Take me out to the ballgame....(one last time)

[RSO 34]

As most people are aware, this is the last season that the Mets will play in Shea Stadium as well as the last time the Yankees will play in the "original" Yankee Stadium. As part of my "Dead Stadium Tour", we visited both Shea and Yankee Stadiums for what probably will be my last time.

And when I say "last time", it may mean more than the fact that the Stadiums will be torn down after the season is over. It seems that Corporate America is destined to ruin America's Past Time. Although I am a lifer Met fan (44 years going to Shea with a streak of 28 consecutive Opening Day games attended through the 2005 season), I did have season tickets for the Yankees in order to keep clients happy.

Well the Yankees have a new pricing schedule for next year with my regular seats being raised to $1500 per seat PER GAME for 81 games. My other seats, in the photos below, are being raised from $325 per seat, per game to $2500 per seat, per game. Needless to say, the Yankees have been informed that they can keep their seats beginning next year.

So it's time to say goodbye to the familiar confines of these two stadiums and get used to watching them on television since the cost has become too prohibitive to actually attend.

 

[thedon67]

Great shots. Are those prices for real? They got to be crazy!

 

[RSO 34]

Great shots. Are those prices for real? They got to be crazy!

Unfortunately those are real prices. My seats behind the plate the last two nights were $325 face value per seat, per game and are a relative bargain compared with next season's price plan.

 

[DocL]

Wow. Those prices are unbelievable. How does the average working person afford to take the family to the ball park? For those prices they whould include a gourmet meal and all the beer and peanuts that you can ingest for the game. I agree with your decision and now you at least you don't have to sit in traffic and get home home after midnight. Furthermore, you can now enjoy the games in the comfort fo your air conditoned home drinking whichever imported beer that you like.

 

[RSO 34]

How does the average working person afford to take the family to the ball park?

They can't unless they want to spend $50 per seat to sit in the upper deck. If they want to eat, hot dogs are $5.50, soda is $5, peanuts $4.50 and don't even ask about beer, especially if you want a cup of Heinekin for $10.50. My four box seats on the baseline will jump from under $40k this year to close to $500k next year with the club and parking passes. The seats behind home where I took the game photos will be over $800k next season, up from around 100k this year.

 

[nsxtasy]

As part of my "Dead Stadium Tour", we visited both Shea and Yankee Stadiums for what probably will be my last time.

I took the same tour once, when I saw the Mets play in the Polo Grounds. What a place - 250 feet down the foul lines, and about a mile to the corners in right center and left center...

 

[Acura NsX Pilot]

Well someone has to pay for my work there .... I am currently working at the New Yankee Stadium and when its done its going to be pretty awesome. Bob I could have snuck you in for a tour if I knew you were coming down.

 

[Liquid]

Fantastic pics, as always. Shocking to think that the national pastime is becoming economically unviable even for people who own exotic sportscars. I wonder how bad it will be in another 10-20 years.