FLUSHING, N.Y., February 21, 2013 – The New York Mets today announced the promotional schedule for the 2013 season at Citi Field. The Mets will give away nearly 400,000 items to fans of all ages highlighted by the All-Star Bobblehead Series featuring Ron Darling (April 21), John Franco (May 25) David Wright (June 30), Dwight Gooden (July 21) and Tom Seaver (August 25) and special events including Banner Day (May 11) and Fireworks Nights (July 3). Single game tickets go on sale Friday, March 1 at Mets.com and (718) 507-TIXX.
Highlights of the 2013 season include:
ALL-STAR RELATED GIVEAWAYS
Mets All-Star Bobblehead Series – The first 25,000 fans in attendance can collect a figurine depicting an iconic Mets All-Star:
· Ron Darling presented by Citi – Sunday, April 21 vs. the Washington Nationals at 1:10 p.m.
· John Franco presented by GEICO – Saturday, May 25 vs. the Atlanta Braves at 7:15 p.m.
· David Wright presented by Verizon – Sunday, June 30 vs. Washington at 1:10 p.m.
· Dwight Gooden presented by Gold’s Horseradish – Sunday, July 21 vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:10 p.m.
· Tom Seaver presented by Toyota – Sunday, August 25 vs. the Detroit Tigers at 1:10 p.m.
Mets All-Star Gnome presented by Pepsi – The Mets will celebrate the return of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game to Flushing by giving away an All-Star gnome to the first 25,000 fans in attendance at the Tuesday, July 4 Mets-Arizona Diamondbacks game at 1:10 p.m.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Banner Day – The uniquely Mets tradition returns Saturday, May 11 with an on-field parade prior to the Mets hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 p.m. Mets fans voted online to move Banner Day to May 11 after the original game was selected to be the ESPN Sunday Night game. The Mets will announce more details about Banner Day including guest judges, prizes and logistics in the coming weeks.
Fireworks Night – Come to Citi Field to kick off the start of summer on Friday, May 24 with post-game fireworks following the 7:10 p.m. Mets-Braves matchup, then celebrate our nation’s birthday with another fireworks display the night Independence Day Wednesday, July 3 after the 7:10 p.m. Mets-Diamondbacks game.
Mr. Met Dash – Kids 12 and under can run the bases after the game with Mr. Met leading the pack after five afternoon games (Sunday, April 7; Sunday, June 16; Thursday, July 4; Sunday, August 4; and Sunday, September 15), weather permitting.
Senior Stroll – Seniors 65 and over can stroll the bases after the Thursday, August 29 Mets-Phillies 1:10 p.m. game, weather permitting.
METS MERCHANDISE GIVEAWAYS
Magnetic Schedule presented by SNY – The Mets will celebrate the start of the 2013 season on Opening Day, Monday, April 1 against the San Diego Padres at 1:10 p.m. The first 25,000 fans will receive a 2013 magnetic schedule, courtesy of SNY.
Mets Calendar presented by Subway – On Saturday, April 6, the first 25,000 fans attending the Mets-Miami Marlins game at 1:10 p.m. will receive a 2013 calendar celebrating the Mets, courtesy of Subway.
MLB Network Drawstring Bag – The first 25,000 fans attending the 1:10 p.m. Mets-Marlins game will receive a drawstring Bag, courtesy of MLB Network.
Dunkin’ Donuts Gift Card – At the Mets-Cincinnati Reds matchup on Wednesday, May 22 at 1:10 p.m., the first 25,000 fans will receive a Dunkin’ Donuts Gift Card.
Cap Trade presented by Chevrolet – The Mets will provide fans with the opportunity to trade in their old Mets cap for a new one, thanks to Chevrolet, during both games of the Subway Series, Monday, May 27 and Tuesday, May 28. The first 10,000 fans at each game will be able to take advantage of the offer.
Mets Collector’s Cup presented by Premio – The Mets will give away a special edition Collector’s Cup presented by Premio to the first 25,000 fans at the Wednesday, June 12 Mets game against the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:10 p.m.
Mets T-Shirt presented by GEICO – The first 25,000 fans at Citi Field Friday, June 28 to watch the Mets play the Nationals 7:10 p.m., will receive a T-Shirt presented by GEICO.
