Maher revealed that he bought a minority share of the team months ago, but gave no details of the deal, the reports said.

"I just thought it would be a great place, especially after I've seen some of the ways money can disappear in recent years. I had my money in Lehman Brothers in 2008," the New York Times quoted Maher as saying.

The Mets, who live in the shadow of the much more successful New York Yankees, have struggled in recent years.

Shares of the cash-strapped club were put up for sale after it suffered financial setbacks in the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal.

In March, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, owners of the Mets, agreed to pay $162 million to settle a lawsuit by the trustee seeking money for the victims of Madoff's fraud.

In a video clip that the Mets published on its Twitter page, the comedian said he became a Mets fan when he was six and "I have really never wavered for my love for this team."

On Friday, New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter ever for the Mets as he blanked the visiting World Series champion St Louis Cardinals 8-0 at Citi Field.

(Reporting by Bijoy Koyitty in Bangalore; Editing by Ron Popeski)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency