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Is It A Realistic Financial Plan For Mets To Almost Always Sell Out?


On Sunday I read some comments from David Howard, VP of business operations with the Mets, which got me wondering.

Howard said the Mets’ finances make sense if Citi draws 3.2 million to 3.3 million, “which will be better than what we averaged year in and year out at Shea.”


“We had a design and qualitative objective that had to make financial sense, and it does,” he said. “And if we sell a lot of tickets, it’ll make a lot of financial sense.”


To draw more than three million will mean selling out almost every game, unless the team augments those who pay for seats by selling 3,000 to 4,000 standing-room spots, which Howard said there was room to do in the wide concourses.

That first sentence worries me.  The plan is to draw 3.2 million every year?  That’s a tall tale, no?   They’ll do it with a new park, they’ll do it when they win, but what if they lose 100 games in 2016?  Hopefully they’ll just win and draw 3.2 million every year.


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Homegrown Players And Opening Day

Now that it’s official that Daniel Murphy will start Opening Day, it gives the Mets 3 “homegrown” players on the field (homegrown defined as a player who played their first MLB game in a Mets uniform). This got me thinking about other Opening Day lineups

  • In 47 seasons, the Mets have averaged 3.7 homegrown players in their Opening Day lineup
  • Five times the Mets have fielded 6 homegrown players – 1969, 1977, 1983, 1984. and 1990
  • Only once did they field a team with no homegrown players – 1962 (not unexpected)
  • The 70’s and 80’s were great times for homegrown players, with an average of 4.6 and 4.5 starting respectively
  • This decade on the other hand has proved to be the worst, with the team only averaging 2.7 homegrown players on Opening Day since 2000

What does this all mean in terms of wins? Absolutely nothing – there is no correlation between homegrown players starting Opening Day and winning percentage. (For you math geeks out there the overall coefficient is 0.36)

However it is interesting that the Mets teams that people most remember (early to mid 70’s and mid 80’s) had the most homegrown players. When building a fan base, that really does mean something.

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Sheppard-gate: Yankees Say It’s Untrue That Bob Sheppard Is retiring!

I love it.  Bob Sheppard-gate!
 
I thought that “April 2” thing was odd (scroll down the blog, the Times article was coded “April 2”)….and now read this on yankees.com
 
 
“We have spoken to Paul Sheppard, and he was very clear to us that the report made is categorically untrue,” said Yankees director of public relations Jason Zillo. “Paul Sheppard has not said anything remotely like that.”
 
I suspect the NYY’s are sad that things got unofficially announced.
 
Bob is 98 and hasn’t done a game in a year.   I love him but let’s be real.  He’s retired.  They just don’t like how it got announced.

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Bob Sheppard Has Retired. (Times) Won’t Be Jim Hall.

I doubt that the NY Times does April Fools jokes…I do find it odd that the “permalink” from the Times site says “Published April 2nd”
 
perhaps an exclusive hit the web early?  I’m grabbing the entire thing in case it disappears.  Sorry for sloppy formatting on this one.  (day job and working fast).
 
 
 
Voice of Yankee Stadium Retires

 

By JACK CURRY

Published: April 1, 2009

The new Yankee Stadium will sound much different than the old one. Bob Sheppard, the public address announcer for the Yankees since 1951, has retired.

Richard Perry/ The New York Times

Bob Sheppard, who started as the Yankees’ announcer in 1951, hadn’t missed an opening day until 2006 when an injury kept him out of the announcer’s box.

 

Paul Doherty, a friend and agent who has represented Sheppard, said Sheppard’s son, Paul, told him about Sheppard’s plans on Wednesday morning.

 

“I think Bob just wants to take it easy and no longer have the pressure of, ‘Can he? Will he? Or won’t he?'” Doherty said in an e-mail message. “And, at 98, who can blame him?”

 

Doherty added that Sheppard remained active.

 

“I’m happy to say that Bob is still doing well enough to drive a car,” Doherty said. “He picked his son up at the train this past weekend.”

 

The last lineup that Sheppard announced was actually his first. Doherty said that, two months ago, he had Sheppard recreate the first lineup he did, on April 17, 1951. It included Phil Rizzuto, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra.

 

“Now on to him seeing his 100th birthday in a year and a half,” Doherty said.

 

The Yankees have not named a replacement for Sheppard, but it will not be Jim Hall, Sheppard’s long-time backup. Paul Olden will fill in for the two exhibition games at the Stadium this weekend.

 
 
and the permalink
 
 
Sports / Baseball
Voice of Yankee Stadium Retires
By JACK CURRY
Published: April 2, 2009
The new Yankee Stadium will sound much different than the old one. Bob Sheppard, the public address announcer since 1951, has retired.
 

Paul Doherty, a friend and agent who has represented Sheppard, said Sheppard’s son, Paul, told him about Sheppard’s plans on Wednesday morning.

 

“I think Bob just wants to take it easy and no longer have the pressure of, ‘Can he? Will he? Or won’t he?'” Doherty said in an e-mail message. “And, at 98, who can blame him?”

 

 

 

Sporting News now has it too…

Longtime Yankees PA announcer Sheppard retires

SportingNews.com – â€Ž4 minutes ago‎
Bob Sheppard, the 98-year-old public address announcer for the New York Yankees, has retired, the New York Times reports. Paul Doherty, a friend and agent …
 
 
I feel bad for Jim Hall

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5 Reasons Friday’s Game At Citi Field Won’t Be An Early Rain Out

1.  The Mets actually want you to see the ballpark.
 
No Mets Police cattiness here.  They are proud of their ballpark and want us to enjoy it.   They’ll try their best to get the game in.
 
 
2.  The forecast isn’t that hideous.
 
It’s not good, but it’s not a hurricane.  With a little luck we get a window.
 
5pm:  Definite light rain
8pm:  Likely light rain.
 
My prediction, we all sit under umbrellas until 8:30 and then get sent home.  They don’t like to start games in the rain.
 
 
3. $18 to park.
 
I don’t know how many parking spots there are, but if they call the game early then don’t bank $18 per car.   Free money.
 
 
4.  $6 beer and the Shake Shack
 
What do you do when there’s nothing happening on the grass…you walk around and eat and drink. 
 
 
5.  Yankees Poker
 
If the Mets call the game mid-day and the weather gods let the Yankees get their game in…..jerky fat bloggers like me pile on.
 
I have tickets.  I’d rather head out there and get soaked than get buzzkilled at 2:30 in the afternoon.   On a Tuesday in July I will have the opposite opinion (call games early so as to be nice to fans) but for Friday – open those gates!
 
 
 
 
 
 

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