Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets

Martin Luther King III, the son of the civil rights great, is hoping to purchase 50 percent of the Mets.

In a report by the New York Post, King is uniting with ex-Mets player Ed Kranepool, businessman Donn Clendenon Jr. (yes, son of the 1969 World Series MVP for the Mets), TV executive Larry Meli and other investors with the goal of purchasing a majority share of the Mets.

The current owners, Fred and Jeff Wilpon, recently announced they intend to sell 20-25 percent of the club as they fend off lawsuits for a billion dollars due to the Mets' involvement in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. However, many in the game are saying the Wilpons may be forced to sell a majority share, if not the entire team.

And that's where King (photo courtesy Wikipedia) comes in, who would serve as the only African-American owner in baseball.

"It's fitting with the legacy of Jackie Robinson essentially transferring to the Mets; what better place to have African-American ownership than with the Mets," Meli said. "The time and place are right for it. It just seems to be the right mix of people."

Meli went on to add that he did not believe anything less than a 50-50 deal would make sense for the interested investors.

King's name could be an incredible draw to not just the current club, but to baseball as a whole. To have his name attached to a team as popular as the Mets would be an incredible asset.

"What professional athlete wouldn't want to play baseball for Martin Luther King III?" Meli said.

-- Evan Brunell

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Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets

Wow...what MLB player would not want to play for MLK III? Ummm...I dont know, maybe all the white players...maybe all the Latino players? Is black ownership good for baseball because the owner would be black? Or because the owner might know something about running a professional baseball team? Larry Meli is shallow to make this comment at all. To suggest that playing for a guy who has nothing to do with MLB ever...as a player...as a coach...as an investor...as a spectator is somehow great for the Mets is just yet another apologetic white dude who thinks its time for black ownership in baseball...not because the owner is qualified to run the team but becxause the owner is black...and MLK III is good for this job why?? Because his father was a great man? Oh...I see the rationale now...

Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets

Doc3Putt, as an Indians fan, you should not be blasting the Mets. Your team isn't any better, if anything, they are worse. At least we have a product out there and can at worst, fight for a long shot at a wild card. Most baseball fans can't even name more than two players on that team and once your prospects approach free agency, they get traded away. So the last thing you should be doing is boasting about the Mets' troubles when your team likely finishes last in its division and loses 90+ games yet again. And I am not rubbing it in your face, I am just stating what will likely happen with the current team and the fact that 3 teams in that division (Minnesota, Chicago, and Detroit) will all compete for playoff spots. In the Mets division, Philly is the only sure thing. The Mets, Braves, and maybe the Marlins will be competitive and the NL is a much weaker league.

Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets

koolmike Since: Dec 20, 2006	Posted on: February 3, 2011 7:20 pm Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets Wow...what MLB player would not want to play for MLK III? Ummm...I dont know, maybe all the white players...maybe all the Latino players? Is black ownership good for baseball because the owner would be black? Or because the owner might know something about running a professional baseball team? Larry Meli is shallow to make this comment at all. To suggest that playing for a guy who has nothing to do with MLB ever...as a player...as a coach...as an investor...as a spectator is somehow great for the Mets is just yet another apologetic white dude who thinks its time for black ownership in baseball...not because the owner is qualified to run the team but becxause the owner is black...and MLK III is good for this job why?? Because his father was a great man? Oh...I see the rationale now... [ Reply to Comment ]
NYKLIB725 Since: Dec 7, 2006	Posted on: February 2, 2011 4:38 pm Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets Doc3Putt, as an Indians fan, you should not be blasting the Mets. Your team isn't any better, if anything, they are worse. At least we have a product out there and can at worst, fight for a long shot at a wild card. Most baseball fans can't even name more than two players on that team and once your prospects approach free agency, they get traded away. So the last thing you should be doing is boasting about the Mets' troubles when your team likely finishes last in its division and loses 90+ games yet again. And I am not rubbing it in your face, I am just stating what will likely happen with the current team and the fact that 3 teams in that division (Minnesota, Chicago, and Detroit) will all compete for playoff spots. In the Mets division, Philly is the only sure thing. The Mets, Braves, and maybe the Marlins will be competitive and the NL is a much weaker league. [ Reply to Comment ]
YnkeeH8r Since: Feb 8, 2008	Posted on: January 31, 2011 2:20 pm Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets Great. This is just what baseball needs (sarcasm). [ Reply to Comment ]
the garet Since: May 5, 2010	Posted on: January 31, 2011 1:30 pm Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets 50% does not equal majority?! 50.6% equals majority... [ Reply to Comment ]
Doc3Putt Since: Dec 25, 2007	Posted on: January 31, 2011 7:55 am Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets Last at Last, Last at Last, Thank God almighty the Mets are Last at Last. [ Reply to Comment ]
the big mutt Since: Sep 19, 2007	Posted on: January 31, 2011 6:17 am Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets "I have a dream that one day...The Mets won't fold up with 3 weeks left in the season" [ Reply to Comment ]
Coyote Cliffs Since: Dec 13, 2009	Posted on: January 31, 2011 4:33 am Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets ....to live in a world that judges a man, not by the color of his skin, but by the television revenue contract, the infield billboard sales and by the hospitality in the sky boxes! [ Reply to Comment ]
johnnymac Since: Jul 6, 2007	Posted on: January 31, 2011 2:39 am Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets BAD IDEA! [ Reply to Comment ]
urgirlwitmenow Since: Aug 18, 2006	Posted on: January 31, 2011 1:53 am Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets "human rights advocate and community activists" have pocketed of the community the generosity. I take it this man has earned his riches of his fathers great name, by mostly abusing it for his own dinner plate. Just look at him, he certainly has never missed a meal in his life....and it's the poor and the lower middle class that is probably the main source of his salary. I guarantee you this guy buy's the mets and you can say goodbye to 130 million dollar salary, say hello to 50 million salary. This guy has pocket the money written all over him. [ Reply to Comment ]
BusterBassett Since: Dec 28, 2009	Posted on: January 31, 2011 12:26 am Martin Luther King III attempting to buy Mets King III is described as a "human rights advocate and community activist". Where is this man getting the money from ??? Just wondering. [ Reply to Comment ]

"human rights advocate and community activists" have pocketed of the community the generosity. I take it this man has earned his riches of his fathers great name, by mostly abusing it for his own dinner plate. Just look at him, he certainly has never missed a meal in his life....and it's the poor and the lower middle class that is probably the main source of his salary.
I guarantee you this guy buy's the mets and you can say goodbye to 130 million dollar salary, say hello to 50 million salary. This guy has pocket the money written all over him.

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