Mets Hat presented by Nathan’s – The Mets will give away a mesh Mets hat, presented by Nathan’s, to the first 25,000 fans attending the Mets-Nationals game at 1:10 p.m. on Saturday, June 29.
Mets Toy Truck presented by WB Mason – On Saturday, July 20 when the Mets host the Phillies at 1:10 p.m., the first 15,000 fans will receive a Mets WB Mason toy truck.
Mets Playing Cards presented by Caesars – The first 25,000 fans at the Saturday, August 3 Mets-Kansas City Royals game at 1:10 p.m. will receive a deck of playing cards, courtesy of Caesars.
Mets Knit Hat presented by Caesars – On Sunday, September 15, the first 25,000 fans attending the Mets-Marlins game at 1:10 p.m. will receive a Mets knit hat, thanks to Caesars.
THEME DATES
Bark In the Park – Mets fans can bring their dog to the ballpark at the annual Bark in the Park event in support of the North Shore Animal League America on Saturday, April 20 when the Mets host the Washington Nationals at 3:05 p.m. Fans and their dogs can sit together in the Pepsi Porch and participate in the pre-game dog parade around the warning track. The first 500 dogs in attendance will receive a Mets bandana. People tickets and dog tickets for Bark in the Park must be purchased at Mets.com/dogs.
Autism Awareness Day – The Mets will host their 11th annual Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 27 when the Mets take on the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:05 p.m. to help raise money and awareness for the disorder that affects 1 in 88 American children. Tickets are available at Mets.com/autism.
Stitch N Pitch – The Mets will host the 7th annual Stitch N’ Pitch event at Citi Field on Saturday, May 11 at 1:10 p.m. vs. Pirates. The first 1,000 fans who purchase Stitch N’ Pitch tickets through the online offer will receive a limited edition Bobblehead of Mr. Met knitting. Tickets are available through Mets.com/StitchNPitch.
Teacher Appreciation Night – The Mets will be honoring teachers on Monday, July 1 at 7:10 p.m. vs. Diamondbacks. The first 500 tickets sold through the online offer will receive a limited edition Teacher Appreciation Day Mets Apple Clock. Tickets are available through Mets.com/teachers.
20 comments
Stick
2/26/2013-9:47am at 9:47 am (UTC -4)
Will the Wright bobblehead have pronounced dimples? I sure hope so!
TX
2/26/2013-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
It wouldn’t be authentic without them!
kingman 26
2/26/2013-12:23pm at 12:23 pm (UTC -4)
The Wright bobblehead will come with optional halo, otherworldly glow, special matching undies for you and the bobblehead which are endorsed by Michael Baron, and also the Wright doll will come with a career stat sheet for Wright which will only have stats for 2004–2008 and the first half of 2012, so fans can continue to pretend that he is still a franchise superstar.
Stick
2/26/2013-11:31am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
I think they should add a MDD defensive highlight reel day. I am really starting to warm up to this guy. I wish his bat was a little further along so that he could be considered an option to win a job now, since I really like the idea of some serious glove action in the OF.
speaking of the OF, it is still the most fascinating aspect of the team to me right now. quite a few ways to take it. Of course, if the Stanton blockbuster goes down, that would certainly change the dynamics! Still, I think there is enough potential out there (and relative youth) to piece together a functional unit (and we know, Terry loves his platoons!)
but just not sure they can carry a flashy glove that is not hitting. Unless……
2nd most fascinating is watching Flores grow into the 2B for the next decade, right before out eyes. I get tingly just thinking about it!
so put them together, and can there be enough offense to carry MDD for now? Hell, if you are ever going to give a guy the chance to learn OTJ, it should be this year.
and will their possibly be enough power without Duda? Porbably only if Flores and TDA are in the lineup.
cowgill/Kirk in LF, MDD in CF, Baxter/(brown or byrd) in LF? lot of speed. Plenty of defense. Could suck royally, but crap, the pitchers would really appreciate it!
if you are going to base a team in a big park on P and D, might as well actually have some D!
that leaves you with a lineup of:
cowgill (Kirk)
Tejada?
Wright
Ike
TDA
Flores
Baxter (Brown/Byrd)
MDD.\
If nothing else, by far the best defensive team they have had in years. And decent speed.
