Ceetar

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Ceets, with all due respect I don;t see how fans have any insight to what works and doesn't work wrt coaching, unless its something obvious like third-base decisions etc I'm fully aware of that. I'll claim the same for GM. All we have to go on is news bytes and results. He certainly doesn't seem to be 'top of the line' which is what I think the Mets should be working for. All of Alderson's BS about being a world-class organization and all that. But the starting pitching is the biggest weakness, so find the guy that's going to get every last ounce of value out of it. From my observations, Warthen doesn't seem to have provided much in terms of growth. Niese tailed off in 2010, and he started doing a similar struggle near the late part of this season, which maybe attributed to his injury, which Warthen apparently let him pitch through. Warthen may be good at preparation, but that only goes so far. (And yes, most of the starters stayed pretty healthy. ) But what about adjusting to changing scouting reports? Take Pelfrey in 2010. Started brilliantly as, literally, one of the best pitchers in the league. Attributed in part to a new pitch. League starts catching up to him, and he has a disastrous August. (or was it July? it's a blur) He finished okay, but where was Warthen to help him readjust his thinking, his pitch setups and sequences? You see similar things in-game too. Pitchers, like Gee ,cruising through 3-4 and then all of a sudden the batters are all over it. Where's Dan to come out and say "Dillon, they're sitting on your change up 2-0, you're too predictable. Make 'em chase here." It's that kind of insight I want from a coach. I don't see/hear it from Dan. You hear some of these guys talk pitching and they just sound smart. You hear Pelfrey or Warthen talk and it doesn't ring with the same intelligence. Yes, this is just my observations, and it doesn't mean it's true. Maybe they are trying to alter pitch sequences and the pitcher just isn't executing. Maybe it's simply mechanics wearing down, and there's nothing Warthen can do because preach repetition as they fail. It's going to be my personal goal to try to pay a little closer attention to specific pitches and this stuff next year, but that doesn't make me (or any other independent observer) an expert in figuring out what's going on between Pitcher, Catcher and Coach when they develop a game plan. I just know it hasn't been working.

As I'm sure has been made clear, I dislike keeping Warthen. Especially when the biggest reason cited is things like 'preparedness' and that the pitchers really like him. Screw his relationship with Mike Pelfrey..they can chat on the phone between starts.

Edgy DC wrote: I don't think it's a pipedream. I don't even smoke a pipe. we do need a more modern term. or have attention spans shortened enough that no one sits around dreaming any more?

Edgy DC wrote: And the team potentially failing was as predictable as the turning of the leaves in autumn. And a marketing plan that anticipates and transcends the seasons and cycles of success and failure would be... inspired and sustainable. Also a pipedream. I don't think you the 2009 season was predictable, especially given injuries. I don't think you can anticipate this stuff. At least not via marketing. It's always going to have to be adjusted year to year. Not to mention the economic climate and disposable income cycles that are also unpredictable. I'm not quite sure what you have in mind that could/would work that way.

Edgy DC wrote: Ceetar wrote: I think if they were having issues selling those seats, with all they've adjusted, they'd have adjusted those as well. And if their original plan was inspired or sustainable, they wouldn't be adjusting it every year. Of course, if the Mets had had a winning record the original plan would've looked more sustainable, regardless of how inspired it is. And it was created after four consecutive winning seasons. In fact, had they continued that trend, we'd probably have seen a price _increase_ this year.

I think if they were having issues selling those seats, with all they've adjusted, they'd have adjusted those as well. It's as sustainable as the Mets are. Sure, every year they play meaningless September games and people that own those seats notice they're paying $10000 that month for something they didn't even think about, they'll stop buying them. But there are A LOT of wealthy "Mets" fans in NY, and if the Mets trend upwards, they won't have that problem.

I'm not sure the 'brain trust' is enamored with him, but I don't think they've soured on him either, and I expect he'll be on the roster. Sandy will not be picking the closer. Terry will. I don't think he's necessarily down on him, and if Bobby shows up in Spring and works hard and looks good, I think that'll go a long way in Collins eye.

