Does it make sense to buy Mets ticket packages?

A letter from Matt then a comment,

So, as a Mets fan in Nevada, I try to get to San Diego to watch some baseball. A surprising 1st place team, yet still $5 tickets exist, a fireworks show every weekend where EVERYONE is invited to come sit on the field and enjoy it. My point…they made it fun and affordable to go to a game, people came and fans were born. Mets have (clearly) alienated everyone financially (except corporations who still can write some of it off) and have no reason to stop if they have a profit turned on April 5th based on season ticket/plan holders. San Diego’s season tix holders shrank so low, they had to come up with gimmicks to win the fans back. The Mets have the best of both worlds, fans in their pocket while they pick you clean. If any of you think you wont be able to buy tickets to 76 of the 81 home games next year, you are a fool. Pay as you go, there is no benefit to buying in bulk, telling ownership you approve of what they do. I will say the annual Mets fade has finally made me some money. I can safely bet against them until they fire Jerry!!

1.   $5 tickets at Citi Field should exist.   I said in the off-season the Mets should steal my Blue Cap Army idea and try to make something in Promenade Left.  There’s no reason those back rows under the scoreboard are full price.  Those are awful seats.

I think the Pepsi Porch could also become a fan favorite if they would adjust the pricing out there.   Maybe they do well enough as is, but I’m not going to pay that much to sit in the OF.

2.  Saturday Night fireworks sounds like a great idea.  It doesn’t need to be the full July 4th version, but plenty of areas somehow have figured out how to shoot off fireworks every week without breaking the bank (Chicago’s Navy Pier comes to mind.)

3.  As for walking up and buying tickets to 76 of the 81 home games…it’s 81 of 81 if you don’t mind paying $300…but for normal fans like us, yep Opening Day might sell out next year and the Yankees series probably will….and that’s it.   Based upon what we saw last Sunday, Dwight could have been the starting pitcher and it wouldn’t have sold out.   I doubt “Mike Piazza  Day” would sell out.

Some folks (myself included) like the plans.  I like knowing I have tickets for most Saturdays (more on that in a second) and I like knowing where I am sitting.   I happen to have “good” Promenade seats and want to keep them long term as I continue to pass my love of this team to my kids.   I’m fortunate that I have disposable income that allows me to waste $600 on this – and I make some back on Stubhub, especially early in the year and on the Yankees series.

However, if folks decide to buy when they are in the mood, or just shark Stubhub for cheapies this is the way to go.   From a pure economic standpoint, there’s little reason to buy from the Mets for the rest of the year.   You will be able to go for under $10 plenty of days from here on out.

Back to my Saturday+ plan.   Stop.   It was less offensive this year that the franchise at least called it “Saturday Plus” – but stop.  I don’t want the other 5 games.  I want the other 5 Saturdays.  I didn’t get orange cap day and now I’m not getting green cap day.   It’s offensive.   Why jerk around your diehards…give us EVERY Saturday next year and stop sticking us with weekdays…otherwise, yeah maybe I should take Matt’s advice and drop from 15 to zero.   Stubhub will get me in the building.

2 Replies to “Does it make sense to buy Mets ticket packages?”

  1. The Mets lost me as a season ticket holder when they stripped my Saturday plan of 1/3 of the Saturday home games, and stuck me behind a piece of plexiglass in a seat where I couldn’t see the left fielder. When they fix those problems — and put a compelling team on the field — I might consider giving them my business again. Until then, I’ll Stub Hub it on the rare occasions I feel like seeing them lose in person.

  2. i feel like the mets know they have to resort to gimmicks to get fans in. Fiesta Latina and the other theme nights are there to draw in fans who wouldnt normally want to go but get them to go. If they added a regular fireworks saturday night it would definitely draw. My wife is a Met fan but isnt the type who wants to go to 15 games a season. We used to have a Sunday plan but getting settled into married life I decided to give the plan up last year until further notice. I can get her to a few games a year. If there was a fireworks night it would make it that much easier to get her to more games. Coney Island in the past few years has had fireworks on the beach on Fridays for free. Why cant the Mets pull this off?

    Cheaper tickets will certainly get more people to the park. Perception is reality in the business world. There is a perception that you cant get tickets to Citi for less then 50 per seat which is probably why the mets have started this seats for less campaign. If they genuinely cut ticket prices they will not struggle to draw even with an ok team on the field.

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