The Mets Police

So here's what I'm hearing from at least three people....(I'm on the road and haven't been as on top of things as usual in Flushing).

....The Mets had a lottery for Subway Series tickets. Nobody I knew of and nobody who reads the Mets Police won them.

Then the Mets tried to sell even more Subway Series tickets as part of a 6-pack.

Now, I'm hearing from folks that they won a "second chance lottery" - which suggests that the Mets find themselves with more tickets on hand than even they expect.

I won.
I first got an email saying I DIDNT win.
Then today I got an email that let me buy tickets. I still have two tickets that I can purchase but im not going to , so if anyone
wants to buy tickets maybe we can set up a private ebay auction.
Email : Jessica1216xoxo@aol.com


Also

I won too today. It was like a second chance from the first lottery I guess they had unsold tickets from the first lottery but I won. And bought three tickets to the opener on friday im so pumped

Interesting.


Dan jumping in here. I also got the Second Chance Lottery email yesterday. All 3 games were available, and tickets were there for every price level. That's a LOT of availability for what once was a premier event. A combination of several things probably has contributed to this:

1 - The shine has worn off interleague play. I never liked this "experiment" as it essentially took away the distinctiveness of the 2 leagues (the DH aside). For several years now, outside of the "key" matchups (Mets/Yankees, Dodgers/Angels, Cubs/ChiSox) attendance has been floundering. It was only a matter of time before it caught up to these series as well.

2 - The shine has worn off the new ballparks. We've documented here countless times the lack of attendance at games this season. After the first few weeks demand for tickets has plumeted. Go take a look at StubHub and see how many people are selling tickets for every game. The apple may have been brought over but The Magic Is Not Back

3 - It's the economy stupid. Ticket prices, concessions, novelties, etc. The cost of going to a game here in NYC was always high, even before the new parks. The increased expense at New Shea and George's Stadium coupled with a sagging economy - well, people would rather eat and pay rent than go to a ballgame.

I really wonder what it will look like next year.


www.metspolice.com
@metspolice

www.metspolice.com

(I'm writing this on Monday afternoon so if the Mets have updated their website between now and then, fine they got me.)

Why are the ticket prices at Citi Field a state secret?

Sure we've heard some anecdotal evidence from Mushnick and a few others, mainly from folks who are renewing their ticket plans.

A visit to Mets.com provides absolutely zero information.   I can leave a deposit for $250 for a partial-plan, but that seems insane to do, there's no mention of how many games I would get or where the seats are.  What if the Mets offer me the one-game behind a pole plan?

There is of course a link to Stubhub, the official home of MLB scalping.   I can tell you the cheapest listed ticket for Opening Night is $189.   Nearly two hundred bucks to sit outside on a cold April night.  Heaven forbid they play a day game.

All hail the great Phil Mushnick who has a big enough forum to call the Mets on the carpet for their latest obscenity.   Of course Phil does this all the time and nothing ever happens (well the football stadium won't have a Nazi name, that's a small victory) - but here is Phil's latest policing of the Mets who are charging one fan $240 for "handling!"

Some of the more veteran ticket holders have gotten the invitation to fill out a survey about what tickets they would like in the new stadium, but if you know your log-in you can fill it out now.

Behind the plate - $495

Good Field Level - $225, $175 and $150 (by row)

Field Level Beyond Bases - $125 to $225

Promenade (fancy name for Upper Deck) - "averages $19"

They will continue doing the gold, silver, tin nonsense.

And here is the quote from Mets VP Dave Howard that I will use over and over and over for the next 40 years.

We were trying to produce revenue that would support our expenses and our debt service but also balance that against the realities that tickets were going to be going up for our customers. We were going to deliver qualitatively a far, far higher product for them."

Ok, you've jacked the prices and you've made a promise.   Mets Police will be on the case.

After my head exploded over the Citi Field ticket prices (go down one post) I decided to jump on www.mets.com and learn even more about Citi Field and I found this which makes me laugh because the featured politician is Eliot Spitzer.    I'm a big fan of Mr. Spitzer back from his days as Attorney General when he would let Cablevision charge whatever they wanted for Sportschannel, and let them keep YES off their systems for a year.  Spitzer always had the little guy's interest in mind.   I do like that the new governor Paterson is an honest to goodness Mets fan.