Edgy DC wrote: It seems like the Mets are unwillingly evolving toward a market position of what they should be: accessible, engaging, good value. They just can't bring themselves to concede the top shelf. And it's just not healthy. It's 2011 (or 2012 for them, I guess), and there are a lot more plebeians than patriarchs in the marketplace. Outflank those fuckers. The market doesn't bare that though. In response to Keane's question about the premium Sterling seats (though Howard should read something into the fact that even a die-hard blogger doesn't really know the different between champion seats and sterling seats) Howard basically says "Those are sold out" So while the swing money is with th plebeians, they seem to already be getting the revenue and interest they want from the corporate types. Speaking to those seats, it's fan/FAN issue that they're empty. The Mets don't care, because they know they're sold. (same goes for the Yankees, Phillies, etc) Those people are in the Delta Sky Club, in the climate control, drinking and what not. Or walking around even. They skip games when the Mets aren't interesting or the weather is bad. Give me a September 10th game against the Phillies with the Mets one back and it's 2-2 in the eight? I bet those seats look crowded. While I appreciate the opportunity to ask him anything, the one question format allows him to gloss over parts of the question and gives no opportunity to follow up. I specifically mentioned Stub Hub in my question, and he didn't address it at all, or how the dynamic prices will match it, or if faced with a September like this year, will it be more competitive no to buy for stub hub. As I result I read into it that prices are not going to drop significantly below face anywhere. You may have a game that's priced as "Gold" for say the NL Champs, but if August comes said champs are 40-60 then the prices may drop to "Value" but not to $4.

Based on Sandy's comments I don't think they're going for Bell/Madsen/named closer. I don't think this decision will be made until March 15th. I think Bob P. is the favorite right now, so I voted for him. But I think they're going to bring in a couple of relievers they like to compete for the job and win pen spots. Ultimately I think Terry may lean towards the familiarity of Parnell unless one of those new guys looks absolutely amazing.

Giving Burnett free outs is the trick to getting him through 5IP.

I did pick the Phillies to get bounced by the Brewers anyway, but was pulling for Louis here. Still hopeful.

yeah, sounds like pretty much don't expect to be buying tickets for $2 from mets.com. was vague on the specifics of how cheap they could get, but emphasized protecting season ticket holders. sounds like the cheap season tickets are aimed at under the out of town scoreboard. It seems like he was suggesting that gives them full flexibility to reduce the RF promenade outfield seats as much as they want though, but I guess we'll see. In general, and not just a Mets thing, purchasing day of type tickets seems to be becoming a worse and worse move.

Ashie62 wrote: The less than $1000 season ticket plans should do well with businesses. Dynamic pricing could mean $1 to get in??? hope not. That means a September like this one. But it depends on how the sectioning work. it might be you only get the 10% discount the season ticket holders get for buying early, unless it's a huge game and then you pay out the nose. But given the circumstances it doesn't seem like it's a "pretend it's a good thing when really we're fleecing them" type scenario. But stay tuned, more details will be revealed after 6:30.

Gwreck wrote: 1. The Mets' alleged dynamic pricing is a sham, because it incorporates an artificial price floor (specifically, the season-ticket-holder price). It's obvious they intend to protect the STH's investments, but by doing so, it's not really dynamic pricing. 2. Switching to Tickets.com is an unfortunate development. The Paciolan system the Mets used is far superior to the Tickets.com interface and user experience. I find it highly amusing that the Mets claim to have "selected" Tickets.com as their provider, given that Tickets.com is owned by MLB Advanced Media, LP. 3. Price reductions are a good thing. I get the impression that much of these reductions have been created by removing pricing tiers -- ie. seats that used to be called "Metropolitan Box Silver" or "Metropolitan Box Bronze" have been eliminated and are now just called (and priced at the level of) "Metropolitan Box." I'm going to ask David Howard that first question. There should be no floor on non-season ticket holder sections, but they seem to have extended season ticket options to ALL sections as well. Unless they mean they'll sell ticket plans to section 504/503 and have dynamic pricing in sections 530/531? I was also curiosu about the second, but I have no familiarity with tickets.com. I'm curious if other Paciolan clubs switched as well. Specifically, will this alter the amount of surcharges and fees? Will fans finally be able to select specific seats, as you can with ticketmaster?

