Note: Citi Field and its 140 Different Tickets
In a report for the Observer, John Koblin writes of his experience not seeing Shea Stadium, while stopping at Willets Point on the 7 train.
Speaking of Citi Field…
C Sponn sent in an e-mail to MetsBlog.com saying…
“What do you think about these ticket prices? I could get box seats to
a Phillies game for $60; Astros box seats for $50; etc… Is this some kind of joke?”
Look, the cost of entertainment is going up, everywhere. I mean, it costs nearly $50 to go to the movies for two hours. This year, I nearly paid $200 for a ticket to see the Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon Theater, but didn’t. I pay roughly $90 for cable every month, compared to $60 a few years ago. It’s just the way it is.
The thing is, like in the cases above, if you don’t like it, don’t pay it – watch the game on TV instead. If you have the money, and you want to see a baseball game at Citi Field, go. I’m not sure what else to say.
Remember, if these prices are truly absurd, then it will be reflected in the team’s bottom line – if it’s not, they sell out, then I’d say they read the market just fine… time will tell.
I will not lie, though, the thought of spending $150 for me and my Dad to see the Mets play the Braves, with food, drink and parking, sitting up in the promenade by right field, in this economy, does seem steep. However, I love going to the game with my dad, and so we’ll probably end up paying it – and we can always sit in the Pepsi Porch, bring our own food, and spend around $80 instead.
My fear is that the real cost may come at the expense of future fans, young fans, who will end up not going to games in the same impromptu, inexpensive, free-for-all way that my generation did, and which helped endear the game to me. Instead, it may end up being easier and less expensive for these kids and parents to just stay home and play Wii Tennis, missing baseball entirely, and putting a dent in to the game’s future customer base. Again, though, time will tell.
By the way, the Mets have added Citi Field’s Seating and Pricing Information to their website, which you can check out here.
There are 28 different type of ticket you can buy, ranging from the Caesar’s Club to the Metropolitan Box, for five different level of games, ranging from Platinum to Value.
In other words, there are 140 different types of tickets to buy, for 140 different people who have 140 different spending habits.
The most-expensive ticket is the $228 Ebbets Club seat for Platinum games, while the least-expensive ticket is the $11 Promenade Reserve seat for all Value games.
