Citi Field Tickets & Concessions

[rjsallstars]

You're missing my point. Many times in the 70's/90's when they sucked we packed up and went to 5-10 games. My father even took a couple of my friends on a firemans salary. You could do that and it wasn't close to the $$ hit that it is today. It is now something that needs to be planned to avoid the Wilpon/Howard pricing scheme. To me thats a shame. Something wrong when going to game equals a car payment. Just saying..

Kids went to Citi for free in Sept, how many games did people with families take advantage of? If they win, they will come. They will complain, but they will come!! It has been proven time and time again.

[GordonGecko]

Kids went to Citi for free in Sept, how many games did people with families take advantage of? If they win, they will come. They will complain, but they will come!! It has been proven time and time again.

Well yeah. And people love to complain about how their favorite activities are so expensive now. They're expensive because they're in demand, and people pay the price. If people didn't pay the price, the price would be lower. And many decades ago it used to be that blue collar workers had zero disposable income. People have that disposable income now, but you can't have everything you want for it. You pick and choose what you spend your money on, but at least you have that money to make those choices

[dstoffa]

You're missing my point. Many times in the 70's/90's when they sucked we packed up and went to 5-10 games. My father even took a couple of my friends on a firemans salary. You could do that and it wasn't close to the $$ hit that it is today. It is now something that needs to be planned to avoid the Wilpon/Howard pricing scheme. To me thats a shame. Something wrong when going to game equals a car payment. Just saying..

Well, if that is the position, then it's not really the cost of the outing (gas, parking, tickets, concessions), but the amount of disposable income one has to spend on such activities. If the cost of fuel, housing, food, insurance, etc. go up at rates that exceed one's salary increases, then yes, it becomes very difficult for a blue collar family to attend a game, simply because the take-home pay of the breadwinner(s) need to go to other necessities. We could go off on many tangents discussing why taking a family to a game is now unaffordable, and it would independent from team ownership... and many would all deal with comparing one's disposable income in 1977 to one's disposable income today.

It may simply be that cost of items deemed necessary in today's world are a much greater portion of one's take home pay than it was 30-40 years ago.


Cheers!
-Doug

[mandrake]

You're missing my point. Many times in the 70's/90's when they sucked we packed up and went to 5-10 games. My father even took a couple of my friends on a firemans salary. You could do that and it wasn't close to the $$ hit that it is today. It is now something that needs to be planned to avoid the Wilpon/Howard pricing scheme. To me thats a shame. Something wrong when going to game equals a car payment. Just saying..

Hey, my dad retired out of 101 in Red Hook ! There were games in 1977-1979 when my dad had, literally, one hundred free tickets in Loge outfield in section 32 that we could not GIVE away. (by coincidence, that is where our family Jets tickets were too). As a union delegate, he had tons of Mets tickets to give away and nobody wanted to go.

[Mister B.]

Doesn't it really all trace back to the abolotion of the reserve clause in the 1970s, which has been in the news lately due to the passing of Marvin Miller? When the average MLB salary in 1967 was $10,000 and the best of the best got $100K-ish, they could afford to sell box seats for $3.50 and hot dogs for a quarter.

A teacher who earned $8,000 in 1967 might make what - pick a number - $60,000 today? But the ballplayers? We all know that story.

Even in the more modern era, Darryl Strawberry walked away in 1991 because the Mets said he wasn't a $5M / year ballplayer; now David Wright is offered nearly four times that amount and he's not sure yet whether that's good enough.

So, the ticket prices and the concession prices went nutso, and they have to plaster ads everywhere to the point of absurdity, and going to a damn ballgame has become an Event to be planned and budgeted. I hate it, but I understand it. I liked it better as a kid when exactly three bucks got me my ticket, subway fare, program, hot dog and soda. ($1.30 + 70 cents + 25 cents + 40 cents + 35 cents). And they had doubleheaders. Kids can't do any of that now. Sucks.

I agree the reserve clause had to fall, and I know there are cable TV networks now and other factors that weren't on the radar back then, but in my opinion the beginning of the free agency era was the beginning of the end of an affordable day at the ballpark.

[rjsallstars]

Doesn't it really all trace back to the abolotion of the reserve clause in the 1970s, which has been in the news lately due to the passing of Marvin Miller? When the average MLB salary in 1967 was $10,000 and the best of the best got $100K-ish, they could afford to sell box seats for $3.50 and hot dogs for a quarter.

A teacher who earned $8,000 in 1967 might make what - pick a number - $60,000 today? But the ballplayers? We all know that story.

Even in the more modern era, Darryl Strawberry walked away in 1991 because the Mets said he wasn't a $5M / year ballplayer; now David Wright is offered nearly four times that amount and he's not sure yet whether that's good enough.

