Swarm Defense: Why you’re here (and where you should be going)

You like sports. You know you do. And you’re in one of the greatest sporting cities in America, which SHOULD be really awesome for you. The problem is, everyone in this town — along with everyone who visits from Nebraska, Saskatchewan, and even Seoul — already knows the “beaten path” of sports in New York. So the question becomes, where can a person go for some sports-based fun that doesn’t involve Michael Kay talking about the Yanks to Japanese tourists or scalpers fleecing you to go see the lowly Knicks? With a little bit of luck, the answer is right here.

Hi. I’m Doug. Each week, I’ll look at something fun going on in the world of New York sports that you might not have heard about. It won’t always be out-of-left field propositions, like joining the hipsters in Williamsburg for Sunday kickball (which is kinda played out anyway), and it won’t always be straight-up event suggestions, but it will hopefully always be amusing or enlightening. And remember, sometimes even the most mainstream sports and teams keep secrets from the less discerning sports fan. Take for example, the little ball field out in Flushing…

And by “little ball field,” I mean Shea Stadium, home of the Mets. The old girl is being sent to the scrap heap at the end of the year, but unlike events at Yankee Stadium, decent tickets can still be had for most Mets games — and sometimes at cut-rate prices. In particular, the Mets have designated a dozen games this season as being “value games.” While this is basically just a code word for “the Mets are playing cruddy teams,” in practice it means “cheap tickets for everyone.”

For each of these games, upper deck tickets can be had for a $5 a pop. Yeah, $5 — or $3 less than that frosty extra-sized beer is gonna cost you once you get inside. Seats in the upper deck at Shea often have fine sight lines, and hey, you’re in the stadium for only a smidgen more than you’ll spend taking the 7 line out to the game.

6 of the 12 value games are in April, including the current three game set against the Washington Nationals (which wraps up tomorrow), and the series against the Pirates from April 28 - 30. Though Shea itself will be examined in its own right in this space later this summer, for now it’s enough to know that there’s no better (read: cheaper) time to visit Willets Point and take in a game, whether you are a fan, a novice baseball spectator, or even a traitorous supporter of the Phillies. (Actually, if you are from Philly, best not to go to the stadium at all. Just saying.)

The Mets facilitate online ticket sales, where Value tickets and regular games seats can be purchased, but the wise visitor to Shea knows to call the Mets ticket office and talk to a human to score seats tailored more to their liking. Oh, and one important thing about Shea Stadium for the uninitiated: there is no such thing as a warm night out on Long Island Sound until June. So if you are heading to see the Mets play at night before the Summer Solstice, bring a sweat shirt and a blanket. Trust me.