Ceetar

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Baseball Prospectus now has the Yankees down to 1.0 per cent for making the playoffs. So it's okay then that Andy Pettitte interrupting "meaningful" baseball to announce his retirement I guess.

he's wrong, I listened to the Kay version the other day (looking for the Sterling call and the article linked that, nice of them) Kay didn't know it was caught at first either, there was a couple of seconds of silence before he identified what happened. Which of course, is a a benefit of television. Sterling blunders ahead, he's like the typical Yankees fan, he's decided what's going to happen (A-Rod will homer) and let's it color what he's going to say.

Frayed Knot wrote: btw, is this the first time this year with the new IL format that a team is doing a two-team/one-city stop like the Giants are this week? - first Citfield then YSIII Seems to me that that would be the preferred way to do things if possible: Oakland on the IL sked this year? - knock off your Giants series at the same time. Hit the ChiSox & the Cubbies back-to-back, etc. Haven't noticed it before this year, but I remember it happening last year. Also interesting was both the Yankees and Mets going to Baltimore back to back. Next year the Mets go to SF/Oakland separately. I'm convinced they could optimize the schedule somewhat that way. One day, with rainouts/makeups, this will happen. One day. The Yankees will play the White Sox in the afternoon while the Mets are playing the Cubs, and then they'll switch for the evening part of the doubleheader.

metirish wrote: So true, tolerated when they are winning. I just hope the MFY's ignore the lack of hustle and give cano the ten year $200 million contract he "deserves" from them. nah, I hope they go the other way and DON'T re-sign the best option they (and really most anyone) has for 2B because of it.

Zvon wrote: Matts a grouch in the morning. Sounded like he didn't even have his coffee yet. Obviously he has stock in Qualcomm. Well, you can go to the bathroom and keep current score, but can you actually score a game on that thing?

Edgy MD wrote: Fuck Jeter. By all accounts, most people have.

metirish wrote: seawolf17 wrote: Holy crap, that was terrible. Someone steered him very wrongly there. Maybe that is part of the problem here, he likely now has "handlers", you know what Matt, be like fucking Jeter, do stupid car commercials, don't talk to the media in this way, only after games....be vanilla. better win a championship too, because if Harvey ducked the media the way Jeter does, it'd become a major thing.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I initially thought the brick was a terrible waste of $$$, but if your dad dies and requests no burial (or, you know, if I die), a brick is a very economical alternative to a tombstone. and the whole fanwalk with the bricks surrounding plaques of memorable moments is a nice touch.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I saw some of the comments about the Hall of Fame. Keep in mind that the vice president of tradition and fan experience has broad powers, he can't go back in time. While I haven't seen the hall -- my visit to Citi was in its first year -- the photos look pretty neat. I don't know too many teams with better halls. The Reds have an entire building that is incredible. But many of the others -- Indians, Phillies -- have the basic plaque on the wall thing working, and no museum. I know the Braves have a wonderful museum, and the Rangers have something that is basically Cooperstown south. I like the tailgating thing. The Brewers have a permanent concession and restroom building in the parking lot to assist with such things. Since the Mets lack a neighborhood for fans to hang out it, it would be nice to assist with the tailgating to make a party atmosphere. Cardinals (At least in 2006) was a room inside the Bowling Museum. Was nice, but not much different than Citi Field's right now. I think Citi's is nice, although I do agree that the back end where you basically buy expensive stuff could use some work. Tailgating is decent at Citi, but permanent structures would be cool I wonder if there are city rules restricting that? Obviously if they ever get the mall up or something similar, there will be plenty of party/bar type areas, but that's years away and in the meantime some official nod to tailgating would be cool.

Lefty Specialist wrote: Cut ticket prices in half. You'll make it up in concessions and parking. Full up those seats behind home plate every game by selecting people from the upper deck to come down in the third inning. Have GOOD giveaways, not crap. Everything's an ad for someone anyway, so the only cost incurred is extra personnel to reach into a box and hand it to people when they come in. Have a contest for a fan age 12-18 to wear a uniform, take batting and fielding practice and sit in the dugout for a game. Yeah, I know it's technically against league rules, but work it out. I'm positive they've run the numbers for these things, and have priced the tickets at close to the highest revenue price point. They have all sorts of algorithms for these things. Most of what's keeping people away is not the price. Also, no one cares about the seats behind home plate. That's an empty gripe. Teams would even prefer those fans are back in the clubs ordering food and drink. I'm not sure why anyone cares what other fans are doing, but certainly few of these modern parks were built with the 'sit in your seat and don't move for 3 hours' attitude in mind. Some of the giveaways are decent. bobbleheads, etc. I'm sure they can do more, but then again, is this enough to get people into a park? If they upgraded from a crappy gym back to a quality duffel, is it going to cover the costs (to the advertiser or team?) They've done a lot with season ticket holders, at least comparatively, in recent years. giveaways and taking positions on the field and such. I'd like to see 'dugout seating' as a thing though, in an extra dugout a little further down the line that's simply a seating area. would be neat.

