Mark Cuban Won't Chase Mets, However...

by Eric Simon on Feb 2, 2011 8:21 PM EST

In a report to ESPN New York, Ian Begley caught up with brash Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to take his pulse on the Mets' financial woes.

"On the Mets, I'm not gonna chase it, I'm not gonna call out [to them]. If they want to contact me, if they have an interest and they think I'd be a good owner, I'd take their call and I'd be more than happy to discuss it," Cuban said Wednesday night before the Knicks-Mavericks game. "But I'm done chasing and bidding on baseball teams."

All right, that makes sense. Cuban is a busy man and he was already burned once when he submitted a bid to buy the Cubs in 2008 but was left out of the final bidding process. But what if Fred Wilpon reached out to Cuban?

"If they think there's a good fit and if they think I'd be a reasonable buyer I'd be happy to [listen]. I get contacted by franchises all the time, or representatives of franchises, in all the major leagues," Cuban said. "I've just come to the conclusion that if I'm going to write a huge check, I'd rather have my ass kissed than have to chase."

I'll spare you my false outrage because I find it hard to blame Cuban for his come-and-get-it attitude. If you want my quarter-billion dollar bailout—or more!— it makes little sense for me to knock on your door and beg you to take my money. But let's say Freddy came over to my house with his pockets turned outward and a sad look on his face? Would Cuban even be interested in buying the Mets?

"It's all hypothetical. I don't know. I don't know enough of the details. I certainly haven't looked at their books or anything," Cuban said. "But it's a great franchise in a great market. So I'm sure there's going to be a whole lot of interest. But I'm not going to, whether it's here or the Dodgers for that matter, I'm not going to put myself in a bidding situation. I did that twice and learned my lesson."

I'll take that as a strong "maybe".

Poll

How would you feel about Mark Cuban owning part of the Mets?

Thrilled. He may be a loudmouth but he does what it takes to build a winner.

633 votes

Horrified. That guy is a strident jerkwad!

58 votes

Ambivalent. I might not even know who Mark Cuban is.

56 votes

747 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 38 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

DO IT!!!

DO IT CUBES!!

by chakrabs on Feb 2, 2011 8:27 PM EST reply actions

i lobby this for official nickname of Mark Cuban

I hate Philadelphia so much.

by the caveman on Feb 3, 2011 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

How much you want to bet this vote is a blowout in favor of Cuban all tonight.

Just to become even by tomorrow evening? We have a weird trend with polls on AA.

by FrancoTAU on Feb 2, 2011 8:37 PM EST reply actions

6 hours in

and 106 votes tallied have it at a landslide 83% approval rate for Marky Mark as you’ve predicted so far..

by Wright of passage on Feb 2, 2011 9:24 PM EST up reply actions

I think the daytime brings far more casual readers wasting time at work

Including many who have thus far avoided drinking the Kool Aid. Didn’t one poll a few weeks back have close to 1,000 votes?

It's a triumph of number crunching over the human spirit...aaaaaand, it’s about time. -- Play-by-Play Announcer, The Simpsons.

by MookieTheCat on Feb 2, 2011 9:31 PM EST up reply actions

The poll is always a blowout, just before the dawn

You’re right though, AA polls often swing dramatically.

by James Kannengieser on Feb 2, 2011 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

He'd fit into the NY area well.

We’d have the loud owner for once and make headlines because of it. It be kind of a nice change of pace you know? If he can put the talent on the field to win and actually win (unlike his Mavs teams) he’d become a legend.

I hate Philadelphia so much.

by the caveman on Feb 3, 2011 1:14 PM EST up reply actions

Okay, I was wrong.

It dropped from 85% in favor to 83% now. Even the casual readers on AA who hate the rest of us and sabremetrics normally, like Cuban as owner as well. Finally something we all agree on.

by FrancoTAU on Feb 3, 2011 6:08 PM EST up reply actions

Can you imagine if Selig sicked Cuban

on Robert Nutting to usurp him and take on the Pittsburgh Pirates? Lord have mercy on anyone standing in the way of that freight train.

by Wright of passage on Feb 3, 2011 10:43 PM EST up reply actions

I has a sad

I wanted Prokhorov.

"You can spend minutes, hours, days weeks or even months overanalyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what would’ve, could’ve happened – or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the **** on."
-Tupac Amaru Shakur

by NetsMets4Life on Feb 2, 2011 8:40 PM EST reply actions

the meeting with carmela at dinner has here by been cancelled

I hate Philadelphia so much.

by the caveman on Feb 3, 2011 1:15 PM EST up reply actions

Not as a monority owner

I think this is a recipe for a disaster. If Cuban were to buy a controlling stake I would support it.

by Reg Dunlop on Feb 2, 2011 8:42 PM EST reply actions

cuban a met owner, now i have

no idea how that one would work out. just remember if he buys 25%, how much imput would he have?

