These days SNY’s broadcasts are a showcase for not only horrific baseball but also acres and acres of unoccupied green seats. The Mets are touting increasingly desperate ticket plans — you can get into Citi Field for a steep discount by bringing a child, a Pepsi can, enthusiasm for R.A. Dickey or, quite possibly, a white flag. None of this matters, because StubHub is cheaper if you actually want to go.
—Jason Fry, “Death Spiral [1],” September 13, 2012
The innovative $63 Promenade ticket [2] the Mets proudly introduced for Opening Day — when the traditional time-honored raising of the NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST FOURTH PLACE FINISHERS banner is sure to unleash a surge of Mets Pride that will resonate from the $63 seats atop Section 501 clear around to the $63 seats in the last row of Section 538 — makes perfect sense to the visionary organization that launched it into the marketplace Monday. Why, who couldn’t read a clear and cogent explanation [3] like this…
“We made a limited number available that are not in packs. So if people want a cheaper price for Opening Day, they can buy it as part of a package. Obviously, there are other games in that mix as well. But some people may think that’s a better value. That’s why that’s an option.”
…and not be impressed by the cutting-edge salesmanship and marketing that went into the decision? And who among the Mets-consuming populace wouldn’t be motivated to act immediately on such a decent proposal? You can either purchase distant seating to this one game for an unusually large amount of money, or you can wait a bit and purchase the same seating for perhaps less money but you’ll also need some more money to buy tickets for other games you didn’t realize you wanted to go to.
Plus service charges.
So even though the Mets are visionaries with the pricing and the packaging and the explaining, and you can’t blame a Mets fan for thinking about laying out $63 per pop (plus service charges) to attend Opening Day 2013 — or perhaps snapping up sets of tickets, one of which is for this annually attractive affair while the others are not, it’s a shame the Mets won’t eventually sell you a far less expensive, more available ticket for some other game during which the Mets will also play baseball and pursue fourth place.
Oh, but they will. According to a reliable source [4], multiple transactional opportunities (or “Mets games”) will exist in 2013 after Opening Day. They won’t be Opening Day, but they can be if you make it so. Here’s what ya do: don’t go to Opening Day; pick one of the 80 home games that isn’t Opening Day; and make it your Opening Day. Sit in the Promenade for less than $63. Squint until you’re pretty sure you see festive bunting. Or just wait for a Mets runner to reach first when the home team trails late and you’re sure to see plenty of bunting. Experience as much Mets Pride as you like.
It might not be April 1, but given the savings and self-respect, you’ll feel a bit less the fool.