Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

Tickets for Yankee Stadium v3.0 went on sale this week, including the preseason exhibition games against the Cubs. So I logged in to see if I could pick up anything. After 3 minutes (not really that bad by some standards) I was offered tickets in a section called AUDI (I later found out it was Audi Club Seating)

Tickets were $45 each – a bit steep for an exhibition game but what the hell. Then I see this:

Total Building Facility Charge(s) US $65.00 x 2

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

There was no explanation as to what this charge was for. A search of the Yankees web site yielded nothing – no explanation, no details, nada. No way was I letting the Yankees charge my card without an explanation – guess they have to pay for the cost overruns somehow.

Meanwhile across the virtual city at mets.com I thought I would post some of my plan tickets for sale on StubHub going through the Mets Marketplace (the area that plan holders can resell their tickets). Obviously the Mets get a cut of the resale service fee, but it’s easy for me to do it this way so I didn’t mind. Yet when I try to login there I get a message that my account has been suspended!

Once again – WHAT?!?!?!?!?

A call to the Mets customer service revealed that my account was not suspended – they just don’t have that part of the system up and running yet. I was told that hopefully it would be by next week.

It’s 2 1/2 weeks to the opener (hopefully a DAY GAME) and the Mets don’t have their ticket resale system in place yet? What were they waiting for? They knew this date was coming. I can just as easily go in to StubHub on my own and sell the extra tickets.

I guess the Mets don’t need the extra money like the Yankees do.

www.metspolice.com

So, I’m trying to rally all Mets fans to make enough noise to get the Opening NIGHT game changed to a 1:05 start.

To recap, the reason it’s a night game seems to involve the Padres unwillingness to play in the afternoon.

As a fan, I think the new park should open with a day game.

Although it’s a long shot, it’s not as if game times never change (for severe weather, for ESPN, for a NFL playoff game) so let’s not assume it cannot be done.

Here’s how it might work:

We need to get big-time executives (higher-ups at MLB and the Mets) to take notice of a groundswell.

How could that happen?  Big-time execs get media clippings every day.   Someone in the PR department puts together snippets of everything being said about their company.  Believe me they get read.  All we need is ONE executive to say to an underling “what’s this thing about the night game?” and we’re off and running.

To get in the media clippings, I need your help.  

If you have a blog, write about this yourself.  In your own words.  I’m not trying to get hits or links.  I don’t want the credit.  I just want the game time changed for all of us.

We’ll need the bigger blogs to motivate their readers.   Amazin’ Avenue has said they would help.  Matt Cerrone at Mets Blog, we need you.  Any of the other numerous blogs, join in.   If you are a blog reader, post on their message boards to get them to write about it.

We need the mainstream press to write about it.  Believe me, they do Google searches to look for things to write about, so blogging will help.   Email the papers.

Phil Mushnick we need you.   I’m looking for Mushnick’s email (I have it somewhere) but try [email protected] and hope the assignment desk hands it to someone.   Phil isn’t in today’s or yesterday’s Post but it’s either [email protected] or [email protected]

Try Neil Best at Newsday:   [email protected]

Wallace Matthews likes to bring it:  [email protected]

Hit the Mets message board 


Try the Unofficial WFAN message board. 


Call WFAN.  718-937-6666.  Don’t sit on hold waiting for Francesca to blow you off.  Call Somers, Call Carton at 6:10 in the morning when they have open lines.   Call at 3am.  Call on Sunday when they are dying for calls.

Contact SNY.   I hear the TV guys talk about blogs often, and they tend to get loose late in games.  Try these:
[email protected]

 [email protected].
[email protected].

Bug the office of major league baseball.  Email:  [email protected]

Maybe even call!
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
Phone: (212) 931-7800

Believe me, everyone is looking for content and a good story.  It’s worth an email.  No form letters, write these guys in your own words.

A few arguments will be thrown back at us:


1.  It is unfair to people who expected a night game.   If they mention this then how dare they ever again move a Sunday game to 8:05.

2.  It’s too late.  Hogwash.  Rain-outs happen.  Game times change.   The internet exists.  People won’t show up at 7:05 disappointed.

3.  It would be unfair to the Padres.  You’ve never had to wake up early for your job?  Maybe we can compromise and play at 4:05?

4.  Our TV partners can’t change their schedule.  Again, ESPN seems really adept and dealing with changing start-times. I am confident they can handle it.  So can SNY.

My dopey blog isn’t big enough.  It’s time to rally the troops.   Off you go, and good luck to us all!  Go forth and multiply!

www.metspolice.com

Uni Watch did a great walkthru of C-Field where you can see lots of pictures of the new place…a good set, a little different than what we’ve been seeing.

One that caught my eye is this one .  Whereas Shea was surrounded by parking, C-Field is flush up against 126th street (a name we might start using now, you never heard anyone ever refer to 126th street).

The problem is, the Mets don’t own the east side of 126th, and that’s where the junkyard auto parts stores are, and they are quite ugly.  I imagine that fans in the uppers (excuse me, Promenade) will have some ugliness to look at if they avert their gaze from the green field.

This won’t play well with the public and the politicians.  If I were a junkyard owner I’d be working on my next line of work.  They’ll be redeveloping this soon.  How about an ESPN Zone or somewhere to hang out before a game?

www.metspolice.com

The final sad resting home of the Shea Stadium scoreboard is..

…above a concession stand.

I guess it’s better than a junkyard or being auctioned….but I dunno, seems like it deserves better.

Thanks to Uni Watch  for the link.  See a bigger picture here.

www.metspolice.com