Earlier tonight I wrote about the plans for Retired Numbers.
Then I had more ideas of ways to really honor the best of the best of the Mets. Let's name some part of Citi Field after those whose numbers are retired!
Jackie Robinson Rotunda - self explanatory
41 Tom Seaver Way - done!
Gil Hodges Alley - Maybe make "street" names for the different parts of the concourses (even though they're mostly round). I'd start by naming "Gil Hodges Alley" for the area behind home plate on the main concourse at the top of the rotunda, maybe the parts where you can't watch the game because of whatever club that's there behind home plate.
Casey Stengel Plaza - this was a street sign, possibly even a valid street name, on the edge of Shea Stadium near the subway tracks. Let's re-purpose that name for the plaza outside Citi Field where the Shea Home Run Apple is. Basically, keep the new Casey Stengel Plaza as close to where the old one was (if my memory is correct about the location).
Mike Piazza - this is a play on words. In Italian, piazza is an open square especially in an Italian town. Taking a liberty that we're at Citi Field, not in Italy, let's name the area on the Promenade concourse behind home plate the "Mike Piazza". It's not an open square, rather, it's an open circular area.
We could always switch the names of Casey Stengel Plaza and Mike Piazza. It might be fitting that the Home Run Apple is inside Mike Piazza.
Ralph Kiner Broadcast Booth - I'm getting lazy.
Now what to do for Jerry Koosman? And the eventual others? Especially since the Mets probably won't change the name of a sponsored area in favor of a Mets all-time great. Go with the street sign idea. Mets of the 60s and 70s go down the LF side while Mets of the 80s and beyond goes down the RF side, unless otherwise noted.
The Kid Area - again, another play on words. This is the kids area in the back CF corner on the main concourse, and named for Gary Carter (a.k.a. "The Kid" or "Kid").
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Showing posts with label citi field. Show all posts
Showing posts with label citi field. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Monday, April 3, 2017
30 Years As a Mets Fan – It’s Opening Day At Shea
30 Years As a Mets Fan – Part 8
It’s Opening Day At Shea
I can hear those words – “It’s Opening Day At Shea” – in Howie Rose’s voice (even if he’s never actually said them).Opening Day probably should be a national holiday so we can all celebrate it together at the ballpark. But reality doesn’t work that way, and going is already an expensive endeavor (it’s usually one of the most expensive tickets of the season). If I think hard enough, I can probably remember where I was or what I was doing for most of my 30 Opening Days as a Mets fan. They’re mostly vague memories of watching the end of the game at home after school or trying to listen to the game at work.
1987 was my first (as a fan watching on TV), and still might be my most memorable. Not for the game, but for the pregame. The team’s most recent World Championship flag was raised behind the CF fence at Shea Stadium and the World Series rings were handed out before the game. That is the part I remember having on tape (since I was at school when it was happening live). That’s also one that lives on in Mets fandom as part of the bonus features of the 1986 World Series DVD set. That’s a good thing because I wore out that tape. The DVD is ready for its annual viewing.
1988 was when Strawberry hit the roof at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. 1992 was a night game in St. Louis (even after only 5 years of being a fan, I knew a night game for Opening Day seemed wrong). 1993 was the first game in Colorado Rockies history. 1994 saw Doc Gooden giving up 3 HRs to Tuffy Rhodes at Wrigley. 1995 was in late April after the lockout which followed the player’s strike, and it was the first game at Coors Field.
I remember cutting class in 1998 when I was in college so I could watch the Mets first March 31 game. That was the 14th inning walkoff hit by Alberto Castillo at Shea. I made a few sound bytes from that game which is part of my Opening Day blogging tradition.
Bob Murphy and Gary Cohen's intro
The winning hit from Opening Day 1998 at Shea
2000 was the series in Tokyo. I was still in college. I remember trying to get up at 5am to watch the games. I don’t remember much success in those attempts.
Starting in 2002, I was a working man and had to find a way to escape the office in order to listen to any portion of the game. I remember taking a long lunch or a mid-day break to go to my car to put on the radio just to hear a little bit of Opening Day.
2003 was the first Opening Day I experienced in person. I saw some tickets available the week before and said “what the hell, I’ll take off work and go”. It was a cold March 31 at Shea Stadium. This was a bad era for the Mets. Art Howe was the manager. It also turned out to be Bob Murphy’s last Opening Day. I’m glad I got to be there to see him introduce the Mets from my seat deep down the LF line in the Mezzanine box. I wish I had a camera (even without much of a zoom, as digital cameras were in those days). I won’t remind you of the score. You can click the link to the box score if you really want to know.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN200303310.shtml
I remember working from home in 2005 and 2006 to watch Opening Day. After all, it should be a holiday. 2005 was the opener in Cincinnati with Pedro Martinez’s Mets debut. As a side note, some enterprising puzzle maker took a photo from the 2005 home opener against Houston and made a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of it. A few years later, I bought it, put it together, and had it framed. It hangs in my living room. 2006 was the debut of SNY.
Coming off the success of 2006 (I’ve repressed the memory of the final inning of that season) I wanted to be there for the 2007 home opener. This was back in the days of the Mets having ticket lotteries to get into Opening Day at Shea. I had a friend who got picked in the lottery and was able to get me a ticket so far down the right field line on field level that my seat faced the outfield wall and not the infield (if you really remember Shea, you’d know what I was talking about).
