Shannon Shark @metspolice – Page 4154

March 11, 2009

Village Voice on Mets Tickets

Good piece here: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/03/mets_tickets_fo.php that suggests it’s not just the Yankees who have chased their fans upstairs.

Of interest:

Citi Field’s 42,000 seats have been divided into a daunting 28 price categories, which when combined with the Mets’ five different game levels (from “Platinum” for the Subway Series to “Value” for Tuesday nights against the Marlins) create an incredible 140 different ticket prices.

I’m too lazy to fact check. Could that be right? 140 different prices?

They also add a Yankee-like:

Other Saturday and Sunday games produce the same message for almost all tickets under $30: “Unable to secure seats in this Price Level.” You can, however, get tickets in the Caesar’s Club Platinum section in the second deck â€” for only $140 a pop

Plus our great lawmakers continue to look the other way on this:

Once you’ve made your selection, prepare yourself to dig even deeper for a $6-per-ticket online fee, plus a $5 “order charge.”

You know who has a great business going – Stubhub. I like Stubhub. When I need to sell my tickets they make it easy, and I know I will get paid. When I buy tickets I know they are real and I won’t be stuck at the turnstile. That being said, they must be making a killing. I sold two tickets for $60. I will get $51 after Stubhub keeps their $9. Nine bucks on one transaction! Multiply that a few hundred times on every sporting event in the country. Wow. That being said, it’s a nice service, and when MLB is paired up with them I don’t feel one iota bad that I sold one Opening Day ticket for over $200.

March 11, 2009

Dutch Treats: Jose Back, No Pedro. Jerry Out Of Loop?

Congratulations to the Netherlands on eliminating the Dominican Republic from the world’s foremost made up baseball tournament. Several good things come out of this:

Jose Reyes returns home to Jerry’s watchful eye. Now Jerry can tinker with the Boostillo and Reyes dynamic to see who should lead off, bat two, bat nine or be outrighted to Buffalo.

No more stories about how sharp Pedro looks against Kingsale, Schoop & de Caster. I mean if Pedro doesn’t mind throwing three innings out of the bullpen once a week while the Mets are losing 9-2, fine bring him in – but to start him every 5th day is just asking to chew the bullpen.

In other Mets news (yay, Mets news!) the Post mentions that Jerry Manuel seemed caught off guard by the Duaner Sanchez release. Omar, are you not talking to the manager about player moves? Maybe this really was a budgetary layoff. At least they aren’t laying off office workers like the Same Old Jets are (technically it’s a “furlough” but that’s not as snarky).

I refuse to be part of the John Maine panic. He said he felt good. That’s good enough for me. Spring is about getting your work in not winning games.

Welcome back Jose.

March 11, 2009

Bobby V Defender

I like when y’all bring it. Â This was in the comments but deserves a day in the sun:

MetsPolice forgets that any other manager on the planet could not have gotten more out of those very average clubs than Bobby V. Braves had far superior talent. 99 Mets won 97 games, go run the numbers and tell me since division play how many other years that total would have won the division. Friggin Braves won 103 games, you want the Mets to win 104?? gimme a break.

2000 Mets won 94 games with Agbayani, Bell and Payton in the OF. Enough with the Bobby V bashing. If he managed this much talent from 2005 – 2008 they would have won the division 3 of the 4 years.

The 96 and 97 teams? How can you count them? 97 was the first year since 1990 that was over .500 – we were ecstatic they didnt suck anymore. 1998, I’ll give you, they blew it when they had the WC wrapped up.

Give Bobby his dues, he helped turn it around and his teams were genuinely entertaining – he got the most out of what he was given.

Posted by osh41 to The Mets Police at March 10, 2009 7:34 PM

March 11, 2009

Obligatory Santana & Reyes Are Back Post

I have a Mets blog and the rules of blogging mean that I have to have the obligatory “Santana pitches today” post that every other blog has.

This is my woo-hoo Santana pitches today and Jose Reyes rejoins the team post. Obviously those are good things.

Now if someone could knock out Puerto Rico and the USA (yeah I’m a communist I guess) we could get back to having the Real Mets back in camp.

www.metspolice.com

March 10, 2009

Games In April Actually Count: The Importance Of A Good Start For The Mets (or anyone)

One of the reasons I hated Bobby Valentine is that his teams always got off to a bad start.

It seemed like every year the Mets would be way back and then have to kill themselves to get back into the race. They

Going back to the V years, the Mets have had a standings lead on May 1st only once. Care to guess which year it was?

Mets Standings On may 1st:

The V Years (not a single first place finish, some wild-card ass-saving and even a play-in game):

1996 5 back

1997 8.5 back

1998 4.5 back

1999 1.back

2000 4 back

2001 4.5 back

2002 ironically tied for first. This team lost 10 games in the standings in June and wound up over 20 back.

The Rest:

2003 7 back

2004 6 back

2005 3 back

2006 Up 6. Funny how much easier seasons go when everyone else is chasing YOU.

2007 .5 back – just about right. A near miss. Except they were trailing the Braves.

2008 .5 back of the Phillies.

So the next time someone tells you that it’s cool that the Mets are 10 and 13, and “only” 4 back – it’s time to start worrying and time to start winning games.