Jimmy the Mets fan says that the Phillies did not mail a media guide out, but included a voucher where ticket-holders could get a free hard copy at the stadium. Â This is unconfirmed but Jimmy has been reliable.
Below is a letter I got from Avi this morning..
My name is Avi, and I’m a loyal Mets fan and gullible season-ticket holder. Or I’m a gullible Mets fan and loyal season ticket-holder. I can never remember which.
I love your web site and appreciate the work you put into it. There’s a wealth of information for the fans, news is kept current, and it’s all done with great writing and a wonderful sense of humor. Kudos!
I’m writing to let you know that my season tickets arrived in the mail today. Yes, despite everything that happened last year, I kept my seats. Or rather, I took advantage of the fact that renewals were down to “move up” in my level of the stadium, which is the Promenade. And when I say “move up” IÂ really mean move up.
Last year I was in section 425 (“Promenade Box,” whatever that meant!), just off third base. Of course, like many Mets fans, I suffered from obstructed views all season long. The metal railing cut off a pizza-slice section of left field, and I could not see David Wright shag pop flies in the foul area by third base, even when I stood up. I don’t go to the ballpark for the new cuisine, or the so-called amenities, or the “fan experience.” I go to watch the games. Period. So the most important thing for me is the field of play, not the humongous video screen, not the new apple, not even the overcrowded Shake Shack miles downstairs.
Despite what the Mets and some fans will tell you, Shea never had these kinds of problems because the design of the stadium was more scooped out (think of a horseshoe) as opposed to the way CitiField was built, where for whatever reason they decided to build a curve using chunks of straight lines, going against basic physics –and logic. It still boggles my mind that they did a better job with the sight lines 50 years ago without sophisticated computers and advanced software. Ah, those old-school architects and engineers…
When the Mets gave their ticket-holders a tour of the stadium last year, I took the opportunity to check out the views from the 500s sections, especially the ones closer to home plate. I realized that, although they were not perfect, these views of the field were much better than the ones I had suffered through in 2009. So afterward, when I spoke to my tickets sales representative, I asked to be “demoted” to the 500s section, but only if I could get seats between the bases. Seemingly, that was not a problem, and I was able to secure a pair of seats in section 518. I am not 100% sure how the view is, and so I will have to hold my breath, figuratively, until Opening Day.
Getting back to the subject of my letter: the tickets arrived via UPS this afternoon. I immediately suspected that something was wrong because instead of getting a box, like in previous years, I received a plastic “Pad Pack.” And I confirmed upon opening it that two things were missing: the annual season-ticket holder gift, and the Media Guide. In the accompanying letter, William Ianniciello made no mention at all of the traditional gift, but he did address the absence of the Media Guide thus (and I quote): “To honor our commitment to MLB’s “going green” initiatives, the Mets 2010 Media Guide will be available to you online. You will receive access instructions from us when the guide is available.”
Well, what a bummer! I’m not pleased at all. I guess with all the CitiField tours and player meet-n-greets the Mets organized in the off-season, us season-ticket holders should not feel entitled to some tchotchke from the organization. Fine. I’m not going to cry over that. But the Media Guide? C’mon! That’s like being a member of a church and not getting their bible. I have a collection of Media Guides from all my faithful years, and a pdf printout of the 2010 Mets version is going to look pathetic sitting there on the shelf next to the stack of real ones.
I wrote to my ticket representative and am awaiting his reply. But I have to tell you one thing: I better not see any official bound Media Guides anywhere this year. Not in the team store, not in the stadium, not even in the hands of Keith or Gary or Ron. Because if it turns out that the Mets did do a print running of this book, then not sending it to the fans comes off as cheap, not “green.”
I apologize for how long-winded this letter has become, but I hope you had the patience to read it. Feel free to quote my email on your web site.
Avi has sent me an update later in the morning:
I got an email back from my Mets representative (to his credit, he always replies quickly), in which he explained that the season ticket-holder gift is shipping separately and should arrive by Opening Day. He also said he would find out if the Media Guide will be available for purchase this season.
I think the Phillies solution is a nice one. Â Those who really like having a physical guide can have one, the Mets can reduce shipping costs, and they can print fewer since not everyone will want one. Â How about it Mets? Â You can just email the voucher with bar-code technology to prevent duplicates.