NEW YORK (AP) -The New York Mets will raise ticket prices about 20 percent for next season, reflecting their high payroll and upcoming move to a new ballpark.
The Mets recently sent out season-ticket renewal forms. Prices last season ran from $108 for Metro Club Gold seats near the dugouts to $5 for spots in the top rows at Shea Stadium.
In 2009, the Mets will move into 45,000-seat Citi Field. Fans who buy season tickets for this season will have priority on picking out seats for the new stadium. Shea holds more than 57,000 seats.
The biggest increases will affect the most expensive seats, said Dave Howard, the Mets' executive vice president, business operations. There will be $5 seats for 36 of the 81 home games next season, he said.
"We considered where we were in the marketplace. Our average ticket price is still the lowest among the nine major pro sports teams in the New York area," Howard said Saturday. "Our payroll is among the highest in baseball. We put our resources back into the team. We tried to strike a balance."
The best seats at Yankee Stadium cost $150 last season.
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