The Mets are in a dire financial state right now and they need to cut down in all aspects of the organization in order to save enough money to put a decent product on the field. This is presumably why for the 2012 season, the Citi Field groundskeeping crew will use school chalk to paint the left and right field lines of the stadium instead of the aerosol cans of white paint they have been using since 1962.
Apparently, a 1% spike in white paint cost was too steep for the club to afford. The batter’s box will continue to be painted instead of drawn by chalk because David Wright thinks it is prettier in paint.
“The truth is that aerosol cans with white paint are simply becoming too expensive for our organization to constantly buy and use,” said GM Sandy Alderson at his home on Friday. “School chalk is so much cheaper and we already have some from the chalkboard in the clubhouse so our first supply is already covered. Right now, paint is a luxury and only well-run organizations can afford it. The only thing left to discuss is if we should go with Rose-Art or Crayola chalk. It’s going to be a very tough decision, but then again, that’s what I do … make tough decisions.”
Studies will be completed by the Mets’ front office as to exactly which brand of chalk works best on dirt. If the team can’t decide, it will be left up to the fans to choose through an online survey.
By Josh Burton, Follow me on Twitter: @vcarternj
