affecting them. So shhh, go root for the yankees if you like overspending.

Trooper York said :

January 10, 2009 at 4:33 PM

You guys are crazy. Why are you worried about Freddie Coupons money? He is just going to get swindled out of it so he might as well spend it on the team. It’s not like he is going to charge you less. Or not rip you off with the ticket packages. Or charge handling fees.

As far as the Red Sox following the “A’s “ model, what’s so great about the A’s. How many series have they won recently? None as I recall. Not since Charlie Finley died. Or maybe Connie Mack. The idea is to win the whole thing not come close.

And all of those great players the Red Sox developed that were so instrumental in their winning. Ortiz and Manny and Becket and Schilling and Pedro Martinez were all farm products of the Sox farm system like Jeter, Posada, Petittie, Cano, Wang and Mariano from the Yankees right?

Who have the Mets developed other than those choke artists Reyes and Wright? I admit that the Yankees have the biggest choke artist in baseball in A-Rod but now that he’s banging Madonna maybe she can teach him to swallow and still perform to the top of his ability. Your biggest players are guys that wanted to come to the Yankees but didn’t because we didn’t want them for one reason or another (Beltran and Santana).

Face the facts that the Mets are second class. Second Rate. You are never gonna be on top if you don’t take the rubber band off the wallet and spend like you mean it. You should be fighting the Yankees for every free agent and every dollar spent on baseball in New York.

Otherwise you are just second class pussies.

But don’t worry we love you anyway. Like a retarded little brother.

Anonymous said :

January 10, 2009 at 4:33 PM

I love how everybody says what great moves the yankees have made. They haven't even played a game yet. Everybody was ready to give the Tigers the trophy in January last year and look how that turned out.

Anonymous said :

January 12, 2009 at 1:01 AM

one thing i disagree with, krod for wagner is not wash- wagner cant play this year and even if both are healthy krod is much better.

the main problem i have with the mets always find a reason or an excuse, the yankees never get outbid if the dont get someone it cause they dont want them, the mets shouldve at least made an attempt at sabathia, and there is no excuse not to go after manny ramirez

Coop said :

January 12, 2009 at 2:22 PM

First off - Wilpon did not lose BILLIONS in the Madoff scheme - he lost about $300mm, which is like a drop in the hat and apparently has no effect on how the Mets spending (Citi going under, however, could have more an effect with the $20mm naming rights...just a hunch). Second, I agree - although the Mets are in the top 5 of payrolls in MLB, it's HOW they spend their money that not only make them look foolish, but when a pitcher who could have been easily attainable like Sabathia (although I agree that Omar should NOT have been in the race for him, a more viable option would have been Burnett), you have to think...if they hadn't gotten looped up with the $8mm option with Old Man Alou, if they hadn't exercised Delgado's 1-yr option and gone for Teixiera instead, if they hadn't overspent here and there and everywhere...that's why it seems like they are a small market or operate like one anyway. In this market though, can you blame the Wilpons not spending money like drunken sailors? The Yankees lost of a lot of money on the books but quickly brought their payroll back up by bringing overpaid mercenaries to their team - and are still not close enough to winning a championship than they were last year (mark my words).

On the other hand, I think at this point, Omar would be behooved to throw out ridiculous contracts to Lowe, Oh Pea AND Manny. Why not? They would all flourish in NY, I think Lowe would be a great addition, we know Oh Pea and Manny - hello? He would absolutely kill everything. They are prime for the picking - visit my site for more on this. The Mets are at a point where they are damned if they do, damned if they don't. I'd rather beg for forgiveness than ask for permission, as a fan.