Well it looks like Fred Wilpon , just like Staten Island Chuck made his once a year trek out of his bunker at Citi Field to help rechristen the former Keyspan park as the newly named Municipal Credit Union Park ( the names kinda catchy huh?) While Good old Fred was expounding on the newly formed partnership with another banking institution ( remember Citi Field), he was asked about the coming Mets season
Mets owner Fred Wilpon took the opportunity to drum up hope for next season after a dismal 2009 was followed by a disappointing off-season.
“This is going to be a comeback year,” he said. “We filled those positions we feel are important. These guys want to prove last year was an aberration and it’s not going to happen again… so I’m very optimistic.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2010/02/04/2010-02-04_brooklyn_cyclones_keyspan_park_renamed_mcu_park.html#ixzz0ekxAqOPv
Oh Freddie my boy I hope you are right but just in case let me know what kind of meds you have been taking so we can have a very mellow summer together if this season tanks as early as last years did !
                                                                     
                                       ” Fred Wilpon in one of his more lucid states.”
And with that said …. ON WITH THE INFAMY !!!
This deal you could say is a draw in terms of Mets infamy -New York Mets traded pitchers  A.J.  Burnett,and Jesus Sanchez and one time top prospect ,outfielder Robert Stratton to the Florida Marlins for ace pitcher Al Leiter and utility infielder Ralph Milliard on February 6, 1998. Al Leiter was the upper eschalon pitcher that helped propel the Mets into the ’99 & ’00 post seasons, while Burnett has gone on to earn three World Series rings with the Marlins and last year with the New York Yankees.
New York Mets signed free agent pitcher Nelson” Figgy !”  Figueroa on February 6, 2008. Nelson has proven to be an adequate spot starter/ reliever, but it just seems this organization has little confidence in his pitching abilities.
And while you are digging out from today’s storm – Just remember that there are only  more 58 days until the Mets open the 2010 season against the Florida Marlins at Citi Field.
10 comments
stickguy
2/6/2010-8:58am at 8:58 am (UTC -4)
well, if Fred believes it, that is good enough for me!
makes you wonder if he is just blowing smoke, or if he is actually so out of touch that he just beleives whatever Jeffy/Omar tell him?
not that he might not be right about the rebound year (I think he is), but not quite sure about filling the important holes.
It would have been interesting to have a group of the MB posters that are giving up season tix and refusing to spend a dime as long as the Wilpons own the team there to grill him!
rustyjr
2/6/2010-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
yeah I hope that he’s right about a bounce back year, but he’s either deluding himself or he really thinks that the majority of the holes were filled
stickguy
2/6/2010-10:20am at 10:20 am (UTC -4)
or, they know that the majority of fans aren’t so obsessed, or hanging out on blogs like this, and will likely take what they say at face value.
frankly, this is the time of year where fans should just be getting excited and antsy for ST to start, knowing the season is right around the corner. Less than 2 months to real baseball.
Then we can see if they can put up enough wins to shut up tha nabobs!
rustyjr
2/6/2010-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
very true – but it’s obvious fred isn’t the one reading mattsblog lol
CaseStreet
2/6/2010-10:31am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
Did leiter make it to the trading stars post?
GravediggerHebner
2/6/2010-11:26am at 11:26 am (UTC -4)
Nope. He had been in the majors for part or all of 10 seasons at that point and had only won more than 11 games once, had twice led the league in walks allowed and once in wild pitches allowed.
GravediggerHebner
2/6/2010-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
So when Fred says “we filled those positions we feel are important” does it indicate that he might think baseball is played 5-on-5 using 1 pitcher?
metsfan4decades
2/6/2010-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
Not unexpected to hear the rah-rah lines from Wilpon. Don’t know if he really believes in the ‘comeback’ year or not but really, what else was he going to say?
Filled all the holes that were important? Either he’s the most incredibly optimistic – or even delusional person out there, or he really does believe Pelf/Maine/Perez will get the job done.
I still say we needed, should have got that #2 or at least a very #3 pitcher. And I still believe the depth is just a bit short as well. Of course that might be gun shy talking on the heels of last season where another 5 starting potential behind the starting 5 were not quite enough. Who thought going into the season we would have seen Parnell starting games?
Time will tell, Freddie….
Hazmet
2/6/2010-12:49pm at 12:49 pm (UTC -4)
For weeks I’ve wondered where Fred has been, will Fred speak, will there be a Steinbrenner like missive as that WFAN guy describes it. Hearing Fred’s words I ask myself “why did I ever want to hear anything from this guy?”. Why did I expect anything from a guy who thought Art Howe lit up the room, had Bernie M on his speed dial, and is in real estate and built a stadium with so many obstructed views. Fred obviously has an obstructed view of the current state of the Mets, from the FO to the field.
Alright, maybe I’m being to hard on good ol Fred since he is advancing in years. But, would it really have been so hard for him to wrap his statement in a little bit of truth like, “the plan was to add a bat to fill that hole, outside of Lackey we didn’t feel the available Pitchers were an upgrade and Lackey we considered an injury risk, and we want to give another year of time to see what our minor league talent develops into”. That’s what they’re doing so why not just say it. I know the casual fan might buy his spew but really now, do the Mets really draw “casual” fans? To be a Mets fan requires a concious acceptance that most of our existance will be spent in misery with periods of exhilirating highs.
My hope for this year is that we’re in Payback Central mode. Meaning, that last year while depleted we took down names and we’re ready to exact some revenge. That the athlete’s wearing Mets laundry exhibit their professional pride and feel the same way and go kick some A$$. In the meantime, Fred, please just crawl back into your hole, it needs to be filled.
rustyjr
2/6/2010-2:08pm at 2:08 pm (UTC -4)
hazmet methinks you are being to harsh on fred lol it’s obvious that he has a blind spot ( and rightfully so) with Jeff . who would want to admit that their child in terms of other peoples perceptions , is possibly ruining a good franchise