New York Mets: 10 Easy Ways to Improve Citi Field

courtesy of destination360.com

With a team on the decline over the past few years and attendance dropping to 14th in Major League Baseball, the Mets are desperate to get fans back to the ballpark.  With a newer, state-of-the-art stadium, the Mets should be among the leaders in baseball in terms of the size of their fanbase, yet they are being passed by younger, more exciting teams despite their lesser facilities.

Hopefully, 2012 will bring new results to the field, but along with a winning team, the Mets should consider these changes if they want to fill more seats.

Retire Piazza and Carter's Numbers

Give The Kid one more grand moment
Al Bello/Getty Images

Mike Piazza and Gary Carter were not only two of the best catchers in Mets history, but also in Major League Baseball history. The Mets would undoubtedly have sellouts on the days these two have their numbers retired because, like every other retirement ceremony, it is an amazing fan experience to reminisce on some of the great moments in franchise history (especially when your team is struggling).

This would be an especially welcome gesture due to Gary Carter’s illness.  With his health decreasing every day, it would be the right thing to do to honor The Kid while we still have him.  He deserves not only to have his number painted on the left field wall, but to see it with his own eyes.

Lower Ticket Prices

Tired of seeing the seats this empty? Lower prices!
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Tired of watching the crosstown rival Yankees average 15,000 more fans a game? The solution for the Mets' front office is simple: lower ticket prices. 

The Mets are only selling 30,000 tickets per game, and how many of those fans even show up? If you lower ticket prices, there are enough New Yorkers willing to go to baseball games at the right price. And those 15,000 empty seats a night?  The 10,000 more attendees and their purchases at team shops and concession stands will definitely even out the revenue the team would lose by reducing admission rates.

The influx of new fans coming to the ballpark would create a great energy in the stadium and give the Mets the home-field advantage they've been lacking playing for a half-empty crowd.

Put a Better Product on the Field

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Right there with the need for the Mets' front office to lower ticket prices is to put a better product out on the field.  It's not fair to the Mets faithful to have to shell out the same amount of money to see an elite-level team when they're seeing the Mets.  It's a sad reality that no matter how much we want to believe the Mets will contend, they haven't in years.

Many of the names headlining this year's squad are unknown to the average baseball fan, a shocking fact for a New York team.  Until the Mets are seriously competing for a title or tickets are dirt cheap, it will be nearly impossible to fill the stadium with fans.

Remember It's the Home of the Mets

Isn't this where the Mets play?
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The tribute to past New York teams in the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and around the ballpark are historic and interesting, but why at Citi Field? This is the home of the Mets, not New York baseball.  Walking in the rotunda feels more like walking around a Hall of Fame than a stadium.  After all, Jackie Robinson never even played for the Mets! 

I respect the efforts of the Mets to look more classy and traditional, but that's not why fans love them anyway.  We loved Shea, regardless of how outsiders considered it a dump, because it was royal blue, homey and everyone in the ballpark was there for one purpose: to cheer on the Amazins.  I have no problem admiring the past (Jackie Robinson stealing home is one of my favorite pictures ever), but the Mets also have to increase the hometown team support throughout the stadium.

Fix the Outfield Walls

408 With a 16 foot wall? How is anyone supposed to reach that?
Nick Laham/Getty Images

The Mets are finally starting to address this issue by moving in parts of the wall, but there is still work to be done.  The Ebbets Field-look around the stadium is cool, but that was the Dodgers who moved to Los Angeles, not the Mets!

There is no need to try to model fields other than Shea Stadium when it comes to dimensions because Shea is the only other long-term home the Mets have had.  The black paint on the unreachable walls is nothing like what Mets fans are accustomed to, and it feels unnatural.  Let the teams hit home runs and break out the Mets-colored paint!

Awful Seat Locations

Nice view!

Obstructed views are a fan's worst nightmare, and there's no reason they should even exist.  Why should a franchise charge near full price for a fan to come to the stadium when they can hardly see the game?

For fans in the left field cheap seats (which aren't so cheap) at Citi Field, they can't even see the left fielder or the outfield wall.  Hopefully, moving in the walls will benefit the fans, but it is hard to be an active cheerer if you can't even see what's happening.

More Fan-Friendly Events

metspolice.com

If the team is not getting enough fans to the ballpark, it’s time to start adding and improving the promotions.  The Mets should take notes from other franchises around the country with Sunday throwbacks, more military appreciation and Little League days and a bigger variety of heritage nights.

Giveaways are also a definite factor in attendance.  Not only are you attracting more fans to the game, you’re also increasing merchandise distribution.  If people like what they receive at the gates, they’ll be tempted to show off what they got and also buy other Mets merchandise.

Remove Some Distractions

Al Bello/Getty Images

Citi Field is a tremendous facility with so many things to do during the game, it’s hard to stay in one place.  But therein lies the problem: nobody wants to sit and watch the game. 

With the various lounges, the fan area beyond center field and the rotunda, it’s impossible to expect a majority of the fans to be in their seats at the same time, and therefore, improbable to have a great atmosphere during the game.

Getting rid of some of the attractions is nearly impossible and would hurt revenue, but it would certainly create a better experience for fans that love a loud, exciting stadium.

Dollar Dog Night

The Brewers' hot dog races are the only dogs worth the price
Scott Boehm/Getty Images

For a middle-class fan, is there any better day at the ballpark than "Dollar Dog Night"? With the price of tickets already so expensive, many fans hesitate to eat at the stadiums because it takes a huge hit on their wallets. 

But if the Mets were to offer an affordable method of eating, people will be more likely to spend money on drinks and other concessions, which would in turn increase attendance. 

And let's be honest, professional sports teams, a hot dog should never be $5.

Encourage Family Days

The more families the merrier at Citi Field
Al Bello/Getty Images

In order to increase attendance and fanship, the Mets should become more economically friendly when working with families.  A family of four to six is quite financially burdened after going to a baseball game, but if there were incentives available or prices dropped, they would be much more likely to go.

By dropping prices or adding perks, like meeting Mr. Met or chances to come back at discounted prices in the future, families would definitely be more likely to come.  And for the Mets, every five seats can start to count.  By getting just 200 families to go with a new family plan, they could increase their attendance by over 1,000.

And think about the long-term effects. If a kid can come to a game, he can become a fan for life, meaning the family he will have one day will become fans, too.  This never-ending chain will bring in new fans and families for decades to come.