“Better him than me,” whispers Jay Horowitz under his breath after being shown the following item from the New York Times’ Richard Sandomir. After the David Einhorn debacle, the New York Mets hope to raise $200 million dollars over the course of ten, $20 million chunks, and given that these minority shares offer no say in the club’s operations, you might wonder (as did Einhorn), what exactly does an investor get for his or her dough besides a mention in the club’s media guide? According to Sandomir, “a term sheet given by the Mets’ owners to prospective partners” not only included financial projections, but also, “simpler stuff”. Such as the following perks ;
* Access to Mr. Met, the team mascot, although the degree of access is not entirely spelled out. It definitely means you, as a part-owner, can schmooze with Mr. Met at Citi Field. It’s less clear whether you could get him to come to your child’s birthday party without a fee.
* A formal business card, complete with the prominent designation: “Owner.”
* And if you are a wealthy doctor, commodities trader or real estate mogul who wants to try to swat the ball over the newly pulled-in outfield fences at Citi Field on a Mets day off, you are entitled to attend what appears to be an exclusive kind of fantasy camp: “Owners’ workout day.”
Parking will not be a problem for new owners, the document makes clear. A single spot at the ballpark is reserved for anyone who signs on for $20 million. The chance to throw out a game’s first pitch will be an annual privilege. Every minority owner will be assigned a team executive, who will be charged with tending to an array of possible needs, season tickets for family members among them. The document suggests, however, that those tickets will cost money beyond the $20 million investment.
As for the more minor details, there was no shortage of specifics: the $20 million would include one free trip with the team during the regular season (the Mets would pick the city); one free weekend’s stay at spring training; and a lot of potential lunch dates — with broadcasters and former players. A luncheon with the manager and general manager? Off-season only, the document says. Merchandise? Discounts, but not giveaway
Not even this is enough to save the GCL Mets.