New Stadium Insider

We Have Moved!!! Update your RSS Readers, Blogrolls and Bookmarks

2010-02-15T21:47:00.003-05:00

The whole story is posted at the new blog, but the short version is that we have moved back to NYYStadiumInsider.com.

Please update your RSS readers with our new feed:
http://nyystadiuminsider.com/feed/rss.html

Please update your bookmarks and if you are a blogger, your blog rolls with our new URL:

http://nyystadiuminsider.com/

This site will remain in existence so you can access all of our old posts. Thanks for reading, and we hope you join us at the new blog!

Our Vision For The Mysterious Grandstand Party Deck

2010-02-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

While most new stadiums undergo some cosmetic tweaks between their first and second seasons, there has been surprisingly little talk about potential improvements to the "new" Yankee Stadium.

Back in December, River Ave. Blues caught a minor note in a the Sports Business Journal about a Grandstand level "Party Deck," which garnered a bit of buzz, but there hasn't been any news since. This vague description of a party deck was especially appealing after experiencing Yankee Stadium in 2009.

We contacted multiple sources at Yankee Stadium, and they were unable to provide any additional information about the party deck. The only improvements we could get out of them was that they were "adjusting some of the handrails in the grandstand and some of the bars/mesh in the stair areas on the terrace level to cut down on obstructions." Even without any further information, we'll still speculate.

As we mentioned at various points during the season, the new venue is extremely conducive to milling around and catching the game from different vantage points, meeting people and having a good time. Unfortunately, the only area where fans can gather in large groups with easy access to food and drink along with a view of the field is the center field "bleacher cafe area." While this could have been a great feature of the new Yankee Stadium, it is usually frustrating. Many of the fans with obstructed view bleacher seats don't en

joy seeing half of the field, so the bleacher cafe area becomes packed with fans as soon as the stadium starts to fill up.

When we first heard about the Grandstand "party deck," w

e immediately thought of the upper deck wheelchair seating behind home plate (below section

420). Yankee Stadium is extremely handicapped accessible with wheelchair seats spread throughout the structure. Because of this, the "nosebleed" wheelchair seats are often empty. The vie

w from this wheelchair section is a great bird's eye view of the field, but there are better options on lower levels.

In addition to the great view, this area is very close to the currently exclusive "Jim Beam Suite Lounge." It's no secret that the Jim Beam Suites haven't been well-received by their owners. Most feel they aren't getting the promised value out of the $150 seats and that the "exclusive" dining suite is a glorified food court. Our proposal would be to

replace the brick oven pizza with some classic ballpark fare,

serve plenty of beer and open the former Jim Beam Suite Lounge to the public.

At the end of the day, our party deck idea probably won't pan out. Owners of Jim Beam seats are in the midst of multi-year plans and the Yankees aren't going to water down the product and give them an excuse to break their contracts. Further, the Yankees will probably want to sell standing room tickets for these "party deck" seats, so the general public will likely be shut out.

Does anyone out there have any crazy ideas for the grandstand party deck? Anyone have some insider information? Feel free to let us know in the comments, and we'll be sure to post an update if we hear more.

An Interview With The Yankees Season Ticket Plan Canceler

2010-02-01T13:08:00.002-05:00

On Friday, we posted an email exchange between an emotional Yankees fan and his season ticket account representative. When the tip arrived in our inbox, we realized that it was perfect for this blog, but never expected the interest from around the rest of the blogosphere. From Sports Illustrated's "Hot Clicks" to Yahoo's "Big League Stew," NBC Sports' "Circling The Bases" and Deadspin, people were fascinated with the email exchange.

In sharing our emailer's story with the masses, we opened him up to significant public ridicule - NOT our original intention. Commenters and bloggers around the internet were starting to pile on and take cheap shots, so we decided to give him a chance to tell his side of the story.

In the interview after the jump, you'll find out exactly why the email he sent was rambling (spoiler alert: "sent from my iphone"), his thoughts on the representative's timely and logical response, whether he will ever regret his decision to cancel his ticket plan and what he thinks of the new Yankee Stadium. We still don't agree with his harsh criticisms of the Yankees offseason moves, but his lucid response made us realize that we shouldn't be embarrassed to have him as a Yankees fan.

We have reached out to the ticket representative for his side of the story and if he is allowed to respond, we'll post that later this week.

Thanks for indulging us by answering a few questions. The attention your story has grabbed around the blogosphere has been unexpected to say the least. People seem really intrigued by your honest and heartfelt communication with the Yankees and their subsequent response.

New Stadium Insider:
First of all, please tell everyone about yourself (unless you care to remain anonymous, in which case feel free to make something up). How long have you been a Yankees fan? How long were you a season ticket holder before canceling your plan because of the Randy Winn signing? Which ticket plan did you have?

Emailer:
I am a 33 year old teacher from Long Island, NY and a lifelong Yankee fan. As a child my favorite Yankee was Dave Winfield and the first Yankee game I attended was in 1985 when my grandmother took me to the game in which the Yankees beat the Red Sox when Ken Griffey Sr. robbed Marty Barrett of a home run in left field. I have always tried to attend as many games as possible, but since I moved to Queens 5 years ago to take a teaching position in the Bronx, I have bought some form of ticket plan each of those seasons. I take my students every year as a field trip to the tour of Yankee stadium and last year when I was the Dean at my building, I was lucky enough to take a group of 50 students with high attendance on the open practice at the new stadium. The last two seasons I had the 12-13 game packages, the final season the seats were in the left field bleachers and this year my seats were in 306, in right field. My favorite Yankee of all time is Mickey Mantle, I have a plaque of him that is behind my desk in my classroom and if I have a son, I plan on naming him Mickey.

