food at Citi Field

I'd love to tell you all about the food options at Citi Field, but my friend Matt already did, and did it better than I would.

Just to whet your appetite, here was Matt's view from work today:



I'm soooooooo jealous, and can't decide if it's more because of the view and being able to be at Citi, or because of the amazing food he got to sample. Either way, I'm grateful to Tamron for passing along the picture!

Boomball

This article in the current New York Magazine is all about how the Yankees look a lot like the image of New York that crashed last fall along with the American banking system. The article builds on a feeling about the Yanks that I've long held; they're the team that represents the richest, most outlandishly displayed wealth that is New York for many people who live here and even more who don't. There is a sense of entitlement that surrounds the Yankees and their fans, one that says that any loss is unjustified, and that a whole nine years without a pennant is beneath them. All in all, I don't like the way the Yankees personify New York.

My New York has as many Latinos on the field as Anglos (often more), a black man managing the team, and another Latino as GM. My New York is proud of its talent but not impressed by it. My New York is the one David Wright, Johan Santana, Ryan Church, and Brian Schneider are happy to call home. My New York is one in which Jose Reyes is as important to the future of the team as David Wright is. Yes, the Mets have a heavy payroll too. Never the less, the people who root for the Mets, and the people the Mets choose to employ, say a lot about the New York that is my home.

a week late

Usually, the MLB season starts this week. This season, it's starting a week later than usual, because of the WBC. I'm a WBC supporter (though I think there's a better time of the year to pay the classic than during spring training), but today I'm sweating that extra week. If holding my breath would make April 6th come sooner, I'd do it. Alexis was wearing her Mets hat when I got home last night, and I wore orange today; baseball season is clearly in the air in Brooklyn.

Like any good Mets fan, I'm a bit concerned about pitching, but like any good baseball fan, I'm dismissing spring training results as any sort of predictor for how even the beginning of the season will unfold. It's simply not predictive.

It's nice to have a manager who thinks the way I do; today in Port St. Lucie, Jerry said this: "The Major Leagues will tell you," Manuel said. "Spring Training just won't."

The Baseball Calendar

Last week, Alexis and I did the baseball calendar... which meant she read me the dates we have tickets to games, and I put them in our calendar. Three days ago, she told me that the Brooklyn Cyclones (a Mets farm club) were having a "Baracklyn Cyclones" game, and that she'd gotten us tickets.

And then she told me about the bobble-head. I have the best roommate ever, and my president isn't half-bad, either.

another sign of spring

this one courtesy of the LIRR:

I'm not sure how I feel about the name "Mets - Willets Point" for either the subway or railroad station at the new park. It makes perfect sense that the MTA wasn't going to put Citigroup's name all over their signage as long as Citi wasn't paying for it, but I don't really like the choice. It lacks... it lacks poetry.

Why not just call it Willets Point? We all know where to go to find the stadium the Mets play in, don't we?

responding to a prompt

I was asked a while back to post some thoughts about ARod's most recent debacle. I haven't, mostly because I don't have any original thoughts about *this* debacle. I think the same of Rodriguez now as I did before I knew he did steroids: this is a teenager in an extraordinarily talented adult's body. He's been treated as though rules don't apply to him for most of his life, because of that talent. It's not at all surprising that he took drugs when everyone else was, too.

Though I won't actually say that I feel badly for ARod, I do recognize in him a deeply talented, deeply hurting guy. He wants to be liked and has no idea how to go about doing that-- his social instincts are all off, and yet he follows them. For me, the truly sad part is that he would have been among the best baseball players ever without drugs. He's tainted that legacy, which is too bad-- because in the end, baseball talent may be all the man has.

the last thing I ever thought I'd hear on ESPN

David Wright drove in Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter was the first one out there patting David Wright on the helmet... and Jeter's locker was put between the two so they wouldn't fight!

--Orel Hershiser on D.Wright's walk-off heroics to get the USA to the semi's of the WBC.

Why I don't play fantasy baseball

there's a whole long-winded version of the answer to that question, and then there's this YouTube video, which pretty much says it all.






Thanks, Dan, for the link that nearly made me choke on my coffee from the laughing!

That's Our David

this article, from Marty Noble, nearly made me cry.

I'm in the middle of a post about the USA-Puerto Rico game, but I didn't want to delay in expressing how awesome, in the classic sense of the word, it was to see David Wright hit the walk-off single for the USA on Tuesday night. It had never occurred to me that I'd want to root for team USA; I'm far to into Latin baseball to have considered it, really. But that was David Wright, and he's playing 81 games in Queens this year. He's ours... and he was the hero. There was a dog-pile of major-leaguers on the field on top of Wright in March. It was the sort of sight that makes a baseball fan, and a Mets fan, feel all kinds of things we're not used to feeling in March.

I loved every second of it.

Puerto Rico vs. USA

Remember when I said that I'm not watching the WBC?

That ended last night, when USA had a must-win game against Puerto Rico. It was straight up weird watching David Wright up against a team with los Carlos (Beltran and Delgado). Though I found myself rooting for PR for most of the night, I can't help but root for David Wright when he's playing. He's the face of my team, and he had a great night.

More than a great night. Wright had an heroic night. There was a dogpile on the field when he drove in the winning run against Puerto Rico, which is not something one is used to seeing in March. That kind of smile on David's face isn't something one is used to seeing in March. David getting an RBI by getting Jimmy Rollins across the plate and Derek Jeter starting the dogpile on Wright, because they're all playing for the same team? Surreal. Not something one expects to see, ever. In a winter of many inspiring moments, this was definitely among them. Perhaps it has something to do with what happened in our electoral politics this winter, perhaps it doesn't at all. But for me, the outpouring of love from a Yankee and Phillie to a guy who plays for the Mets was another moment when I felt proud of my country. It's a new one. I like it.

