Petey Arms
12-15-2007, 11:15 PM
BY KEN DAVIDOFF
ken.davidoff@newsday.com
The Mets, coming off a historically crushing end to their 2007 season, are increasing their ticket prices by "on average, about 20 percent," Dave Howard, the team's executive vice president of business operations, said Saturday.
The median ticket price will be "in the mid-30s" per game, said Howard, who said exact ticket prices will be released to the general public Monday.
Mike Weinstat, a Port Washington resident, told Newsday the season tickets he shares with a friend -- located in the loge boxes right off home plate -- are increasing 24 percent, from approximately $71 per game per ticket to approximately $88.
"There's a saying in business, 'If you've got 'em by the -- -- , squeeze 'em,'" Weinstat said Saturday in a telephone interview. "The Mets are run like a great business. They are squeezing the customers. They know that everything is going to be in huge demand for the new ballpark."
Citi Field, the Mets' new ballpark, is on schedule to open in 2009. If he didn't renew his seat, Weinstat said, "Someone else can take it, just so they can get it for the new ballpark."
Howard, in a telephone interview, acknowledged that the 2009 arrival of Citi Field did embolden the team to increase prices. But that didn't constitute the only motivation, he said.
"It's the team, primarily," Howard said, "but we certainly think that Citi Field in 2009, that has been a factor that has generated a lot of additional season-ticket prices."
Howard acknowledged that the Mets were "a little bit on the aggressive side" with their pricing for 2008. He continued: "Even after this ticket-price increase, we still have the lowest median ticket price of all the major sports teams in New York. We think it's a fair and reasonable price relative to the value of the ticket."
About 750,000 tickets for 36 games of the Mets' 2008 home schedule -- about 16 percent of the overall ticket inventory -- will be priced $10 and under, Howard said.
Weinstat, who said he has been sharing season tickets with his friend for more than 20 years -- the friend, whose name is on the tickets, declined to be identified -- said his complaints are primarily based on the Mets' moves so far this offseason and the large increase in ticket prices in light of the way the Mets' 2007 season ended.
"They've cut $20 million off the payroll," Weinstat said, referring to the departures of Tom Glavine ($10.5- million salary in 2007), Shawn Green (about $6.25 million from the Mets) and Guillermo Mota ($3.2 million). "They don't replace anything. And they raise the ticket prices 24 percent?"
Howard countered that Jose Reyes (from $2.5 million to $4 million) and David Wright ($1 million to $5 million) will receive raises, as will re-signed free agents Luis Castillo ($5.75 million to $6 million), Ramon Castro ($850,000 to about $2.3 million), Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley (each of whom will earn about $100,000 more). Oliver Perez is due a significant raise from his $2.325-million salary, although the Mets saved money in switching catchers from Paul Lo Duca ($6.25 million in 2007) to Brian Schneider ($3.5 million).
"The payroll will be above last year's," Howard said. "We're not quite done yet. We're going to add to the payroll."
The Mets' 2007 payroll was about $115 million. Their 2007 season ended in horrific fashion, as they blew a seven-game lead in the National League East with 17 days to go -- an unprecedented collapse.
Said Howard: "We're not going to make business decisions based on a two-week period. It was very difficult for our fans, and it was difficult for us. But it was an aberration relative to the performance of our team.
"... If you look at it objectively, this is a championship-caliber, playoff-contending team. We'll hopefully be better for having endured what we endured."
Said Weinstat: "I would have rather had a team like the 1973 Mets that spent a lot of the year in third place. I think the bottom line is to make the postseason."
Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc.
ken.davidoff@newsday.com
The Mets, coming off a historically crushing end to their 2007 season, are increasing their ticket prices by "on average, about 20 percent," Dave Howard, the team's executive vice president of business operations, said Saturday.
The median ticket price will be "in the mid-30s" per game, said Howard, who said exact ticket prices will be released to the general public Monday.
Mike Weinstat, a Port Washington resident, told Newsday the season tickets he shares with a friend -- located in the loge boxes right off home plate -- are increasing 24 percent, from approximately $71 per game per ticket to approximately $88.
"There's a saying in business, 'If you've got 'em by the -- -- , squeeze 'em,'" Weinstat said Saturday in a telephone interview. "The Mets are run like a great business. They are squeezing the customers. They know that everything is going to be in huge demand for the new ballpark."
Citi Field, the Mets' new ballpark, is on schedule to open in 2009. If he didn't renew his seat, Weinstat said, "Someone else can take it, just so they can get it for the new ballpark."
Howard, in a telephone interview, acknowledged that the 2009 arrival of Citi Field did embolden the team to increase prices. But that didn't constitute the only motivation, he said.
"It's the team, primarily," Howard said, "but we certainly think that Citi Field in 2009, that has been a factor that has generated a lot of additional season-ticket prices."
Howard acknowledged that the Mets were "a little bit on the aggressive side" with their pricing for 2008. He continued: "Even after this ticket-price increase, we still have the lowest median ticket price of all the major sports teams in New York. We think it's a fair and reasonable price relative to the value of the ticket."
About 750,000 tickets for 36 games of the Mets' 2008 home schedule -- about 16 percent of the overall ticket inventory -- will be priced $10 and under, Howard said.
Weinstat, who said he has been sharing season tickets with his friend for more than 20 years -- the friend, whose name is on the tickets, declined to be identified -- said his complaints are primarily based on the Mets' moves so far this offseason and the large increase in ticket prices in light of the way the Mets' 2007 season ended.
"They've cut $20 million off the payroll," Weinstat said, referring to the departures of Tom Glavine ($10.5- million salary in 2007), Shawn Green (about $6.25 million from the Mets) and Guillermo Mota ($3.2 million). "They don't replace anything. And they raise the ticket prices 24 percent?"
Howard countered that Jose Reyes (from $2.5 million to $4 million) and David Wright ($1 million to $5 million) will receive raises, as will re-signed free agents Luis Castillo ($5.75 million to $6 million), Ramon Castro ($850,000 to about $2.3 million), Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley (each of whom will earn about $100,000 more). Oliver Perez is due a significant raise from his $2.325-million salary, although the Mets saved money in switching catchers from Paul Lo Duca ($6.25 million in 2007) to Brian Schneider ($3.5 million).
"The payroll will be above last year's," Howard said. "We're not quite done yet. We're going to add to the payroll."
The Mets' 2007 payroll was about $115 million. Their 2007 season ended in horrific fashion, as they blew a seven-game lead in the National League East with 17 days to go -- an unprecedented collapse.
Said Howard: "We're not going to make business decisions based on a two-week period. It was very difficult for our fans, and it was difficult for us. But it was an aberration relative to the performance of our team.
"... If you look at it objectively, this is a championship-caliber, playoff-contending team. We'll hopefully be better for having endured what we endured."
Said Weinstat: "I would have rather had a team like the 1973 Mets that spent a lot of the year in third place. I think the bottom line is to make the postseason."
Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc.