New York Mets Select David Einhorn As Preferred Partner, Einhorn to Invest $200 Million for Minority, Non-Operating Stake in Team

From New York Mets via e-mail:
FLUSHING, N.Y., May 26, 2011 - The New York Mets today announced that David Einhorn has been selected as the team's preferred partner and that the Mets and Mr. Einhorn have entered into exclusive negotiations with respect to a minority, non-operating investment in the team. The $200 million personal investment by Mr. Einhorn is subject to the negotiation of a mutually acceptable definitive agreement for the transaction, as well as required approvals by Major League Baseball. The parties expect to enter into definitive agreements by late June.

"We are very excited about David joining our ownership group for several reasons," said Fred Wilpon, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, New York Mets. "David's investment immediately improves the franchise's financial position. Equally important, David's intelligence, integrity and success in both business and civic affairs provides us with another perspective in evaluating what is best for this organization and our fans, and we welcome his input. In partnership with David, we look forward to achieving our ultimate goal of again becoming World Series champions."

Mr. Einhorn stated, "Having an opportunity to become part of the Mets franchise is exciting beyond my wildest childhood dreams. I spent my first seven years living in New Jersey and rooting for the Mets. In 1975, I even dressed in a homemade jersey as a Met for Halloween. I have been a baseball fan for my entire life and have enjoyed teaching the game as the coach of my daughter's little league team. I look forward to partnering with the Wilpon and Katz families through the good seasons, the tough seasons and especially the championship seasons."

Mr. Einhorn is President of Greenlight Capital, Inc., a private investment firm which he co-founded in January 1996, and is Chairman of the Board of Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. Along with his wife, Mr. Einhorn formed the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust, whose mission is to help people get along better. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and the Robin Hood Foundation.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Host Colorado Rapids Tonight

I’m heading to the Cathedral of Football to support the New York Red Bulls as they take on the Colorado Rapids. I’m looking forward to having a great night with friends and will post thoughts on the game tomorrow.

Postings on Subway Series and Red Bulls Later

I will post later on the Subway Series beginning tonight at Yankee Stadium between the New York Mets and New York Yankees. I will also have also have a post on the New York Red Bulls as they come off their bad performance last Sunday night.

Heading to Red Bull Arena as Red Bulls Host Chivas USA Tonight

Chivas USA visits the friendly confines of Red Bull Arena for a match against the New York Red Bulls tonight at 7:00 PM. My Wife and I are going and have been invited to dinner in Newark’s Ironbound Section with friends before the match. We met them on the walk to the Arena last season and they are the most dedicated Red Bull supporters around. Time permitting a great day can be had eating at one of the many Portuguese restaurants in the Ironbound then walking over the Jackson Street Bridge to the Cathedral of Football. Here is a link to the Matchday Magazine, and the game will be televised on MSG+. Let’s Go Red Bulls!

Terrible News of Derek Boogaard’s Death Friday in His Minnesota Apartment

Enforcer for the New York Rangers Derek Boogaard was found dead in his Minnesota apartment on Friday. Boogaard was one of the NHL’s elite tough guys for five seasons with the Minnesota Wild before signing a 2-year deal with the New York Rangers last summer. He only played 22 games with the Blueshirts after sustaining a concussion on December 9, 2010. Boogaard was well respected among his teammates and the charities he unselfishly gave his time to. Rangers President and GM Glen Sather said this in a statement:

"Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual. He was a very thoughtful person, who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time."

This is just terrible and such a shame. Derek was only 28 years old.

Congratulations to Our Friend for Running Her First Half-Marathon this Morning

I’d like to offer congratulations to our Friend for running Her first half-marathon this morning. I very much admire Her work ethic in training for the race and doing so well today. Great job!

Red Bulls Play Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium in Friendly Tonight at at 7:30 PM – Live Internet Stream

The Red Bulls will play the Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium tonight in a friendly match tonight at 7:30 PM. The game will stream live courtesy of the Montreal Impact. Let’s Go Red Bulls!