So, the ticket prices and the concession prices went nutso, and they have to plaster ads everywhere to the point of absurdity, and going to a damn ballgame has become an Event to be planned and budgeted. I hate it, but I understand it. I liked it better as a kid when exactly three bucks got me my ticket, subway fare, program, hot dog and soda. ($1.30 + 70 cents + 25 cents + 40 cents + 35 cents). And they had doubleheaders. Kids can't do any of that now. Sucks.

I agree the reserve clause had to fall, and I know there are cable TV networks now and other factors that weren't on the radar back then, but in my opinion the beginning of the free agency era was the beginning of the end of an affordable day at the ballpark.

Plenty of greed to go around and the fans have to pay for it. Or simply watch on TV.

[dstoffa]

So, the ticket prices and the concession prices went nutso, and they have to plaster ads everywhere to the point of absurdity, and going to a damn ballgame has become an Event to be planned and budgeted. I hate it, but I understand it. I liked it better as a kid when exactly three bucks got me my ticket, subway fare, program, hot dog and soda. ($1.30 + 70 cents + 25 cents + 40 cents + 35 cents). And they had doubleheaders. Kids can't do any of that now. Sucks.

Even if the price were *affordable* today, I'd think you'd find it hard pressed to see parents letting their kids run free and take the subway to some far away place for a day (well, night now), and come back... Kids need to have play dates, cell phones, you name it.

My parents let me out of the house at sun-up, and their only requirement was that I be back for lunch, dinner, and in the summer, when the street lights came on, unless I was on the block. I survived, and learned a lot during the process. I don't think today's kids get that opportunity, for reason that again would be well outside the bounds of this board. Needless to say, you'd be hard pressed to find a kid today who would trade in his cows for a free ticket to a ball game, then take the subway or bus back and forth to the game.... They'd be expecting someone to carry them back and forth... One cares so much they weaken what they are trying to protect...

I agree the reserve clause had to fall, and I know there are cable TV networks now and other factors that weren't on the radar back then, but in my opinion the beginning of the free agency era was the beginning of the end of an affordable day at the ballpark.

One could say that the players pre-Seitz suffered so that you could go to a game on the cheap. Was it fair that they suffer so that you could see 2 for 1?

There are two sides to every story.... and things always evolve, and maybe not to our liking...


Cheers!
-Doug

[rjsallstars]

Even if the price were *affordable* today, I'd think you'd find it hard pressed to see parents letting their kids run free and take the subway to some far away place for a day (well, night now), and come back... Kids need to have play dates, cell phones, you name it.

My parents let me out of the house at sun-up, and their only requirement was that I be back for lunch, dinner, and in the summer, when the street lights came on, unless I was on the block. I survived, and learned a lot during the process. I don't think today's kids get that opportunity, for reason that again would be well outside the bounds of this board. Needless to say, you'd be hard pressed to find a kid today who would trade in his cows for a free ticket to a ball game, then take the subway or bus back and forth to the game.... They'd be expecting someone to carry them back and forth... One cares so much they weaken what they are trying to protect...



One could say that the players pre-Seitz suffered so that you could go to a game on the cheap. Was it fair that they suffer so that you could see 2 for 1?

There are two sides to every story.... and things always evolve, and maybe not to our liking...


Cheers!
-Doug

"One cares so much they weaken what they are trying to protect..." That is a very good statement.

Got a email from the Mets this morning saying there will be a Cirque Du Soleil at Citi Field starting in March. There is a presale today. I guess they would set it up in the parking lot. I have never been to one, I think I may have to try it.

[mandrake]

Doesn't it really all trace back to the abolotion of the reserve clause in the 1970s, which has been in the news lately due to the passing of Marvin Miller? When the average MLB salary in 1967 was $10,000 and the best of the best got $100K-ish, they could afford to sell box seats for $3.50 and hot dogs for a quarter.

A teacher who earned $8,000 in 1967 might make what - pick a number - $60,000 today? But the ballplayers? We all know that story.

Even in the more modern era, Darryl Strawberry walked away in 1991 because the Mets said he wasn't a $5M / year ballplayer; now David Wright is offered nearly four times that amount and he's not sure yet whether that's good enough.

So, the ticket prices and the concession prices went nutso, and they have to plaster ads everywhere to the point of absurdity, and going to a damn ballgame has become an Event to be planned and budgeted. I hate it, but I understand it. I liked it better as a kid when exactly three bucks got me my ticket, subway fare, program, hot dog and soda. ($1.30 + 70 cents + 25 cents + 40 cents + 35 cents). And they had doubleheaders. Kids can't do any of that now. Sucks.

I agree the reserve clause had to fall, and I know there are cable TV networks now and other factors that weren't on the radar back then, but in my opinion the beginning of the free agency era was the beginning of the end of an affordable day at the ballpark.

You are right about this, and you have some of the very best FST's on baseball fever to back up what you are saying.

