NEW YORK METS ANNOUNCE 2022 METSGIVING INITIATIVES

Through five events over the holiday season, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation will team up with 15 partners with the hopes to impact over 10,000 community members across all five boroughs.

 

FLUSHING, N.Y., October 27, 2022 – The New York Mets will once again host their MetsGiving initiatives, a series of programs in November and December that focuses on helping the community during the holiday season. The events include food and coat drives, a turkey giveaway, a holiday shopping spree and a holiday party for kids. There will also be appearances by Mets players, front office staff, corporate partners and fans, all working together to give back and help those underserved in the community.

Tuesday, November 15 – Annual Food Drive

Mets Team Store at Citi Field – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

The Mets are hosting their annual Food Drive on November 15 to benefit the New York Common Pantry in the Mets Team store at Citi Field. Fans are encouraged to bring all types of canned and packaged goods (no glass containers or perishable foods) and enjoy a special appearance by Mr. Met. Fans donating at least 10 non-perishable items will receive one voucher redeemable for two tickets to a select Mets home game in 2023 (excluding Opening Day and the Subway Series). For more information and a list of most needed food items, visit mets.com/fooddrive.

Friday, November 18 – Eighth Annual Turkey Giveaway

The Mets will host their eighth annual MetsGiving Turkey Giveaway on November 18 to distribute over 5,500 turkeys to those in need ahead of Thanksgiving, working with a total of 11 community partners throughout New York City to distribute the turkeys. There will be in-person distributions in each borough at The River Fund of New York in Queens, New York Common Pantry in Manhattan, Part of the Solution in the Bronx, Project Hospitality in Staten Island and Maimonides Park in Brooklyn.

Wednesday, December 7 – 16th Annual Coat Drive

Mets Team Store at Citi Field – 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The Mets are teaming up with New York Cares for the 16th Annual Mets “Warm-Up” Holiday Coat Drive on December 7.Mets personnel and New York Cares volunteers will collect donations to keep those in need warm during the cold winter months in New York. Fans bringing a new or gently used winter coat will receive one voucher redeemable for two tickets to a select Mets home game in 2023. Coats will be distributed by Together We Can in Queens. Further details can be found at mets.com/coatdrive.

Tuesday, December 13 – Fourth Annual Holiday Shopping Spree

Queens Boulevard Target in Elmhurst – TBD 

The Mets are hosting their fourth annual Holiday Shopping Spree presented by Delta Air Lines on December 13. The Mets will surprise underserved children in the community with a shopping spree at Target. Each child will be paired with a member of the Mets organization or a Delta volunteer, who will help them shop for toys and other items for themselves on their wish list, using gift cards donated by the Mets.

Thursday, December 15 – Kids Holiday Party

Piazza Club at Citi Field – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Mets will host more than 125 students from local Title 1 schools in Queens for the annual Kids Holiday Party at Citi Field on December 15. These students will enjoy games, lunch and participate in holiday crafts, while also receiving gifts and a special visit from Santa and his elves. Mets players participating in the event will be announced at a later date.

Yesterday I shared with you how much The Youth love baseball. well the TV ratings are in and…

The American League Championship Series, which aired on TBS, saw an average audience of 5.179 million. The National League Championship Series, airing on FOX and FS1, averaged 4.656 million viewers.

Those numbers are down slightly from the 2021 numbers (via Barrett Sports Media)

Well let’s see….um……well the ALCS didn’t have any big markets…well except for the Yankees are the biggest team and Houston is the #6 market.  So it’s not that.

Um…there were football games on……

Hey I didn’t tell you to play on Sunday.

Don’t forget it’s cold/raining/we have to work tomorrow – all fun excuses that never ever came up before in October, and I am not sure why it’s raining inside your house anyway.

MAYBE PERHAPS baseball played the postseason for two generations way too late at night, and in the process lose the younger millennial and all of Generation Z.  Is it possible that’s what happened?  Maybe Mushnick and I were right!