NSI:
In our original post, we accidentally included a paragraph about your career as a teacher in the Bronx. Since you wrote your season ticket cancellation from your IPhone, some of the spelling, grammar and sentence structure wasn't exactly what people consider "teacher material." We feel bad for "outing" anything about your personal life - would you like to clarify any of the points you made in your email that might not have come across properly because you were writing it from your IPhone?

E:
Well, I can say the email was hardly an example of me modeling the writing process to my students in terms of revising and editing, but I've always thought of email and texting as a medium in which one didn't have to hire an editor to proofread one's work (There is a reason why any email from my phone has the "Sent from my Iphone" signature at the bottom) The truth is, I was on the subway home from work and I was thinking about the moves that occurred this offseason and how disappointed I was. After I had received that email from the Yankees about renewing my package, I was holding off on responding because numerous writers were stating that Damon had informed them that he would have a decision in regards to his signing by the end of the week. Once I heard about the Winn signing, I knew that the window to sign Damon had closed and the team that we had on paper was pretty much what I was going to see on Opening Day. So I starting rattling off this email to [REDACTED] , describing why I was upset, not only to voice my concerns but as a sort of therapeutic attempt to calm my anger as well (I have done similiar [SIC] emails to my ticket account representative from the Knicks as well, as you can guess, there are more often opportunities for such emails with that organization). When I had finished writing the email, I went to highlight my writing to copy it so I could paste it as a note on my facebook page as well. While I had the whole text highlighted, I got a text message and I clicked to close the text message and it ended up deleting the whole letter I wrote. This obviously increased my anger and I thought about just forgetting the whole letter writing idea, but then I decided that I needed my voice to be heard, so that's how the letter you see before you was crafted, flaws and all.

NSI:
It seems that you wrote your email regarding the Yankees' offseason moves in a very emotional state. Once you read the very reasoned response from the Yankees ticket representative, did you question your stance at all?

E:
First I'd like to say how impressed I was that the representative took the time to read my email and to craft a well written response. When I sent the email, I was anticipating him seeing the word cancel and then just crossing my name off of the list of possible ticket plan holders. I sent him an email after thanking him and expressing how I hope in the near future the Yankees can make a move that will restore my faith in the direction of the organization so I can return as a ticket package holder.
In terms of his response making me question my stance, I pretty much was aware of all of the information that was presented, except for the part about Granderson scoring the winning run, which is only because I don't watch the All Star game. It didn't make me waiver [SIC] at all regarding my disliking all of the moves made this offseason.

NSI:
The ticket representative might have a somewhat biased opinion of the Yankees' player personnel moves since it is his job to keep you as a customer. However, it seems like a lot of smart baseball evaluators (both professional and amateur think highly of the Yankees' offseason moves. Did the nearly universal response from bloggers, commenters on blogs and commenters on Twitter open your eyes to another way of evaluating the trades and signings?

E:
I'm not sure if it has been a universal response from the baseball world about Cashman's moves, nor has the comments from the blogs really open my eyes to having a different view of the moves. I still don't think giving up Austin Jackson was a good move to get Granderson. I would much rather try to see a prospect with potential grow rather than trade them to get a name player who has significant problems hitting left handed pitching considering that many teams plan their rotation to use left handed starters at the stadium to negate the short right field dimensions. A couple of years ago, my co-workers thought I was crazy because I said the mets trading for Johan Santana would be a great day for the Yankees because it allowed us to focus on developing young talent. The Nick Johnson move doesn't make sense to me because it negates the plans the Yankees had to use the DH position as a way for the other older players to use the DH spot to rest up. I understand his high OBP and understand that baseball is now a stat driven sport, but I don't think a one dimensional player is worth that sort of investment for a team so focused on it's budget.
The only area in which my eyes were open a bit is when I read Buster Olney's blog about the negotiation proccess that ensued between Cashman, Damon and Boras. I saw the Yankees had a genuine interest in bringing Damon back and did not get an eager response back from Damon's camp. I understand how the Yankees didn't want to be in a position to have to overpay for a player later because they had limited options remaining. Yet, I also think there is a grudge that Cashman has for Boras, maybe from the ARod opting out of his contract debacle, and he gets a genuine pleasure in seeing Boras look bad in the media during these negotiations. I also understand how a player like Damon could be upset how a team that has spent money year after year on free agents, yet would ask him to take such a significant paycut to remain on the Yankees. I think that Damon deserved a contract in the neighborhood of the Bobby Abreu deal, since Damon is a much better rounded player than Abreu. I'm sure the union would not have been thrilled about Damon taking such a serious pay cut as well.

NSI:
Can you foresee a day that you regret your decision to cancel your season ticket plan?

E:
Not really, although I had good seats, there are always plans available and I don't think the ticket plans really were that advantageous. One of the main reasons I got the plan was to have access for postseason tickets, and I was only able to get tickets for game 2 of the ALDS and game 7 of the ALCS. I attempted to get world series tickets the minute the presale started and they were sold out right away. My friend who had an over 20 game package had similiar [SIC] complaints and wrote a long email which brought her no results. The bottom line is with agencies such as Stubhub, the ticket packages are not such a necessity, since that was the method I was able to buy tickets to other postseason games last year.

NSI:
Bonus question: what are your feelings about the new Yankee Stadium? Do you miss the old one?

E:
I like some of the modern advantages of the new stadium such as the Jim Beam suite and some of the new food vendors. I also enjoy that I am able to continue to watch the game with the open site lines while I am away from my seat. I was worried in regards to the stadium having the same electric atmosphere for big games, especially when I watched early season games and the crowd seemed to not be as enthusiastic. My theory that the crowd in early season was just exploring the new features of the stadium turned out to be accurate however, for once the big games came late in the year, the stadium atmosphere and feeling was still vibrant. I have video on my iphone from the bleachers when ARod hit the tying homerun off Nathan in the ALDS that can attest to that. It's not the same as the old stadium and it never will be, but the fans are, and that passion is what makes the atmosphere of the stadium so amazing.

How Fast New Becomes Old... Yankee Stadium

2010-02-01T09:25:00.001-05:00

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says Yankee Stadium? Is it off-blue seats, the blacked out section in centerfield, the steep overhanging upper deck and an impossible to match 26 world championships?

Probably not.

Perhaps it was the calendar's progression into January, but sometime in the past week we realized that "Yankee Stadium" is now completely associated with the oversized HD video board in centerfield, the pristine navy blue seats, standing room views from behind home plate, copious unimpressive food options and thankfully, championship No. 27.

As great as the Yankees' 2009 season was, the awareness that the vivid memories of the "original" Yankee Stadium will only continue their advance into the depths of our subconscious is a bit disturbing.

The "House That Ruth Built" is still standing, reminding us of those memories, but the only people entering that sacred ground are construction workers slowly tearing down what took years to build.

It is unbelievable how many enduring and special moments we were exposed to during the inaugural season of the "new" Yankee Stadium in 2009. Let's face it - we're spoiled. But still, thinking back to the great season that ended nearly three months ago it all seems so surreal.

This blog is still named "New" Stadium Insider and the structure is still less than a year old. However, when we walk through Babe Ruth Plaza and enter through Gate 6 on April 13 we'll be walking into the only Yankee Stadium that will exist during the rest of our lifetime. The novelty and gimmick is gone. The structure sitting on the former site of Macombs Dam park is here to stay and will continue to be the home to life-altering memories for a new generation of Yankees fans for years to come.

Yankees Fans Are Canceling Their Ticket Plans Because They Hate Randy Winn

2010-01-28T22:34:00.001-05:00

OK, so maybe they're more angry about the Yankees decision not to retain the newly minted "true Yankee" Johnny Damon. However we frame it, people like the one in the real life email chain below don't seem to see that Johnny Damon has always chased every last dollar. They also fail to understand that the Yankees aren't Scott Boras' puppets anymore and run their operation with a sound business plan.

Or they just hate Randy Winn.

Anyway, we swear the below emails are 100% genuine.

From the Yankees:

Dear Ticket Licensee,

2009 marked the Inaugural Season at the new Yankee Stadium, a season that was more exciting than we could ever have anticipated - unforgettable games, unforgettable moments, an unforgettable Postseason and the 27th World Championship!

The 27-time World Champion New York Yankees would like to thank you for having joined us as a Season Ticket Licensee during the just concluded incredible Inaugural Season at Yankee Stadium.

With the successful conclusion of the 2009 World Series, it is time to begin making plans for the 2010 Regular Season. Accordingly, in late November, we mailed to you your 2010 Regular Season Invoice. The start of the 2010 Regular Season is quickly approaching and according to our records, as of January 25 2010, your Yankees Ticket License Account reflects an outstanding balance due.

As you are aware, the payment due date was Friday, January 8, 2010. To ensure you don’t miss a single minute of the upcoming season, please do not hesitate to call me or the Yankee Stadium Ticket office at (718) 293-6000 in order to finalize your payment*.

If you would like to cancel your 2010 Ticket License, please email me directly at (xxxxx@yankees.com) and include your Ticket License Number, Account Name and contact information. If sending an email, please enter CANCELLATION in the subject heading. If payment in full is not received by Monday, January 25, 2010, by 5:00 pm, your 2010 Ticket License will be cancelled without further contact from me or the Yankees.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter and for your continued and loyal support. Should you have any questions, please let me know.

Response from our emailer (all SICs his):

XXXX,
I am sorry for the delay in responding to the many emails about making the payment on my Yankees account. The last time I spoke to you I believe I was inquiring about the proccess of upgrading to a full season ticket plan. Unfortunately, right after that I learned of the granderson trade and that made me begin to have some doubts.

As long as I have been a Yankee fan, I have always had the belief that the Yankees would do their best to put the best possible team on the field to attempt to win a championship. After an amazing season in which the Yankees brought the trophy back home, sadly it seems they hav lost their focus on winning another championship this year.

The list of transgressions includes bringing in players who have already proven they are capable of succeeding in ny ( nick Johnson and Javier vasquez), destroying the farm system that was finally being built back up to aquire older players who have had mediocre careers (granderson) and today the signing of winn in order to save some money instead of bringing back one of the most productive players as well as a great teammate, Johnny Damon was the final straw.

I held out hope for so long, praying cashman would make a move to show me he cares about putting together a team that can win this year, but today proved that the Boss's son are more concerned with a profit margin than winning championships, something their father would never be accused of.

I am a middle school teacher in the Bronx with a budget as well, but since I've moved out here I've always found a way to get ticket packages because of the entertaining product the Yankees put on the field, but also because I knew that the Yankees would do what was in their power to put a championship caliber team on the field. Even in 2008, when I knew the team was rebuilding, I bought a plan because I knew they were making a sacrifice to improve their chances the following year.

This offseason has not instilled this same confidence, so I regretfully must inform you that I am cancelling my ticket plan. I am no longer a ticket package holder for the Yankees, but I remain what I will always be, I lifelong Yankee fan.

Thank you for your help and service throughout the years XXXX. Hopefully, we will be in touch sooner than later.
Best regards,
XXX XXXX

And the committed and logical Yankees ticket representative tries to talk some sense into our passionate emailer:

XXXX,

I would hate to see you cancel your season ticket plan on the basis of some moves that you feel make the team weaker. I on the other hand feel that the moves Brian Cashman made will make the team just as competitive as they were in 2009. While Nick Johnson is an injury prone player, he does not have any chronic injuries Yankees fans should be concerned with. He has shown throughout his career that he can consistently get on base and I think he will flourish in the number 2 spot in the order behind Jeter and in front of Teixeira. His On Base Percentage last year was .426 which was 20 points higher than Derek Jeter’s .406 which led the team. I think it’s fair to say that last time Javier Vasquez was a Yankee he did underachieve. However, his role in 2010 is very different than what his role was in 2004. He is not expected to be the ace of the staff this year and is slotted to pitch in the 3rd or 4th spot in the rotation. He is a lock to give the Yankees 200+ innings and last year had an ERA of 2.87. He even finished in 4th place in NL Cy Young voting. Not bad for a middle of the rotation guy. As far as Curtis Granderson is concerned, I would say he has had far from a mediocre career. He was an All-Star last year and even scored the winning run in the game. In 2007 and 2008 he was in the top 3 in the AL in runs scored. In addition to his stellar play on the field, he is said to be a great clubhouse presence. What you lose in Johnny Damon clubhouse wise, you get back with Curtis Granderson. He is also very active in the community. While Randy Winn does not have the bat that Damon has, he is an above average outfielder and excellent on the bases. The Yankees have a plan and part of that plan is sticking to a budget this year so next year they can spend on what they see as a better free agent class. Hopefully you will still be a season ticket holder by then.

Sincerely,

XXXX

27-Time World Champions
New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium Ticket Office
One East 161st Street
Bronx, New York 10451

So there you have it. The Randy Winn signing has pushed Yankees fans over the edge.

On the other hand, that ticket rep sounds extremely knowledgeable and may or may not have been brainwashed by Brian Cashman.

Only in New York.

New Yankee Stadium and Minnesota's Target Field Have Some Striking Similarities

2009-12-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

While the new Yankee Stadium is an absolutely picturesque structure, it is also known to be generic in the architectural world. This has never been more evident than in a photo making the rounds on the web, showcasing the upper deck of Minnesota's brand new Target Field:

(hat tip to NYY Fans "Out Of Play" Forum)

Hmmmm... Does that photo look familiar? Here is a similar photo of the new Yankee Stadium:

Hardcore baseball stadium aficionados have long despised HOK Sport Venue Event (now apparently known as Populous architecture) because of their generic seating design. It just so happens that this company worked on the design of Yankee Stadium and Target Field.

Upon our first trip to the new Yankee Stadium, it was immediately reminiscent of Citizen's Bank Park (another HOK venture), but it didn't really bother us too much. In fact, this is probably the only way to design an upper tier so it can accommodate wide concourses throughout.

Still, we have a feeling that hardcore Yankee traditionalists aren't going to be pleased when they catch wind of the similarities between Target Field in Minnesota and the mystique and aura-filled Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Having Trouble Adding a New Credit Card To Your Yankees Account? We're Here To Help

2009-12-10T11:45:00.000-05:00

As we mentioned earlier, today is the day that the first installment payment is due for 2010 Yankees season ticket invoices. Tens of thousands of Yankees fans are heading to their Yankees.com ticket account and many are facing the same problem - they can't add a new credit at checkout.

When arriving at this screen, the add credit card button just doesn't do anything:

This led to about an hour of frustration, trying different browsers, computers, etc. Of course, we should have just turned to our trusty Twitter account. Within minutes of sharing our frustration, the solution to our problem was right there in our "at replies."

As it turns out, everyone is having issues adding a new credit card at checkout. Luckily, the workaround is simple. The first step is to navigate to the home screen of your Yankees ticket account:

Next, click the "account settings" link, and you will arrive at this page:

From there, you want to click on the "credit card information" link, which will bring you here:

Unlike the frustrating "add new card" link on the checkout page, this one actually registers your command, and you are able to add the card successfully.

Now, when you attempt to pay your invoice, all of the cards that you added within your account will appear as payment options:

And just like that, we have a workaround for the ever-glitchy ticketmaster web interface.

Many thanks to LeoKitty, nyydem, and michebag22 (all great Yankees fans on Twitter that you should all follow) for responding with that simple solution.

Want To Know Which Games Are In Your 2010 Yankees Season Ticket Plan? There's A Blog For That

2009-12-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

Is it a coincidence that the winter meetings always occur right around the time that season ticket payments are due? It probably is, but it ends up being perfect timing for retaining waffling season ticket licensees. It seems unlikely that a hardcore season ticket holder would drop their plan after the Yankees signed CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeria, or made a blockbuster trade for Curtis Granderson.

In any case, the installment payment option for 2010 Yankees season tickets is due today (December 10), so if you want to spread out the agony, be sure to make your first payment as soon as possible. Just in time, the schedule of games included in each plan has been released by the team.

2010 New York Yankees Season Ticket Plan Grid

Date

Team

Day

20 #1

20 #2

15 Fri +

15 Sat +

15 Sun +

12 #1

12 #2

4/13

LAA

Tue

4/14

LAA

Wed

4/15

LAA

Thu

4/16

TEX

Fri

4/17

TEX

Sat

4/18

TEX

Sun

4/30

CWS

Fri

5/1

CWS

Sat

5/2

CWS

Sun

5/3

BAL

Mon

5/4

BAL

Tue

5/5

BAL

Wed

5/14

MIN

Fri

5/15

MIN

Sat

5/16

MIN

Sun

5/17

BOS

Mon

5/18

BOS

Tue

5/19

Wed

5/20

Thu

5/28

CLE

Fri

5/29

CLE

Sat

5/30

CLE

Sun

5/31

CLE

Mon

6/1

BAL

Tue

6/2

BAL

Wed

6/3

BAL

Thu

6/11

HOU

Fri

6/12

HOU

Sat

6/13

HOU

Sun

6/15

PHI

Tue

6/16

PHI

Wed

6/17

PHI

Thu

6/18

NYM

Fri

6/19

NYM

Sat

6/20

NYM

Sun

6/29

SEA

Tue

6/30

SEA

Wed

7/1

SEA

Thu

7/2

TOR

Fri

7/3

TOR

Sat

7/4

TOR

Sun

7/16

Fri

7/17

Sat

7/18

Sun

7/20

LAA

Tue

7/21

LAA

Wed

7/22

Thu

7/23

Fri

7/24

Sat

7/25

Sun

8/2

TOR

Mon

8/3

TOR

Tue

8/4

TOR

Wed

8/6

BOS

Fri

8/7

BOS

Sat

8/8

BOS

Sun

8/9

BOS

Mon

8/16

DET

Mon

8/17

DET

Tue

8/18

DET

Wed

8/19

DET

Thu

8/20

SEA

Fri

8/21

SEA - (OTD)

Sat

8/22

SEA

Sun

8/30

OAK

Mon

8/31

OAK

Tue

9/1

OAK

Wed

9/2

OAK

Thu

9/3

TOR

Fri

9/4

TOR

Sat

9/5

TOR

Sun

9/6

BAL

Mon

9/7

BAL

Tue

9/8

BAL

Wed

9/20

Mon

9/21

Tue

9/22

Wed

9/23

Thu

9/24

BOS

Fri

9/25

BOS

Sat

9/26

BOS

Sun

For 41 game plan holders like ourselves, this slate of games is a thing of beauty. Five games against Boston, three games against the Angels, two games against the Mets, one game against the Phillies, and Old Timer's Day. If you are a reseller, those twelve games will pay for the entire plan, and the rest of the games are playing with house money.

Hopefully, the Yankees upgrade our crappy seats, or we may have to take advantage of the secondary market. After buying a beautiful new 50 inch plasma, crappy stadium food and mediocre views are no longer the draw that they were in the stadium's first season.

Bleacher Price Increase Short Lived - Yankees Send Out Correction Letters

2009-12-02T21:33:00.007-05:00

Our friend Baierman from Twitter (follow him if you are a Yankee fan) checked in with an update on the partial plan bleacher price increase that we reported on last week. We're so jaded, and expectant of price increases that it never even crossed out minds that the ticket office might have made a mistake. However, according to the letter below, everyone can rest assured that the Yankees have NOT sneakily enacted a a ticket price increase:

So there we have it. Yet another in a long line of Yankee ticket office mishaps. Thankfully, this mistake has a happy ending.

Yankees Sneak In a Price Increase On Bleacher Seats For 2010 Partial Plan Season Tickets

2009-11-28T09:52:00.003-05:00

Way back in September, the Yankees put out a press release, bragging about 2010 prices remaining the same (or getting cheaper) for most season ticket holders. At the time, they made it very clear that the release was referring to FULL SEASON ticket holders. Unfortunately, some partial plan ticket holders who misread that release are receiving their invoices and with it a surprise - higher prices.

As of now, the only confirmed higher prices are in the bleachers. In 2009, bleacher prices were $12 for season ticket holders (partial or full) and $14 in advance. In 2010, bleacher tickets will remain $12 for full season ticket holders, but for partial plans, the price will increase to $14 per seat. This is only a $2 increase, but if you have 4 seats in a 41 game plan, your invoice will be $328 more than expected.

This price increase shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The bleachers are without a doubt, the best value in the entire stadium. The views from the new bleachers, combined with having access to the rest of the stadium make them a better option than most of the upper deck seats. Even at $14, partial plan ticket holders in the bleachers should be thankful they have the seats. Many people (like us) would do anything to trade their crappy seats in the upper deck for the cheaper and better seats in the bleachers.

Gripe Of The Day: Want To Upgrade Your Crappy Seats? Pay Up First

2009-11-27T12:05:00.002-05:00

We hinted at this yesterday, and we're pretty sure it has always been the Yankees policy - if you are a season ticket holder and want to change your seat location for 2010, you'll first have to pay your invoice in full. From the Yankees.com season ticket holder account:
The New York Yankees are currently accepting upgrade requests for 2010 from all existing non-Premium Ticket Licensees. In order to submit a Request you must complete the following 2010 Upgrade Application. Your Request will only be considered if you either signed up for the 2010 three part auto charge payment program or your Ticket License Account is paid in full by the payment deadline date set forth on the upper right hand corner of your 2010 invoice. All Requests are subject to availability. Requests will be processed after the Deadline. Please allow approximately four to six weeks after the Deadline for processing of your Request. Requests received after the Deadline will NOT be considered.
After a rough beginning for the new Yankee Stadium, things improved rather quickly. By the middle of the season, even chronic complainers (like us) ran out of bad things to say. The 2009 playoff run that resulted in a pennant and World Series title clinched on home turf built up at least a few years of goodwill for the "new house."

