Moula Field

According a NY 1 report, it looks like the blue-collar fans of the New York Mets are going to have to commit some white collar crimes to afford to take their families to the game.

The Cost of a Day at CitiField
By Tara Lynn Wagner

If your kids are begging you to take them out to the ball game, be prepared -- it's going to cost a lot more than peanuts to spend a day at Citi Field.

We'll start with parking which is $18, up from $15 at Shea. At the ticket booth, prices vary according to the day and the opponent with 28 options to choose from. The uppermost level, promenade reserved infield, will cost you $15 to $30 a head, depending on whether they're playing, say, the Padres or the Phillies. Baseball fans say it's a price they're willing to pay for a seat at the new stadium.

"Anywhere between like 30, 40, even bleacher seats," said one Mets fan.

A $30 ticket may sound doable, but that's $120 just to get your family of four through the door. Sitting behind the dugout will cost you $495 per person, a bargain compared to the Yankees top ticket of $2,600 dollars. Sports writer Richard Sandomir says in that sense, it pays to root for the Mets.

"The Mets stadium cost less, the Mets history is less stellar. I think if they charged Yankee prices there would be an outcry," said Sandomir.

Once you're inside, you're probably going to be there about three hours, which means you might get hungry. The question is, how much are you willing to spend on a hot dog? Try $4.75 -- fries not included.

"You can bring food in clear packages and I suspect in this economy there are going to be more and more people bringing food in with them," said Sandomir.

The good news is that some beverages are actually cheaper at the new stadium. Water dropped from $4.25 to $3.75 and a can of beer is now $6, 20 percent less than at Shea.

"You want to enjoy yourself while you're watching the game. You want to have a hot dog, a beer, you know. But anything over $5 I'm not gonna pay," said one New Yorker.

So let's add it up: parking, four tickets, two kids meals, and hot dogs and beer for mom and dad.

Throw in two baseball hats at $19 a pop and a $5 program they can fight over, and we're looking at a grand total of $212.50.

"With the economy the way it is, that's a lot of money for a family to go to the ballpark," said one New Yorker.

And with HDTV providing pitch perfect views of the game, many fans say they'll be rooting for the home team from the comfort of their own homes.

"TV, cable, bars, wherever. But I will watch the games though," said one Mets fan.