I'm Skipping The Mets Ticket Plan This Year

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

                                                                                                  -Albert Einstein 

I'm not writing this post trying to be certain blogger who likes to criticize other fans and thinks he is king of the fan base. (Woop Woop, Thats the sound of da po-lice).  I'm just a fan who isn't going to be made a fool of this year.  This would have been my 11th consecutive year with a ticket plan since I graduated college in 2003.  I dion't need to buy the plans, because my whole life I was able to go to games for free.  My grandfather had season tickets in the orange seats at Shea.  Several neighbors had plans, and I would get free tickets hand over fist.  Playoff tickets, Subway Series tickets...I didn't have to pay a dime. Sometimes I'd get the urge to go to a game and buy my own seat too. But when I graduated, I wanted to be able to have my own tickets.  It also helped that you got guaranteed playoff purchase options if you owned a plan.  That little privilege that drew me in was used once in the last 10 seasons.....

I'm done being a sucker.  Even when the Mets are bad, I enjoy going to games.  I like the "night out at the ballpark" experience.  I enjoy watching the sport and being entertained.  And I'm going to go to plenty of games this season.  But I'm not buying in advance anymore.  Not until the Mets show me they care, whether by putting a better product on the field or making it more worthwhile to have a partial plan.  I have my own personal ticket rep, Jay Velez.  Jay is great, and I feel bad that I am not renewing this season, because guys like him or the people working hard and are overlooked in this process.  The Mets screw them as much as the screw us.  I hope Jay understands.

Last season was my breaking point.  This was something I've been toying with the last few seasons.  Between getting married, and now having a kid with another on the way, free time is really a rare commodity nowadays.  But that's not whats stopping me.  Last year, I was bombarded with email after email from the Mets alerting me to all these great ticket deals they were offering.  And a majority of those deals were for games I already had tickets to.  Whether it was dependent on how many strike outs the pitchers got in a weekend, or some sort of theme night with a cool give away, there were great offers coming in every home stand from the marketing department.  I'm hardcore Irish.  I would have enjoyed that pretty cool Irish themed Mets shirt, but nope, I already had tickets for that game.  And yet, I know I could have bought more and given my plan tickets away, but thats not the point.  There's no reward for being loyal.

Year after year, I'm paying full price and showing up night in and night out, while the guy sitting next to me got in for half the price and got a Jay Horowitz bobble head to go with his sweet deal.  So I'm gonna but myself some pretty good opening day seats, and then I'm going to let dynamic pricing do the work.  I'll wait for prices to drop to go to games.  Or I'll go on StubHub and get tickets below market value from fans trying to unload tickets they can't use.

I like what the Mets did this offseason.  I think this season has the potential to be entertaining and can toy with .500 if some of their younger pieces step up.  But it's not enough for me, not right now.  I've waited too long.  I had an ongoing internal battle with myself all offseason because of this. I feel like one of those bad fair-weather fans that I hate.  But in the end, I'm not.  I'm doing what works for me.  I'm gonna go to plenty of games, and I'm gonna make it worth my while. I've always wanted to do a 7 Line outing, and now I will because I won't feel overwhelmed by the amount of games I have.  I'll see you all at Citi Field this summer, I just can't tell you what nights I'll be there, not right now at least.

You can make very harsh statements to me on Twitter @GetsThruBuckner.

Citi Field No-Fly Zone

The Mets appear poised to field an impressive outfield this spring, manned by not one, not two, but three natural center fielders.  Juan Larares, when combined with newly acquired Curtis Granderson and Chris Young will feature in what figures to be one of the best defensive outfields in baseball.  And it couldn't happen in a better ballpark.

The Mets may have moved the fences in since Citi Field opened in 2009, but the outfield remains the place were long fly balls go to die.  Just ask David Wright, who acknowledged  earlier this winter that the stadium has impacted his home run total.  It probably had a profound effect on Jason Bay too, whose line drive swing just couldn't get the job done on the rare occasions he made contact.

For the first time since Citi Field opened, the Mets stand to field a team built for their ballpark.  That is impressively important, when you figure the team boasts just a .473 winning percentage at home since the park opened.