Regency Furniture Stadium, Home of the Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Named #3 Among Top 10 Minor League Ballparks

The Blue Crabs’ home field has been named #3 among the top 10 Minor League Ballparks in America per Livability.com. I’m partial to TD Bank Ballpark of course but it’s nice to see a team in the Atlantic League get recognition.

Heading to TD Bank Ballpark as Patriots Look to Snap Losing Streak vs. Barnstormers Tonight

My Wife and I are looking forward to seeing our friends whom we sit with at TD Bank Ballpark tonight. The Somerset Patriots are looking to snap their five game losing streak against the visiting Lancaster Barnstormers.

Patriots Drop Home Opener 8-6 to Barnstormers at TD Bank Ballpark Friday

The Lancaster Barnstormers defeated the Somerset Patriots 8-6 last night at TD Bank Ballpark. It was the home Opening Day for the Patriots who looked to take control early with 6 runs scored in the bottom of the 1st. Unfortunately things did not work out for the home club and the loss makes it five in a row. Center fielder Wayne Lydon walked to open the game and new shortstop Fernando Cortez hit a two-run homer to make it 2-0. Third baseman Jeff Nettles singled, followed by walks to DH Josh Pressley and right fielder Michael Hernandez. Second basemen Wayne Hagen hit a rocket for the grand slam that gave the Patriots a 6-0 lead after 1. Unfortunately Lancaster scored 4 in the top of the 3rd, 1 run in the 5th and 2 more in the 7th. The Patriots were unable to comeback and lost the game 8-6. The Barnstormers lived up to their name with a 16-hit barrage. Bill Pulsipher was tagged with the loss on a very tough night, giving up 5 earned runs, 10 hits (1 HR), with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. My early thoughts on the Patriots team: outfielders looked a bit rusty, shortstop Cortez has a canon for an arm, center field Lydon and right fielder Hernandez let the ball eat them up, and just need some more games under their belts. My Wife and I are looking forward to seeing our friends again tonight at TD Bank Ballpark where we hope the home team will break their winless streak. Let’s Go Patriots!

Somerset Patriots Pitcher Brian Sweeney Signed by New York Mets

The New York Mets signed Somerset Patriots’ pitcher Brian Sweeney, who has reported to the Mets Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons. Sweeney was the Season Opening Day starter for the Patriots on Friday, April 29th. He earned the victory with 8 strikeouts in 7.0 innings, and pitched in the Major Leagues last season for the Seattle Mariners (24 appearances, ERA 3.16). We may very well see Sweeney get called up by the big club and pitch for the Mets at Citi Field sometime this season.

Cosmos Academy East vs. Red Bulls Academy Play at Aviator Field, Floyd Bennett Field this Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM

The New York Cosmos Academy East are hosting the Red Bulls Academy teams this Sunday at Aviator Field located at Floyd Bennett Field. The U-18 (under 18 year olds) play at 1:00 PM followed by the U-16 (under 16 year olds) at 3:30 PM. In celebration of the Mother’s Day, the Cosmos will be providing a special gift for all mothers in attendance. The Cosmos are asking all in attendance to wear Cosmos’ colors green & white but I suggest wearing your Red Bulls’ colors instead!

