Comedian Bill Maher buys minority stake in New York Mets

You've got to be joking. Comedian Bill Maher has jumped on the New York Mets bandwagon and bought a minority stake in ownership of the team.

In a surprise announcement before Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the political commentator and comic said he purchased one of the reported 12 minority stakes available to investors over the winter, reports the Newark Star-Ledger.

"First of all, I think it's a great investment," Maher said.  "People sometimes forget that there's only one National League franchise in New York City and they're not making anymore.  I'm a Met fan all my life and I think it would be a great place."

Think the liberal leftie will be able to get along with Mets who bat from the right?

Neither Maher or the Mets organization would comment on the percentage of his ownership or how much he paid for it, but he did make the purchase before the Mets started winning and got their first no-hitter.

Maher— who was raised in the northern New Jersey suburb of River Vale— said he always followed the Mets but never intended to buy a piece of a sports franchise.  He became interested in the Mets after seeing stories about the Wilpon family offering minority shares of the team due to the team's overwhelming debt— as a result of their association with  jailed Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff.  The 56-year old Maher— who resides in Los Angeles— began thinking about investing in his favorite team over the winter.

"It happened months ago," Maher said about the deal.  "It's the first time I've been in New York, so we didn't say anything. But I read about it  in the paper in December saying the Mets  were available— that you could buy these limited partnerships."

The host of his HBO show "Real Time with Bill Maher" won't have as much control over the team as he does with his guest panelists.  His new official title will be "New Partner," said Mets Vice-president of Marketing and Communications, David Newman.

And if you think Maher might be taking swings at the political right with David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana instead of Cornel West, Rachel Maddow or Seth MacFarlane— you're out of luck.

"I'm just a fan," Maher said. "I'm not going to get involved.  I think my role is going to be bringing luck to the team— they didn't have a no-hitter for 50 years, I buy in and I come to town and there's a no hitter.  Draw your own conclusions."