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN200704090.shtml
2008 was the final Opening Day at Shea (after a road trip). 2009 was the christening of Citi Field (also after a road trip). By then, I also had MLB’s internet package so I could listen on radio on my computer at work (working around meetings). MLB.TV usually had technical difficulties that got in the way of celebrating Opening Day. Some of the more recent seasons are actually a blur. In researching this post, I noticed MLB had some weird schedules with late-week Opening Days for some reason. Real Opening Day is the first Monday in April.
In 2014, I went back for Opening Day, and it was March 31 again. It was cold at Citi Field. I remember sitting in what was then called Caesar’s Club for most of the game trying to defrost my hands and the rest of the game paying social calls to friends. I did see Parnell blow the save in the 9th. This was the year that Daniel Murphy missed the opener because of the birth of a child, and for some reason, people got in an uproar over it.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN201403310.shtml
2016 was a special one. The Mets were defending NL Champions. They started the season in Kansas City with a World Series rematch (dumb luck that it happened that way). Then on Friday came the home opener. In this day in age, that was cause to take off work and head to Citi Field. I don’t remember any of the game, but I do remember being there, moving around the ballpark making social calls to people. It was a day to tailgate and celebrate.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/2016-schedule-scores.shtml
Sunday, August 2, 2015
It's the little things
It's the little things that count. Last night (Saturday night) I was at Citi Field. It was a big game, with lots of subtext. Enough that it was a sellout and near record crowd (a few people shy of 43,000). Citi Field has been around nearly 7 full seasons and there just haven't been many big games or even large crowds. But last night, there was an energy that I noticed (and several other people also felt) for the first time since Shea Stadium. Having 43,000 people should bring about an energy unlike what you'd see at a typical mid-week school night game. I think it was more than that.
On a personal level, last night was a little different from many other games I've attended at Citi Field. I usually go, and whether it's planned or not, I wind up running in to or meeting up with friends, and I don't always sit in my seat for the entire game. That's just how it's been at Social Citi Field. Kind of like watching a baseball game with Attention Deficit Disorder, where you can't simply focus on the game. Citi Field was built for that. It never used to be that way at Shea. At Shea, I would just sit in my seat and watch the game, keeping score along the way. That's what Shea was built for. Last night, despite 43,000 other Mets fans in the building (actually, quite a few Nationals fans were there), I couldn't find any friends to either go with or meet up with, but I still wanted to go because it was such a big game. So I went by myself, sat in my seat, and kept score. I attend about 10 games a year and get to do that maybe twice each season. I did that at almost every game I attended at Shea Stadium as well as at other ballparks. It's something I miss doing (and it actually forces you to watch the game, even from your seat). Since I don't get to do it often, I feel somewhat nostalgic of the old days at Shea when I do get to keep score at a ballgame.
The energy generated by spontaneous and loud "Let's Go Mets" chants also makes me feel nostalgic from the good old days at Shea. You hear it a bit at Citi Field, but nothing with the energy that I felt last night. It felt good to hear and take part in.
And there was a little scoreboard thing that I always liked at Shea which seemed to have been abandoned at Citi Field. They would take the scene from the movie "Network" where Howard Beale urged his TV viewers "I want you to go to the window, open it, stick your head out and yell:" with the last part replaced by the "Let's Go Mets" chant. I don't know when it started at Shea, but it feels like it was there for a long time. This is the scene from "Network" to help job your memory. Greg Prince referenced it earlier this year in a different context (and he writes better than I).
Anyway, the Mets brought it back last night...sort of. Branden, of Citi Field in-game hosting and Mets game promotions fame, tried to recreate it. He didn't do well, but I'll say that it's the thought that counts. It felt like Shea. They need to get the old video back.
These little things helped make Citi Field feel a lot like Shea last night. I could feel it. Not any single game, but just a flood of memories from various points, both in the winning days (there weren't many in my 22 years there) and all the others.
Do you feel it too?
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On a personal level, last night was a little different from many other games I've attended at Citi Field. I usually go, and whether it's planned or not, I wind up running in to or meeting up with friends, and I don't always sit in my seat for the entire game. That's just how it's been at Social Citi Field. Kind of like watching a baseball game with Attention Deficit Disorder, where you can't simply focus on the game. Citi Field was built for that. It never used to be that way at Shea. At Shea, I would just sit in my seat and watch the game, keeping score along the way. That's what Shea was built for. Last night, despite 43,000 other Mets fans in the building (actually, quite a few Nationals fans were there), I couldn't find any friends to either go with or meet up with, but I still wanted to go because it was such a big game. So I went by myself, sat in my seat, and kept score. I attend about 10 games a year and get to do that maybe twice each season. I did that at almost every game I attended at Shea Stadium as well as at other ballparks. It's something I miss doing (and it actually forces you to watch the game, even from your seat). Since I don't get to do it often, I feel somewhat nostalgic of the old days at Shea when I do get to keep score at a ballgame.
The energy generated by spontaneous and loud "Let's Go Mets" chants also makes me feel nostalgic from the good old days at Shea. You hear it a bit at Citi Field, but nothing with the energy that I felt last night. It felt good to hear and take part in.
And there was a little scoreboard thing that I always liked at Shea which seemed to have been abandoned at Citi Field. They would take the scene from the movie "Network" where Howard Beale urged his TV viewers "I want you to go to the window, open it, stick your head out and yell:" with the last part replaced by the "Let's Go Mets" chant. I don't know when it started at Shea, but it feels like it was there for a long time. This is the scene from "Network" to help job your memory. Greg Prince referenced it earlier this year in a different context (and he writes better than I).
Anyway, the Mets brought it back last night...sort of. Branden, of Citi Field in-game hosting and Mets game promotions fame, tried to recreate it. He didn't do well, but I'll say that it's the thought that counts. It felt like Shea. They need to get the old video back.
These little things helped make Citi Field feel a lot like Shea last night. I could feel it. Not any single game, but just a flood of memories from various points, both in the winning days (there weren't many in my 22 years there) and all the others.
Do you feel it too?
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Monday, June 16, 2014
A Concert Worth 50 Cents
The Mets, as part of their 2nd year summer post-game concert series, recently had rapper 50 Cent perform after a Saturday late afternoon game. I was in attendance for the game and the show, with a friend who wanted to see the show (she's a hardcore Mets fan, so she was an ideal customer for the day). Let me preface this all by saying that I have absolutely zero interest in rap. Never had, and never will. I've also led a life, by choice, that hasn't involved any drugs or large quantities of alcohol. I never had an interest in it or a taste for it. I never associated with those crowds when I was in school. Let's say that I was there to observe what was going on since I had no interest in the concert and was really only there for my friend. I should also note that neither my friend nor I took part in any of the activities that I mention below (aside from her enjoying the show, which I think she did).
The game on Saturday might have been a low point for the 2014 Mets, nearly getting no-hit (and they probably deserved it). Even if the Mets had thrown a no hitter on Saturday, the day would have marked a clear low point at Citi Field (a ballpark which I despise, but we'll leave that out). Now don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking the rap-loving crowd. That's your choice in music, but not mine. We're all entitled to those choices. But the type of crowd that Citi Field attracted on Saturday night isn't what the Mets should be aiming for...at least not for an event that's basically part of a Mets game.
If the Mets want to have a concert at the ballpark as a way to generate additional revenue, well, more power to them. They have a few more this season. All different varieties of performers throughout the season. Saturday night, it seemed to work. About 39,000 fans instead of what might have been between 22,000 and 30,000 (based on recent weekday attendance and a large Father's Day crowd). But the mixing of the two crowds and the general behavior of this concert crowd wasn't...um...ideal. I'm trying to think of another way to put it.
The baseball-only crowd probably started heading out in the 8th when the Mets were still getting 1-hit by the Padres (who have never had a no-hitter), and the concert-only crowd was starting to arrive around that same time. I'm not suggesting that the two crowds physically clashed in the Rotunda. I could definitely see the concert crowd moving into my area (section 516) as the game was ending. I am really going to try to stay away from making generalizations about the fans who came to the concert. I'm only going to comment on what I saw (and what I smelled).
I saw many people entering with cans of beer. I saw many puffs of smoke. And I could smell them more than I could see them. Beer aside (I heard that alcohol sales continued later than normal or restarted after the game...not entirely sure, but I don't think that many cans of beer were illegal in the ballpark), there were various levels of illegal smoking going on. And nothing being done to crack down on it (I wasn't going to be "that guy" to call people out). I'm not saying the smoking bothered me. It may have bothered some people. I don't know. It wasn't like being in a bar years ago when you couldn't breathe without being in a cloud of cigarette smoke. But it did bother me that there was no stadium security visible to keep an eye on things.
It did bother me that someone a few rows back, either drunk, high, and/or clumsy, fell down over a couple rows of seats only to have his fall broken by a guy in the row behind us and a few seats over. There was no reason why that guy, or someone else, couldn't have fallen onto me and/or my friend. I think everyone was okay. Maybe the influence which they were all under kept them out of pain (a luxury my friend and I didn't have if it had been us breaking that guy's fall). And nothing from security.
Even when we left (at least 30 minutes later) to move closer to the ballpark exit, I don't remember seeing any security in the Promenade concourse in that area behind home plate. Downstairs on the field level concourse, people seemed to be more well behaved. At least in terms of breaking smoking laws. I honestly don't know if it was just a better group down there, or if there were security guards keeping an eye on things (and it was pretty crowded in there since the OF areas were basically closed off), but I really didn't notice any security.
What I didn't see, and judging by the daylight, it was early in the show, was this fight in the stands.
The camera's view was narrow, but I didn't see security in the video. They can tell you that you can't enter that field level section during a Mets game, but they're nowhere to be found during a fight that takes place during a post-game concert? #CitiFieldFail
Smoking, drugs, somewhat violent fighting. That can't be the image that Citi Field and the Mets want to project. Not all concerts will be like this. Draw your own conclusions.
Quite a few times during the concert, I was thinking that Fred Wilpon has to be out there somewhere thinking "get off my lawn".
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The game on Saturday might have been a low point for the 2014 Mets, nearly getting no-hit (and they probably deserved it). Even if the Mets had thrown a no hitter on Saturday, the day would have marked a clear low point at Citi Field (a ballpark which I despise, but we'll leave that out). Now don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking the rap-loving crowd. That's your choice in music, but not mine. We're all entitled to those choices. But the type of crowd that Citi Field attracted on Saturday night isn't what the Mets should be aiming for...at least not for an event that's basically part of a Mets game.
If the Mets want to have a concert at the ballpark as a way to generate additional revenue, well, more power to them. They have a few more this season. All different varieties of performers throughout the season. Saturday night, it seemed to work. About 39,000 fans instead of what might have been between 22,000 and 30,000 (based on recent weekday attendance and a large Father's Day crowd). But the mixing of the two crowds and the general behavior of this concert crowd wasn't...um...ideal. I'm trying to think of another way to put it.
The baseball-only crowd probably started heading out in the 8th when the Mets were still getting 1-hit by the Padres (who have never had a no-hitter), and the concert-only crowd was starting to arrive around that same time. I'm not suggesting that the two crowds physically clashed in the Rotunda. I could definitely see the concert crowd moving into my area (section 516) as the game was ending. I am really going to try to stay away from making generalizations about the fans who came to the concert. I'm only going to comment on what I saw (and what I smelled).