Of course, our kind words come with a caveat. An aspect of the new Yankee Stadium that can't escape our ire is our season ticket location - the upper rows of Grandstand section 428. If you sit in those seats once or twice, you may not notice some of the fatal flaws. After an entire season, you're left threatening to ditch your season tickets unless you receive an upgrade. Unfortunately, you also don't have much bargaining power.

The sight-lines are terrible, the depth perception of the play on the field is misleading and there is no reasonable way to tell balls and strikes without binoculars. The most understated and frustrating aspect of these seats, however, is the blatantly obstructed view of the left field corner. Not advertised as such when purchasing these tickets, any seats above row 5 don't have a view of most of the left field corner near the foul line.

Initially, the slight obstruction is manageable - especially considering the obstructions that people in the bleachers are forced to deal with. Over time, events on the field take place that quickly change your mind. Events like those of game 2 of the 2009 ALDS on 10/9/09.

In this classic playoff game, two of the most memorable moments happened in extra innings. Sitting in section 428, row 10, you would never have known they occurred. When Joe Mauer's would-be grounds rule double was erroneously ruled a foul ball by the incompetent Phil Cuzzi, there was ignorant bliss in section 428. To us, Cuzzi did a perfectly fine job - we had no way of seeing where the ball had landed with our own two eyes. When Mark Teixeira ended the game on a laser beam to the seats, the fans in section 428 were forced to react to the fans in the rest of the stadium. There was absolutely no view of the spot in left field where Teixeira's laser had landed.

Its obvious that in a stadium of approximately 50,000 seats, some of those seats will provide less than optimal views. It is also obvious that a fan paying for a half or full season in these flawed seats will want to upgrade to something better. As per the message in the Yankees account, those fans who want to keep their season tickets while slightly upgrading their obstructed view will be forced to pay in full and risk being stuck with the flawed seats.

Despite the poor economy, Yankees tickets are still some of the hottest on the planet, allowing the ticket office to make these harsh policies. For those of us affected, it is just another necessary evil associated with the "privilege" of owning Yankees season tickets.

NSI Quick Hit: Season Ticket Invoices Now Showing Up In Yankees.com Ticket Accounts

2009-11-26T08:50:00.003-05:00

Just in time for the overhyped retail frenzy known as Black Friday, Yankees season ticket accounts are slowly being loaded with 2010 invoices. Perhaps you'll have to reconsider that 50 inch plasma television and choose to re-up your Yankees season tickets instead. The prices were announced a few months back, so at least we don't have to worry about any surprises there.

A couple of notes to keep in mind:

1) All of this information only applies to previous season ticket holders. New business will not be considered until all current licensees are settled.

2) A single payment in full is due on January 8, 2010.

3) If you want to participate in a payment plan, the total amount due will be split into three parts and payments will be due on 12/10, 1/10 & 2/10.

4) If you are unhappy with your current seat location, you will need to enroll in the payment plan, or make payment in full before your upgrade is considered. (More on that in a separate blog post tomorrow).

Hard copies of the invoices will likely be hitting mailboxes within the next week, but they are available online in Yankees.com ticket accounts now. We happened to stumble across it this morning, but it appears to have been active since November 23.

Typical Yankees ticket office - offer the efficiency of an online system without making use of it by sending a simple, automated email, alerting customers that a new invoice is available.

Quality Sports Journalism

2009-11-04T16:57:00.002-05:00

I saw that Jim Caple had written an article about tonight's World Series game 6. I decided I'd click the link and read it. Maybe he has a fresh perspective. Maybe he has some inside info. Maybe it'll kill some time until I head up to the stadium. And then I read his lead:

Opening Wednesday night at a $1.5 billion stadium: "Men Who Stare at Old Goats."

You know what, I think I've read just about enough...

NSI Game Day Weather - World Series 2009 - Game 1 and beyond

2009-10-28T07:47:00.004-04:00

If you're a baseball fan in New York or Philadelphia, this is what its all about - the fall classic, the World Series. Unfortunately, being a fan in this part of the country also means dealing with volatile weather, especially in October and November.

During last year's World Series in Philadelphia a game had to be suspended and continued on another day due to inclement weather. Late last night, MLB announced that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' performance of "Empire State Of Mind" before game one of the 2009 World Series would be pushed back to the pre-game ceremonies before game two because of rain in New York City. It would appear that rain is once again going to wreak havoc on baseball in the Northeast, so we have enlisted the services of Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com to provide forecast updates. Here is what he has to say about the weather for the first games of the 2009 World Series:

An area of low pressure will be exiting the New Jersey coastal waters this evening. The brunt of the heavy rain will be over, however a few showers may linger at the start of the game. Dry conditions can be expected as the evening continues. Winds will be from the northeast around 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will range from 50 to 53 degrees.

Game Delay Potential: MINOR: Showers at the start of the game may lead to a brief delay, but with the brunt of the rain to the east, any delay will be short.

Game Postponement: NONE: Conditions will become drier as the evening progresses, which will allow the game to be played.

Rest of The Series:

I’m calling this World Series the Northern Mid Atlantic Rumble! Let the war begin. As a Mets fan, besides this forecast, I say what World Series? Just kidding. With the game’s locations within hours of each other I am going to forecast for both home and away.

Game 2: At Yankees Stadium, Thursday 7:57 PM: High pressure will produce scattered clouds and dry conditions. Winds will be light and variable. Temperatures will range from the lower to mid 50’s through the game.

Game 3: At Philadelphia, Saturday 7:57 PM: Periods of showers in the evening with drying conditions after 8 PM. Timing of the cold front will be key just like the passage of the low pressure system for Wednesday evening. Winds will veer from the south to the west. Temperatures will fall into the 50’s.

