The fan advocacy organization wants change for a better Mets tomorrow.

Literally the picture from the Wikipedia entry for ‘Town Hall Meeting’

When the Madoff Ponzi Scheme was discovered in late 2008, the Mets had the 3rd biggest payroll in baseball. Since then, the Mets have had a mid-market payroll at best, bottoming out at 21st in baseball in 2014. In 2016, coming off a World Series appearance, payroll was still just 15th in MLB. In 2017, after returning the exact same roster as the year before, the Mets final 25-man roster was paid just $48 million. Most damningly, the Mets trade chips (Walker, Duda, Bruce, Reed, etc.) were traded primarily for salary relief rather than prospects who might help the team in 2018 and beyond.

So read part of the initial email sent out by Mets Fans United who expressed interest in joining a movement to help change the team for the better. Since, it was reported that majority owner Fred Wilpon conveyed impotent rage and disturbing befuddlement over how the Yankees — the other professional baseball franchise operating in the largest media market in the world — continually are able to acquire players like Giancarlo Stanton and spend up to the luxury tax threshold of $197 million, at least $50 million more than what the most optimistic report on what the Mets 2018 Opening Day payroll will be. Another 100 other people signed up to the email string by the time MFU sent out its second missive last week, bringing the total to over 350 fans.

It’s unclear whether Mets ownership is unwilling or unable to spend the money required to put a consistently competitive team on the field. Either way, creating a fan advocacy organization — a permanent supporter’s union — seems like a pretty good idea. Whether it’s making enough noise for commissioner Rob Manfred to take another look at the Wilpon and Katz finances, and/or for the baseball players union to wonder out loud why a New York team is not helping making its constituents richer, would be a huge start.

The initial meeting is tomorrow night at 7pm. You can email info@metsfansunited.com for more information.