Firsts

Though it wasn't the first home run hit by a professional baseball player at Citi Field, and wasn't even the first home run of the night, the home run that will stick in Mets fan's memories-- that will stick in my memory-- is David Wright's first home run by a Met in the new stadium. This is partially because it was the first time that the new home run apple rose for a Mets homer (it looks too new; I miss the paper-mache look of the old apple already), but mostly because David Wright is so much the icon for the team already, it was almost preordained that he'd hit that shot. It was a Daryl Strawberry-ish swing that dug that ball out and sent it out of the park, which seemed fitting for a night in which Tom Seaver threw out the first ball to Mike Piazza.

A good night for memories in many ways, but with the loss, it wasn't as good as it could have been. On the bright side, this means I have a real chance of being there for the first win at Citi Field on Wednesday night, and it's hard to be sorry about that.

Opening Night at Citi Field

Game 7: Padres 6, Mets 5
3-4 for the season

It was opening night at Citi Field, and not unlike Citigroup's performance in the last year, the Mets failed to deliver. Pelfrey was wild, and while he settled down after an inning when that was a problem in Cincinnati, he didn't so much settle down tonight. Really, though, it was the lack of hitting that hurt the home team tonight, combined with an unfortunate balk from Pedro Feliciano, the only survivor of last year's Mets bullpen. The hitting hasn't been there to back up the pitching so far, and the pitching hasn't been as good as it can be. Never the less, I can't get too upset about the results of the first seven games of the season; those teams that are hot in April are rarely hot in September.

It must have been disappointing for the fans at the Field tonight, but from where I sat (I didn't see any of the game until the 5th inning), it was sort of like watching the Mets lose away from home, though they were wearing the home whites tonight. That ballpark, no matter how blue and orange, just doesn't feel like home yet. I'm sure that many of the fans that were there tonight felt the same way; for a good portion of the game, the seats were pretty empty, while the lines at the food stands and other attractions were long.

Alexis and I are going to the next game, on Wednesday night, and I have to admit that I'm feeling strange about it; on the one hand, I want to sit and enjoy the sublime pleasure of a baseball game in a stadium built for baseball, but on the other, I want to explore everything the new stadium has to offer. I think the answer might be to get there ridiculously early, walk around the place to get a sense of direction, perhaps sample some of the amazing food options available to me, see the view from all the public areas of the Field. I expect it will be both exciting and disorienting; happily, that's a combination I've learned to live with quite well in the last half-year.

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!

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?

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. 

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?

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.

not the first time, nor the last

in posts over the last couple of weeks, I've both said that I've been affected by the end of Shea and that it hasn't really hit me yet that it's gone, and that it has hit me in some ways. Contradictions in terms, all of then, but still true.

I felt the end of Shea at the last game I went to at the stadium. I was aware the last time I went to the park that the next time I'd be there, she would no longer be standing. Saying Goodbye to Shea was something I acknowledged at the time; never the less, I am SURE that it will be a very, very strange experience the first time I go to Cifi Field, when Shea is merely a parking lot.

so, I contradict myself. I'm a human being; this is bound to happen any times in my life. I feel a lot about the end of Shea, but I think I'll feel excited to visit Citi once I get there. The two opposite feelings contradict; never the less, I'm sure I'll continue to feel this way until I wake my way to Citi Field. After that... well, that's another post.

Safeco, Citi and the New Yankee Stadium

I have to admit it; I'm really looking forward to the new stadium. I'm a bit (ok, a big bit, a bit large enough to be called a lot) disgusted that it's being financed in large part by a bank that's received an enormous amount of taxpayer dollars to be bailed out of their financial mess. That aside-- and I will leave it aside, because I'm not going to let it cloud my enjoyment of going to a ballgame-- I'm really excited to go to games at Citi Field. A while back, I went to Seattle and saw a Mariners game. The Mariners play in one of the first of the new-style stadiums, and the architects on Citi Field were the same ones who worked on Safeco. I loved Safeco. There wasn't a bad seat in the house, and the food options were plentiful and-- best of all-- afforded a view of the field while waiting on line for beer or other refreshments. And as a personal favorite feature, they piped in the radio coverage of the game into the restrooms, meaning that one didn't have to gamble on missing what happened while standing on line for the loo. In short, I loved Safeco.

And that got me excited about Citi. It's going to be a great place to watch a ballgame, and there really will be no bad seats in the house. Moreover, there's going to be a Shake Shack at the park. Does it get better than that?! It's also just going to be a beautiful stadium, a place designed for the enjoyment of watching a baseball game. Though I don't expect to get to as many games as I've been able to in the last couple of years (there are nearly 15,000 fewer seats a Citi than there were at Shea, and they'll definitely be more expensive, and I've just moved to Brooklyn, so my disposable income may be a prohibitive factor), I know I'll really dig the experience every time I go tot a game. I just hope that they pipe the radio coverage of the game into the restrooms at Citi.




Interestingly, I haven't heard nearly as much excitement about the New Yankee Stadium from my friends who are fans of the team from the Bronx. I'm not actually sure why this is, and it may be a flaw of sampling; I talk to a lot more Mets fans than Yanks fans, though I do talk to Yanks fans, too (Hi, Rica!). So, people who route for the team in the Bronx: how do you feel about the new stadium? Am I wrong that y'all don't seem all that pumped about your new stadium? Does anyone else find it bordering on obsessive to re-create a stadium in exactly the same dimensions, just newer? Are Yankees against progress?