We Want Manny!

Mets fans want Manny Ramirez…it’s no secret. Mannymania is all over WFAN, SNY and the blogs. Mets fans are not worried about his personality or “Manny being Manny” because he is one of the greatest hitters of this generation that comes through when it matters. As I have stated in a previous post, I too want Manny. His personality did not stop the Red Sox from winning two championships or the Dodgers from winning the division (two things the Mets have failed to do in the past two seasons). There was a rally last week at the SNY studios of about 40 or so people for the Mets to sign Manny and apparently there will be another rally at CitiField on Saturday (or whatever it will called by then). I hope this rally will have a bigger turnout, not that 40 people is a bad turnout, but the more people to get the message out the better.

If so many Mets fans are calling for Manny, the Mets should listen. Mets management owes something big, like Manny Ramirez, to Mets fans after the way the past two seasons ended. It is unacceptable for the Mets to be raising tickets prices at such an astronomical rate just to keep their team salary the same from 2008 to 2009 (Metsblog reported that this season’s team salary is around $145 million, the same as in 2008). Where is this money going? The new stadium is finished…they will not need anymore money to finance it. Citigroup is apparently not backing out of their deal, so the team is keeping around $400 million dollars. I understand that Bernie Madoff screwed the Wilpons out millions of dollars, but the Mets claim that that money had nothing to do with the Mets’ budget. And do not think to say that it’s a recession and Wilpons cannot afford another big name player, they have not adjusted ticket prices for their new stadium, they do not seem to care how the recession is affecting their fans. What’s wrong with another $25 million dollar investment for the 2009 and beyond? That money will be chump change compared to the money the team will make off Manny (merchandising, national television deals, etc.). Just look at how Woody Johnson milked every single dollar out of Brett Farve. What will bring more money to the Mets than a World Series Victory? Nobody will argue that Manny will make the Mets the favorite in the National League. The team fixed their bad bullpen and now needs to fix their poor clutch hitting from last season. Manny is the clutch hitter, hands down. I have no problem with giving him two years and an option for a third ($25 for the first two and $30 for the option). Honestly, although I am hesitant to guarantee a third year, I will do it at this point. Manny is a hitting machine, and has been a hitting machine for the past five years. There have been no signs of a dramatic drop off. How much worse will Manny be in three years? I do not think it will be a huge regression. Nobody else seems to be close to signing Manny; the Dodgers do not want to give him what he wants and the Giants are just claiming to be interested so the Dodgers will outbid themselves. The time is perfect for the Mets to jump in. Let’s do this, Omar, Jeff and Fred. It’s time to give to the fans a big thank you.

PS: The additions of Orlando Hudson (who is waiting for either NY team to call him) and Joe Beimel…as well as the subtraction of Luis Castillo will also be welcomed by me.