I saw many people entering with cans of beer. I saw many puffs of smoke. And I could smell them more than I could see them. Beer aside (I heard that alcohol sales continued later than normal or restarted after the game...not entirely sure, but I don't think that many cans of beer were illegal in the ballpark), there were various levels of illegal smoking going on. And nothing being done to crack down on it (I wasn't going to be "that guy" to call people out). I'm not saying the smoking bothered me. It may have bothered some people. I don't know. It wasn't like being in a bar years ago when you couldn't breathe without being in a cloud of cigarette smoke. But it did bother me that there was no stadium security visible to keep an eye on things.
It did bother me that someone a few rows back, either drunk, high, and/or clumsy, fell down over a couple rows of seats only to have his fall broken by a guy in the row behind us and a few seats over. There was no reason why that guy, or someone else, couldn't have fallen onto me and/or my friend. I think everyone was okay. Maybe the influence which they were all under kept them out of pain (a luxury my friend and I didn't have if it had been us breaking that guy's fall). And nothing from security.
Even when we left (at least 30 minutes later) to move closer to the ballpark exit, I don't remember seeing any security in the Promenade concourse in that area behind home plate. Downstairs on the field level concourse, people seemed to be more well behaved. At least in terms of breaking smoking laws. I honestly don't know if it was just a better group down there, or if there were security guards keeping an eye on things (and it was pretty crowded in there since the OF areas were basically closed off), but I really didn't notice any security.
What I didn't see, and judging by the daylight, it was early in the show, was this fight in the stands.
The camera's view was narrow, but I didn't see security in the video. They can tell you that you can't enter that field level section during a Mets game, but they're nowhere to be found during a fight that takes place during a post-game concert? #CitiFieldFail
Smoking, drugs, somewhat violent fighting. That can't be the image that Citi Field and the Mets want to project. Not all concerts will be like this. Draw your own conclusions.
Quite a few times during the concert, I was thinking that Fred Wilpon has to be out there somewhere thinking "get off my lawn".
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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Fixing Citi Field
A few tweets that showed up in my timeline and a trip to Nationals Park in Washington, DC, have gotten me thinking again about what's wrong with Citi Field, or at least what can be done to make it better. I'm leaving out the parts about the team on the field and the owners in the owner's suite. Those aren't part of this debate. I'm talking about the ballpark itself as a Mets ballpark.
In no particular order...
The green seats need to go. They really don't look good, and green is not a Mets color. For nearly 30 years at Shea, we had an influx of color with the orange, blue, (lighter) green, and red seats, the blue walls, and the blue facades and exteriors. I don't think Citi Field could handle a blue makeover given that it's a brick color, but I would love to see some Mets colors in the seating bowl (considering that more often than not, any given seat is empty during a game). Blue seats make the most sense. Or that mixture of blue and orange on different levels, similar to Shea. When I was at Nationals Park over the weekend, I noticed that their seats are dark blue, which is a secondary color for the Nationals. And it looked a whole lot better on the stadium than the darker green colored seats at Citi Field.
The outfield wall, and all padded walls on the playing surface, need to be Mets blue. They the fans what we were asking for before the 2012 season (when black was removed from the Mets color scheme and blue was making a return) by making the portions of the wall in fair territory blue, and it looks really really good, especially with the orange HR line. But I think the entire thing should be blue. That's what I had assumed it would be, but the Mets went for the minimum effort. It needs to be fixed.
A larger gathering spot to watch the game. This one I took from Nationals Park, where they have an area in the second deck in RF going towards CF which is similar to the Shea Bridge and that big CF area behind the scoreboard at Citi Field. And then they have the rooftop bar in CF on the 2nd deck and standing room in left-center on the first deck. Sounds similar to Citi Field, but I like how it's 2 levels of standing room area in the OF to watch the game. And they don't have the big scoreboard blocking anything. Citi Field put that thing in view for the advertising and it completely blocks off the view from that plaza area behind it.
Bring back the name "Casey Stengel Plaza". If you don't remember the street map at Shea Stadium, one of the entrance ways from Roosevelt Ave into the ballpark was signed as "Casey Stengel Plaza", of course named after the first manager of the Mets. I don't think we need a street named for Stengel. I'd actually rather see the big plaza outside of the ballpark which contains the fan walk, the Shea HR Apple, and the different vinyl banners of past Met greats get named in honor of the Ol' Perfesser.
Or at the very least, name it after Gil Hodges or Joan Payson and use the name "Casey Stengel Plaza" for the area above the rotunda on the Upper Deck that's open to the elements behind home plate with the food tables and team store. And name the area behind the big CF scoreboard after Joan Payson. Or any permutation is fine. Those 3 areas should be officially named parts of the ballpark.
The Rotunda should be there to honor National League and Negro League Baseball in New York. Nothing wrong with Jackie Robinson, nor is there with carrying on his legacy in New York, where he played for the Dodgers, but the rest of the Dodgers history, plus the Giants and the Negro Leagues shouldn't be forgotten.
The vinyl banners should ALSO be inside the ballpark. Sometimes I forget who plays there. I know there are some large black and white photos (with a sponsor's logo), and the large baseball card lineup of classic Mets (I have no idea what makes that lineup), but there should be more. After adding more, ask if it's enough. The answer is, there should be more. There should ALWAYS be more Mets inside the ballpark. I've seen it at plenty of other parks to know that it's a good idea. I think Shea had some of that. Just sayin'.
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In no particular order...
