A lot of people have complained about the cost of going to watch baseball in New York's two new stadiums this season, and those people will probably be cheered to learn that the Mets are doing something about it. They've cut the cost of many of their tickets, including box seats, by up to 50 percent for 13 of the 26 remaining home games this season.
Given the lineup that the Mets are trotting onto the field every night, some may argue that that's not enough of a concession but let's not kick a gift horse in the mouth. You're still getting a chance to watch winning teams play nine innings of baseball at a reduced cost, they just happen to be from other cities and wearing the uniforms of the Mets' hated rivals. There is a slight catch, which is that you've got to be a member of something called TheatreMania to qualify for the discounted seats but joining is free and maybe you'll find a nice musical to take grandma to in the process.
The only group who can seriously file a gripe about this decision are people who have plenty of other gripes with the Mets these days. You've got to be feeling like a bit of a fool right now if you laid out cash for a season ticket package or some other ticket plan earlier in the season. Not only has your hard-earned money gone toward watching your favorite team bumble their way to loss after loss, now you're losing out on a chance to see them do so with less wallet pain.
It's an interesting route for the Mets to take if they hope to see a strong renewal rate among this year's buyers. After all, why shell out for a whole season in advance if you can just reap the benefits down the road as the team desperately tries to unload inventory? At least the Yankees gave their buyers reams of free tickets when they cut prices. The Mets should have found a way to take care of their diehards, maybe offer them the discount as well, before they reached out to afficianados of the Great White Way.
After all, haven't these hardy souls suffered enough this season?
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
