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The Big Announcement

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The other day we hinted at a big announcement. Well, the time for that announcement has now come:

The much (ok, only a little) talked about and highly (ok, maybe only by me) anticipated FishStripes.com Roadtrip is officially on. Here are the details:

FishStripes.com First (Hopefully More Frequently than Annual) Roadtrip
Who: Anyone who is interested
What: Marlins and Mets baseball
When: July 1 - 3 (maybe longer - although it won't include the baseball after that, most likely)
Where: New York City/Shea Stadium

Details
At this point, most of the plans are tentative. I should be flying up on Friday afternoon (7/1 and returning to Miami on 7/5), in time to catch Friday's game (which features post-game fireworks). Plans for Sunday's game are tentative at this point as well.

Saturday's game (July 2nd), however, is set. We've lined up a suite at Shea Stadium just for friends of FishStripes.com. This will allow us to hang out, sit together, and avoid any derisive New Yorkers. I'm actually hoping for a lengthy rain delay, so that we can teach some of the younger site members how a rain delay should be experienced. Here's how it will work:

  • The Box: The suite holds up to 20 people. The first 20 people (including their friends) to confirm their attendance will be guaranteed a spot in the box. I don't have a specific location, but we'll be somewhere between first base and the rightfield foul pole (those of you not in attendance can keep an eye out on TV for any disturbances in the area).
  • People: Those who are known to me personally and/or who are known on the site (or make themselves so), and their friends, spouses, etc, will get priority for seats in the box over unknowns (I'm not trying to be unfair here - I'm just trying not to get stuck with tickets at the last minute that people aren't going to show up and use).
  • Pricing: The per person cost for the Saturday game (scheduled for a Fox broadcast and a 1:20 first pitch) is $30 cash (you can pay me at the stadium) or $33 via Paypal (as I will incur fees, but this will allow you to use a credit card or any form of payment you prefer). "Other" payment options can be negotiated, but please make such offers via email so as to not scandalize the site. While $30 is far from the cheapest ticket to see a ballgame, considering that the least expensive tickets on Mets.com for this game are selling for $25pp (plus Ticketmaster fees), I think this is very fair.
  • Mr. Met: In what is possibly the highlight of the whole event, we have also secured a guaranteed audience with Mr. Met. I'm not kidding. There will be pictures and numerous people to corroborate the event. This should put the concerns, from all of you haters, who think that the Mascot Interviews are completely made up, to bed.
  • Food: Food is not included with the suite. There are a number of packages available to us to choose from (including hiring an attendant for the day). We could also elect to go a la carte with everything. As we get closer, and firm up the participants, we can settle on this.
  • Parking: The person with the lowest userid gets a complimentary parking pass for the game (assuming, of course that I can work out some way to get it to you in time). The rest of you are on your own or with me on the subway.
  • Swag: I hope to have t-shirts to give out during the weekend. No promises yet - mainly because our former Art Department staff is no longer with FishStripes.com, so we'll have to see what we can do. Something playing off Ichthyomancy is definitely in the works. We hope to debut everything on the roadtrip and then make the items available for purchase via the site immediately thereafter (so your only chance at free stuff is to make the trip).
  • Book signing: Anyone in attendance, with a FishStripes.com userid of 5,000 or lower (yes, that's just about everyone right now) can have their copy of the 2005 Official Baseball Record Book signed by me. As those of you who really read the old site closely may remember, I contributed to the White Sox section of the book (and am doing so again this year) and it's about the only published work that I'm actually associated with. (Yes, I know that no one wants it signed, but if you click that link and buy that book, I get a cut of it, and that makes me happy.)
More details will be forthcoming (especially for the other games that weekend, and even for 4th of July activities for us out of towners who will be looking for something to do) as everything develops. The trip is definitely a go though. If you're interested, let me know either in the comments or via email. Space will be confirmed on a first come, first served basis (and there is an opportunity for us to move up to a larger suite if there's interest - but we'd need to have at least 30 people to do that).

Feel free to make any comments, suggestions, or recommendations below. Complaints and insults, as always, are welcomed too, but they are preferred in comments (as opposed to email) as I take them less personally that way.

Confirmed:
Mike (+4, for a total of 5)
Carolina (+3, for a total of 4)
Wiggins
RFerry
City Fisher (+2, for a total of 3; including an 18-month old named Beckett)

That gives us a total of 13 (at least) so far (not counting the little guy against the ticket total). And no, I'm not listing anyone's name who doesn't participate on the site. If you want your name listed, add a comment and then I'll be happy to do so. :-p