Yesterday morning at 10 a.m I was all prepared to take advantage of the Mets holiday ticket offer. Obviously I was psyched because last season the Mets didn’t start selling individual tickets until February .
Okay so I am on the Mets.com site and to my amazement I saw that the least expensive seats for Opening Day is $63. 63 DOLLARS !?! FOR THE WORST SEATS IN THE STADIUM ???? That is what I paid for my seats in the Caesars Club last season if my memory serves me right.
Look I understand that the Mets are still in fiscal dire straits – but to soak the fans that live to go to Opening Day is just wrong.
I have been going to Opening Day for the past 5 years. I make a day of it. I tailgate with my wife, and fellow Mets bloggers as well as our readers. I usually buy a jersey at the team store, and meet up with other friends at the Shea Bridge.
This is a ritual for me and many fans- the DIE HARDS – not the white collar corporate suits that sit behind home plate and barely watch the game. I know that this is a capitalistic society and the law of supply and demand is the rule, but to raise the price of the seats that I sat in last Opening Day by almost 50% is reprehensible. Maybe if the team raised their payroll and imported quality players, re-sign David Wright and R.A Dickey – or better yet do all three things, then I can see the justification of raising the prices of seats.
What this boils down to is that my wife and I may just skip Opening Day this upcoming season – and that saddens me . Fred, Jeff, Unkie Saul – WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ?!?
All I can say is once again the Mets shoot themselves in the foot !!!
And with that said… HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:
Starting pitcher from the ’77 season, Jackson Todd (1951)
Mets middle reliever from the ’95 season, Kevin Lomon is 41 (1971).
Middle reliever from the ’07 season, Lino Urdaneta is 33 (1979).
Sadly on this date in 1998 Dick Sisler passed away. He was a member of Joe Torre’s coaching staff from ’79-’80.
The New York Mets traded minor league pitching prospect, Reggie Dobie to the Seattle Mariners for reserve outfielder, Chuck Carr on November 20, 1988.
The New York Mets traded Jorge Fabregas to the Florida Marlins for minor league pitcher, Oscar Henriquezon November 20, 1998.
The New York Mets claimed reserve outfielder, Esix Snead on waivers from the St Louis Cardinals on November 20, 2001.
The Boston Red Sox claimed middle reliever, Edwin Almonte of the New York Mets on waivers on November 20, 2003.
The New York Mets signed free agent outfielder, Moises Alou of the San Francisco Giants on November 20, 2006. I maintain this was a good move by Omar. When healthy Alou was still one of the best all around outfielders in the game.
The New York Mets traded pitchers, Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom to the Florida Marlins for pitchers, Jason Vargas and Adam Bostick on November 20, 2006. Many fans chided former Mets G.M., Omar Minaya in the years following the trade since Lindstom and Owens had success with the Marlins. But both pitchers faded from the radar a few seasons later.
The New York Mets traded middle reliever, Guillermo Mota to the Milwaukee Brewers for catcher, Johnny Estrada on November 20, 2007. Estrada never played a single game for the Mets.
Mo Vaughn nearly choked on his Twinkies when he learned of the nearly 50% increase in Mets Opening Day tickets !!!!
39 comments
srt
11/20/2012-7:39am at 7:39 am (UTC -4)
I haven’t been to Opening Day since 1987. Those tickets cost me $100 apiece back then and they were only so-so seats at Shea.
I thought they had stopped selling individual seats for Opening Day and you had to have one of the ticket plans that included Opening Day seats. Tells you how much I’ve kept up.
I have to assume this is part of that dynamic pricing they put in place last season. I just checked and we’re opening at home against the Padres (the Padres?? – who makes these schedules?) so it’s certainly not the opponent but the day that probably makes them so expensive. If it was the only game during the year I was springing for I’d probably pay it but I can certainly understand why some won’t/can’t. Especially those that buy tickets for several games a year.
If you do get tickets though, I’m assuming you’d be seeing the reigning NL CY winner pitching that game, first game for Dickey as that award winner. Might be worth the price to some.
The Wilpon’s Mets are far from solvent so doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. They’d be better off lowering those tickets though and trying to ‘lure’ folks back to Citi knowing most will be repeat customers as Opening Day is a special kind of feeling some will want to repeat.
Stick
11/20/2012-9:25am at 9:25 am (UTC -4)
this is the first year in a while that you could get them early on without buying a package. So it might actually save you money, if you weren’t planning to use those other tickets.
I went to OD for many years, mid-80s through late 90s/early 00s. back in the good times, that meant sending a couple of guys down to Shea in the middle of the night to wait on line. thankfully not me!
