Tuesday, April 05, 2011

AN ALTERATIVE TICKET PLAN.

There was no way I was sitting four rows from the top of Citi Field for another year. No way. I called the Mets constantly about this, were told, repeatedly, that there was no way to move (yet), that there was nowhere to move us. I kept saying, I understand that you can’t move me down in my section, but how about moving me towards third base (so I could see into the dugout). I waited, and waited, and waited, waited until December, when they were going to release tickets held by other ticket plan holders. Row 9, Row 10, but moving pretty far out, further out than we wanted to go. I waited, and there was still nothing. I waited, and then we accepted that the best we would do is row 9 or 10 all the way out almost at Promenade Reserved.

The problem, of course, is that the Promenade Reserved Infield is the only ticket at Citi Field that is fairly priced. It is the only truly affordable ticket. There really are enough full season ticketholders in that price level for that reason.

I finally said: enough. Enough with dealing with the Mets.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

HAPPY OPENING DAY 2011.

No matter what team you root for, Happy Opening Day! Baseball is back!!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

MLB ALIENATES 45% OF THE FAN BASE ONCE AGAIN WITH THE “MLB FAN CAVE”.

So apparently, there was some kind of contest somewhere, and the result was that two dudely dudes won and are going to be spending the season sitting in the old Tower Records (RIP) location on 4th and Broadway, watching baseball games and offering sparkling commentary and hosting special guests, in something called “The MLB Fan Cave”. Okay, whatever. It’s a dumb quasi reality show kind of concept, and MLB is trying for some kind of relevance in that space (I guess). This would be a dumb marketing stunt that would have been easy to ignore, if it were not for this:

Right. Because when I think Opening Day, the first thing I think of is, “Gosh, I wonder what a professional underwear model thinks about the 2011 baseball season.” It’s too bad there are no women working in the industry you could ask. Next time you have this problem, I’ve compiled a list you can start with. After the jump.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

THOUGHTS ON THE TERRY COLLINS BLOGGER CONFERENCE CALL.

Today, Mets bloggers were invited to participate in a conference call with new Mets manager Terry Collins. It seems like we can’t turn around without being invited to a conference call these days, not that I’m complaining.

This one was particularly tough for me because I had a big product launch at work which began at 2:45am this morning. I worked all weekend. I mention this because the invitation to participate came in the middle of all of this and I needed time to sit and think of a good question. Luckily, the new Mets Weekly came to the rescue when they interviewed players and asked them about Terry Collins, and Angel Pagan (among others) mentioned that he was a real “player’s manager”. 

Voila, I had my question. Or at least one I could ask.

TODAY IN “ANNALS OF UNFORTUNATE METS SPONSORSHIP DECISIONS”.

The area formerly known as Mr. Met’s Landing has gotten a sponsor:

I’m not sure I want to watch that promotional video.

How did anyone decide that this was an okay idea that wouldn’t make the team the butt of yet another joke across MLB? OH WAIT I JUST DID THAT.

Monday, March 28, 2011

GUEST POST: THE DAY I MET DAVID WRIGHT.

Today’s guest post is from Metsgrrl.com reader Julia Quadrino.

November 13, 2010.  My mom and I were on our way to Chelsea Piers in New York City for baseball clinic taught by David Wright. To say I was a nervous wreck would be an understatement.  I was shaking violently from the moment we left the house until the moment I saw David.
Not expecting to win, I had entered a contest online to win a baseball clinic taught by David Wright.  I was going to play baseball with a superstar watching me.  I was by far going to be the oldest one there, being 15 now (I was 14 at the time I entered).  I had played recreation league softball for the past couple of summers, but that was really just for fun as opposed to actually learning.  Besides learning the “fundies” from Keith during broadcasts, I really hadn’t had too much baseball knowledge when it came to me having to play.  My biggest fear was being shown up by some 6 year old baseball prodigy that just so happened to win this contest, too.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

POST-SPRING TRAINING BLOGGER CHAT WITH SANDY ALDERSON.

I need to get some photos of Sandy Alderson, because I have none, and so I have to start every conference call post with a photo of Mr. Met.

The transcript is up, so I will not give you the word for word; you can also go read my Twitter feed from 6:30-7pm tonight for highlights.

It blows my mind that I get invited to these. Of course, it also blows my mind that my cat decided that the exact moment the call started was the right time to start ripping apart a cardboard box in my office. My entreaties that I was on a conference call with Sandy Alderson had zero effect. I am beginning to doubt his level of Mets fandom.

Monday, March 21, 2011

DING, DONG, THE WITCH IS DEAD.

Our long national nightmare has ended. Oliver Perez has been released.

I don’t remember who was interviewing Cliff Floyd and when it happened, but I think Uncle Cliff hit the nail on the head when he was asked what he thought happened to Oliver: that the money went to his head. You can pinpoint the decline to that, to the intervention of THE GREAT SATAN himself, to the departure of Rick Peterson, to the WBC, hell, to Ollie getting married.

Friday, March 18, 2011

LUIS CASTILLO RELEASED.

I don’t have a lot of photos of Luis Castillo, which will probably not surprise you. It surprises me a little, because there was that golden period when we all loved him (or a lot of fans did, anyway). He was Johan Santana’s closest friend on the Twins, and I always gave him some credit for Johan choosing to come to the Mets.

I feel bad for Luis Castillo, because the wave of fan resentment was not his fault. It was Omar’s fault, for giving him that contract. He outstayed his usefulness. He became a constant reminder of the team’s mismanagement and bad decisions, on the field every day. There was no way that he could ever regain fan loyalty because of that. Add that to that dropped ball at the House of Evil, and the demonization of Luis Castillo as the representative of everything Mets fans were angry about was in full effect.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF “REALLY??” WITH METSGRRL.

Before we all go jump on the Mets, this is clearly the brainchild of someone at MLB, because other fans have gotten similar emails - Indians fans being encouraged to go to Detroit, Mets fans in Florida being encouraged to go to Mets/Marlins, in Chicago for Mets/Cubs, and a NC fan getting a note to go to Atlanta or Cincinnati.

In this case, however, someone forgot the asterisk: “...and get your car keyed.” “...and watch the Phanatic go through those old tired routines of smashing the helmet of the opposing team.” “...and spend three hours waiting on line for a cheesesteak.”

Sure, MLB, in this economy, the way to fill the ballpark isn’t discounts and reductions of service charges, it’s encouraging fans to TRAVEL! Bud Selig, Genius!