Game 4: At Philadelphia, Sunday 8:20 PM: Periods of rain, heavy at times, with winds veering from the south to west around 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will range from the lower to mid 50’s.

Winds for Game 1

It appears that game one here in New York will narrowly escape being affected by rain (aside from the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performance being postponed). Unfortunately, the games played in Philadelphia may not be as lucky and will likely involve dodging the raindrops. If you hold tickets to games 3, 4, or 5 we'd recommend keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts.

Expect A Sea Of Red (Phillies Fans) For The 2009 World Series Games At Yankee Stadium

2009-10-26T17:33:00.005-04:00

UPDATE (10/27 1:30 PM): The following comes courtesy of our friends at fansnap.com:

Latest prices for World Series games:

GAMES 1-2
In New York the average ticket listing is $650 for Games 1 and 2. Fans can get-in for about $350.

GAMES 3-5
For Philadelphia, the average ticket is running about $1,500 with get-ins at about $500.

GAMES 6-7
If the series goes back to New York, the average ticket listing is nearly $1,000 and the get-in prices are $450.

You may remember our bellyaching back in May about the sea of red that accompanied the Phillies' trip to Yankee Stadium. At the time, we attributed the impressive showing to the Memorial Day holiday. Yankees fans were likely heading out of town and needed to offload their tickets. Fans from Philadelphia were waiting to scoop them up at prices that were more reasonable than at Citizen's Bank Park. Yankees fans had the supply, Philly fans had the demand and everyone walked away happy.

With the 2009 World Series fast approaching, the question remains - will fans of the Philadelphia Phillies once again take over Yankee Stadium? Ticket market information is starting to stream in from our friends at Fansnap.com and all signs point to another sea of red. As of today, the Phillies average ticket prices were $1,626. The get-in price is $650. Compare that to Game 1 in New York where the average ticket listing is $769 and the get-in is $410. "If these prices hold, look for lots of red in Yankee Stadium," says Christian Anderson of Fansnap.com.

This will likely cause outrage in Yankees Universe. Fans will be called fair-weather and ticket brokers will be admonished. The truth is, there are more seats in Yankee Stadium and tickets are way easier to buy and sell due to MLB's deal with Stubhub.com. There are big brokers in Philadelphia, but not nearly as many as in New York City. If you live in Philadelphia, the cost of gas to New York City and a ticket into Yankee Stadium for a World Series game will probably be cheaper than walking around the corner to Citzen's Bank Park.

To our fellow Yankees fans, all we can do is encourage you to sell your tickets on Craigslist.org to other Yankees fans - if you insist on selling your World Series tickets. If you sell on Stubhub, you are contributing to the Philly fan takeover.

More 2009 World Series ticket price information courtesy of fansnap.com after the jump.

World Series Game 1 Phillies @ Yankees
Tickets listed = 7,500+
Average price = $769
Get-in (lowest) price = $410 (Bleachers 201)
Field Dugout Best Value = $1,250
Field Infield Best Value = $ 1,100
Field Outfiled Best Value = $611
Grandstand Dugout Best Value = $445
Grandstand Outfield Best Value = $425
Legends Best Value = $2,832
Main Dugout Best Value = $950
Main Infield Best Value = $483
Main Outfield Best Value = $450
Main Suite Best Value = $2,200
Terrace Dugout Best Value = $600
Terrace Infield Best Value = $567
Terrace Outfield Best Value = $494
Terrace Suite Best Value = $665

World Series Game 2 Phillies @ Yankees
Tickets listed = 8,500+
Average price = $770
Get-in (lowest) price = $400

PHILADELPHIA

World Series Game 3 Yankees @ Phillies
Tickets listed = 3,500+
Average price = $1,645
Get-in (lowest) price = $650
Arcade Best Value = $939
Baseline Best Value = $1,000
Diamond Club Best Value = $3,125
Infield Best Value = $650
Outfield Best Value = $825
Pavilion Best Value = $990
Pavilion Deck Best Value = $770
Scoreboard Porch Best Value = $925
Terrace Best Value = $775
Terrace Deck Best Value = $715

World Series Game 4 Yankees @ Phillies
Tickets listed = 3,700+
Average price = $1,639
Get-in (lowest) price = $675

World Series Game 5 Yankees @ Phillies
Tickets listed = 5,500
Average price = $1,650
Get-in (lowest) price = $1650

UPDATE-ALCS Game 6 - POSTPONED

2009-10-23T05:34:00.010-04:00

Update (10/24 6:00 PM): Word from LoHud Yankees is that ALCS game 6 has been postponed. Tickets for game 6 will likely be honored for tomorrow night's makeup game.

UPDATE (10/24 9:00 AM): The latest update from Steve provides some good news. The threat of delay and postponement is still "high," but there is a gleam of hope based on the latest observations:
A slow moving cold front will being advancing on the Bronx at about the time when the game is expected to start. This cold front is expected to have an extensive line of showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rain at times. Periods of rain is expected through Mid Night before tapering off to showers through 1 AM and drying out thereafter. Winds will be from the south around 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts. Temperatures will slowly fall from the lower 60’s into the upper 50’s.

Breaks in the rain may develop due to strong mesoscale lifting, which MAY give the Yankees a shot at playing this game. This will have to be monitored this evening for that potential.

Game Delay Potential: HIGH: A wall of rain is currently expected to move into the Bronx at about the start of the game. The game may start on time depending on the speed of the rain shield, but a coverage and intensity of the rainfall will likely force a delay.