The green seats need to go. They really don't look good, and green is not a Mets color. For nearly 30 years at Shea, we had an influx of color with the orange, blue, (lighter) green, and red seats, the blue walls, and the blue facades and exteriors. I don't think Citi Field could handle a blue makeover given that it's a brick color, but I would love to see some Mets colors in the seating bowl (considering that more often than not, any given seat is empty during a game). Blue seats make the most sense. Or that mixture of blue and orange on different levels, similar to Shea. When I was at Nationals Park over the weekend, I noticed that their seats are dark blue, which is a secondary color for the Nationals. And it looked a whole lot better on the stadium than the darker green colored seats at Citi Field.
The outfield wall, and all padded walls on the playing surface, need to be Mets blue. They the fans what we were asking for before the 2012 season (when black was removed from the Mets color scheme and blue was making a return) by making the portions of the wall in fair territory blue, and it looks really really good, especially with the orange HR line. But I think the entire thing should be blue. That's what I had assumed it would be, but the Mets went for the minimum effort. It needs to be fixed.
A larger gathering spot to watch the game. This one I took from Nationals Park, where they have an area in the second deck in RF going towards CF which is similar to the Shea Bridge and that big CF area behind the scoreboard at Citi Field. And then they have the rooftop bar in CF on the 2nd deck and standing room in left-center on the first deck. Sounds similar to Citi Field, but I like how it's 2 levels of standing room area in the OF to watch the game. And they don't have the big scoreboard blocking anything. Citi Field put that thing in view for the advertising and it completely blocks off the view from that plaza area behind it.
Bring back the name "Casey Stengel Plaza". If you don't remember the street map at Shea Stadium, one of the entrance ways from Roosevelt Ave into the ballpark was signed as "Casey Stengel Plaza", of course named after the first manager of the Mets. I don't think we need a street named for Stengel. I'd actually rather see the big plaza outside of the ballpark which contains the fan walk, the Shea HR Apple, and the different vinyl banners of past Met greats get named in honor of the Ol' Perfesser.
Or at the very least, name it after Gil Hodges or Joan Payson and use the name "Casey Stengel Plaza" for the area above the rotunda on the Upper Deck that's open to the elements behind home plate with the food tables and team store. And name the area behind the big CF scoreboard after Joan Payson. Or any permutation is fine. Those 3 areas should be officially named parts of the ballpark.
The Rotunda should be there to honor National League and Negro League Baseball in New York. Nothing wrong with Jackie Robinson, nor is there with carrying on his legacy in New York, where he played for the Dodgers, but the rest of the Dodgers history, plus the Giants and the Negro Leagues shouldn't be forgotten.
The vinyl banners should ALSO be inside the ballpark. Sometimes I forget who plays there. I know there are some large black and white photos (with a sponsor's logo), and the large baseball card lineup of classic Mets (I have no idea what makes that lineup), but there should be more. After adding more, ask if it's enough. The answer is, there should be more. There should ALWAYS be more Mets inside the ballpark. I've seen it at plenty of other parks to know that it's a good idea. I think Shea had some of that. Just sayin'.
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Sunday, January 1, 2012
Mets 2012 predictions
The new year 2012 is upon us, and I have a few predictions for the Mets for this year.
Happy 2012 Mets fans! Mets 2012, rejuvenated at 50!
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- I will not win the Banner Day competition, but I will have lots of fun creating a banner and participating. And that's what it's all about.
- The Sterling Equities partners will no longer control the New York Mets (by year's end). They will not get enough investors to loan them money in exchange for usage of Mr. Met and a Citi Field parking space (which I heard is actually only good when Citi Field's lot is used as a park-and-ride lot). They will have to pay more money than they can afford in Bernie Madoff-related lawsuits. And other owners in MLB will force Bud Selig's hand over the liquidity issues and loans from MLB that they'll basically kick Fred Wilpon out of the club. Sterling Equities real estate will also crumble over the weight of what Fred Wilpon will owe (remember, separate from the Mets, they made money from Madoff that will have to be given back).
- The 2013 MLB All Star Game will not be awarded to Citi Field. Same with the 2014 game or the 2015 game. It won't be awarded until new ownership is firmly in place, though I expect to see it as something thrown into the pot for a new owner (sort of like how the Astros deal had a condition on them moving to the AL West).
- The Mets will have a bad product on the field in 2012. It won't be fun to watch. And attendance will dip, again. That will cause the Mets to lose $100 million in 2012. It's kind of the opposite of "it takes money to make money".
- The most attended event at Citi Field will be a concert and not a sporting event.
- The NHL Winter Classic will not be at Citi Field in 2012 (or probably, ever). Reason - it's not Yankee Stadium. We just have to live with it.
- David Wright will be traded before the trade deadline.
- Johan Santana will be healthy enough to have trade talks centered around him during the season until a season ending injury (though it'll be something freak and mis-handled, and not related to any of the other injuries he's had with the Mets).
- R.A. Dickey will be the Mets representative at the All Star Game
- Howie Rose will be paired with Jim Duquette on WFAN. It should be fun to listen to.
Happy 2012 Mets fans! Mets 2012, rejuvenated at 50!
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Sunday, October 3, 2010
Oliver Perez and what he does to keep busy during a game
I want to share something funny with you that I noticed during the game today. I spent some time down in the Citi Field picnic area at the GKR event today. And this picnic area is situated right behind the 2 teams' bullpens. Right where, through 2 fences, the fans can see right into the back of the Mets bullpen. It doesn't quite translate onto film with the fences in the way, but it is visible.
