Photo credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Photo credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Mets owner Fred Wilpon has reportedly been tapped by new commissioner Rob Manfred to head Major League Baseball’s finance committee. Here’s a succinct graf from Deadspin summarizing just some of Wilpon’s missteps in the late-oughts and early-10s(?):

Madoff money went to cover the Mets’ payroll, to support the single-A Brooklyn Cyclones, to construct Citi Field and to launch a regional sports network. And when it disappeared, Wilpon and co-owner Saul Katz found themselves desperate. They took out a reported $450 million in loans (including about $65 million in emergency bailout money using a line of credit from MLB), using the SportsNet channel as collateral. They publicly announced he was willing to sell minority shares in the team to inject much-needed cash into the operation. They settled a lawsuit brought by Madoff victims for $162 million. They still carry hundreds of millions of debt.

So it makes sense that Wilpon would head MLB’s finance committee. You learn from your mistakes, right? I mean, it’s not like Wilpon just dumped a huge chunk of money on a MASSIVE new scoreboard for his only-six-year-old stadium or anything. Oh… wait… what’s that? I’m sorry, Jim, but I’m getting in my ear that Wilpon has in fact invested in a new scoreboard instead of, say, a fourth starter or any other player(s) capable of turning the Mets into something that resembles a contender:

The Mets announced Monday they are installing a new Daktronics high definition screen in center field that will be unveiled for the April 13 home opener.

According to the press release, the video board – at 5,670 square feet – will be among the 10 largest displays in professional baseball. The old video board was 3,500 square feet.

I can’t wait to see MLB’s balance sheet next year.

Photo note: I can’t tell if Chris Christie is farting or if he’s merely shifting his copious weight to prevent bedsores. Maybe both?