Fans react positively to Wilpons' sale

There was no direct anger at the Wilpons, no calls for them to sell the team outright or worries that their decision to sell a minority portion of the Mets will result in further trouble for a team that failed to reach the postseason the past four years.

It seems these Mets fans still have a little hope left after all.

Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon announced Friday that in the wake of a lawsuit filed against them by the special trustee in the Bernard Madoff fraud case, they will look into the possibility of adding "one or more strategic partners."

Though the announcement came as a surprise to many fans, some saw it as a chance to add a take-action voice to the franchise.

"Somebody that's a little bit more aggressive, wants to make things happen," Huntington resident Rich Levy said of the qualities he would look for in new ownership. "I think the whole organization needs a shake-up.

"If it resulted in an infusion of money that they could invest in the team, it could result in overcoming the impasse they have right now, with the unwanted contracts they've got."

Steve Garcia is a Bronx-born fan who stuck by the team even after living in Chicago for the past 20 years. In Huntington to visit relatives this week, Garcia, a fan since 1962, thinks adding minority owners could help.

"After all these years, they really haven't produced much, so maybe it's a good thing," he said. "Even though they have a high payroll, I don't think they're aggressive enough."

However, he sounded a note of caution, considering that any potential new shareholder is expected to control only 20 to 25 percent of the team at most.

"It's possible that whoever comes in won't have much of a say," Garcia said. "It will still be [the Wilpons'] team."

Peter Damato of Huntington initially was nonchalant about the news.

"Who cares?" he said. "It's his prerogative to sell a percentage or the whole thing if he so chooses."

But Damato said adding new blood certainly has its advantages. "I guess an added voice, bigger consensus should always be good," he said. "So it's not necessarily a bad thing, I don't think. All depends who the owners are. But having more people for input, hopefully they know what they're talking about. Maybe we can get this puppy back on track."