Anyway, on more than one occasion during the game, and I forget if this was in between innings or during play (I doubt that it was the latter), I saw one Oliver Perez, in uniform as if he were an active player, get up, walk out of the little clubhouse-like structure in the bullpen, walk out the back of the bullpen itself (which I think a player would have to do in order to get to the clubhouse), and come around between the 2 fences into the tunnelish area between the back of the picnic area (where the tables are) and the front of the backside of the bullpens, and look at the fans that were looking back at him.
I couldn't see if there was any type of stretching and it didn't look like there was any type of medical work going on as he was alone. It was more like Ollie was an animal in the zoo poking its head out from underground to get sunlight and look at the people that are there to view it. He'd come out, I think maybe up to the fence for the picnic area. I don't think he was there for very long, and then he'd go back into the bullpen house where he and others from the bullpen club not doing anything would sit. And maybe 1 inning, maybe 2 innings later, he'd come out and do it again. I have no idea what he was doing out there.
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Anyway, on more than one occasion during the game, and I forget if this was in between innings or during play (I doubt that it was the latter), I saw one Oliver Perez, in uniform as if he were an active player, get up, walk out of the little clubhouse-like structure in the bullpen, walk out the back of the bullpen itself (which I think a player would have to do in order to get to the clubhouse), and come around between the 2 fences into the tunnelish area between the back of the picnic area (where the tables are) and the front of the backside of the bullpens, and look at the fans that were looking back at him.
I couldn't see if there was any type of stretching and it didn't look like there was any type of medical work going on as he was alone. It was more like Ollie was an animal in the zoo poking its head out from underground to get sunlight and look at the people that are there to view it. He'd come out, I think maybe up to the fence for the picnic area. I don't think he was there for very long, and then he'd go back into the bullpen house where he and others from the bullpen club not doing anything would sit. And maybe 1 inning, maybe 2 innings later, he'd come out and do it again. I have no idea what he was doing out there.
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Saturday, June 26, 2010
Beer Money
Thursday night, I was at the Mets game against Detroit. Thanks to the tickets I had, I had access to the Caesars Club on the fancy-named Excelsior level at Citi Field. During Batting Practice, I decided to wander the entire Excelsior level since it's not something I have access to all the time (don't get me started on that). Within a minute of entering through the glass doors into the secure area of the concourse, I was approached by a producer for SNY's Beer Money and asked if I wanted to play the game and possibly appear in the upcoming season. I decided 'what the heck' and agreed to play.
After a bit of paperwork and choosing to play the standard game (3 questions) instead of the 'Beer Run' game (name 10 people who...), and choosing Mets questions over others, they had to setup to tape me. Now, I'm thinking during this time "don't have (co-host) Chris Carlin be the one to interview me". Ya, that's bad to think, but I'd rather have the female co-host. I learned a little while later that there were 2 new co-hosts (the Beer Money facebook page mentions 2 new co-hosts for this season. But I got the female co-host...Amber Wilson (on the Beer Money page, you can see photos of her with other contestants from Thursday night's game, but not me). I decided to take a few photos of the crew (these are the only ones that weren't blurry) to prove that I played the game in case I don't make it to air. The two guys at the concession stand in the photo on the left were part of the 4 person crew.
Anyway, on to the game. After a few attempts and finding good light for video on the Excelsior concourse, we moved down to the bottom of the steps next to the camera well on the 1B side, on the last aisle (going towards home plate) before the start of the press box (I think the video control room was next to us). Plenty of light there and we got started.
For the sake of suspense, I won't give the answers to the questions which I was asked, but only to say that (after an amount of thought unintentionally proportional to the monetary value of the answer) I got them all correct. I'll have to paraphrase the questions because I don't remember the exact wording...
You can try to answer the questions in the comments, but I promise you that no more money will be transferred.
After it was done, and I signed to say that I received money, they told me that these shoots (and they did others at Citi Field and elsewhere in the city the night before, according to facebook) would air in late July or August, and that there was not a guarantee that my turn would air. I think the producer said that they shoot 12 people and air 7, or something like that. So we shall see. I'll post updates here and on facebook as I find out more about the show airing.
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After a bit of paperwork and choosing to play the standard game (3 questions) instead of the 'Beer Run' game (name 10 people who...), and choosing Mets questions over others, they had to setup to tape me. Now, I'm thinking during this time "don't have (co-host) Chris Carlin be the one to interview me". Ya, that's bad to think, but I'd rather have the female co-host. I learned a little while later that there were 2 new co-hosts (the Beer Money facebook page mentions 2 new co-hosts for this season. But I got the female co-host...Amber Wilson (on the Beer Money page, you can see photos of her with other contestants from Thursday night's game, but not me). I decided to take a few photos of the crew (these are the only ones that weren't blurry) to prove that I played the game in case I don't make it to air. The two guys at the concession stand in the photo on the left were part of the 4 person crew.
Anyway, on to the game. After a few attempts and finding good light for video on the Excelsior concourse, we moved down to the bottom of the steps next to the camera well on the 1B side, on the last aisle (going towards home plate) before the start of the press box (I think the video control room was next to us). Plenty of light there and we got started.
For the sake of suspense, I won't give the answers to the questions which I was asked, but only to say that (after an amount of thought unintentionally proportional to the monetary value of the answer) I got them all correct. I'll have to paraphrase the questions because I don't remember the exact wording...
for $10: What 1986 Mets reliever retired after the 2003 season (she may have said "1986 Mets lefty reliever")?
for $20: Who was the Mets Opening Day catcher in 2007 and 2008?
for $100: Who was the Mets Opening Day third baseman in 1962?
You can try to answer the questions in the comments, but I promise you that no more money will be transferred.
