Monday, January 05, 2009

METSGRRL’S GREATEST HITS.

A special welcome to the voters and/or visitors from The 2008 Weblog Awards!

I hadn’t updated this list since the offseason in 2007, and it was on my list of things to do in this offseason. I actually spent the weekend putting the list together, and today, with all the new folks coming around, figured no time like the present.

It may not be strictly the best, but it’s a mix of some of the most popular posts, some of my favorite posts, some of the things that people mentioned to me over the years that they particularly enjoyed. 

The full list after the jump.

VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN.

Somehow, MetsGrrl was nominated for Best Sports Blog of 2008 in the 2008 Weblog Awards.

I am, quite honestly, deeply honored. And completely dumbfounded as to how I ended up here.

I also realize I stand no chance of winning against, um, Deadspin.

But if you felt like voting, perhaps you could cast a vote for me. Polls are open and voting continues through the 12th. You can vote once per day.

It’s a nice start to the year.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

WELCOME TO 2009.

I know it’s been quiet around here, but I’m not much of a person to blog for the sake of blogging (as most of you already know). Plus, the holidays, and all of that. Regular posting will resume shortly.

I did want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued patronage. It’s still more than a little dumbfounding to me that I do this, and am reasonably good at it (and getting better, I hope), and that people enjoy coming here and reading it. So, again, thank you.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic 2009 and wish the same for all of you.

Monday, December 15, 2008

LIVE AND IN PERSON.

Yeah, I know, there are a million photos out there and you’ve seen them all. But we went out on the 7 on Sunday, for the first time in, well, forever, taking friends out for dim sum in Flushing, and then a trip to the Unisphere and the Queens Museum.

Let me tell you, you can see as many photos as you like. It’s a LOT different in person.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

PROBLEMS OUR NEW BULLPEN MEMBER DIDN’T HAVE IN SEATTLE.

After living there for almost a decade, I can assure you he never had to deal with things like this:

• There’s a New Putz In Queens
• THE METS HAVE SEEN ALOT OF PUTZ’ BUT J.J. MAY BE THE BEST
• Pronounce the Man’s Name Correctly, at Least for a While
• Mets part with seven players, acquire Putz

I’m not entirely sure the last one is meant humorously… but you never know.

More actual commentary to come about our recent Hot Stove moves that’s isn’t written by a woman with the mind of a 13-year-old-boy shortly.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF PUTZ.

As we say goodbye to Mr. Heilman…

...and extend a warm welcome to Mr. Putz. As the Mariners fans say said, “Putz in, game over!”

(No, seriously, they really DO say that.)

(I’m not kidding.)

As TBF says, “It’s all going to be fine until the first time he blows a save. Then, the Post will have a field day.”
Me: “They can’t do that.”
TBF: “It’s his name, they certainly can...”

So much for getting to sleep early tonight. WFAN is on in one room, SNY in the other room, and it feels like - well, it feels like baseball.  Ain’t love grand?

Friday, December 05, 2008

CHANGING OF THE GUARD.

Look what’s for sale at the MTA’s web site:

For a cool $1180, this too can be yours.

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

Regular readers of MG will remember our friends on the loge, L and M. M. had been a plan holder since before she even knew L. It was from them that I first got the idea to buy a plan, that it was at all within the realm of possibility. They were also Tuesday-Friday planholders.

They are ENORMOUS sports fans. The type of people who would buy World Series tickets no matter who the team was because they’d just like to see the game.

When we emailed to ask them what they had gotten in the on-sale, imagine our surprise to receive this:

Actually we ended up doing nothing. We passed.

We had zero interest in the 15 game plans. No desire to be sitting in the upper deck against the Nationals on a Wed in August if there was no pot of gold at the end (playoff tickets guarantee and not a pre-sale password)

We were pretty sure (before the plan announcement) that were going to grab a half season plan in a good section, similar to a loge-type level. We were going to go with the Excelsior Club level tickets but then saw the “alternate location” for post season tickets. The other thing about the Mets (is) no predetermined seat location, but it is best available at the time you log in based on your seniority bucket. (Yankees gave or will provide the seat location ahead of time.)

Our increasing problem over the past few seasons is that our work/life schedules are getting harder and harder to plan around and commitments can not be changed. And weekend plans are no good for us as we travel a a lot. So we didn’t want to buy a 40 game plan and then have difficulty or worrying about dumping the tickets.**

So in the end, we figure it is better for us, based on the shitty post-season offerings and our scheduling commitments is that we will still probably go to 20 or so games, but will buy the tickets, either on ticket drops or secondary market during the year so we can go to the games that we want to go to and not because we have to go to, and arriving in the 5th inning, because we were unable to dump the tickets.

Dear Mets: you just lost money AGAIN. And a lot more than you lost from us.

I think that the Mets sold a lot less of the 15 game plans then they thought they would. A lot of people bought plans for the post-season rights. Removing the post-season rights made the commitment much less attractive, even for us. TBF and I feel confident enough in our abilities to take a chance in the post-season land grab, so we felt like it was still an okay option, but I’ll see how we’re going to feel come fall (if it’s even necessary, which at this point I seriously doubt).

--
**I want to note here that, unlike the prevailing attitude all over what seems like the rest of the Mets internet, like us, they do not sell tickets at a markup or with a goal of profit. (And if you think that’s a judgment, that’s because IT IS.)

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

THE NEW WORLD.

According to mets.com, that’s the view from our Promenade Infield seats.

We’re in.

Who else bought today?

Monday, December 01, 2008

LEFT OF RECKONING.

There has been teeth gnashing, and phone calls made, and lengthy conversations in instant message (since I was gone for five days in a locale that had ample internet access, but no cell signal). We are over the fact that the 40-game plan is not for us, and have resigned ourselves to purchasing a weekday plan and the Friday plan. Equally, we have resigned ourselves to the fact that because the Mets are automating the sales, we have no chance in reuniting the denizens of Section 12.

A moment of silence, please.

Even with both of those plans, we will still spend less than we did last year, and less than we planned on spending. The Mets will lose money on us. I am rational enough now to acknowledge that we are not typical consumers (although a comment by MG reader Doug on the previous post indicates that perhaps we are more typical than the Mets would have us believe).  The Mets even tried to bring some seniority into play (based on financial commitment). Could they have tried harder? Yes. I am dumbfounded, still, that you can’t buy a 40 game plan in the Promenade deck. (I do not think quite honestly that they are going to sell very many 40 game plans, given the financial outlay and the location of the seats, but I could be wrong.)

Most people are going to be happy with these plans. Most people wanted their Saturday or their Sunday or their weekend plan, and picking up two 15-game plans allows you to do a Tuesday-Friday in spirit (you get to see almost everyone if you pick right).

I’m just exhausted and eager for it all to be done with, so I can start my countdown to Opening Day (which is A NIGHT GAME, just what we all want for our first game at the new ballpark. Hey, MLB TV, bite me). I am ready to be over my bitterness. I am ready for 2008 to be a rebuilding year, a year with no expectations. I’m in the damn ballpark, at least.