INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – SUNDAY NIGHT

KRAMER: (panting) Pete Alonso just opted out!

STEVE: (spinning) What do you mean “opt out”?

KRAMER: Opt out! He’s gone. Out the door, through the turnstile, bye-bye birdie!

STEVE: (stammering) The season ended five minutes ago! The team isn’t even on the plane home yet! How can you opt out before the luggage is  loaded on to the plane?  Do I even get to make him an offer?

JERRY: (calmly) Well, we do know Pete doesn’t like to wait around for a good pitch.

STEVE: (to Jerry, panicked) Jerry, how much money do I have to pay these people?

ELAINE: (teasing) Maybe he just doesn’t like the dance team.

STEVE: (throwing his hands up) Dance team! We’re talking about the future of the franchise, and you’re talking about the dance team?

Steve drops into the chair, head in hands.

JERRY: (to Elaine) You know, the Mets are the only team where free agents run out the door faster than they run to first base.

INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – LATER

Steve, still worked up, pulls out his phone.

STEVE: That’s it. I’m calling him. I’m calling Alonso myself.

JERRY: (mock concern) Oh, big move. Careful, Steve. Don’t pull a hamstring scrolling to “A.”

Steve dials, waits… nothing. He redials. Still nothing. His face sinks.

STEVE: (muttering) He’s not picking up. He’s not picking up!

JERRY: (deadpan) Maybe he opted out of your contacts, too.

ELAINE: (grinning) Face it, Steve. It’s not you, it’s… well, no, it is you.

Steve slumps on the couch, staring at the phone like it betrayed him.

INT. CITI FIELD – CLUBHOUSE – MONDAY

The Mets are cleaning out their lockers. Reporters mill around, snapping pictures. Steve hovers nervously by Pete Alonso’s locker, which is strangely untouched.

STEVE: (looking around) Where’s Pete? Anybody seen Pete?

A young clubhouse assistant walks in carrying a cardboard box.

ASSISTANT: Uh, hey boss… Pete asked me to grab his stuff.

STEVE: (stunned) Grab his stuff? He sent you? He’s not even here?

ASSISTANT: (shrugs) Yeah. He said to make sure you get the note.

The assistant hands Steve a folded piece of paper. Steve fumbles it open. It reads simply: “Opted Out. – Pete.”

Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer, standing nearby with coffee, watch the whole thing.

JERRY: (deadpan) At least he wrote.  Ohtani didn’t even call.

ELAINE: (shaking her head) That’s cold. He didn’t just leave the Mets, he ghosted the Mets.

KRAMER: (nodding) Oh, he’s gone, Steve. Gone like a meatball at a buffet.

Steve crumples the note in his hand, muttering “The optics… the optics…”  

JERRY: (to Elaine, smirking) You know, they say players dream of walking off with a championship. Here, they just walk off into the sunset.

INT. JERRY’S APARTMENT – EVENING

Jerry and Elaine are in the kitchen. Steve trudges in, shoulders slumped, looking defeated.

ELAINE:  (eyeing him) What’s wrong? You look like you just found out Aqueduct got the casino.

STEVE: (sighing) The Mets didn’t make the playoffs.

ELAINE: (surprised) Didn’t make the playoffs? How is that even possible? Don’t they have, like, three wild cards now?

JERRY: (mock disbelief) Three wild cards, and somehow you still couldn’t sneak in. You know why? Pitching. You didn’t have enough pitching.

STEVE: (snapping) That’s not true! I signed plenty of pitching!  46 different pitchers.  How many pitchers do you want me to sign?

JERRY:  Well, maybe one who was ready to pitch seven months without going over their career innings high.

ELAINE: You used forty-six pitchers in one season? Forty-six? Is that even allowed?  What did you do, try to collect the whole set?

Steve waves his hands defensively, growing flustered.

STEVE: (insisting) Forty-six pitchers is depth! Depth is good! You can never have too much pitching.

JERRY: (smirking) Oh yes you can.

The door BURSTS open — it’s NEWMAN, red-faced, seething, in a Mets cap pulled down low.

NEWMAN: (furious) You promised us a World Series! Three to five years, you said! THREE to FIVE!

STEVE: (backpedaling) Look…l get it.  I’m slightly disappointed myself.  We had a pretty good plan.

NEWMAN: (boiling) The only plan you had was to make us the laughingstock of baseball! Do you know what it’s like? Do you know what it’s like to sit in Section 131, night after night, watching relievers I’ve never heard of cough up lead after lead?

JERRY: (dry) I think we have a pretty good idea.

ELAINE: (grinning) Seriously, Steve. You didn’t build a rotation, you built a revolving door.

STEVE: (yelling) Enough! You think it’s easy? You think running a team is just signing Ohtani and Yamamoto and calling it a day?

JERRY: (shrugs) Worked for the Dodgers.

