New York Yankees Parking Could Be $29 In 2009

While we pile on the fan unfriendly Yankees this morning, a soon to be ex-Yankee season ticket holder reminded me of this one from January.  We’ve all forgotten that parking might be $29 in 2010!

The rates would then zoom to $29 in 2010 and would increase to $35 by 2014, according to a parking feasibility study that accompanies the bond documents.
“The rates … are projections made by an independent consultant,” said Janel Patterson, spokeswoman for the city Economic Development Corp. “They, therefore, do not necessarily reflect what the actual rates for the facilities will be.”

Fortunately the language says “projections.”    Maybe the lack of fan enthusiasm will keep it down.  Unfortunately if they are at $19 and they are talking $29, you can bet they will be over $20 next year.

From the Daily News.

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Jeff Wilpon: Roof On Mets Citi Field Would Have Changed Look

So on days like these the Mets Police can’t help but wonder how Metro NYC built not one, not two, but three new stadiums (stadia?) without a retractable roof.

The Times wrote about that today…but what catches my eye is Jeff Wilpon, as he often does.

Jeff Wilpon, the Mets’ chief operating officer, said his team studied retractable roof ideas for Citi Field that might have cost $150 million. Moreover, he said, “the look and feel of the place would have changed dramatically.”

Wilpon also said that the support system for a retractable roof would have eliminated too many parking spaces and that the high-water table in Flushing would have been a complicating factor.

But what if the Yankees and the Mets had shared a new stadium at a location between the Yankees’ base in the Bronx and the Mets’ base in Queens?

Wilpon recalled discussions during the Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani administration about building such a stadium in Manhattan.

That sort of stadium might have included a retractable roof for less than the combined cost of the two new stadiums, and it could have been used for other purposes during the off-season.


The “AppleDome” would have made tons of sense, especially now that Yankee Stadium is yankee stadium in name only.

As for Jeff’s comment about changing the look…I really don’t see anyone at all excited about Ebbetts Field.  That would have been a better idea for the Cyclones.   I’d rather be comfortable.

I bet some Yankee fans wouldn’t have minded the AppleDome last night.

Good stuff here.

Published: May 5, 2009
The absence of a roof was relevant Monday as rain fell at Yankee Stadium and delayed the start of a game against the Boston Red Sox.


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New York Mets Not Playing Favorites With Newspapers

The only newspaper now provided in the clubhouse is USA Today, whose coverage of the Mets is very limited.
Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz confirmed the removal of the tabloids, but claimed it was because the club “didn’t want to play favorites among the New York newspapers.”
Horwitz also said the Mets chose to provide USA Today because “it is the official paper of Major League Baseball,” even though USA Today is published by Gannett.

The Post adds that

The newspapers were a staple of the Mets’ clubhouse for decades at Shea Stadium, but a source said team management didn’t want the players exposed to the “bad vibes” from the tabloids after back-to-back September collapses.

I’m surprised that the Mets can’t afford the $5 it would cost to have all the locals.

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In New York, Mets and Yankees Fans Always Wrong

I’ve had it with the elite media, who never sit in a regular seat, who are completely out of touch with the fans.

Craig Carton on WFAN is one of the good guys.  He is sticking up for the little guy over Yankee-gate.  Carton understands that you might not want to sit in the rain for a third hour, after paying for parking, after sitting out for two hours, when you have no idea when the game might begin.  He also understands that if you have just left the stadium and then hear that they are going to play, that you might want to get back in.

His partner, former NFL QB Boomer Esiason, likely has never sat in the Promenade or Grandstand.  I bet Boomer gets nice seats, and gets to wait out the rain delay in the clubs.  I bet had Boomer been three feet outside the stadium, someone would have let him right back in the press gate.

Steve Somers talks about fans being whiny about obstructed views.  I guess Steve thinks the seat on the left is just fine.

I had a private email exchange with a reporter yesterday.  His suggestion was to not buy those seats.  So every human is supposed to somehow know not to buy Section 533 Row 1 at Citi Field?   Don’t you have a reasonable expectation to see the game?  Wouldn’t a normal person assume Row 1 had a good view?

Baseball isn’t like the NBA, NHL, Broadway or a movie.  At those events you know that 99.9% of the time the event will start as scheduled.   In baseball it sometimes rains, and the fans get told too bad.

I was listening to WCBS last night.   Suzyn kept saying she had no idea when or if the game would start.  If she doesn’t know, how can they expect some regular guy not to throw in the towel at 9pm?   She also kept mentioning how cold it was.

Back to the reporters suggestion that we don’t buy tickets.  I believe the great prophet Phil Mushnick’s predictions have finally come true.  We are going to stop going to games.

A big time Yankee fan I know is so disgusted with last night’s late start and no-raincheck that he has decided that this will be his last year of season tickets.  He realizes it’s cheaper to just get the games you want on Stubhub.  He also reminded me that parking at Yankee is projected to be $29 next year (I’ll post that in a few minutes).

I will predict right now that neither the Mets nor Yankees will draw as well in 2010 as they do in 2009, and thus tickets will be even easier to get.

Yankees-Red Sox in a brand new stadium.  Big deal, right?  As of 8:55 am there are 4100 tickets on Stubhub, and you can sit in the Grandstand for $17.50 (plus fees).

Fans, you are all a bunch of whiners.  You don’t get it.  You should be thrilled to sit in the rain for hours.

Send your stories to [email protected]  and any pictures to [email protected]

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New York Yankees Fans Were Told Game Was Rained Out (Daily News)

Hundreds of irate fans – some who claim Yankee employees told them the game had been rained out – stormed away from Yankee Stadium before Monday night’s game against the Red Sox even got underway and couldn’t get back in, resulting in a an ugly scene at one of the ticket gates.

With rain falling for hours and no start time announced until shortly before 9 p.m., hordes of fans began leaving the Stadium and heading home – some who said they had been advised that the game had been called by Yankee employees who walked the concourse holding pinstriped “How may I help you?” signs.

When a 9:20 p.m. start time was eventually announced over the public address system, a crowd on the sidewalk outside Gate 6 tried to get back into the Stadium, only to have the employees working the turnstiles promptly close the doors in their faces. Panicked fans began racing up and down the sidewalk, trying to find a way back into the ballpark, while others remained at Gate 6 either pleading or demanding to be let back in.

“We talked to the security personnel, who said there was zero chance they were going to play the game,” said Tom Stuart, a 27-year-old from Astoria who waited out most of the rain delay before leaving with his girlfriend. “We spent three hours drinking beer – you can’t drink much because they’re 10 bucks apiece – now they’re going to play a game in front of 35 fans.”

read the rest in the Daily News 
I will say for the third time now that the Yankees should offer rainchecks.

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