Frayed Knot wrote: Which begs the question of why the owners seem to want to keep the team for whom the stadium exists in the first place a secret. Or is it more a case where the Citi money came with the condition of having nothing else on the building except their brand? Tell me again where on Shea it said Mets? One of the standard shots of Citi Field from the front features the Home Run Apple with the Mets logo. If you're in the back, or on Northern BLVD, you can see the "Home of the Mets" scoreboard. The outdoor areas are really nice, blue and orange flowers, the apple, the player banners on the poles along the main walkways. Oh, and the banners of the players in the LF corner. Also visible from the outside.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Do they give Citi Field tours? I've been on tours in other parks, and it's a ton of fun. I've been able to go on the field and everything -- at least the non-grass areas. I don't like the ideas of adding the panels to the outside of the stadium -- it really is a beautiful ballpark -- but I like the idea of adding them somewhere inside, like stairwells or interior hallways. I like the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and the 42. Maybe the videos are a little much. We do need statues. (But look at Comerica Park as an example of how NOT to do them.) Replace the people who publish the yearbook. It seems like its the same format year after year. I don't care about the players' favorite breakfast cereal. Open the gates earlier. Let people come in and shop and eat long BEFORE the game so they don't have to miss any of the action. I like watching batting practice. Yeah, they do. For some reason I still haven't been on one. Although they seem to be missing now. Did they stop doing them? Fire the tour guide? Odd. They've pushed back the gate openings over time. But they open them early..2.5? 3? for Premium games. I wonder if they just weren't getting the crowds.

Perhaps the Neon players could replace the silhouettes above the entrances?

themetfairy wrote: Statues. We need statues! A Seaver statue at the very least. What ever happened to the Mets HOF busts that used to be on exhibit in front of Shea's Diamond Club? Bring those back, and add some for the new inductees. They don't even have to be in the HOF - they can be somewhere else in the ballpark. But they should be on display somewhere - preferably somewhere that the average fan can visit. And on that note, is it really necessary for the Caesar's Club and Promenade Club to be so exclusive? Why not open those areas up to the public. There would probably be volume issues if they did. At the very least, let us walk the Excelsior level, even if not into the club.

Vic Sage wrote: concession stands manned by Hooters girls. bah, we can do better than that. Set up a whole club, and bury it in the outfield grass with a glass ceiling. It's one of the few areas of seating that hasn't been explored at a baseball stadium yet.

themetfairy wrote: I would love to see promotions for all fans in attendance. Not the first 10,000, etc. Let the guy who's caught working late or the family stuck in traffic know that even if they get to the game late they will still get their items. And then do "promotion gift bags" later in the season with all the extras.

themetfairy wrote: On a different note, the introduction of Mrs. Met has been bass ackward. She appears sporadically and her evolving backstory makes her seem like a 50's era wife (we haven't seen her at all because she's been raising the kids/she needs to get dinner on the table for Mr. Met/etc.). And there is no Mrs. Met merch yet. I didn't notice myself, but I was at yesterday's game with a friend who REALLY wanted a Mrs. Met shirt. It seems like they re-introduced a potential icon but they have no game plan for promoting her. All-Star Game stuff probably kept people busy too and I wonder if no decisions were made early on when most t-shirt design stuff seems to happen? I'd expect to see more of her on objects next year, I hope anyway.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't even care because it's irrelevant to my listening interests. To me, that show was a waste of time -- it's listening to a bunch of morons pontificating on things that they're clueless about. It's one less great movie I'd otherwise never get to see, or one more great book I'd never get to read. Well yeah, but I don't think most people are listening at times when they could be otherwise entertained. At least, not as many and not as much anymore.

I like the baseball card/name thing. It's neat, it's all inclusive, it's memory and tradition, and hell, it flies in the face of the "True Yankee" nonsense. You play for us, you're one of us. Maybe on the bridge itself? or would that be too busy/in the way? (btw, this is probably exactly what the Mets should do with their blogger outreach program.)

