MLB

Mets cutting ticket prices average of 14 percent

After blaming the weather and a poor 2009 season on their poor ticket sales last year, the Mets acknowledged Wednesday that their prices were too damn high.

The combination of a lack of success on the field and exorbitant prices led to attendance dropping 18 percent at Citi Field in its second year of existence.

The Mets responded to that by lowering the cost of most tickets in the stadium — at an average of 14 percent — for the 2011 season, including an additional 10 percent discount to season ticket holders and most group ticket sales.

“We’ve been listening to fans,” Dave Howard, the team’s executive vice president for business operations, said during a conference call. “We’ve taken feedback from them along with looking at the marketplace.”

No doubt they also saw the rows and rows of empty seats throughout the season, particularly in the second half when the Mets fell out of playoff contention.

The Mets’ answered by restructuring their ticket plan, with the cheapest single-game ticket in the stadium now $12 in the promenade.

After drawing 3.2 million fans in 2009, the number dropped to 2.6 million last year and the team hopes that the addition of new GM Sandy Alderson, as well as whoever he picks to be the next manager, also will motivate fans to show up.

“With Sandy Alderson, I think fans are excited,” Howard said. “We’re starting a new era for Mets baseball.”

When Alderson was introduced last week, he said he wanted a fiery manager, who would act as the fans’ proxy on the field.

“I love to hear that,” Howard said.

The Mets’ ticket grid had 220 categories of prices last season, the 2011 color-coded list has 285 when the discounts for season tickets are taken into account.

The highest-priced seats, Delta Club Platinum, were cut from $460 to $440 per game — and to $396 as part of season plans.

Promenade reserved, the lowest-priced tickets, were raised from $11-27 last season to $12-$36 — but will cost $10.80 to $32.40 as part of season plans.

Though the ticket prices were lowered for luxury suites, the rental prices will remain unchanged.

The Mets have four games next year at their highest prices — opening day and the series against the Yankees. They classified 22 games premium, 25 classic and 30 value. Last season, they had five categories and called four platinum, 21 gold, 25 silver, 21 bronze and 10 value. That was down from 4-30-19-18-10 in Citi Field’s first season.

The Mets say 384,000 total tickets cost $15 or less, and 2 million cost $50 or less.

Attendance last season, the second at Citi Field, was 2,559,739, an average of 32,401 over 79 home dates, 12th in baseball. In 2009, attendance was 3,154,270, an average of almost 39,000 per game.

With ESPN.com