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.
Same old Mets!Recieved 2 comp tkts to Team workout day on EASTER SUNDAY come on !
well John, they have a spring game in Florida on Saturday and the seasonn starts Monday. Can’t kill them for the first full moon after the equinox.
You want the moon? I’ll throw a lasso around it and..
Same old Mets fanbase, always complaining about everything.
As Shannon pointed out, there was no getting around having the workout day on Easter. Just like there will be games that fall out on 1 or more of the following: Passover, Rosh Hashanna, and Yom Kippur.
coulnt they had workout day during the season
On a day off? Please.
Geez. Overreact much! “I better not see any Media guides” I noticed the media guide thing and at first I was a little disappointed and then I realized the guide from last year is still taking up space and I barely looked at it. The Mets are still giving you the same info just in a more convenient form. I’m sorry that that doesn’t meet your collecting purposes but I’m sure you can finagle a hard copy if you are persistent. As for the seat upgrade, he should have had his ticket rep let him check out the seats during business hours. That’s what I did. I went in January and sat in my new seats and mind you I am only a 15 game guy.
I get it, the Mets have had some bad seasons these last few years, but can we please stop demonizing the whole organization as some boogeyman who is out to get us. It is getting old real fast hearing people who are lucky enough to afford to blow money on baseball games bitch and moan about how they were “wronged”.
come on Cory its a workout can do it before any day game do you think its any more then stretching and Bp bet they wont even give autographs! last game of last season apprecation day let season tkt holders walk bases after game not a single Met stayed around
Before a game?
So they are going to have about 15,000 – 20,000 come a few hours before a game that many of them don’t have tickets to? Where do you propose all those extra people will park?
When should they have this fantasy workout? Should they make the players come in and be on the field practicing at 8 AM before a 1:10 game? Or should they have it on the day off following a west coast trip?
Seriously dude, the off day before the season happened to fall out on Easter. What are you really missing by not being able to go? Batting practice? Deal with it.
As for the last day of the season last year, did they bill it as a chance to walk the bases while Alex Cora & Mike Pelfrey stand and gawk at you or did they just bill it as a chance to walk the bases? Don’t blame the Mets for failing to live up to your fantasies.
BTW, 15 game plans weren’t promised a media guide anyway:
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ticketing/15game_plans.jsp
However, us season ticket holders will be getting a few extras that we never got before:
* “Thank You” Gift (maybe this was the framed picture?)
* Mets Yearbook
* Mets Magazine Opener Edition
* Season Ticket Holder of the Game
* Season Ticket Holder of the Month
* “Take the Field with the Mets” Days
* Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day
* Season Ticket Holder ID Card
* Early Saturday/Sunday Ballpark Entrance
* Port St. Lucie Special Access Privilege (gets you ON THE FIELD for pregame batting practice)
thanks for the list of new benefits but also on that list is current benifits and they include Mets media guide and single game ticket fees waived for full season tkt holders !ordered 2 extra tkts for opening day 35 dollar fee Cory you sure your last name is not Wilpon lol
so what you saying is everyone is invited to workout day not just season tkt holders .Sorry i mispelled your name
It’s pretty simple, if you call up for single game tickets & deal directly with the Mets ticket office, you don’t pay any fees.
If you go online and deal with MLB.com and their 3rd party ticketing vendor, you pay a fee.
I called up the ticket office, got through at 9:00 AM sharp, got all the extra tickets I needed, was done in 10 minutes and paid zero fees. Others I know had the same exact experience.
Oh and you are getting your media guide, it’s called a download.
My last name isn’t Wilpon, is yours Whiner? Stop playing the role of victim already. I agree with what Randy said earlier
Did you get opening day tkts got mine through mets.com didnt know they were a 3rd party tkt sales just followed link Mets sent me .so all tkt plans are invited to workout day got any inside info?anybody got a answer? just putting the info i have out there ! after all this blog is the mets police
I agree Shannon this is what Mets police is supposed to be about .Information and discussion faster and better then the official Mets media
Ditto Corey, whenever I need extra tix for friends I call 718-507-TIXX and get my tickets without fees. You get better seats that way anyway as you can check various sections.
@John
If you are eligible for workout day you would have received tickets with your plan tickets. If you just bought opening day then you will not get any tix for workout. You’re not missing much, it’s essentially a BP session with a few interviews.
Yes Randy i am a full season tkt holder and i did recieve 2 tkts for the workout day also bought a couple of extra tkts for opening day the first morning full season plan holders where allowed Through mets link that they sent to me as a season tkt holder and yes there was a order service charge and a per ticket service charge .So i ask ?anybody else order opening day tkts either trough 507 tixx or their own web site mets .com and were not charged these surcharges
.
John,
I think Randy & I make this explicitly clear.
Buy tickets on web = service charge, less flexibility in choosing seat location
Buy tickets by phone = no service charge, ability to pick/specify seat location choices.
I will say that the Mets need to do a better job of communicating that they will only wave the service charges over the phone.
Corey – I think better communicating that there are no fees via phone is a noble thing for them to do, and the type of suggestion-solution angle I was talking about in yesterday’s post.
Where my brain gets confused is trying to figure out why talking to an actual human is less expensive than some electrons moving around some processors.
Its pretty simple. I think MLBAM takes a cut of online ticket sales fee as does the company that handles the Mets ticketing systems.
They could make it clearer, though it is worth noting that mailer they sent to me does say “no ticket fees at 507-TIXX” under benefits.
so did either of you 2 guys order ODT at tixx that was basicly my question .I have the benfits page i know what it says but i still have not heard that the policy applies to that special ODT PRESALE ANYBODY?
Dude. Are you serious? Or just f-ing with us?
There was no special opening day presale. There was a general presale that included Opening Day.
I’m starting to think the problem is you don’t pay attention to anything.
Didn’t need to order ODT’s as they already come in my package. I don’t recall there being an Opening Day presale. Just a general presale. At least it wasn’t a lottery.
I do not recall any opening day presale this year. There were several presales and a general onsale.
sorry guys should have stated bought 2 tkts for opening day on the first day of presale for full season tkt holders which was as shannon noted was Sunday morning still 25 dollars surcharge is nuts fo 2 tickets