From: Media Relations \ Date: Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 1:40 PM Subject: 1004--METS RESCALE TICKET PRICING FOR 2012 LEADING TO LOWER PRICES FOR MOST SEASON TICKET HOLDERS To: METS RESCALE TICKET PRICING FOR 2012 LEADING TO LOWER PRICES FOR MOST SEASON TICKET HOLDERS Limited Number of Full-Season Tickets For Less Than $1,000 Dynamic Pricing for 2012 Expands Price Options for All Fans FLUSHING, N.Y., October 4, 2011 � The New York Mets today announced they have rescaled ticket pricing at Citi Field, leading to lower prices for the majority of Season Ticket Holders for 2012. No Season Ticket Holder will see an increase in their invoice for next season. Season Ticket Holders will also receive new early renewal incentives and season-long benefits. The majority of Season Ticket Holders will pay less for their seats in 2012: � 80% of seats will have a reduction of approximately 5% or greater � 57% of seats will have a reduction of 10% or greater � 35% will have a cut of 20% or more � 18% will have a drop of 30% or more � More than 15,000 seats will cost less than $25 per game Some of the deepest Season Ticket Holder price reductions are in the following seating categories: Caesars Silver (39%); Caesars Gold (34%); Promenade Outfield (33%); Promenade Box (30%); and Promenade Gold (30%). The Mets have consolidated or expanded seating categories throughout the ballpark, which allows many Season Ticket Holders the opportunity to upgrade their locations at no extra cost. Renewal Incentives Season Ticket Holders who renew and pay in full by November 7, 2011, will receive admission to four exclusive events with unprecedented access to Mets players and front-office staff, including batting practice at Citi Field and an autograph session with Mets players. The Amazin� Mets Perks program will expand in 2012 with new benefits and exclusive experiences. Fans must pay in full or select a three-month or six-month payment plan by November 7, 2011 to be eligible for Amazin� Mets Perks. The Mets will hold their first ever �Select-A-Seat� event Thursday, November 17 through Saturday, November 19 at Citi Field, providing Season Ticket Holders with the opportunity to upgrade their locations with their dedicated Account Service Executive, based on seniority. Club Access All Season Ticket Holders � regardless of seat location � will have access to the Caesars Club, Acela Club and Promenade Club. Champions Club The Champions Club will become a members-only, all-inclusive area. Members will have access to some of the best seats at the ballpark with premium food and non-alcoholic beverage options at no additional cost. Special Season Tickets for Less Than $1,000 The Mets will introduce a limited number of Full-Season Tickets for only $12 per seat, per game, or $972 for the entire season. The limit is six seats per account. Dynamic Pricing The Mets will introduce dynamic pricing for 2012 single game tickets. The face value of single game tickets will initially be offered in March 2012 at prices at or below 2011 prices. As time progresses, those prices may be adjusted on a real-time basis, either upwards or downwards, based on market demand. The ability for the Mets to adjust prices throughout the season will provide all fans with a variety of pricing options. However, the Mets will not price single game tickets in Season Ticket Holder areas below the Season Ticket Holder discounted prices. The dynamic pricing system will be powered by Qcue, Inc., which provides dynamic pricing for live entertainment and sports teams including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. In addition, Qcue works with clubs in the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League. The Mets also announced they have selected Tickets.com Inc., the global leader of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions, as their ticketing technology provider using the company�s ProVenue� platform. Complete Season Ticket Holder information is available at Mets.com or by calling (718) 507-TIXX. The Mets will release information on Ticket Plans and Packs in the coming weeks. # # #

sharpie wrote: Christie not running. Let's not ever mention him again. unfortunately, he's still my governor.

Edgy DC wrote: Have we mentioned Itzhak Perlman? I heard him perform th National Anthem one day at Shea.

Edgy DC wrote: How about that exact tie for fifth? (Too bad neither guy actually had a particularly successful season.) Pagan's wasn't quite as bad as it's made out to be. Interesting that they tied there though. Also interesting is that Bay nearly had as many SB as HR.. given that, surprised he tied for as high as 5th.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Again, it's all about his awkward delivery and the resulting issue of plays unfolding before he can describe them that drives me nuts. If the Mets/660 were to keep him employed it would be worth the investment in 3 weeks of offseason play by play boot camp with a guy like Cohen who's always on top of the unfolding action. Can you teach it? Gary's been doing TV all summer where he doesn't need to get descriptive, and he stepped into the radio booth for the ALDS and didn't miss a step.

Derek Jeter has a .685 OPS in 2011 late and close. .686 with RISP.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: CC can opt out after this season. Would you pay him? I'd certainly make it known to CC and the Yankees that I'd be willing to offer him A LOT of money. but fiscally I wouldn't..but.. well...good pitchers are nice to have..

There is nothing worse than Derek Jeter scoring a run.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Coors Lite girls disappeared after pregame, Jager Girls getting ready now. I would never order a Coors Lite, having Bells 2Hearted Ale now. Wow Jealous. no Bells in NY (or CA I don't think..) My 12.5% Germanness supports Jager (and Jager girls) though.

No AM radio in my hotel room. I'd stream on my phone but I'm using it's 3G for internet for the laptop. Feliz in. two on, two out for the Rays down by 1.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'm in Indy now watching at a bar but found Gary on my drive over. Place is packed for Colts game, slutty Coors Light girls with giveaways. Gonna order some wings. I'm very easily amused. Wings and Breasts are enough to get me to watch football when I'm killing time. (Still wouldn't order the Coors though)