Mets baseball blog

Gary Carter has brain tumors

Mets Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter has been diagnosed with four small tumors on his brain and will be going to Duke University Hospital for surgery in the next day or so, the Daily News has learned.

According to sources close to Carter, the 57-year-old Met icon has been complaining of headaches and forgetfulness in recent days and underwent an MRI in a hosptial near his Palm Beach Gardens home Friday, where the tumors were discovered. (Continue)

Mets bailed out by MLB

Major League Baseball loaned the Mets more than $20 million in November in a bid to shore up the cash-strapped team, sources told The Post.

"We did receive a loan from Major League Baseball in November," the Mets said in a statement. "Beyond that, we will not discuss the matter any further."

The team’s principal owner, Fred Wilpon, and his partners are scrambling to line up an investor to purchase as much as 25 percent of the team in the wake of a lawsuit brought by the bankruptcy trustee charged with clawing back billions for victims of Bernie Madoff.

The trustee, Irving Picard, has sued the team for as much as $1 billion, alleging Wilpon and his partners knew — or should have known — about Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme.

Fred Wilpon and his son Jeff have insisted they will maintain majority ownership of the Mets despite the suit, although a financial adviser to the team recently said they would consider selling a bigger stake.(NY Post)

As of right now Wilpons won't cede control of Mets

Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said Wednesday that "we're not giving up control" of the team despite facing a clawback lawsuit from Madoff trustee Irving Picard that could seek as much as $1 billion. Wilpon also said his family "will come out victorious in the end."

As the players dressed for Wednesday's workout at Digital Domain Park, Wilpon held court with reporters in a corner of the clubhouse, handling mostly Madoff questions. The Mets have publicly announced their efforts to sell a piece of the franchise, up to 25 percent, but Wilpon insisted any sale would not involve "controlling interest" of the team.

"We're not selling controlling interest in the team," Wilpon said. "It's not on the table." (Newsday)

Mets looking to sell minority stake

Working today thanks to, yes, the Wilpons' announcement that they'll be selling a share of the Mets. It's not terribly surprising, obviously, in light of Irving Picard's lawsuit that was filed last month.

On the other hand, however, it is mildly surprising just because of how defiant the Wilpons has been about the Bernie Madoff mess not impacting the operations of the Mets _ who, let's face it, declined to expand their payroll since the Madoff mess occurred even when a) the Mets had obvious baseball needs and b) those needs were available at reasonable prices.

They acted offended when you asked whether their role in Madoff was impacting this apparent thriftiness, even though it was a common-sense question to ask. (Newsday)

Mets will pay for free agents...in 2012

On the day the Mets officially signed Chris Young -- another affordable pitcher who is coming off an injury -Jeff Wilpon defended the team's offseason strategy of not going after big names this year in hopes of being able to do so in 2012.

"I don't think [people] realize the payroll is up in the $145 [million] or better range," the Mets chief operating officer said. "Unfortunately, we were somewhat hamstrung by what had happened before. Sandy [Alderson's] plan was to go and deal with it this year and make sure we have tremendous flexibility next year." (Post)

Backman back in the family

Wally Backman was hired Monday as manager of the Mets’Brooklyn Cyclones farm team in the New York-Penn League.

A member of the Mets’ 1986 World Series championship team, Backman was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2004. He was fired four days later after The New York Times reported he had been arrested twice and had financial problems.

“I am thrilled and grateful to be coming back to the Mets’ organization,” he said in a statement. “Brooklyn is a major minor league team, and I know the borough’s fans are — like me — intensely passionate about baseball and about winning.” Continue

Mets lower 2010 season ticket prices

Ticket prices are tumbling for the Mets, mirroring their performance on the field.

The Mets said Thursday they are cutting the price of 2010 season tickets by an average of at least 10 percent and in some categories more than 20 percent following a disappointing opening year at Citi Field.

“What happened on the field this year was certainly disappointing,” Mets executive vice president Dave Howard said. “We think it will prove to be an aberration. The injuries were so widespread and had such an impact. We’re confident we’ll come back healthy and better next year. But the economy is still a challenge and we just wanted to be as aggressive as we could in reducing the pricing.” Continue

Sheffield coming undone

It is the 2009 Mets. So, of course, the story never gets better. Only more humiliating. Only more dispiriting. Only more bizarre.

Gary Sheffield went from on his best behavior to, well, being Gary Sheffield. That means the five-month honeymoon is over replaced by Sheffield's familiar demands for more money combined with less professionalism. So even one of the Mets' few feel-good stories this year -- Sheffield proving to be a mature, useful player -- has now exploded on them.

The Mets rejected his bizarre request for a contract extension. So Sheffield, according to sources, initially became verbally abusive, then demanded he be released or traded to the Marlins, then threatened to return home to Florida, and finally just pulled himself from the starting lineup. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and then ignored reporters' interview attempts after the game. Continue

Bernazard probably safe with Mets

The Mets have let it be known that they are taking the Tony Bernazard investigation seriously, putting it in the hands of non-baseball people in the organization, and that makes me think there's a pretty good chance the assistant GM will survive his latest firestorm.

In a roundabout way, meanwhile, that could mean trouble for Omar Minaya.

At least that was the sense Thursday after talking to people close to the situation, that Jeff Wilpon still values Bernazard's baseball opinions enough to let him slide on the various off-the-field antics that have made headlines the last few days. Continue

Bad News Mets have 4 all-stars

The Mets defied logic yesterday by landing four invitations -- most in the entire National League -- to the July 14 All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Despite sitting three games under .500 and four games back in the East, third baseman David Wright and center fielder Carlos Beltran were voted in as starters, while Johan Santana and closer Frankie Rodriguez were tabbed by NL manager Charlie Manuel of the Phillies. Continue