So Yankee Stadiun as come and gone twice, and yet the Red Sox can somehow survive in Fenway Park.   Apparently it's possible to win the World Series in the 21st Century, something the Yankees haven't done, without a new ballpark.  Without skyboxes.  Without moving across the street from your history.   Interesting.



I was in Fenway the day Mickey Mantle died.   I was sitting in the rooftop seats which are literally in the roof next to the light stand.   They gave us a survey that day which basically said "not that we ever would, but if we did build a new stadium what would you want to be part of it."  They were fishing for New Fenway, and seeing if people would want a big green wall (duh).   Fortunately that never came to be.   I can't stick up for Shea (wasn't that a slogan circa 1993 "Stick Up For Shea!") but I think the NYY's are crazy moving across the street.    Steinbrenner (George I mean) stopped talking about it when four million people started showing up, but it really is a lousy neighborhood for a stadium. 



A whole generation of Bosox fans is being raised to think of the Red Sox as winners.   Say you're 15 years old.  You've never known your team to suck, and you've enjoyed two World Championships.  Amazing.



Fantastic job out of the Yankees catching the Sox in the loss column.   I like having both the Mets and Yankees in the playoffs in October, it makes for a fun month of TV.



Isn't it nice that the Mets can lose a game and we don't all lose our minds?   They lost to Pujols in 14.  It happens.  I was excited that once again Jerry's team (unlike Willie's team) didn't roll over and die.  They had plenty of opportunities.



Jose Reyes got married Friday.   Mets Police wish a long and happy marriage to Mr. & Mrs. Reyes.



Nascar is really cool until Memorial Day.  Then, up in these parts at least, it's really challenging to make time for.   In the dead sports period of February & March it's really cool.   Daytona, Talladega - races on FOX with their excellent coverage.   A steady diet of Saturday Nationwide Series and Sunday Cup.



Then in the northeast the sun comes out, baseball starts, the races move to TNT and tracks like Pocono, and lame road courses.    Now the races are on ABC/ESPN but it's 85 and sunny out until 9pm, no thanks.    Come the fall they race against the NFL.   No thanks.



Nascar is a great sport, and like hockey you really need to see it in person, but the season is way too long, and doesn't work on a Sunday afternoon.    Maybe they could race on Thursday night?  Friday night?   that would change some of the tailgating culture - but is anyone really tailgating at Pocono anyway?



Finally, Metsradamus seems like he is channeling The Mets Police today.

Look, I know this is the last season of Shea Stadium. Fine. You want to preserve your memories. Fine. You want a picture of yourself in the House That Kranepool Built. Fine. But it's bad enough you stand at the entrance of the section between innings and block everyone from getting to the bathroom or the snack line before it fills up. Tonight, you took to standing at the entrance of the section while the play was going on and blocking our view of the game!

Read the whole thing here.

I missed this during the week, and didn't catch in the papers or the blogs, but great job out of Crain's with these nuggets:

We are told that:

More than half of the 42,000 seats will be $50 or less.   That sounds good until you wonder about all the $49 tickets.

Loge seats that were $82 in 2008 are now $175.   My calculator broke on that one, call Mushnick.

Seats behind home plate in the "Ebbets Club" will be $200.

Ebbets Club???!!!! For the millionth time Fred, YOU DON'T OWN THE DODGERS.   I hate the Dodger obsession, it drives me bananas.

There will sometimes be $12 tickets, on "select dates."   From experience, "Select dates" means Wednesday in April against Washington.


Read This And Weep

Read This And Cry

Some more info - from today's Ledger.  Why do I feel like this is spin?

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/at_yankees_new_park_he_touches.html

"Some front-row seats will cost $2,500, but 55 percent -- more than half -- of the seats will be $45 or less. Ninety-one percent will cost $100 or less. We made sure that 24,500 seats will not have a price increase. What you pay here, you'll pay there."