If You Buy A Season Ticket To See The Mets In 2013, You Are A Schmuck
Recently, my former colleague Howard Megdal, who in addition to covering the Mets for the Journal News, wrote a great summary concerning the New York Mets’ ticket prices for 2013
For some perspective, the nine highest price points for season tickets will remain the same. And the bottom eleven price points for season tickets are going up.
As Dean Martin once crooned, “Ain’t that a kick in the head?”
So, let me get this straight; the Mets, who have already stated that their payroll is not going up, and who don’t plan on making a single significant free-agent signing to fill the teams’ several glaring glaring needs, are raising their overall season ticket packages.
That’s not a kick in the head, it’s a kick in the face.
Between the coverage of Megdal and ESPN NY’s Adam Rubin, who write about the Mets organization more comprehensively than anyone, and this recent announcement, I have come to the conclusion that anyone who buys a season ticket package for the 2013 season, is a schmuck.
Mets fans? They’re not schmucks.
People who choose to go to a Mets game in 2013 might be enabling a clueless, toothless and fraudulent ownership whose only being kept in place because the CEO is a close personal friend of the commish. But they’re not schmucks either.
The schmucks, to be clear, are the people spend their hard-earned money on season tickets. These season ticket packages subsidize a baseball team that is unwilling and unable to reciprocate that same financial commitment on the field. You are, in essence, telling them with this purchase, “Attaboy!”
Money raised from season tickets revenue goes in the bank. It won’t go to the bullpen, it won’t go to the outfield, nor will it go behind the plate. It won’t go to a high profile manager or coaching staff, all of whom are being brought back despite two seasons of failure.
Where is it going? It sure as hell isn’t going into your pocket as a return for your loyalty and support.
A season ticket will get you a chance to get an All-Star ticket, but really, if that’s your goal as a Mets fan in 2013, you really are a schmuck.
Gotham Nation 
October 13, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Fred is on life support. It time to DNR the Wilpons and the Sterling. No more heroic measure to prop up a dying franchise. Last yeat it was $50 mil in payroll and $120 mil for new investors, half of whom where his SNY partners. All this saving and new money went for basic operations, repay overdue debts, and to meet debt service and rent. Selig tossed a bone for 2013 with the All-Star game coming to NY. SNY restructuring debt to give Mets a bit more cash flow. None of the anticipated proceeds planned for payroll. Not enough to resign Wright and RA. In 2015, $50 mil of Bay and Santana money come off the books and a bigger inflow of MLB’s new TV contract money expected. Cant see any of that going to quality players. It’s a dismal future for Mets fans. 2015 will be a big year to see if the Wilpons go under or will find some other gimmick when the principal of several debts comes due. Until then, No support from me. When the urge tp see games rolls along, I give relief to the Schmicks and buy from Stubhub and Craigslist.
October 13, 2012 at 10:05 pm
are you a schmuck if you buy a season ticket? or do you mean ANY tickets in 2013? what if your kids are dying to go to a mets game. Should you be a crappy father so that you can make a statement to the owners, and avoid being called a SCHMUCK by you?!
Schmuck is a bit harsh. Some people love going to games. I’m sure they wish the owners would sell, or invest in the team. But they may feel that they are cutting off their nose to spite their face by not going to a game.
October 15, 2012 at 12:38 pm
I think the post is pretty clear. It refers to folks buying season tickets. My kids totally understand where I am coming from. We go to one game a year as a family, to support our local Little League.
October 14, 2012 at 3:31 am
Sorry Mark, but I don’t need you or any other schmuck telling me where to spend my money. I thought this was a baseball blog. I talk to my financial advisor for $$ advice. Look like you are the one that is clueless.
October 15, 2012 at 12:41 pm
You’re entitled to your opinion. I think that when a team is telling its fanbase that they don’t plan on trying to contend in 2013, yet raise its season tix prices, and people STILL hand over season tix money, yes, they are schmucks.
October 15, 2012 at 2:23 pm
I ll go to games this year, but I’ll be buying my tix on Stubhub or Craigslist from the Shmucks that bought season tix them from the Mets. Barring some miricle, the Mets payroll will be going down for the next 3 seasons — 2013, 2014, 2015. I expect to hear from Sandy Alderson sometime this winter giving his excuse about not signing Wright and RA : “We gave them what we thought was fair, generous and competitive multiyear offer ….”
October 16, 2012 at 12:58 am
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January 3, 2013 at 2:44 am
Good article . . . I am trying to put a group game together like I do every year. I will wait until that day since prices have gone up. Confused why the mets think people will buy 40 games worth just to get all star tickets.
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