Mets Try To Lure Former Season-Ticket Holders With Free Seats

Mets Again Inviting Former Season-Ticket Holders To Take In A Game At Citi Field For Free

The Mets, in a "continuing effort to lure back old season-ticket holders, have treated members of that group to free game tickets this week," according to Ken Davidoff of NEWSDAY. After getting "positive feedback from the last such venture, conducted during the Mets' May 21-23 series against the Yankees, the Mets welcomed back some former season-ticket holders to Tuesday night's game against the Reds." Others were "invited to attend tomorrow's or Sunday's game against" the Braves. Mets Exec VP/Business Operations Dave Howard said that "some people from this target group purchased pro-rated season-ticket plans for the duration of the season, although he wouldn't provide a specific number or estimate" (NEWSDAY, 7/8). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Larry Brooks reports the crowd at Citi Field for last night's game against the Reds was "announced at a little more than 30,000, but there were scads of empty seats in not only the expensive section of the ballpark, but in the cheap seats in the outfield grandstands." Brooks writes, "There is a sense, a real sense, that the Mets are now operating as a mid-market club, unwilling or unable to dive in to attract the best that money can buy. ... Maybe that perception is unfair to ownership, but it's as real as last night's empty seats and as real as the frustration of the fan base that already is resigned to losing Cliff Lee to a higher lend-lease bidder this summer." There is "no buzz around the Mets" (N.Y. POST, 7/8).