Or maybe perhaps having the 6 seed in the playoffs isn’t that great an idea, and you’re better off with the better teams playing in the glamour games – just a thought.

Anyway, I am sure the Baseball Mafia will ignore this like they ignored the empty seats at Yankee Stadium and the not-sold-out games in Citi Field and keep telling us how great baseball is doing.    After all, baseball is back baby, and anyone who says it isn’t is a grouchy blogger in his mom’s basement, right?  Enjoy the press box!

Hey very cool stuff over at Uni Watch where they take a look at the notion of Nolan Ryan (usually #30) wearing a 20.  With photos and stuff!   I assure you its way more interesting than me posting a variant Mets cap today.  Go read it!

MLB.com has an article titled Numerous indicators show youth MLB fandom is on the rise which of course it is!

Look how young the fanbase on social media is!!!

• On Instagram, 71 percent of MLB followers are under the age of 35, while 61 percent of Instagram’s overall U.S. user base is under 35.
• On Twitter, 66 percent of MLB followers are under the age 35, while 46 percent of Twitter’s overall U.S. user base is under 35.
• On Facebook, 63 percent of MLB’s followers are under 35, while 47 percent of Facebook’s overall user base is under 35.

So yeah the Youths are checking out Insta posts.  Which isn’t attending games or watching games or playing actual baseball…but hey CLICKS!!

I like this next sentence which is waving away TV numbers…which is fine, except that when MLB gets a good # they crow about it.

Nielsen numbers — which are derived from electronic measuring devices in the homes of people who have agreed to be a part of a panel — don’t carry the weight they once did.

Plus there is this!

• The age range of 13-34 accounts for 95 percent of the audience for MLB Originals, which is consumed primarily through YouTube. And for Celebrity Sluggers, 79 percent of views came from viewers under the age of 35.

Which is nice but whats the total audience?  If 100 total people are watching it then 95 isn’t that impressive a number.

And have you ever heard of Celebrity Sluggers?  No, you haven’t.

And here’s a good laugh

“Travel play is increasing,” Marinak said. “And Wiffle ball and catch participation is increasing, but not necessarily tracked.

Yeah um, er, kids are playing wiffle ball!   We don’t track it, but they totally are.  I mean I definitely see more wiffle ball being played now than in 1980, don’t you?

And according to a Simmons survey, MLB has more attendees in the 12-17 age group than any of the major pro sports leagues.

Yes,  81 home games.

Anyway, baseball has a super hot girlfriend, she just goes to a different school which is why you have never met her.  If you would like to read about a league deluding itself and trying to convince you it is getting younger, read this, just don’t read too closely.

The Baseball Mafia, who declared yesterday’s Phillies game an “instant classic” and who ignored the Mets not selling out any of their home playoff games are very excited about The MLB Finals.

Meanwhile, fans seem less excited.

(📱: @ChrisGordy) pic.twitter.com/OVwNXPDS6K

— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) October 24, 2022

I’m confident we will hear the usual excuses…

…the weather was bad.

WHAT?   BAD WEATHER IN OCTOBER? FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1900?

…it was Sunday Night.

SO WHICH IS IT?  IS THE SPORT HEALTY OR DO PEOPLE NOT WANT TO CONSUME IT ON SUNDAY NIGHTS?

…we have to work tomorrow

UNLIKE PLAYOFF GAMES PLAYED MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

…tickets are expensice

ALSO, PLAYOFF TICKETS WERE EXPENSIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1900!!

At some point, it’s a product that people don’t want, right?  Like if nobody wants to go because it is expensive and played at an inconvenient time….at some point this is not a healthy business, even though yesterday’s Phillies game was an Instant Classic.

So baseball, you do you.   Let the 6 seed take on the team everyone hates.  The sport is doing just fine.

The Phillies face the Astros, FRIDAY, at TBD Time.  How do they not know what time this is starting? (Getting the TBD from MLB.com)