I gave it up when the packages came into play, and probably before that just for logistics.
kingman 26
11/20/2012-8:29am at 8:29 am (UTC -4)
Buddy I could not agree more, and bravo for you for ranting about it.
The team–no matter what the “optimists” say–is in utterly dire financial straits, and this is a classic part of the “plan”–soak the fans. Give us garbage product, have Alderson lie to us non-stop, release Bay in early November so you have pocket money to get through the winter, and charge absolutely obscene–OBSCENE–prices for opening day, which, as you point out, is truly a game for the real fans and the diehards.
Right now is the worst time to be a Met fan since the early 1990s era of Coleman/Bonilla/Murray/Saberhagen.
TRS86
11/20/2012-8:32am at 8:32 am (UTC -4)
I guess I don’t see it that way. The world is about supply and demand. If they think those tickets will be bought at a higher price then why wouldn’t they charge more?
kingman 26
11/20/2012-8:52am at 8:52 am (UTC -4)
Four straight 4th place finishes, payroll slashed, almost no hope for a seriously competitive team in 2013, and the team announces–earlier than ever due to clear financial desperation–an incredibly laughable set of ticket prices.
This is–yet again–the Wilpons arrogantly slapping the fans across the mouth while holding bills and debts in their other hand.
Just because you CAN do something does not necessarily mean that you SHOULD do something.
As this revolting display clearly points out.
TRS86
11/20/2012-9:52am at 9:52 am (UTC -4)
Then don’t go. Unless you want MLB controlled prices then the owners get to set whatever ticket price they want and hope they sell them. If enough people see it as pure greed then they won’t sell. Seems pretty cut and dry to me.
Stick
11/20/2012-10:03am at 10:03 am (UTC -4)
they also have that variable/dynamic pricing, and if I understand it correclty, if it gets close to game day and tickets are still available, they can easily drop the price.
and no, that does not “screw” people who buy them now. they get to lock in the seats they want now. If you want to wait until the last minute hoping for a deal, then by all means, go right ahead.
the market always speaks, but I do agree that the team made a serious error in judgement catoring to the high rollers at the expense of the real fan base. though given the stadium they have, there is really no way to change that now.
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-8:55am at 8:55 am (UTC -4)
My feeling is they can sell them for whatever they want and let the market decide. They are taking the risk, especially after having to give away opening day seats just to fill it last year. Let the fans decide. If the place is filled then the Wilpon’s were smart in what they did.
kingman 26
11/20/2012-9:00am at 9:00 am (UTC -4)
It’s amazing that you guys quickly defend this impressively brazen display of revolting greed.
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-9:07am at 9:07 am (UTC -4)
Well from my viewpoint I wish no-one would go to send a message, but people just aren’t that smart. If the Wilpon’s can make more money then all the more power to them, maybe they can pay a bill then. If it was me running the team it would be the last thing I do, I would make the place way more reasonable and fan friendly to build up demand.
I haven’t seen a game in Queens (but have seen the team at other venues) since Willie got fired. I will not spend a dime there right now because I do not want to enable them to continue with the way they are doing business. BUT they are the one making decisions and the decisions they are making are keeping them a float so all the more power to them. The only way to change the business model or to get the Wilpon’s gone is to not give them our money and sadly too many still are.
kingman 26
11/20/2012-9:16am at 9:16 am (UTC -4)
Fair enough.
While I am hugely pro-capitalist, and am a small business owner, and enjoy money and nice things, I also see things from the perspective of people who struggle and work hard and make very little money, but still love baseball. There are a LOT of those people out there who are increasingly made irrelevant by things like this.
Like Rusty says, opening day is a special day, for the diehards. Yes, I know sports teams are not “public trusts” as some like to think, but there are also not impersonal businesses like so many others. People put their heart and soul into being fans, which they do not do for Coke or Nike or Walmart or McDonald’s.
Everything about Citi Field screams out that the little guy fan is utterly worthless—the decreased seating capacity, the ridiculous prices of everything, the number of clubs where the common folk are kept out, etc.—and this just is another way of the Wilpons letting every non-corporate fan know precisely what they think of them.
I have never, ever been a “boycott the Wilpons” type, but I am getting very, very close. If we see another anemic season without really serious improvements for 2014, it will be time for Met fans to learn from what Giant fans did in the late 1970s when they forced the hand of the NFL and the owners and truly made a difference in the fortunes of the franchise.
As I have pointed out before, in today’s media era of 24/7 everything, a couple of hundred determined fans could have this story all over ESPN and the Internet in no time.
Just wait for THAT post!