OK> I am just rambling at this point. But oh my gawd, if you did plug a “real” OF like Stanton in there instead of the 2nd platoon, yowza.
darknova306
2/26/2013-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
This is why I always brought up MDD during the Bourn debate. He completely neutralizes the “we need Bourn because of his defense” argument. I’m all about MDD. Yeah, he was anemic in half a season of AAA last year, but he started the year by destroying AA. If anything, he’s worth an extended look in ST, and will be someone to at least keep an eye on going forward at AAA.
It took him some time to make adjustments in AA, so it’s worth giving him some more time in AAA before writing him off. And I’d even get behind letting him learn on the job in the big leagues this year, but that may be a stretch.
Stick
2/26/2013-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
we are on the same page re: Bourn. I just did not see his O as strong enough to justify the commitment and cost, when you can re0lace the D practically for free.
Let Dekker play every day, with judicious use of Cowpie against the tougher lefties, and thee may not be all the big of a production difference by the end of the year.
and I say, screw it, let him go int he majors. Since he seems to struggle at first at a new level then come on strong, why do it at AAA and ML! is he really going to learn anything in Vegas that he can’t in NYC?
I also worked it out so he can hit 8th, so low pressure.
TRS86
2/26/2013-12:45pm at 12:45 pm (UTC -4)
I seconded and thirded that debate. Kirk, DD, Cowgill, Baxter none of them are oafs in the OF. While we needed a leadoff hitter, we didn’t need to pay Bourn 50M to be a little bit better than what we had.
TX
2/26/2013-1:28pm at 1:28 pm (UTC -4)
I still think Bourn would have been a perfect fit for the team. However great MDD’s D turns out to be, if he’s an automatic out in the lineup, it’s not helping the team. It’s not like this is the 86′ Mets team with bats through the whole lineup where Raffy could just be stuck in the 8th spot and you could forget about him.
But alas, that there is water under the bridge.
TX
2/26/2013-11:57am at 11:57 am (UTC -4)
Would love Stanton, for sure, but at what cost? I mean, really, where would the line have to be drawn?
MMO had a page about Wheeler and Darno for Stanton and Pierre. Forget that Pierre is 100 years old and a throw in. Would you trade a top 5 prospect and top 15 prospect in all of baseball for a monster of a power hitter that’s a corner OF? I lean towards no. These are my reasons:
- With Santana and Marcum most likely leaving, 2 SP spots need to be filled for the next year. Other than Wheeler, there is no one I’m comfortable with to make the leap. Famila? Mejia? McHugh? No faith with any of those 3, though I hope to be surprised.
- The Polish Pummeler is still a couple years away. So, are you OK with adding Stanton to the OF and having to piece together a SP and C for the next few years? I’m not sure I am.
- 7 years of control each with Darno a Wheeler, 3 or 4 more with Stanton
Now, the glaring hole in my argument that I can’t dispute is Stanton is still crazy young and an accomplished and established product. Darno/Wheeler… May be great. May be… There is a lot to be said about potential vs. kinetic. Stanton is about as kinetic as they come at this point (and may have some extra potential yet to be reached as well!).
If they could trade Darno + Fulmer + Flores and a throw in, I’d feel better about that deal, as pitching pitching pitching is going to take this team to glory.
Now, to add in the wrinkle of the other 28 teams in the league, I am not even sure just those 2 pull off the deal either. It’s tough to speculate what it’ll take, but there are richer teams that could pull off the deal and it not have the impact on their pipeline of talent. St. Louis comes to mind. Texas. Seattle. Wouldn’t rule out Boston either.
Seattle, for one, is desperate, the GM is on the hot seat, has talent in the minors… That spells and over pay and one looking to make an Omarian splash. Sandy, on the the other hand, probably has about as much job security as he could ever want. Commish in waiting and all that. He’s not getting jumpy on this deal.
Stick
2/26/2013-12:11pm at 12:11 pm (UTC -4)
that is where I saw it (totally out of th eblue)
and yeah, there are lots of complications, but nthing that can’t be overcome.
But looking at the theoretical (Stanton for Wheeler + TDA) basic trade (with the inevitable filler pieces of course), IMO you do that trade. Stanton is too good of a talent not to grab when you have the very rare chance. because odds are, the Mets are not creating one of their own!
