I don’t claim this topic is the biggest deal in the world, and this is not complaining for complaining sake, but Mets Police seems to be the only place where such topics get entertained, so let’s talk about it.
Fans are starting to get their 15 game packages in the mail. In years past they were accompanied by the media guide.
If you have never seen the media guide, imagine the best yearbook ever with months of stats and articles to read. Team history, records, game by game breakdowns, minor league recaps, official verbage that the team colors include blue not black, and even Dave Howard’s bio. It’s amazin’
This year the tickets came with a letter saying that the Mets have gone green, and we can have access to the media guide online. No hard copy was sent.
I’ve heard from some fans who are disappointed in this decision. It’s nice to have a tangible guide in your hand. It’s nice to put it on the shelf with the guides of the past.
I applaud environmental friendly efforts. However, I encourage the Mets to rethink this one.
I wonder about the ticket shipping fee. Did that go down as compared to years past when they mailed a heavy book? I haven’t checked. Perhaps in years past the Mets subsidized the shipping of the guide and didn’t pass the cost along to us.
What about the handling fee? Presumably it is easier to stuff tickets in an envelope as compared to tickets and a guide? Again I haven’t researched this so I’ll give the Mets the benefit of the doubt.
I don’t know how many media guides the Mets usually print, but zero is cheaper than x. Did they charge us full price for media guides in the past? Is this cost savings? Is this a stealth ticket price increase? Same money, fewer goods. Somewhere the math doesn’t add up, right?
I try to provide solutions. This one is easy. Today, that’s today not in three weeks when someone in the “mainstream” brings it up, ship out some media guides.
Send a letter letting fans know about all the amazin’ green efforts and despite the Mets commitment to the environment they understand passionate fans enjoy a physical guide.
Simple, right?
UPDATE: Â A beat writer has confirmed that he does indeed have a hard copy. Â Also, this may be an MLB wide thing.
It isn’t just the Mets – all across MLB:
http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2010/MLB_Flash_Drive_Instructions.pdf
Ross thanks. That’s disappointing across the board.
Did the Mets print any media guides this year? If they directed the actual members of the media to the same website and don’t have copies on sale at the stadium, there’s really no grounds for complaint.
But if they’re telling you to pony up $20 when you get to CitiField if you want a tangible copy, that’s just trying to disguise being cheap as “going green.”
Good question. I’ll try on Twitter to find out.
A beat writer has confirmed he has a hard copy of the media guide.
If you’re going to green, ramp up access. Give us ALL access to the online guide.
was there also the usual gift with the tickets? I used to be a 15 game plan and enjoyed a bunch of the gifts they used to send along with the tickets. Was there anything this year?
Beat writer is different than say, the average columnist or media guy. Does Evan Roberts have one, for instance?
In the past they just had stacks and stacks of ALL the media guides in the press box (from what i’ve learned from ballpark tours, not that I’ve ever been invited to the press box..), so seems likely that most regular beat guys would have one.
The A To Z Guide on Mets.com offers the Media guide for 20 dollars plus 2 dollars for postage and handling. I’d assume that’s for a hard copy. It would be cool actually if the Mets let you download the guide off of the site, either for free or for a few bucks.
There was no gift this year either. No Piazza pencil holder. No apple with a clock in it’s stomach. No tin can with Shea Stadium painted on it.
All junk, but I looked forward to it.
BTW, the Phillies didn’t send a media guide either, but they included a coupon to redeem at the stadium for a free guide.
Gifts are shipping separately this year. According to ticket rep, we should be getting them before opening day. Kind of shoots a hole in the whole “stealth ticket increase” theory. At lease where it applies to shipping costs.
Media Guides will be available for purchase at the ballpark. They ARE printing them. And ARE selling them, they are just not GIVING them to us. By the way the free gift is a ‘Floating’ Mets baseball. Its worst then last years cardboard cutout. enjoy….