(the seats are expensive, but being groped by Mr. Met is still free of charge)
Look on the bright side, Mets fans. Eventually, none of this money will be going to pay Bobby Bonilla’s deferred salary. From Newsday’s Ken Davidoff.
The Mets, in the wake of their first National League East title in 18 years, are raising their ticket prices for 2007. As is standard for professional sports teams, the high-end ticket-holders will suffer the biggest hit to their wallets.
The Metro Club Gold seats, the seats closest to the dugouts, will range from $72 to $108 per game, a Mets representative confirmed Friday. Last season, those seats ranged from $60 to $96. Once again, the Mets will vary their ticket prices depending on the quality of the opponent. There are five categories: platinum, gold, silver, bronze and value.
The average price of that ticket, the Mets said, is $87. Last year, it was $74. Virtually all of these seats go to season ticket-holders.
The Mets increased most other ticket prices by less than $10. The most popular tickets — outfield field and loge boxes and mezzanine boxes — average $43.93 per game, the Mets said. In 2006, the per-game cost was $39.30
What percentage, if any, of Wilpon Inc.’s new income might end up financing Jeff Suppan’s anti-stem cell research campaigning, remains to be seen.