Its amazing to think how quickly things can change.  When the season opens, we'll be just one year removed from the atrocity that was Lucas Duda in left field.  Those days should be behind us, as the 2015 outfield should be a proverbial dragnet for any ball that leaves the infield.  That figures to help the young pitchers (minus Bartolo Colon of course) who will make up the team's rotation and could be a big part of an improved Mets team in 2014.

Four Years For Curtis Granderson?

Also, Granderson has been seeking a four-year deal.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 3, 2013

With Fox's Ken Rosenthal breaking the news that the Sandy Alderson met with free agent outfielder Curtis Granderson on Sunday, the Mets fan base was immediately sent into a tizzy yesterday afternoon.  An offseason left for dead, was it possible that the Mets would suddenly land what many would consider to be the biggest power hitter on the free agent market?

Probably not, as Krister Ackert soon reported that no deal was imminent, but that's really not the issue at hand.  As shown above, Mike Puma reported last night that Curtis Granderson still seeks at four year deal.  So what do you think?  Would you issue a four year contract to player who will be thirty-three when he reports to spring training next year?

It all comes down to the price tag for me.  I wouldn't hesitate to give Granderson a four year deal, provided its within reason.  With the exception of 2013, during which he suffered two separate fractures upon being hit by pitches, Granderson has appeared in 136 games or more in every season since 2006.  His health has been sound.  He provides both some speed, and most importantly the potential to hit 30+ home runs. Remember.. as we've written here before, his power should translate well to Citi Field.

So whats the right number?  There are some rumblings that it will take 4 years and $60 million dollars to land Granderson.  That's a deal I'd make in a heartbeat.  I think that number ends up being low.  I suspect if he does sign for just four years, its more along the lines of $70 to $75 million.  That only scares me because I don't think that's a realm the Mets would dare to enter.  That's really what this comes down to.

Can Mets Fans File A Grievance?

With the news that baby faced backup shortstop (at best), Ruben Tejada, may file a grievance over the Mets delaying his MLB service time, it got me thinking..How can we do something similar?

Personally, I couldn't care less when Tejada gets his walking papers. I suspect he'll be traded, cut or worse long before the end of the 2016 season, but Tejada seemingly wants to make sure he can get as far away from this sinking ship as quickly as possible. Eventually, he will..but we're not so lucky. 

Perhaps Mets fans can file a grievance that the Wilpon's are delaying their inevitable departure.  Or maybe we can file to have the team reduced to a minor league role since it would representative of the roster in recent years.  How about turning Citi Field into a chop shop when they renovate Willets Point.. You know, to keep up appearances. 

You get my point. Tejada may be right, but what does it matter. He's going to use the resources available to influence his situation. We have no such luck. The team sucks, ownership has just enough money to hold on for dear life and we'll be forced to ride out the storm..grievance or not.

Will This Be An Offseason Of Change For The Mets?

As the days slip by and the World Series draws near, so too does the official start to the offseason. It's at that time that things should begin to pick up and the 2014 New York Mets will start to take shape. First and foremost, the Mets will have to make decisions regarding their 40-man roster and who. will or won't be protected in the Rule 5 draft. Then, all eyes turn to acquisitions.

It appears for the first time in years, we will spend more time discussing what players the Mets will pay, than we will discussing what creditors they'll repay. Although not out of the woods completely with regards to SNY and Citi Field debt, the Mets will have substantial funds to work with this winter. Despite the much discussed reality that it is unlikely the team will immediately reinvest the full $50 million coming off the books, fans should have cautious optimism that the 2014 edition will be a much improved bunch.

With payroll at their disposal, the Mets needn't shy away from trading for any particular players either. The fact that Carlos Gonzalez will soon make $20 million annually shouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker. Neither should the contracts of guys like Jose Bautista, should hecome available. Simply put, the only restrictions the Mets have this winter are those they impress upon themselves. 

Therein lies the hesitation for some Mets' faithful, who remain unimpressed by the organization's new found thriftiness over the Alderson era. Will the team bring in quality additions, or will it be more of the reclamation projects we've become accustomed to? While the successes of players like Marlon Byrd are always welcomed, it would be nice to enter the season with some more concrete expectations. 

So here we go, off into what could be either a wild winter renovation or the fan base's biggest disappointment yet. The options are almost as unlimited as the debate has been to date on whether this when the Mets finally turn it around. So will the team be active in the higher end of the free agent market?  Will Sandy Alderson have the guts to trade away some off the farm system depth he's spent three years cultivating?  Will fans finally have reason to be excited in 2014? Only time will tell...