Catchers (young ones too) are such a crapshoot. It would hurt, but you do it.
wheeler? Again, have to give to get. And in this case, it is exactly why you need to have the pipeline of high upside arms, so you can make a deal like this.
If Synergies takes the next step this year, but the end of the year he will be Wheeler. Fulmer should come fast too. So effectively what Sandy is betting on is that he can replace Wheeler internally in another year or so.
until then, you fill in the rotation as best you can, use a guy like Buck until centao/polish hammer might be ready, etc. And enjoy Stanton in the middle of the order.
Oh, the other must item would be extending him through arbitration + a couple. need at least 5, ideally 7, years locked up for safety sake!
and one thing he immediately does (outside of the fan buzz) is take a load off of DW to be “the man: at bat. especially since DW would now be hitting 2nd or 5th!
TX
2/26/2013-12:23pm at 12:23 pm (UTC -4)
I’d think you roll with Murph, Wright, Ike, Stanton in the 2 thru 5 spot or even Wright, Ike, Stanton, Murph in the 2 thru 5 spot.
I’m still hesitant on that deal, but I wouldn’t be mad to see Stanton in a Mets uniform. Well, unless it’s those ugly black uniforms.
kingman 26
2/26/2013-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
Flores can hit 2nd and play 2B I hope.
With his plate discipline, he might be a very nice #2 hitter. Or a #5 if his power increases. Murph cannot hit #5 and I pray that Flores Wally Pipps him.
TX
2/26/2013-12:39pm at 12:39 pm (UTC -4)
I hope Murph is transformed into a serviceable RH corner OF bat!
kingman 26
2/26/2013-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
Wheeler AND d’Oorknob for Stanton?
No f***ing chance in hell.
Wheeler and Harvey are, to me, absolutely untouchable unless we are getting maybe Strasburg, Harper, King Felix, or Trout back.
Maybe the same package we traded for Dickey for Stanton?
It’s quite simple—if Harvey and Wheeler are both true number 1s/2s, we have a team–with Niese as number 3–that is set up to win for years. You don’t need Big Red Machine offense to win with a rotation like the one we might have in a couple of years.
Can Flores really play 2B? Can doubleDekker hit enough to play every day and give us a GG CF? If so, this team, aside from LF and RF and the pen, could already be set for years.
Stanton is tempting and very good, but he does K a tremendous amount, and we play in a pitcher’s park.
Cannot trade Wheeler for Stanton.
TX
2/26/2013-12:38pm at 12:38 pm (UTC -4)
The idea of a rotation where Niese is your 3rd or 4th best starter is so appealing. I don’t want to see Darno or Wheeler traded, let alone both.
kingman 26
2/26/2013-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
I totally agree.
I might sacrifice d’Artagnan for Stanton if the rest of the package was not too crazy, but for me, starting pitching is almost always the foundation of greatness, and deep excellent starting pitching (or a 1-2 of Koufax/Drysdale, Seaver/Koosman, Randy J/Schilling, Pedro/Schilling, Cain/Lincecum, etc.) is the foundation of championships.
darknova306
2/26/2013-1:29pm at 1:29 pm (UTC -4)
And to add a little practicality into this, a great pipeline of pitching talent can be quickly derailed by a couple guys not living up to expectations, a freak injury, a blown shoulder, and a genuine flameout. That’s why you hoard that pitching. Unless you see the final “put us over the top” piece out there, you really should think long and hard before giving up any of the highest upside talent in the system.
Pitching and defense, baby. Knog knows what’s up.
kingman 26
2/26/2013-2:31pm at 2:31 pm (UTC -4)
Thank you Dark!
Stockpile the starters!
Wheeler, Harvey, Niese, Gee, Syndergaard, Montero, etc., etc. etc.
Cannot have enough of them.
And from the big number of young, live arms all vying for the pen we could have some surprises out there as well.
And hey, if you DO have too many pitchers, you can always trade a Ryan for a Fregosi…
Prismo
2/26/2013-12:54pm at 12:54 pm (UTC -4)
“The first 1,000 fans who purchase Stitch N’ Pitch tickets through the online offer will receive a limited edition Bobblehead of Mr. Met knitting.”
Just what I always wanted!
Stickguy
2/26/2013-3:38pm at 3:38 pm (UTC -4)
I am sure that one was geared towards SRT>