KRAMER:  I know some guys in Tokyo….

NEWMAN: (exploding) You wasted five years of my life. FIVE!

STEVE:  What about 2024?  We were the third wild card!  The Grimace!

JERRY: Oh there’s plenty of grimacing going on in Queens right now.

STEVE: (shouting back) Well maybe the next five years will be better!

The room goes silent. Steve realizes what he’s just said. Jerry raises an eyebrow.

JERRY: (smirking) So the three-to-five-year plan… is now a ten-year plan.

ELAINE: (grinning) And by then, you’ll be up to, what, seventy pitchers?

Steve groans and slumps into the chair as Newman glares. Jerry and Elaine exchange amused looks.

November 2020, Mets owner Steve Cohen:

“If we don’t win [a World Series] in the next three to five years, I’d consider that slightly disappointing.”

My friends the Mets want you to know that in Year 5 of Steve Cohen’s plan to win within 3 to 5 years, the Mets sold a lot of tickets.

Also, once again we see the Mets owners are Steve AND Alex Cohen, so stop blaming just Steve for everything.

NEW YORK METS SET SINGLE-SEASON ATTENDANCE RECORD AT CITI FIELD

The Mets welcomed 3,182,057 fans to the ballpark this year, breaking their previous record set in 2009 when Citi Field opened

FLUSHING, N.Y., September 21, 2025 – The New York Mets announced today that the team set a new, all-time single-season attendance record in 2025, welcoming 3,182,057 to Citi Field this season. The historic milestone surpasses the previous attendance high of 3,168,571 set when the ballpark opened in 2009.

“We have the best fans in all of baseball,” said Mets Owners Steve and Alex Cohen. “They are more than just fans, they are part of our Amazin’ Mets family. We are deeply grateful to every person that came out to support the team this year. From our season ticket members to lifelong fans and those new to our ballpark, we know the electric energy at Citi Field this season is due to their unwavering support. We want to thank our fans and the Mets organization for achieving this historic milestone.”

This incredible moment comes just days after eclipsing the three million fan mark on September 17. Over the course of the regular season, the Mets recorded a 38 percent increase in average attendance per game at Citi Field compared to last season, resulting in 19 sellouts and 48 games with more than 40,000 fans in attendance.

“Our fanbase is special and they bring a unique passion and energy to the ballpark every single game. The players feel that and feed off it, providing a true home field advantage,” said David Stearns, Mets President of Baseball Operations. “On behalf of the entire team, we’d like to thank our incredible fans who showed up the entire season to support us.”

This season at Citi Field featured a wide range of fan friendly initiatives with the introduction of Family Sundays and the return of several fan favorite ballpark promotions including Mets Kids Club presented by Dunkin’, $5 Tuesdays, Fireworks Nights and Block Parties, as well as over 30 gate giveaway items and more than 15 theme nights and specialty ticketed package items. Citi Field was also recognized for its cuisine for the third consecutive season, being voted Best Stadium Food in 2023, and Best Baseball Stadium Food in 2024 and 2025.

“We have world-class fans, and we’re committed to delivering them the best experience in all of sports,” said Lew Sherr, Mets President of Business Operations. “Everything we do – from the exciting in-game entertainment to unique offerings – is designed with our fans in mind. The incredible turnout and enthusiasm this season has been inspiring and we’re truly grateful.”

Season ticket memberships, including flexible memberships options for the 2026 season, are currently on sale. The best way to guarantee tickets to Opening Day, the biggest games, and access to the Postseason is by becoming a member. For more information or to become a season ticket member, please visit Mets.com/Memberships or call (718) 507-TIXX.

NEW YORK METS RELEASE “11 DAYS IN SEPTEMBER” DOCUMENTARY CHRONICLING UNTOLD 9/11 STORIES

                                                                                                

The new documentary, presented by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, follows the impact that Shea Stadium, Mets employees and players had on the relief efforts immediately after 9/11.

FLUSHING, N.Y., September 11, 2025 – The New York Mets released a new documentary today called “11 Days in September”, presented by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The film highlights untold stories of the days following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and the pivotal role Shea Stadium and Mets uniform personnel and employees at the time played in the relief efforts.

“11 Days in September” features behind-the-scenes moments that underscore the Mets’ support for the city’s healing process, and how 24 years ago, Shea Stadium became a recovery hub, as a group of people came together for the sake of others. The film includes firsthand accounts from current and former employees, as well as Mets alumni including Bobby Valentine, Mike Piazza, Todd Zeile, John Franco and Al Leiter.

The documentary is available on the Mets YouTube channel here.

About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good,” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. (e.g.) Your pledge of just $11 a month will transform the life of a catastrophically injured service member, Gold Star family or the family of a fallen first responder. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to never forget September 11, 2001. Visit t2t.org to learn more.