Willets Point to be Cleaned Up

Earlier this year I ran the Spartan Race at Citi Field. This involved running in and out and around Citi Field doing all sorts of things I was not physically equipped to do. One thing the race gave me the opportunity to do was to stop occasionally and get a view of the areas surrounding Citi from the stadium's highest points. Anyone who has spent any significant time at Citi or Shea has seen, and likely sighed, at the horrible chop-shops...I mean auto-body repair chops...across the street from Citi Field. They are truly a blight on the area. It's unfortunate that such a beautiful ballpark has such horrible surroundings.

Well, the city, and specifically Mayor Bloomberg, is trying to help out. On Wednesday the New York City Council voted to approve the Willets Point Redevelopment project. The plan calls for a complete overhaul of the areas surrounding Citi Field, including the stadium's parking lot. Specifically, the chop-shops will be replaced by retail space and restaurants, as well as hotels.  Additionally, the Citi Field parking lot will be mostly replaced by what is essentially a shopping mall.  Over time the plan calls for the construction of residential housing units as well, which will likely consist of high-rise towers. The plan is estimated to cost about $3 billion and the Mets, through Sterling Equities, will presumably have a piece of the deal.

I am usually weary of any project where any city is going to drop money in the laps of sports franchises in any way (just google Cincinatti Benglas, stadium, and public finance to see why), and the city has earmarked approximately $400 million for the project already. However, I like this deal for several reasons. First, while Sterling Equities is involved and they are the real estate wing of the New York Mets owner's business empire, it is not directly the Mets. If Sterling wasn't involved, somebody else would be. Second, look at the picture at the top of this post. It's awful. It's truly a waste of land and space to have acre upon acre of disgusting, and potentially criminal, shops. While beautifying the area will certainly help the Mets, it will also help the city and my home borough of Queens. If looked at from above, that area can be a wonderful spot for these things. You have space, easy transport to and from, water and a baseball park. Why this has taken this long is beyond me.

That's not to say it is happening any time soon as it is. They have to cleanup the entire area, both environmentally and aesthetically, which currently has a target completion date of 2015. The retail space and hotel which is meant to replace the garages has a target completion date of 2016 and the mall has a target completion date of 2018. The residential spaces are well in the future and have a target date of 2024, but with dates that far in the future you cannot predict anything, let alone a completion date. The plan still has to go through environmental impact reports. The city has to accommodate the business owners that are currently in these areas, 95% of which are on board with the plan, but as with any plan, there are holdouts. Also...there will be lawsuits...lots and lots of lawsuits.

This doesn't even take into account the usual delays and over budget expenses that arise whenever New York City has such an ambitious plan. The World Trade Center plans have gone years and years beyond their projected calendar and the budget was swallowed up years ago.

In the end I think this is a good deal for the City, the Borough and, perhaps most importantly to you, the Mets. It will beautify the area, give Citi Field the surrounding it deserves, bring people to the Ballpark and perhaps help out the Mets budget. You can tell Mayor Bloomberg I am on board.

You can follow me on twitter at @joshuetree

Wright Returns With A Bang

I wasn't exactly behind the return of David Wright this week.  I wasn't alone.  Many Mets fans thought it was a bad idea to see Wright risk further injury to his ailing hamstring with just a weeks worth of meaningless games remaining.  David Wright..doesn't care what we think.  He made that quite clear when in his first at-bat since August 2nd he did this:

Sure, this would only be a long fly ball at Citi Field. However, this ballgame was being played at the little league bandbox that is Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia against the hated Phillies and pretty boy Cole Hamels.  All of that made this a lot more fun than it probably should've been.

This isn't the first time Wright has done something like this.  You'll recall that last season, after returning to the lineup after breaking his pinky finger Wright promptly launched a solo home run in his first at back.  In a fun twist of fate, that also came at the expense of the Phillies.

So far so good for Wright.  He should get credit for returning when he doesn't have to, and he will provided he doesn't suffer a set back between now and the onset of the offseason.  A quick side note: With nine games to go, Wright needs three more home runs to make it to twenty.

The lineup is always better when it has a little captain in it!