In the Metro NYC area, the huge cost of just getting to and from various sports venues can be budget busting. For me, driving down from Orange County could cost (could) $12 at the GWB, $13 going to $15 on the Tri Boro, $2.50 on the Thruway, and $20 to park...and about $20 or more in gasoline. That's nearly $70 per game....without a single ticket or anything to drink or eat.

This year I was given 4 Metro Box seats to Banner day. The face was $140 each. I parked on 114th street, gave 2 tickets away to a pair of fans who were looking to buy prom OF seats, and I used 2 tickets and ate in the ACELA club. With no add ons, no frills in ACELA..that cost $100. Free tickets/free parking on street....still cost about $50 for gas and tolls....so a Sunday at the park was still $150. Another game I sat in Delta Platinum seats that listed on mets.com for $440 each.... a pair of tickets there cost nearly as much as FST's out in section 538 !

Some fans want to go to as many games as possible and if their lifestyle allows it, great for them. Others prefer to go a few times but splurge when they do go. If they can afford it, more power to them. Some fans choose to stay home and live and die on every pitch...but while watching on TV or listening to the radio. The one idea that I strongly disagree with is the oft repeated mantra that having full season tickets somehow makes a person more of a loyal fan....IMHO it has absolutely no correlation.

In 1979, I went to many games, The Mets were horrible, but I was a HS student and the cost was little to nothing. I got in thru GA or comps and had a relative who was an usher for free upgrades. I had no real responsibilities then and lived relatively close by. On the other hand, in 2006 I did not get a chance to go to a single game and the Mets nearly won the pennant. Was I a better fan in 1979 since I went to games when the Mets sucked? Was I a worse fan when Shea was packed in 2006 and I could not go?

In 1970, nearly 2.7 million fans went to Shea. In 1979 800K went. Many of us on this board were there in 1970 and 1979. It didn't make anyone better or worse.

The one thing that MLB has lost is the young kid that can go to a bunch of games spur of the moment. Obviously, if you live far away the kids really just can't go on their own. But my kids have zero desire to go to a Mets game. My neighbor listens to every game outside during the summer, and his kids have no desire to go either. Some kids do like going, of course, but as people moved out of the cities, lifestyle and entertainment changed.

"One cares so much they weaken what they are trying to protect..." That is a very good statement.

My parents let me drive to college 1300 miles away in a car held together by rust; duct tape, wire, pliers, screwdrivers, a can of fix a flat, a can of ether for the choke that stuck, extra oil, water, and anti freeze.....all the essentials for driving a Chevy cross country by yourself..with no GPS, cell phone, credit cards. I wonder now 'what the hell were they thinking'...but I made it through snowstorms in PA and OH in winter, and 100 degree heat in MO and AR in the summer.

[dstoffa]

The one thing that MLB has lost is the young kid that can go to a bunch of games spur of the moment. Obviously, if you live far away the kids really just can't go on their own. But my kids have zero desire to go to a Mets game. My neighbor listens to every game outside during the summer, and his kids have no desire to go either. Some kids do like going, of course, but as people moved out of the cities, lifestyle and entertainment changed.

I don't think there are many Tanner Boyles anymore. "Crud No! I want to play ball"

Kids today have MANY more ways to spend their free time. Baseball isn't high up on their list. A sign of the times...

"One cares so much they weaken what they are trying to protect..." That is a very good statement.

My parents let me drive to college 1300 miles away in a car held together by rust; duct tape, wire, pliers, screwdrivers, a can of fix a flat, a can of ether for the choke that stuck, extra oil, water, and anti freeze.....all the essentials for driving a Chevy cross country by yourself..with no GPS, cell phone, credit cards. I wonder now 'what the hell were they thinking'...but I made it through snowstorms in PA and OH in winter, and 100 degree heat in MO and AR in the summer.

I would like to think that by age 18, your parents knew that you could survive any obstacle that could be thrown your way... You were given the opportunity to learn from your mistakes, your surroundings, and your friends.

What were they thinking? They were thinking you learned enough to solve any dilemma that may come your way.

Those 1300 mile drives must have been character building....

Cheers!
-Doug

[Mastermind]

Plenty of greed to go around and the fans have to pay for it. Or simply watch on TV.

which costs around $100 a month instead of being free back in the day

[rjsallstars]

which costs around $100 a month instead of being free back in the day

lots of greed in the satellite/Cable business also.

[dstoffa]

which costs around $100 a month instead of being free back in the day

But remember, not every game was televised back then... Radio Radio!!!!

[ribant]

But remember, not every game was televised back then... Radio Radio!!!!

By the mid 60's every Mets game except weeknight west coast and a some random others were on Channel 9. Can't say for sure about the Yankee's, but I bet it was similar.

[mandrake]

By the mid 60's every Mets game except weeknight west coast and a some random others were on Channel 9. Can't say for sure about the Yankee's, but I bet it was similar.