After it was done, and I signed to say that I received money, they told me that these shoots (and they did others at Citi Field and elsewhere in the city the night before, according to facebook) would air in late July or August, and that there was not a guarantee that my turn would air. I think the producer said that they shoot 12 people and air 7, or something like that. So we shall see. I'll post updates here and on facebook as I find out more about the show airing.
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Friday, April 23, 2010
Citi Field 2010
I haven't gotten around to writing anything about the Mets attendance or how much I (sarcastically) like watching a game at Citi Field. Caryn Rose of MetsGrrl.com wrote about it. Go read her opinions. She goes a lot. She's more of an expert than I.
(and sorry for any typos, but every time I try to type "she", I end up typing "shea")
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(and sorry for any typos, but every time I try to type "she", I end up typing "shea")
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Saturday, April 10, 2010
A Big Home Run Apple
It looks good there, outside the stadium. A lot better than sticking it in what's essentially Citi Field's public back room or basement where it really couldn't be seen.
That said, coming off the train for the first time this season, I almost walked right past it without noticing it. I was making a b-line to the ticket window so I could get an inexpensive ticket for today's game and then to head into the museum for the first time. And then my focus was drawn to the guy selling programs in the walkway between the steps from the train/subway and the entrance to the ballpark. I almost walked right past it. I think my exact words to myself were "whoa, the apple is here".
Now, one other observation, and not meant to pick on its current location, or anything, but if you move the apple just a few feet (maybe less than 100 feet) towards the third base entrance, it would actually be in the spot which it occupied when it was actually alive at Shea Stadium. Think about the symbolism if logistics had allowed for that.
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Mets HOF and Museum
Here's 2 other photos from an album that I'll post on facebook. I should note that I got to the park just a few minutes after 10:40 when the gates opened for a day game, and had no line going in. Leaving after visiting the team store about 30 minutes later, there was a line to get in. The physical space is a bit croweded, but they do have crowd control. I'm sure that I missed stuff. I'll go back another day. So much to see.
The one thing that I'll criticize about it is that they don't include every longtime voice of the Mets. They have Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson, and Ralph Kiner, but no Gary Cohen (who's been here longer than Nelson was), no Howie Rose (other than his expression that's seen below), and he's been here even longer if you count Mets Extra, and for that matter, Fran Healy worked more years than either of them (for now). Maybe the next improvement is to have a full broadcaster's wing in the Mets Hall of Fame. But maybe I missed it since I didn't spend as much time inside as I could have.
Update: - the entire set of photos from the Mets Museum is on Facebook.
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Sunday, April 4, 2010
Second Chance at a First Impression
A number of my friends and fellow bloggers in the Mets blogging community were at Citi Field today. I was not. Based on the feedback that I got from those that were there, it almost looks like the Mets finally finished the ballpark and did it right this time.
So much to say, but I'll leave a lot of it for when I go there for the first time. In the meantime, I'll link to some of those that were there and provided good feedback.
I'm sure there were more that I'm not linking to (sorry). But well done guys. For the first time since my initial trips last April, I am excited about going to Citi Field.
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So much to say, but I'll leave a lot of it for when I go there for the first time. In the meantime, I'll link to some of those that were there and provided good feedback.
- Greg Prince of Faith and Fear In Flushing writes about the Mets HOF
- Caryn Rose of MetsGrrl.com thinks that Mets fans have something to be proud of and also wrote about the "fan experience".
- Zoe Rice of Pick Me Up Some Mets sounded happy and provided pictures from her tip to Citi Field today, and also talked about the workout itself.
- Shannon Shark of MetsPolice.com wrote several posts, covering the plaques, uniform display, McFadden's, photos from outside, about 30 more photos, the Shea Bridge, and the workout.
- "Kingman" over at Loge13.com also has a report and photos from his site's contributer "Ron Hunt".
- Tanya Mercado at Citi Field of Dreams has a teaser in the form of photos from a reader
- Ed Leyro from Studious Metsimus also gives his recap with photos.
- And Taryn Cooper of My Summer Family has her unique view on the new Citi Field.
I'm sure there were more that I'm not linking to (sorry). But well done guys. For the first time since my initial trips last April, I am excited about going to Citi Field.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
Will there be ice hockey at Citi Field?
Will there be ice hockey at Citi Field?
That's tough to say. Jeff Wilpon wants it and has told the NHL "that the Mets are ready, willing and able to host it at Citi Field". I think a lot of fans want it. Does the NHL want it? Is it the best place to stage an outdoor hockey game in the NYC area? It sounds like the NHL is going to figure this one out.
Let's break down the different venues for staging this event in the NYC area.
With all that said, I'd love to be able to go to an outdoor hockey game and support the Devils, but a New Year's trip to Queens would be fun too. I would have loved to see hockey at Shea (I'm too young to even remember football at Shea). But I think Minnesota should be the next host. They have a new outdoor baseball stadium opening up in April to showcase, and they're crazy about their hockey (on the top with New England). It could be another case for College Hockey on the ballfield.
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That's tough to say. Jeff Wilpon wants it and has told the NHL "that the Mets are ready, willing and able to host it at Citi Field". I think a lot of fans want it. Does the NHL want it? Is it the best place to stage an outdoor hockey game in the NYC area? It sounds like the NHL is going to figure this one out.
Let's break down the different venues for staging this event in the NYC area.
