If Mark Is Interested, Would The NY "Cubans" Be The Team To Follow?

A lot has been written about the financial distress the Mets owners, Fred and Jeff Wilpon, have been under, and that they will possibly sell up to 25% of the Mets.

We have chronicled the potential partners as well as the lack of integrity (or intelligence) the Wilpon's have shown in answering questions about the financial state of the Mets. Starting yesterday, Mark Cuban's name has become Twitter fodder.

Here is my take:

Is Cuban the right guy for the Mets? I am a little torn. Part of me would love to see this lunatic come in here and knock not just NY and the Mets on their keister, but would love to see someone anti-establishment knock baseball on their keister. For those who know me might believe I've fallen off my rocker. I understand that assessment. I am 100% tradition: I don't believe in artificial turf, the DH, inter-league play, and that night baseball should only be played during the week. On weekends it should be day baseball only. I believe the lights in Wrigley field should be melted into scrap metal.

All that being said, I think this ownership needs a good shot; an infusion if you will. Another stuffed shirt won't do it. Bud Selig can't do it. People want more minorities in the sport, and understandably so. Isn't Mark Cuban, in essence a minority? His style is by far in the minority. He's been shunned by the establishment. He certainly is not accepted for who he is.

Before people start going crazy about this statement, I am not comparing the plight of Mark Cuban to those of African, Hispanic, or other minority cultures. I am merely pointing out that if someone isn't part of the established norm, they are in fact a minority.

Aside from his antics, I believe that major sports are against Cuban not just because he is brash, but also because he was a self made gazillionaire in his early 30's.

I believe the possibility of Cuban becoming a partner of the Wilpon's are about as possible as snow in Hades. Aside from what Major League Baseball thinks of him, do you really expect the Wilpons to bring someone on board who could out finance them? Someone who could possibly one day buy the team out from under them? Very doubtful.

Now, on the negative side, Cuban could be a little too "out there" for this team. Not necessarily this city, but this team. Meaning: would he want to be in the spotlight more than starting/continuing to build the team up by hiring "good" baseball people and allow them to do their job? If not, why bother having him? We have that right now.

As for the 52 year old Cuban, how does he feel about being a 25% owner of the Mets?

"If someone sees me as a potential owner I'll take their call and discuss a deal. I'm not going to get into that bidding situation again. Obviously I feel like I'd be a good owner in baseball, but I'm not going to go through the same situation that I went through with the Rangers and the Cubs."

After unsuccessfully trying to buy the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs, Cuban appears more gun shy:

"If they want to sit down and sell me on it, I can be a willing listener and customer," he said. "But I'm notgoing to be a bidder on anything. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice shame on each other, or whatever the saying is."

Whether Cuban would be a positive partner for the Mets and the Wilpon's might not ever be known, but is Cuban a partner that is worth kicking the tires on? Absolutely.

Sources: Forbes, NY Daily News, Wikipedia