Category: mets

Aidan dropped me a note along with this picture:

“I realize that this is the foul pole an a necessary part of any baseball stadium but when I purchased these seats on the phone the day tix went on sale there was no mention that this could be an issue. To be honest this is (not) even the worst view as if you sat in the next seat over your view of homeplate was 100% obstructed. Now I’m not asking them to remove the foul pole but a little warning, disclaimer, or discount I think is not much to ask for. I’m curious what your thoughts are on this issue?”








For the answer, we seek the wisdom of Dave Howard who was once quoted by saying:

“The way we characterize “obstructed” is if you have an obstruction, something in front of you — a beam, a pillar, something that’s blocking your view.”

So yes Aidan, this appears to be an obstructed view, even under David Howard’s narrower-than-mine version of the term.

You have something in front of you, something that is blocking your view, such as a pillar or beam.  My dictionary defines a pillar as “a slender, freestanding vertical support; a column.”  Whereas I don’t believe the foul pole supports anything, the secondary definition is “such a structure or one similar to it used for decoration.”   A decoration is “something that renders something more ornate” and something ornate is “flashy, showy” such as the only orange foul poles in major league baseball.  In my opinion you have a pillar blocking your view, thus it is an obstructed view in the sense of the Howard Definition.

Do I think the Mets should label as such?  Yes.   I’m actually surprised at your suggestion that they don’t and am not sure they they don’t.  I know in the old Yankee Stadium (1976 version) I sat in seats that were called limited or obstructed or such.  I don’t remember about Shea and I don’t know about Citi.

Do I think they should discount it?   Yes.

Do I think this is a big deal?  No.  It’s a foul pole at a baseball game.  Just warn the buyer.

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OK Bisons, I’m calling you out.  I’ve written nice professional emails to both the general  email and to a few actual people.   Nothing.  Why no love?   We have a guy who moved up to Buffalo and he wants to come by and cover the scene.   We’d even take a no, but no response?   That just makes me type “Bisons’ into google every day looking for stuff to mock.  Even the Mets called.

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Here’s a link to the transcript of Jeff Francoeur’s online chat.  I of course zeroed in on this…

I’m rooting for Wright to win it all.
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Next in the 5 Questions series is Glenn.


When did you become a fan?
1. As long as I can remember!  First memory is going to friends house in 1969 and seeing a ballgame on television.  The entire city was watching (and it was a day game!);


Best memory?
2. Absolutely, definitely, 100% Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.  Nothing before or after comes close (goosebumps now);


Worst memory?
3. Lots!  But worst:  the day Tom Seaver was traded.  I was a young boy, and I wept (close second: blowing Game 6 of the NLCS against the Dodgers in 88.);


If you could change one off-field thing?
4. Better public relations.  The Yankees are great at it, the Mets are a disaster;

If you owned the team what’s the first thing you’d change?
5. Minaya and Manuel.  We play a modern game, and these guys are totally ignorant when it comes to statistics and sabermetrics.  The most successful teams of the 21st century play a different game.

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Ben dropped me a note telling me that he too sent a letter to the Mets, and he too got a return call – this one from a nice lady in the customer relations department.  Ben tells me he asked if the Mets were hearing from lots of frustrated fans and that she gave an emphatic “oh yeah.”

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