Apparently the problem with the Mets and Yankees this season has to do with architects, marketing, and sales management. Whew, now I feel better. I thought maybe it had to do with the players on the field.
Two of New York’s preeminent sports talk radio hosts claimed, yesterday, that the new buildings the New York teams play in are part of the problem. First Evan Roberts, of the mid-day show on WFAN complained that the atmosphere at Citi Field stinks. There is no enthusiasm, no life. Mike Francesa, who airs in the afternoons, never at a lost for an opinion, complained that the new Yankee Stadium lacks the excitement and party atmosphere as the old one. The point made by both hosts is the fans in these “expensive” seats are not true Yankee and Mets fans and are not there cheering on their heroes.
Hmm, and here I thought the problem with the Mets was related to poor starting pitching and not being able to hit with runners in scoring position. The Yankees middle relievers, masquerading as major league ballplayers is also misleading. I really need to study up on baseball.
This is a classic case of the cart being before the horse. What if either the Mets or Yankees had gotten off to a start like the Los Angeles Dodgers? In case you are not aware, the Dodgers have won every game at Dodger Stadium this season. Last night they set a major league record of 13 straight home wins to start a season. But I digress. The point is the excitement in the ballpark is generated by the team on the field. It doesn’t come from the concrete and steel sitting under the fans.
In fairness, the two new ballparks in New York have, to some degree, contributed to the problem of fans being into the game by creating buildings that have lots of distractions. On TV, a lot of seats, not just the absurdly high priced ones, appear empty because fans are walking the concourses checking out various eating options, getting different views of the field, or simply hanging out. However, had either team played with the promise we all expected, I think the seats would be filled more to capacity. However, I would be totally naive to assume that the expensive seats do not prohibit the rabid fan from being close to the field. But I really have difficulty believing this is why the Mets or Yankees have struggled this season.
Francesa, the subjective Yankee fan, spent most of his four and a half hour show yesterday raising his blood pressure over the two game sweep by the Red Sox. In part of his diatribe, Mike bashed Yankee management for destroying the home field advantage the Yankees enjoyed for so many seasons. Gee Mike, do you think the malaise witnessed at Yankee Stadium has anything to do with the fact that the Yankees are doing their best impression of the Mets by not getting a big knock when necessary or the fact the bullpen can’t hold a lead if their life depended on it?
I admit I could be wrong. Both fan bases, at least the louder mouthed ones, have not given unconditional endorsements of their team’s new homes. Part of that is being unfamiliar with the new buildings and the perception that it is too expensive to get in*. But with the new edifices came unrealistic expectations. I know that is the case for me. I really thought the Mets would get off to a great start this season. I have been very negative about the team since they have not. It didn’t help Mets fans either, still reeling from two seasons of getting eliminated on the last day, that their new park could have been called Generic Field for lack of Mets history. Mets fans got off on the wrong foot before the season began.
The fact is both teams possess the talent to get to the World Series. They also have enough shortcomings to end short of that goal. But the idea that the new stadiums have anything to do with how these teams are playing is silly. How did the new Yankee stadium cause the Yankees to lose three in a row at Fenway Park? The Mets were swept earlier last month at Busch Stadium. I guess that was because of the angry fans sitting in Citi Field. While some may argue the Mets have not hit home runs in Citi Field, the opposition has. That is also true in Yankee Stadium. The short porch in right field has helped the opponents hit lots of home runs too.
Watching the 1-0 win by the Mets last night, it seemed to me, at least on TV, that the crowd was into the game. With Johan Santana striking out ten batters in an exciting close game, and the Mets winning all of a sudden, I don’t think fans care so much about the seat prices, sight lines, and amenities of the new ballpark.
*Can’t afford a seat to Citi Field or Yankee Stadium? Go to StubHub on game day. You could have gone to last night’s Mets-Phillies game for as little as $10.00. The Yankees-Rays game could have cost you less. As game time draws closer, owners of tickets reduce the prices to unload them. Obviously, the cheapest seats do not have the best sight lines, but they get you into the parks where you can walk all over the place and if you don’t mind standing, you can get a great view of the game. Last week I stood just to the left of behind home plate on the field level at Yankee Stadium. Thirty feet in front of me were tickets costing hundreds of dollars. Makes no sense, does it.