Game Postponement:HIGH: The rain is not expected to taper off at this time until after mid night over the Bronx, which will likely force a postponement of the game. There is potential that strong mesoscale forcing (strong thunderstorms for example) may cause precipitation to dry out over the Bronx and giving the Yankees a window to play the game. This situation will have to be monitored by the minute this evening.
Steve mentioned that if anyone wants a more detailed (and technical) "mesoscale" discussion, you can check his new post, detailing how tonight's rain event in NYC will unfold. As the updates come in, we'll update this post.

UPDATE (10/23 9:00 PM): Steve from NYNJPAWeather.com has checked in with the following:
I’m getting a better feel on how the rain will move through the Bronx for tomorrow night. A break in the steady rainfall can be expected in the afternoon, but don’t let this fool you. As the cold front approaches in the evening, waves of steady light to moderate rainfall will move into the Bronx by around 7 to 8 PM and continue on through the evening. The rain is currently expected to end over the Bronx by around 10 to 11 PM. This rain will be heavy and likely will impact the ability to play this game.

Sunday is still looking dry and very comfortable and I would suggest scheduling the game on Sunday rather than on Saturday night.
With the lack of urgency to play the game (better weather Sunday, World Series not starting until Wednesday), Steve is probably right in assessment here. However, we should all keep in mind that exactly one week ago we all woke up to the same kinds of forecasts, and the game was played without a problem.

Somehow we feel like we have been down this road before. Before games 1 and 2 of the ALCS, weather forecasters had dire predictions of washouts and scheduling nightmares. Somehow, the games were played, and everyone was left ridiculing the people who get paid to predict the atmospheric conditions. It sucks that we have to tell you this, but Saturday's forecast is just as bad as the forecasts for games 1 and 2 of the ALCS. Steve DiMartino of NYNYPAWeather.com has developed his NSI Game Day Weather Forecast a bit early this time, and it is a rainy one:

The Yankees have not been able to dodge the impacts of rain all year, so why would the sixth game of the ALCS be any different?

A strong cold front combined with a tropical disturbance will produce periods of heavy rain through Saturday night. Winds will be from the south and southwest around 15 to 25 mph, which will be blowing out to right field. Temperatures will hold in the mid 60’s through the evening before quickly falling off into the 50’s by around mid night.

Game Delay Potential: HIGH: A wall of rain is currently expected to move into the Bronx at about the start of the game. The game may start on time depending on the speed of the rain shield, but a coverage and intensity of the rainfall will likely force a delay.

Game Postponement: HIGH: The rain is not expected to taper off at this time until after mid night over the Bronx, which will likely force a postponement of the game. There is potential that the line of heavy rainfall may “bow” eastward and push the rainfall through the region faster than expected, however this will have to be determined on Saturday afternoon to be certain. The timing of the cold front will be the key to this forecast.

Regardless of the timing of the cold front on Saturday night, strong high pressure will build into the New York City metropolitan area for Sunday with clearing skies, dry conditions, and near normal temperatures in the lower 60’s. A perfect day for the sixth game of the ALCS.

We all know by now how quickly the weather conditions can fluctuate, so we will update this post whenever Steve has something to add. As of now, we are once again left watching the radar in the Bronx, instead of getting ready for the extremely exciting, high-pressure games that are set to ensue. Retractable roof, anyone?

Quick Hit: No Yankee Stadium Viewing Party Planned For Game 5 Of The ALCS

2009-10-21T11:25:00.003-04:00

After the rousing success of the game 3 viewing party, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Yankees would once again open the doors of Yankee Stadium for game 5. Unfortunately, fans hoping to celebrate a World Series berth in "the new house" with thousands of fellow fans will have to make alternate plans.

In an email regarding a potential viewing party, a Yankee spokesperson said "[there are] no plans for that." Reports from Monday evening's viewing party were all positive, but the Yankees don't seem to be in a hurry to hold another one. The decision to have the event on Monday likely had a lot to do with the late afternoon start time. Staffing a stadium from late afternoon into the evening is probably a lot easier than for a game that will probably end around midnight. This is also speculation, but people are also more likely to drink heavily for a Thursday night night clincher, leading to other logistical issues.

We're sure fans will be disappointed, especially with the beautiful weather that is being forecast for Thursday. For people who don't have many friends who are Yankees fans, we would recommend Stan's across from the stadium - there is sure to be a rowdy, pro-Yankee crowd. ESPN Zone in Times Square has also been home to many Yankee fans during the playoffs.

As for us, we'll be at home watching with our loved ones. Why don't you do the same?

Yankee Stadium Open To Watch Game 3 Of The ALCS, Live From Anaheim

2009-10-18T14:16:00.006-04:00

Well, this is something new from the Yankees (courtesy of WCBS880.com):
The New York Yankees announced Sunday that they will open the Stadium Field Level and Great Hall to the public to watch the broadcast of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series from Anaheim on Monday, October 19. The decision to open the Stadium was made after consultation with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Turnstiles between Gates 4 and 6 will open at 3:30 p.m. for the 4:13 p.m. Game. Fans can watch the Game in the Great Hall or in the opened sections of the Field Level.

What a great idea. Those expensive high definition video boards are amazing to look at and fans will certainly enjoy the opportunity to ~~pay $9 for beer~~ cheer for their team with fellow fans. No word on whether they'll do something similar for game 4, but this is probably a one-time deal due to the 4:13 PM start time.

Anyone planning on heading up to the Bronx for this? We'll be stuck at work, but it seems like a great opportunity for Yankees fans to watch the game together.