40/56

Johan Santana threw a few innings in an intra-team game (with the minor league kids) rather than make the trip to wherever the rest of the team went yesterday, and the title of this post is the fraction of his total pitches that he threw for strikes. 71%.

I know it wasn't against major league hitters, but damn. I hope Johan is feeling as good as he looks.

intel

from my friend who's initials are, incidentally, MLB:

just saw on NY1 Citigroup wasn't willing to fork money over for to the MTA, so that station isn't going to be named after Citi Field. It's instead going to be "Mets - Willets Point"

I guess it's good that Citigroup is saving money somewhere, and I'm actually kind of happy that it's just going to be named after the Mets. Maybe my favorite sign ever will still be there come opening day this year. 

Our new idea for re-naming Citi Field

Alexis had an idea that I like; given that Citigroup only exists because of the unreal amount of taxpayer money the bank has received in the last months, it should be named after the people who are paying for it: those of us who both pay taxes and buy tickets at the new field. The name could change daily, for as long as it takes to get through the whole roll. One day it would be Adam Field, the next Alexis Field, Andrew Field the next, etc. 

Why not?

a confession

I'm not watching the WBC.

I caught half an inning of Panama v. Puerto Rico on Saturday, and it looked fun, but... I just want it to be MLB time already. Or maybe it's just that the games are being played at inconvenient times for me, or that a game between Italy and Venezuela just isn't going to be interesting; it's going to be Venezuela beating Italy into the ground, which is exactly what happened.

Perhaps in the later rounds, when we're getting some good Republica Dominica vs. Japan action, I'll be more interested. Or maybe I'll still just want it to be time for MLB already.

giddy

I had the extreme pleasure of driving by Citi Field this evening with Alexis, who hadn't seen it in person since the last day of the the '08 season. Her bodily and voiced excitement at seeing the new field all lit up was awesome; I was so glad I was sitting next to her to experience it with her.

Only 26 days 'till we open in St. Louis; only 33 days 'till the new park. I'm giddy with anticipation.

from the 7

I took the 7 to Flushing today, and so went by the absence of Shea and the presence of Citi Field. I didn't have my camera with me and it was dark and rainy out, so these pictures aren't very good, but the sight had me standing in the window of the train looking from every angle I could see.



















It says Lets Go Mets above the big screen, below the big Citi Field sign. What do we call that screen now? It's not DiamondVision anymore.




















Of course, we might not be calling it Citi Field for long, either. Perhaps it'll be re-named appropriately, as Taxpayer Field.





















That's where Shea was. It's rubble.





















More of the garbage heap that used to be Shea Stadium.



The signs on the subway haven't been changed yet; they still all say Willets Point-- Shea Stadium. Perhaps the MTA didn't want to commit to Citi before they're sure it'll still exist on Opening Day?

Spring is in the window

spotted on Flatbush Ave, downtown Brooklyn today:


Just 28 days to go.

30 days

...until opening day.

I've been telling myself all winter that all I really needed to do was make it to baseball season again. It's been a horrible winter for all kinds of reasons, and there were times in December, January and February when I wasn't sure I'd make it to the beginning of April, or be able to look forward to the season once March inevitably arrived.

I've made it six months. 30 days is nothing. And I AM looking forward with great anticipation to the season. Plus, I've got the WBC to tide me over!

spring training games

The day before 10 of the Mets' major leaguers left to play in the World Baseball Classic, they shellacked the Astros 13-1 in Port St. Lucie. The day after 10 of the Mets major leaguers went off to play for their countries, St. Louis (including Albert Pujols, who apparently feels no particular national pride in wherever it is he comes from) killed the Mets 15-4, and the lowly Washington Nationals beat the Mets B-Team 6-4 the next day. The Mets, however, managed to beat the Italian WBC 3-2 team on Thursday, and the Cardinals 5-6 on Friday. So maybe it won't be nothing but mis-matches until the guys playing in the WBC get back to Florida.

I hate to say it, but I'm willing to bet that Wright and Putz (both playing for the US) will be the first to return to spring training after they're eliminated from the tournament.

16 players

That's the number of men who left camp this week to go play in the World Baseball Classic. Though many-- six, to be exact--are minor-leaguers, pretty much every guy who really hits for the Mets has gone: Wright, Reyes, Delgado, and Beltran are playing for the USA, Republica Dominica and Puerto Rico, respectively. Both our closers, Putz and KRod, will also be playing for their countries in the Classic.

I'm a WBC supporter, and one of the things I love about the current incarnation of the Mets is how well it represents the diversity of the floor, neighborhood, building, and city I grew up in. The city has changed a lot, but my parents' building has not, and so as I said in an earlier post, it would feel totally natural to me to root either for the Dominican, Puerto Rican or Puerto Rican teams in the classic.

Funny, I never considered rooting for Team USA.

Never the less, the Mets have sent more men to the Classic than any other team in Baseball, and more with major league contracts, guaranteed to make the team, than any other team by far. The Red Sox, who are sending fifteen players to the WBC (the closest number to the Mets' sixteen), only 5 of them have major league contracts.

It follows that the Mets have more on the line in the WBC than any other team in baseball.

Pray to the deity of your choice for no injuries.

with my own eyes

I took the train to Manhasset today, which is the Port Washington line, the one that goes to Sh... Citi Field. So I strained to see it from every angle possible from the train, and I have to say, it's a beautiful park. I couldn't be more looking forward to going to games there.

But.

Shea really isn't there anymore. I said a few days ago that it would take me seeing it with my own eyes to believe it, though I said at the time that it would be when I first got off the train to go to Citi Field that it really hit me that Shea was gone. I was obviously wrong about the second part, because the lack of Shea made me a little teary-eyed.

I'll miss you, old girl.