Charlie Samuels

[Swoboda4]

From 11/5/2010 NY Daily News:

....According to another source, the team became suspicious when the Mets' online store asked Samuels for players' jerseys and Samuels said he had none, although he had ordered several hundreds for the team. Bats and balls had gone missing, too...

From 11/10/2010 NY Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/11/10/2010-11-10_sources_samuels_was_in_deep.html

......
"It was the worst-kept secret in the business," one memorabilia industry executive said of Samuels' dealings in the highly unregulated business. "Everybody knew Charlie was the guy to go to if you want Mets stuff."




Does anybody on the Forum have the onions to contribute to what I think is a significant story involving this hobby.

[ironmanfan]

Re: Charlie Samuels

I'll wait for the in-depth, hard hitting expose' in SCD

[metsbats]

Re: Charlie Samuels

I "ll take the 5th.

[metsbats]

Re: Charlie Samuels

I will say however that Charlie could have done a much better job flooding the market with Bobby M. Jones bats

[ironmanfan]

Re: Charlie Samuels

all kidding aside, since when is stuff leaving out the backdoor of a team's clubhouse a "significant story?"

the gambling issues is the thing that would concern me the most....just think of the information he could pass on to gamblers being so close to these guys?

[metsbats]

Re: Charlie Samuels

all kidding aside, since when is stuff leaving out the backdoor of a team's clubhouse a "significant story?"

the gambling issues is the thing that would concern me the most....just think of the information he could pass on to gamblers being so close to these guys?

I agree. The gambling is most disturbing and is the real problem here.

The memorabilia angle just adds more fuel to the fire. Actually more like rubbing alcohol.

It's like busting someone who works at a brokerage for insider trading then saying "and he also stole our office supplies to sell on ebay too!".

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Charlie Samuels

I do recall that, a number of years ago, when the Mets visited Wrigley Field, it was not uncommon to see Charlie "taking care of" friends and contacts with bats, caps, batting gloves, etc. Never any jerseys, though.

Dave Miedema

[Lokee]

Re: Charlie Samuels

from the article

Companies interested in becoming the sole licensees for Mets game-used memorabilia told team officials years ago that they were concerned that they would be competing with Samuels.
"Why should companies pay seven figures to sell Mets stuff when this guy is getting it for free?" one executive asked.
The market for Mets' game-used gear, meanwhile, is depressed, and although that has more to do with the team's disappointing on-field performance over the past two seasons, memorabilia executives also say they believe Samuels flooded the market.
Adds the executive: "You can't give Mets stuff away."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...#ixzz14vnuPx7F

[Mattapan03]

Re: Charlie Samuels

The last two years, Ive seen more Mets stuff floating around than ever before

[LastingsMilledge85]

Re: Charlie Samuels

The last two years, Ive seen more Mets stuff floating around than ever before

Really? I would argue that 2006 and 2007 are the two years that Mets stuff was one of the easiest to find because they sent all their items to Steiner. Steiner always had reps at the stadium promoting their company and auctioning off items.

[Swoboda4]

Re: Charlie Samuels

I love Pete Rose. But he don't deserve to be in the Hall of fame because when he bet on the Reds TO WIN, he actually jeopardizes THE GAME BEFORE. The threat that the game on friday night will not be his best effort as the next days Saturday afternoon game he bets on(keeping players fresh)is very real. So... here comes Charlie Samuels and his relationship to game used items.
Jeff Francouer gives Samuels $50,000 as he exits to Texas. This is not a gratuity you give someone to applaud their equipment managing skills over the 3/4's of a year you spent in New York. This is more than likely a settling of monies owed. Yes? Yes.- O.K.
Charlie has(had) his hands on Mets jerseys game used and non game used or as we like to categorize them,game ready. When you owe people large amounts of money you think there is THE PERCEPTION that game ready jerseys were sold as game used? Even if he didn't the perception is real. There is a lot of New York dealers who happen to have game used Mets bats that weren't broken. We often wondered why,now we know.
More professionally and ethically,I ordered the jersey Endy Chavez wore when he made the catch against the left field wall. I was told by a rep at Steiner that he would have the jersey tomorrow when he goes there. we agreed to a price. The next day I was called and told the jersey was not available. I asked if Endy kept it and was told no. I now know who was instrumental in not allowing this official transaction from happening.
Let's just say the 1,000 lb gorilla has just left the professional Met game used hobby world.

[LastingsMilledge85]

Re: Charlie Samuels

I love Pete Rose. But he don't deserve to be in the Hall of fame because when he bet on the Reds TO WIN, he actually jeopardizes THE GAME BEFORE. The threat that the game on friday night will not be his best effort as the next days Saturday afternoon game he bets on(keeping players fresh)is very real. So... here comes Charlie Samuels and his relationship to game used items.
Jeff Francouer gives Samuels $50,000 as he exits to Texas. This is not a gratuity you give someone to applaud their equipment managing skills over the 3/4's of a year you spent in New York. This is more than likely a settling of monies owed. Yes? Yes.- O.K.
Charlie has(had) his hands on Mets jerseys game used and non game used or as we like to categorize them,game ready. When you owe people large amounts of money you think there is THE PERCEPTION that game ready jerseys were sold as game used? Even if he didn't the perception is real. There is a lot of New York dealers who happen to have game used Mets bats that weren't broken. We often wondered why,now we know.
More professionally and ethically,I ordered the jersey Endy Chavez wore when he made the catch against the left field wall. I was told by a rep at Steiner that he would have the jersey tomorrow when he goes there. we agreed to a price. The next day I was called and told the jersey was not available. I asked if Endy kept it and was told no. I now know who was instrumental in not allowing this official transaction from happening.
Let's just say the 1,000 lb gorilla has just left the professional Met game used hobby world.

The Chavez jersey is in the Mets Hall of Fame, I don't know who the owner is though, but it should say it.

[Swoboda4]

Re: Charlie Samuels

Got my Endy events mixed in my pissed off state. It was the Chavez Home Run vs the Yanks on 5/18/07. I wanted the alternate black jersey he wore when he homered against them. On the 19th I called Steiner and told,"We're going in the clubhouse and getting it." The next day I was told it wasn't available. I get a call a few days later and settled for the Mother's day Chavez.
I'm sure everyone who has contract with the Mets selling G/U items is now doing cart wheels at the current situation

[Swoboda4]

Re: Charlie Samuels

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/11/12/2010-11-12_mets_fire_clubhouse_manager_charlie_samuels_who_is_under_investigation_by_nypd_a.html

Knowing what we know now,I rather pay professional dealers MeiGray or Steiner and know for certain it was USED. I don't need local dealers selling game ready jerseys,that they were told were game used,or just assumed to be game used,because "it came from Shea". Too many 2007 pristine Mets jerseys we've analyzed as to why there's no wear. In 2006 when a certain catcher was in town and people from Bath Beach were showing up at Shea inquiring as to when their debts were getting paid,things got out of control.
Charlie was great before money pressure set in. Because all we really cared about is if it's real. And it was. But when debts set in all....well,all bets were off. Pardon the pun.
Now there should be no real reason why Amaz'n Memorabilia shouldn't be stocked in 2011 with as many items as Marc Himelstein has in Detroit.