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-9:34am at 9:34 am (UTC -4)
Oh I get ya man I am a dirty liberal for Christs sake. I just look at baseball economics differently than say toilet paper. It’s entertainment not a necessity. And you are right they are skewing the model to completely cater to the haves and away from the have-not’s, but this is where i think the market will bite them in the ass eventually. This is a blue collar team and it always will be. At the current prices someone like a firefighter can only conceivable buy a game or two for a family of four. It’s just too expensive. At some point there has to be a breaking point. If they want that Willit’s Point development to be successful and they want to get that stadium paid off within the next 50 years, they will need a committed community to buy into what they are doing. I don’t see that and hopefully enough people will stop going where they either sell or wake up. I think the wake call will be this year if they do Wright and Dickey and nothing else, I really do.
Stick
11/20/2012-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
Isn’t Jeffy the one that supposedly made the decsion to go small, elite and expensive?
I was befuddled from the beginning when I saw how small they made cit field, and figured it would bite them in the arse. And it is not the only reason (being 2 hours away and busy plays in too!) but at the new ticket prices, I am in the group of going fewer times.
Problem is, there is nothing they can do about adding many seats. I suppose they can open up more of the clubs (making institute a cover charge if you have cheap seats?) and lower overall tix prices now to get bodies in, but that will change once the team is popular again.
though to think of it, OD and dynamic pricing in effect is doing this!
Much easier for me to see the mets in Philly anyway, the only hassle there is once the Phils became good, you couldn’t get a damned seat normally. Though if they stay not good this year, that will change quickly! Though I guess there is always stub hub…
kingman 26
11/20/2012-9:48am at 9:48 am (UTC -4)
Agreed my friend, agreed!
kingman 26
11/20/2012-10:09am at 10:09 am (UTC -4)
Smaller stadiums are the trend; like almost everything in today’s USA, it is done to cater to corporations and the wealthy.
Less seats, more fancy outrageously-priced clubs, more “club” seats with waiter/waitress service, and more completely revolting prices such as opening day.
The Wilpons could care less if teachers and firemen and factory workers and cabdrivers cannot afford to go—the entire point of Citi Field–which is utterly evident upon visiting–is to attract the wealthy and suck every last penny out of them.
And again, when I go, I sit in great seats and go to one of the clubs, but the atmosphere still is sterile and disappointing. Sure Shea was a dump, but it was a stadium designed much, more for nearly ALL of the fans than the select few.
Donal
11/20/2012-10:20am at 10:20 am (UTC -4)
Shea was a concrete doughnut designed to cash in on the duel stadium trend. Remember, the Jets were supposed to play there too.
Stick
11/20/2012-10:27am at 10:27 am (UTC -4)
Jets played there for a long time. I loved the rotating section of the lower deck, though I am sure that did not work for the last 30 years or so! But man, did football games tear the crap out of the field.
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
Yea that rotating section was awesome, I didn’t know it existed until it was getting near the time to tear it down. Once I started going there in ’85 I never heard of it being discussed. Pretty groundbreaking for stadiums of that time.
gategem
11/22/2012-12:11am at 12:11 am (UTC -4)
“The Wilpons could care less if teachers and firemen and factory workers and cabdrivers cannot afford to go”
Kong you’re a bit outdated in your comment. Teachers in the town of Islip (on Long island) average $120K annually and I believe NYC Firemen earn a decent salary (perhaps not enough considering their occupation). And factory workers ??? Where??? In China??? BTW I believe the last sighting of Leon Trotsky was in Mexico City.
TRS86
11/20/2012-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
Agreed, anyone know what last year’s opening day ticket prices came out for?
srt
11/20/2012-9:57am at 9:57 am (UTC -4)
As I said previously, I thought since Citi opened, you couldn’t buy single tickets to Opening Day. You had to have some kind of pack and/or plan to get one of those tickets included.
I could be wrong on that, not 100% sure.
Stick
11/20/2012-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
not sure you can really tell. the way they were all bundled in packages kind of muddied the waters I think.
I of course understand capitalidm, but I think they did go overboard.
what this stadium really needs is a steerage class (er., bleacher section?) of 10K seats or so that can stay cheap. Or what the upper reserve used to be at Shea!
kingman 26
11/20/2012-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
They made the stadium the size it is because they DO NOT want those fans who cannot afford $15 beers, $10 coffees, $50 t shirts, and trips to outrageously priced clubs.
Stick
11/20/2012-10:20am at 10:20 am (UTC -4)
well, speaking from experience, poor (or at least non-wealthy, non-elites!) manage to spend plenty of money on beer!
there has to be a balance. and while Shea was a plebian dump, with more modest ticket prices, the concessions, etc. were always through the roof.
and part of the smaller park concept is making the experience more intimate. That I can see. Sitting in the far reaches where you need a telescope to see the field is also not great. But in this case, i think they just went too far.
my feeling is they needed 1 more affordable section and maybe what, 7-10K more potential seats, to give better balance. And the clubs are fine, but make (at least most) of them more readily available. Hell, put a cover charge at the door if you only bought a cheap seat! and fine to keep a couple of the primo places for the elites, and charge them for it.