"it's not easy being green"-kermit the frog
"we the mets are an improved ball club, now we lose in extra innings"-casy stengal
i cant spell a nosebleed

by rexthejet on Feb 2, 2011 8:57 PM EST reply actions

Selig's call here

Cuban is persona non-grata with MLB for some reason.

But if a few more leaks spring in the Wilpon’s dam and they need a quick sale then Selig will smooth the road to anyone who can step up with the money quickly.

He may want someone else but Cuban is one of the few guys who can and will pay a premium to be in NY and Selig will have to get over whatever objections MLB has to get Wilpon to move quickly. I’m sure they want to get MLB as far away from the Madoff stench as possible.

This could still be overblown – I thought it was when first divulged. however, I’m beginning to think the Wilpons are in bigger trouble than they are willing to admit. It looks as if they may have a lot more exposure than the $48 mil claw back.

Who knows, the trustee may even get a say in this. “Sell the team and give us X$ quickly or we’ll take it all the way and bleed you completely dry”.

by john738330 on Feb 2, 2011 9:24 PM EST reply actions

I would welcome him.

He might rub some people the wrong way (over exuberance), but he pumps money into his franchise and hires smart people who he seems to leave alone so they can do their jobs.

Save Jenrry Mejia!

by Ogre39666 on Feb 2, 2011 9:47 PM EST reply actions

Just the kind of owner I'd want.

fiery and a go and get it attitude.

Logic, your sense makes none.
"go watch another episode of dahrma and greg you butt nutt"
-lohaus#54
lohaus#54

by JoeBighead on Feb 2, 2011 9:55 PM EST reply actions

He'd be my top choice, but MLB will never approve him.

Jimmy Dolan would be my last chance, right behind Robert Mugabe.

I am willing to wait to build a world class franchise (h/t to millsy)

by BobbyV_Incognito on Feb 2, 2011 10:19 PM EST reply actions

You'd prefer Joe Morgan

over those two?

"..."

by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Feb 3, 2011 12:59 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, but he'd be way down the list.

I am willing to wait to build a world class franchise (h/t to millsy)

by BobbyV_Incognito on Feb 3, 2011 9:21 PM EST up reply actions

I prefer my owners to be quiet and invisible

I think he would insist on competent management, but I think we finally have that without him. But I wouldn’t be upset if he does end up stepping in.

by Mount17 on Feb 2, 2011 10:21 PM EST reply actions

the wilpons will avoid him like the plague

unless he’s their absolute last option

they want a guy with no ego who wont be around or even look to get himself press related to the team, so jeffy’s future toy stays his toy, in reality and perception

i’m hesitant to get my hopes up even a little. this would be wonderful but its not gonna happen.

by Dep on Feb 2, 2011 10:40 PM EST reply actions

I don't care if he is loud and gets to involved

he invests his money to put the best product out there. It would be to good to be true

by TheKid08 on Feb 2, 2011 11:21 PM EST reply actions

Yeah seriously, it must've sucked to be a Yankees fan when they had a loudmouth owner.

I’ll take the rings and dick owner with a smile.

by FrancoTAU on Feb 2, 2011 11:37 PM EST up reply actions

many of us

are dick owners…just under 50% i think.

"..."

by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Feb 3, 2011 1:02 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs

Actually

based upon 2009 world population estimates, we are just over 50% (3,442,850,573 males to 3,386,509,86 females)

by CTRefJay on Feb 3, 2011 9:39 AM EST up reply actions

Damn you China!

by FrancoTAU on Feb 3, 2011 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs

How was this not already green?

Chamption of the R.A. Dickey Face contest and "Cromulent Photoshopper Extraordinaire" of Amazin' Avenue!

by Steve Schreiber on Feb 3, 2011 8:29 PM EST up reply actions

if by us you mean internet users though

its >100%

Hey, wait! I'm having one of those things. You know? A headache with pictures?

by KeithsMoustache on Feb 4, 2011 12:04 AM EST up reply actions

The Wilpons will never sell to Cuban.

But it would be awesome. Mark Cuban, Mets minority owner puts us on a path towards Mark Cuban, Mets majority owner. And that is something I would love to see.

by RedRobot8 on Feb 3, 2011 12:06 AM EST reply actions

Please let Mark have the team

The Dallas Mavericks were a huge joke before he came along. Now they’re a perennial contender. Yeah, I know basketball isn’t the same as baseball, but I think he’d push the right buttons.

Please Mark, save us!

"It’s just everytime we think the bar can’t get lower, they lower it. Now next year we’ll just be happy to hear that rogue shirtless officials aren’t implementing useless detrimental drills in spring training for no apparent reason."

-Gina, 3/1/10

by Greenpoint Ian on Feb 3, 2011 12:14 AM EST reply actions

Its not even about pushing buttons

Its that he is an owner who has the necessary capital for the NY market and would do well to use it. He would have the resources and actually spend them. Give Alderson a bigger payroll and the Mets are the Yankees but better, because, well, their not the Yankees.

by TomCarvel on Feb 3, 2011 12:45 AM EST up reply actions