Pelfrey Excellent as Mets Defeated Giants 5-2 Thursday at Citi Field

The New York Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants yesterday afternoon 5-2 at Citi Field to avoid the sweep. Pelfrey was excellent giving up only 2 runs, 1 earned run, 4 hits (1 HR), 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. It was Pelf’s best outing of the season by far. My Wife and I were at Citi Field yesterday and She pointed out that Pelfrey was cruising through the game. Pelf had a no hitter into the 4th inning but gave up his first hit, a home run to Mike Fontenot, a shot that landed on Pepsi Porch in right field. I was speaking about how shaky Giant starter Jonathan Sanchez has been and sure enough he did not disappoint. He could not find the strike zone and the Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after 2nd. Jason Bay hit a liner to left that hit off of Cody Ross’ glove for a double. Ike Davis blooped a single to left field, first and third. Met catcher Ronny Paulino grounded into a double-play to score Bay. Sanchez then gave two gift walks to Met center fielder Scott Hairston and Pelfrey. Shortstop Jose Reyes then tripled, driving in Hairston and Pelfrey to give the Mets the 3-0 lead. The Giants came back with a run in the 4th and 5th innings to bring the score to 3-2. Second baseman Chin-lung Hu looked at strike three to lead off the bottom of the 5th inning, the second time he looked at strike three in the game. Third baseman David Wright singled and Carlos Beltran blasted a fastball into the left field seats for a two-run home run to give the Mets the 5-2 lead. I looked at the scoreboard and saw Pelfrey with 114 pitches into the 8th inning and I thought he would be on a short leash. Sure enough K-Rod game in to earn the 4 out save. In the 8th inning Burris was on first base on a fielder’s choice and was thrown out trying to seal second on a perfect throw my Met catcher Paulino. K-Rod made it interesting in the 9th but earned his 7th safe of the season. All in all it was a great day to be at the ballpark.

Heading to Citi Field as Mets Host Giants for 1:10 PM Matinee Today

I just bought two inexpensive Met tickets on StubHub for todays game. My Wife and I will be making the trip shortly. It promises to be a beautiful day at the ballpark. LET’S GO METS!

Mets Donate 4,000 Tickets to Military for Home Game Tonight

The New York Mets have donated 4,000 tickets to their home game tonight at Citi Field against the San Francisco Giants to military members and their families. What a great idea from the team. I don’t want to hear the Negative Nancy’s stating any nonsense about the Mets having so many available tickets. Let’s Go Mets!

Alternatives to Paying Top Dollar for MLB – Atlantic and Can-Am Independent Leagues in New Jersey and New York

There are alternatives to paying top dollar at the Major League ballparks in Queens and the Bronx. You can visit the Atlantic League's Somerset Patriots and Long Island Ducks or the Can-Am League’s Newark Bears and New Jersey Jackals. The Atlantic and Can-Am Leagues are independents made up of former Major and Minor League players. My Wife and I have attended games after moving to NJ since 2007 and purchased the Saturday Plan for the Patriots since 2008. We have friends on both sides of us on Saturdays and it really makes it more enjoyable. We’ve also gone to many games at the Bears and Jackals. Excellent seats range in cost from $10.00 to $12.50 per seat and the stadiums are family and fan friendly. The level of play is higher in the Atlantic League.

The Patriots play at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ and are managed by ex-Yankee and Cy Young Award winning pitcher Sparky Lyle. They won the Atlantic League Championship five times (recently as 2009 and 2008).

The Ducks play at Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip, NY and are managed by Kevin Baez. The Ducks won their division a couple of seasons ago under then manager and Hall of Fame catcher Gary (Kid) Carter but lost in the opening round.

The Bears play at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, NJ and are managed by Tim (Rock) Raines. Jim Leyritz is Newark’s pitching coach. The Bears defeated the Patriots in 2007 to win the Atlantic League Championship. Newark also won in 2002. This season they’ve moved down to the Can-Am League.

The Jackals play at Yogi Berra Stadium on the grounds of Montclair State University and are managed by Joe Calfapietra. Perhaps catch the Red Bulls practice in the morning, visit the Yogi Berra Museum and stick around for a Jackals game that evening.

Bin Laden Killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan on Sunday, May 1, 2011

President Obama made a phenomenal speech late last night on national TV stating that Bin Laden was killed yesterday by U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan. At 3:30 PM EDT, a 40-man Navy SEAL squadron raided a 3,000 square foot compound that was "custom built to hide someone of significance" in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Four Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters dropped 24 U.S. Navy SEALs into the compound. After a 40-minute firefight Bin Laden was killed with a shot to the head. The compound was 100 yards from the gate of the Kakul Military Academy, an army-run institution where top Pakistani officers train, which is not hard to imagine. President Obama signed the Presidential Finding on Friday, April 29th authorizing the covert mission and said last night:

“…Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims, so his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity...”