Donal
11/20/2012-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
Steerage class? Isn’t that the one where they lock the gates while the boat sinks?
Stick
11/20/2012-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
Did you ever go to Shea? remember when you had a cheap (upper deck_ ticket, and they had locked gates and police to keep you out of the field level?
exactly like the scene in Titanic!
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
Yea for me I only saw that on field level but you could pull of getting onto the Mez with a upper deck seat. I actually liked the upper deck as long as you got the first couple rows. Anything beyond that I got vertigo and thought I was going to roll down the stairs. Yankee upper deck was WAY worse though. Those stairs were so steep.
Donal
11/20/2012-10:54am at 10:54 am (UTC -4)
Ya, I always thought that was funny. “No, poor people, you cannot enjoy our special hotdogs!”
Donal
11/20/2012-10:19am at 10:19 am (UTC -4)
Honestly, if you are mad about it, don’t go. This isn’t food or shelter. It’s entertainment.
At least now you don’t have to commit to 3 or 4 crappy games to get Opening day tickets.
Stick
11/20/2012-10:25am at 10:25 am (UTC -4)
yup. and it is a personal decision if it is worth it to you.
and I still like to watch the mets play, and love to go to games at the stadium. So I look at it as an event for my own enjoyment. Not “putting money in the owners pocket”.
but if the team screwed up with their model and pricing, they will know really soon! and will pay the price by losing the team most likely.
TRS86
11/20/2012-10:28am at 10:28 am (UTC -4)
Right, if you are a die hard that HAS to go on opening day and can’t afford the prices then gamble that you will either be able to get one closer to the date for much cheaper or through ticket exchanges or accept that you can’t afford opening day and for the same price could get two other games instead.
Mr North Jersey
11/20/2012-10:39am at 10:39 am (UTC -4)
Is this “The Donal”? LoL
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-10:42am at 10:42 am (UTC -4)
How can their be any other? Or maybe it’s “Bizarro Donal”.
Mr North Jersey
11/20/2012-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
Donal
11/20/2012-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
Believe me, this world ain’t big enough for more than 1.
Mr North Jersey
11/20/2012-10:38am at 10:38 am (UTC -4)
I have no idea what was the cost of past Opening Day tickets to a Mets game so I have no way to compare to what is being reported now.
Is the cost 40, 50, 60% more than in recent years past for an Opening Day game? Cause I can understand the frustration to having to pay that much more for a ticket.
But the reality of the situation is that you can simply not buy a ticket. Spend your entertainment dollar how best you see fit and if that means no Opening Day so be it.
Maybe if enough people don’t purchase tickets as Opening Day nears you may see more affordable offers.
It’s like when you go to see a movie and buy 1 lg soda, popcorn and a hotdog and the lady tells you that will be $14 dollars or when you go to say Six Flags and a souvenir picture costs you $15 to $20 bucks. Sure that is an exaggerated price but they can charge it cause they know people will pay it.
It’s a business.
SaltyGary
11/20/2012-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
I have no idea either. The only opening day I’ve been to was Yankee home opener and it was Clemen’s first home start in pinstripes. I waited in line that morning and got a bleacher seat second row for $10.
darknova306
11/20/2012-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
Meh. Opening Day is the one game for any sports team where they have the highest likelihood of selling out regardless of who they are. Even casual fans that don’t follow too closely are still excited to see another sport they like start up again for the year and might think about going. You basically have guaranteed demand for that game, so of course ticket prices will be higher.
Honestly, if you have an issue with the high ticket prices, complain to the fans that justify those prices by paying them. Besides, Opening Day is just one game… there’ll be plenty of mediocrity this year to put downward pressure on prices. Attendance has been dropping steadily for years, and this year will be no different, whether they guarantee 74-78 wins by resigning Dickey/Wright or not.
Hazmet
11/20/2012-7:30pm at 7:30 pm (UTC -4)
Blow off opening day and get Stub Hub tickets for less than $10 a seat once they suck again after a few weeks.
And while I bought a 5 pack for the family I didn’t attend 2 of the games for other ownership related issues and I do not plan on attending any games any time soon. But, they are not that fan unfriendly as depicted here. I forgot which club it was but they opened up that level to all fans. I think only the lowest level, I think Delta Club, is the only one not open to all. And they don’t care if you bring your own snacks, etc. so if you want to attend on the cheap: bring your food and buy an under $10 seat on Stub Hub.
That being said: are you really surprised they increased prices? Their attendance is going to tank massively this off season, book it.