Yankees were very chintzy with Ch 11 games in the old stadium, pre renovation. I think they only showed about 50-60 games a year total(home and away) on TV. I can barely recall a game at the Seattle Pilots that was on TV ! I also think OYS had better camera angles then Shea had back then.

[dstoffa]

By the mid 60's every Mets game except weeknight west coast and a some random others were on Channel 9. Can't say for sure about the Yankee's, but I bet it was similar.

I'd have to look at my repro '73 yearbook. Inside had the schedule, and games being televised were indicated as such.... I just remember too many people mentioning that a good chunk of games were not televised....

Cheers!
-Doug

[Paul W]

...they suffer so that you could see 2 for 1?...

professional baseball players did not "suffer", even before free agency.
what they made was much closer to the average wage, not the outrageous $$$'s they get now.
owners and fan/customers may complain about the upward spiral but they have no one to blame but themselves.

[Gary Dunaier]

I'd have to look at my repro '73 yearbook. Inside had the schedule, and games being televised were indicated as such.... I just remember too many people mentioning that a good chunk of games were not televised....

Don't have access to a '73, real or reprint, but here's a scan of the 1967 Mets' schedule as published in the '67 yearbook... unfortunately, it doesn't indicate whether or not a game is televised...

[Mister B.]

For some reason, 117 televised games per year on Channel 9 sticks in my mind from that era.

I think mandrake is right that the Yankees showed about half that amount on Channel 11.

[johnql]

As a STH, the Mets are offering 3 packages as a benefit: the "Family Package", the "Business Package" and the "Super Fan Package". Part of the Family Package includes KIDS "BE A MET FOR A DAY" FANTASY EXPERIENCE (two kids per account). Has anyone chosen this perk before? What does this fantasy experience actually entail?

Descriptions of the 3 packages here:

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/tick...sp?loc=packs_2

[WASLOGE8]

I just called the Mets to see if I can stop by to pick up tickets for OD since I'll be in the area. The rep I talked to said the box office is not open and that I would either need to purchase the tix online or over the phone, incurring crazy fees (8.75 a ticket x 5 tix plus $2 handling plus $5 to mail the tix)$50 in fees plus $84 a ticket for UD (510 Row 16) is just not happening, at least right now! Serves me right for giving up my ticket plans! Me and a friend were going to drive in when the have the coat drive; maybe the box office will be open then.

[rjsallstars]

As a STH, the Mets are offering 3 packages as a benefit: the "Family Package", the "Business Package" and the "Super Fan Package". Part of the Family Package includes KIDS "BE A MET FOR A DAY" FANTASY EXPERIENCE (two kids per account). Has anyone chosen this perk before? What does this fantasy experience actually entail?

Descriptions of the 3 packages here:

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/tick...sp?loc=packs_2

We choose the family package last year and my son did the Met for a day. It started by signing a contract for one day to be a Met. They then went into the visitors locker room and were able to put there stuff in a locker, take pictures, etc. They were greeted by there "manager" who was a lower level minor league coach and went out on the field to take batting practice, and field the balls from BP. They then went into the Mets press room one by one, sat at the podium that the post game interviews are done and answered questions from staff poseing as reporters. You could take pictures and film the interview. It lasted a couple of hours and my son reallly enjoyed it. I found the 20 free tickets to be the better of the two perks. Since neither of my children were born in the summer, we used the tickets as a fund raiser for my sons little league. We sold the tickets and went as a group. They were beautiful field level seats and everyone had a good time. I hope this helps.

[johnql]

We choose the family package last year and my son did the Met for a day. It started by signing a contract for one day to be a Met. They then went into the visitors locker room and were able to put there stuff in a locker, take pictures, etc. They were greeted by there "manager" who was a lower level minor league coach and went out on the field to take batting practice, and field the balls from BP. They then went into the Mets press room one by one, sat at the podium that the post game interviews are done and answered questions from staff poseing as reporters. You could take pictures and film the interview. It lasted a couple of hours and my son reallly enjoyed it. I found the 20 free tickets to be the better of the two perks. Since neither of my children were born in the summer, we used the tickets as a fund raiser for my sons little league. We sold the tickets and went as a group. They were beautiful field level seats and everyone had a good time. I hope this helps.

Thanks very much for the detailed description. It definitely helps. I will probably choose the Family Package and, like you, feel that the 20 tickets to a game is the better half of the package.

[headshoes]

Does anyone have the exact tier/price breakdown for tickets for the 2013 season?

(example, april 3 padres, value $15 etc)

[LI METS FAN]

Does anyone have the exact tier/price breakdown for tickets for the 2013 season?

(example, april 3 padres, value $15 etc)

There's a chart on the Mets website under Ticketing, Single Game Pricing for each game and each tier. It only goes week by week however as far as I can tell.