Each child that attends the game will receive a specialized boy/girl gift bag. In addition, the birthday boy or girl will receive an extra birthday item! Both children and adults will receive a voucher redeemable in Citi Field for a hot dog, hamburger or slice of pizza, fries and a soft drink. Individual tickets start at $30. Good timing actually. Want to go to a game this weekend? (Note they assert that it won't apply to the playoffs) Go to the Mets box office on your birthday and receive a free ticket to that day's game. Fans can show a valid form of identification (birth certificate, driver's license, passport, etc.) at the Citi Field Ticket Windows on their birthday to receive a ticket, subject to availability. Offer does not apply for games after September 29. For those celebrating their birthday when the Mets are on the road, on an off day, in the off-season or on non-eligible games, their complimentary ticket can be redeemed for games on September 13-15.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: metsmarathon wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: G-Fafif wrote: How much would have dividers in the proletariat men's rooms cost anyway? Not installing them was a subtle dismissive "eff you" to the people who couldn't buy seats in the fancier sections. Or maybe-- just maybe-- it was a subtle welcome to make everything in the new place into a communal, convivial experience. i thought everybody likes to see the dicks of the people whizzing next to them. is... is that just me...? Prom was so empty the other night that I was the only guy in the mens room peeing. Maybe that's why they didn't bother. I guess we were on alternate schedules. no one in there either time I went either. G-Fafif wrote: They instituted a free ticket for your birthday thing. Show up at a day of game ticket window, show your ID and you're in, and not in the last row either (depending on availability, one supposes). They carved out a bunch of low-demand dates for people whose birthdays don't fall on Mets home dates (Opening Day and the once-popular Subway Series not included). Two good examples of positives that the Mets themselves suck at publicizing. I'm never not impressed by how much community goodwill type stuff they do. Post-Sandy they were all over the place (just ask Bobby Valentine about it in twelve years) but practically every week they're visiting kids, seniors, food banks, literacy programs, VA hospitals and so on. Almost every night is a night when the pregame is devoted to those dealing with some medical condition. The Tuesday's Children sponsorship has been unstinting. Festooning Shea Bridge's walkway in team colors and adding the commemorative logo was a nice, unforeseen touch this year. Yeah, they've subtly done some decorating year after year. It started poorly, but It was probably always a work in progress and I think they were more concerned with just getting the building functional than putting up Mets stuff at first. The error was one of not realizing how important it was to fans, not an active desire to leave it out. Painted the stairwells out blue and orange too. I utilized the birthday ticket early on in April (birthday's in March, never a Mets game on my birthday. Something that's always bothered me.) was seated in Metropolitan Box I think it was called. 20ish rows back on the field level behind the ballboy seat area in LF.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Vic Sage wrote: Edgy MD wrote: I'd hate to see the the Mets bumping up against Rush, but I'm long since over FAN. I realize that this is supposed to be a prime example of the Wilpons ruining everything but I couldn't give two shits. WFAN is awful. Doubly so with Doris dead and their highest profile personality being a sleepwalking blowhard. Yeah, maybe they land some place with a weak signal, but we'll see. Mostly this, but i don't miss Doris. Her phlegmy breathing made me queasy. Cumulatively, I doubt I listened to more than two or three hours of non-Mets themed programming on WFAN in my entire lifetime. If Mike Francesca is supposed to be the arrogant blowhard that everyone knows him to be (and Francesca is) why would anyone listen to his show? You don't think the "Two guys yelling at each other" format was something the media stations pulled out of thin air do you? Dissent gets page views/hits/ratings* (I don't believe for a second that the current way we evaluate television and radio are a very meaningful measure of attention to the brand. It's simply a metric used to sell to advertisers) Fans are generally passionate people, passion breeds interest, and being able to agree or dissent with someone yelling about their own opinion speaks to that passion. Francesa's there now mainly because of inertia, and listeners listen for the same way. The intelligence level when Russo was still there wasn't much higher, but the back and forth helped. the dissension, even if it was tepider than modern day shows, fueled a little more deep thought, if only to disagree. But people driving to the game, tailgating outside, or just generally working in a construction site or communal job area like to hear sports talk. It's the ultimate water cooler discussion and WFAN greases the wheels of social interaction, gives you something to talk about. The only real difference now of course will be hosts will be able to live-discuss Mets games instead of Yankees games.

metsmarathon wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: G-Fafif wrote: How much would have dividers in the proletariat men's rooms cost anyway? Not installing them was a subtle dismissive "eff you" to the people who couldn't buy seats in the fancier sections. Or maybe-- just maybe-- it was a subtle welcome to make everything in the new place into a communal, convivial experience. i thought everybody likes to see the dicks of the people whizzing next to them. is... is that just me...? you and the entirety of Europe.

G-Fafif wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Citi Field is soggy free. The seats are numbered accurately. The divider-less urinals flush OK. And the elevators don't get stuck in between levels. Puddles form and sit like crazy in the front rows of Promenade well after a decent rain. Gotta be careful on some of those staircases that lead to the seats behind home plate on that level. Less soggy than good old Shea, to be sure, but not sogless by any means. How much would have dividers in the proletariat men's rooms cost anyway? Not installing them was a subtle dismissive "eff you" to the people who couldn't buy seats in the fancier sections. The way I understand it is they do have drainage holes and what not, but I imagine they get clogged up with slime pretty easily (not to mention the elevation of the land there is always going to make drainage a concern). Shea had these too. I'm sure Citi's are a little more modern, but the real test comes in another decade or two after all that stuff and other problems have built up. That's the whole private/public thing about maintenance. Will they keep up on it, or will they leave rusty nasty beams inbetween parts of the levels like at Shea?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Well, my son was in the Mets Fan Club once, and when an 8-year old says, "What's all this crap?" you know you have a problem. don't they give you free tickets, a mets cap, etc? what else are they supposed to give you?