For someone who was on the ground just south of the World Trade Center/Twin Towers on September 11th, I can’t say how happy I am that the bastard has been killed. We watched the Twin Towers as they were being built from our neighborhood in Brooklyn and this has given some form of closure to all who were affected that horrific day.

Special Thank You to my Friends for Invitation into their Fantasy Premier League and My New Red Bulls Jersey

I would like to offer a special thank you to my friends (you know who you are!) for purchasing my new Red Bull jersey. I was invited into their Fantasy Premier League 2010/11 this season, where you manage your own Fantasy team selected from players in the Barclays Premier League. The Premier League is to soccer what the NHL is to hockey. I have played fantasy sports for the past ten years (NFL, MLB, NBA) but this was my first foray into the Premier League. Absolute luck was on my side this season and I’m very fortunate to have won. The prize was a jersey of one’s choice and I chose the new 2011 away kit with #5 Tim Ream, second-year defender from the New York Red Bulls. Ream plays with the confidence of a veteran and I admire his composure and skill. Ream has been called up to the US Men’s National Team and I hope he’s there for many years to come. (I’m partial to defenders and my favorite NY Rangers jersey is #2, Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch). I was considering a United jersey but felt Ream was the perfect fit now. Speaking of fit, I found a jersey that fit perfectly at the Bullshop in Red Bull Arena. Thanks also for the heads-up by two of the Viper’s Nest crew for their suggestions to peruse the Bullshop and info on pricing. The Viper’s Nest is an excellent blog for all things Red Bulls. They know their football inside-out and offer very lively posts. Big Viper shoots videos before, at half time and full time of all matches. Their soccer knowledge and dedication to RBNY is unmatched. LET’S GO RED BULLS!

Red Bulls Shut Out Sporting KC 1-0 at Red Bull Arena Saturday

The New York Red Bulls shut out visiting Sporting Kansas City 1-0 last night at the Cathedral of Football, Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. On a beautiful evening my Wife and I ate a nice meal in the Ironbound Section of Newark before walking to the arena. The Red Bulls came in with a two-game winning streak and hopes were high for a third victory. In the 13th minute Dwayne De Rosario drew a foul in the penalty area that gave the Red Bulls a golden opportunity to take the early lead. Rafa Marquez, who took the penalty shot, tried to fake out the Sporting KC keeper Jimmy Nielsen but Nielsen dove to his left to make the stop. I was hoping for a blast to an upper-corner. Luke Rodgers started up top with Thierry Henry and scored the game winning goal in the 22nd minute, his third in the last three games. Defender Rafa Marquez, who was at midfield along the right side, flicked the ball to Dwayne De Rosario. DeRo crossed the ball from the right to Rodgers who was flying down the middle of the field towards the goal. Rodgers buried the ball into the back of the net and is quickly becoming a fan favorite at Red Bull Arena. Earlier in the game I told my Wife that I'd like to see #11 get more involved and sure enough DeRo did with a terrific assist. In the 32nd minute Rodgers charged the net looking to score his 2nd goal of the game off a rebound but instead missed and hit the Sporting KC goalkeeper with his foot after jumping over him. He drew a yellow card much to the displeasure of the home crowd. The Red Bull faithful let the keeper know how they felt each time he touched the ball the rest of the match. My Wife said the keeper was flat on his face, in pain, unable to move, until the yellow card came out. I thought a hockey fight would break out after the play. The Red Bulls could not capitalize on their other scoring chances in the 1st half but I'm very happy with the win. Rodgers was subbed off for Juan Agudelo to start the 2nd half. Red Bull defenders Tim Ream and Marquez had strong games as well as keeper Bouna “Bouna Time” Coundoul. The Red Bulls sit atop the Eastern Conference with 14 points, 4-1-2.