- (the soon to be opened) Giants Stadium - It's certainly a top venue in the area to hold this event. But the logistics would stand in the way. 2 teams play there, so in 17 weeks, there's 16 games. If the NFL starts is season on the weekend after Labor Day, which they've done for the past several years, then the season would start September 9 & 12 and it would end January 2. The Winter Classic is played on January 1. The NHL needs to be in the venue "by Dec. 23 in order to get the rink assembled in time for a New Year’s Day game". And I don't think it could be torn down and the field readied for football in 24 hours time, so that pretty much means 2 Sundays without football at Giants Stadium to make this work. The NFL would need to schedule both teams home one week during the season (certainly possible with a Thursday night game), and have both on the road for 2 weeks to end the season.
Now, let's say they do all that. The NHL would have a tough time justifying having any team other than the New Jersey Devils as the home team. The Devils are interested in playing. A Devils-Rangers game would seem natural, and this is a stadium that plays host to two teams called "New York", so it would be hard keeping the Rangers out. But I know that the NHL's TV partner, NBC, is deathly afraid of the Devils. They're like a small market team, and the NHL wouldn't risk that in a big event. They want the Rangers. But they wouldn't have 2 teams from the same market playing each other.
Bottom line - A logistical problem for Giants Stadium and the NFL, and another one for the NHL and NBC. The Giants Stadium problem will be the one to prevent the game from being played. But if they can work it out, how about playing two - one Devils home game and one Rangers home game, and bring in 2 opposing teams. Worth a thought.
The NFL schedule comes out in April. If we see something funny with Jets and Giants road games ending the season, we'll know that something's up, even if the NHL sits on the news until the summer when their schedule comes out. But I just don't think it will happen. - the new (some call it "fake") Yankee Stadium - I think the NHL would love it. Rangers vs. Montreal is the rumor I've heard. I'm a Devils fan and a Mets fan, but I'd go to the Bronx for this one.
But Yankee Stadium is getting involved with College Football (the likes of Notre Dame, Army, Rutgers) and is almost signed on to have a College Bowl game the week after Christmas. That pretty much eliminates Yankee Stadium hosting an NHL game on New Year's Day. And this isn't the same place as the old Yankee Stadium, which had all the history.
Bottom Line - Maybe they can work something out to push back the Bowl game by a year and play hockey instead. But it may be too late. Yankee Stadium may have to wait for the Bowl's contract to end before getting an NHL game. - Citi Field - The Wilpon family, Mets ownership, have come out and said they'd be interested. They almost had a football game last November, so we know they're interested in things besides baseball. But I've read that the NHL doesn't think the venue is "sexy enough" for what they're looking for. I can't really see Citi Field in the same company as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, but aside from the destructed Yankee Stadium, I don't see who else could go in that company. If you want the game in or near New York City, this may be the place.
If it happens, I'll go. I'm sure a lot of you will too. Who would we see on the ice? Citi Field is in Queens, which is part of New York City (remember, New York City is more than just Manhattan), so the Rangers must be involved. But Queens is also part of the sandbar called Long Island, which has its own hockey team (for now). So the Islanders should be involved too. Again, the NHL's TV partner, NBC, doesn't want the low rated Islanders cluttering up their telecast (like the Devils, the Islanders are a small market team in the larget TV market), and they really don't want two teams from the same market playing in this contest, so someone may be complaining in the end.
But let's play this out. How about a home-and-home matchup between the Rangers and Islanders? Keep the ice up all winter and let the Isles play a few games there after the New Year. Maybe move in full time (it's not quite the Lighthouse project). Do you think Howie Rose would get confused calling a hockey game from the same broadcast booth where he calls Mets games from? What about the NBA getting into the act and playing a New Year's night game at the Tennis Center for a Queens sports winter time doubleheader?
Bottom Line - Having a game at Citi Field seems to me that it's the most likely scenario for NYC, but I'm just not sure who would be involved. - Others: Hofstra Stadium (diagonally across the street from the Islanders' home on Long Island), Ichan Stadium (on Randall's Island), Red Bull Arena (a new soccer venue in Harrison, NJ, not far from the Devils' arena in Newark) - Well, if Citi Field wasn't "sexy enough", then we can pretty much cross these off the list too.
- What about Central Park? Don't they have a hockey rink? It would be a different type of venue to set up for an NHL game. Hmm...
With all that said, I'd love to be able to go to an outdoor hockey game and support the Devils, but a New Year's trip to Queens would be fun too. I would have loved to see hockey at Shea (I'm too young to even remember football at Shea). But I think Minnesota should be the next host. They have a new outdoor baseball stadium opening up in April to showcase, and they're crazy about their hockey (on the top with New England). It could be another case for College Hockey on the ballfield.
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Monday, November 23, 2009
Sorry seems to be the hardest word
A few days ago, the Mets send out a press release detailing some changes to Citi Field for 2010. They're "Metsing-up" the place, giving us what we've been asking for, what we've been missing in Citi Field. It's quite possible that this will be the first time in a long time that the Mets do something right. It's also possible that this is another example of the Mets trying to do something good and them simply doing it wrong. Not once in there did the Mets appologize for doing it wrong in the first place.
Let me break some of this press release down and share why I think the latter will be true.
The VIP entrances are getting named the "Gil Hodges [First Base] VIP entrance", the "Tom Seaver [Third Base] VIP entrance", and "Casey Stengel [Left Field] VIP entrance". I think they forgot the "Marv Thronberry [Left Field] common man entrance" and the "George Theodore [Right Field] common man entrance". I don't know what good it is to have these entrances themed by some of the most elite Mets and yet most fans won't be allowed to see it since we're nothing more than P's, and hardly "Important", let alone "Very Important" in the Mets' eyes.
And they'll name the bullpen bridge the "Shea Bridge". This we'll see and we'll walk all over many times at the ballpark. If the Mets were really listening to the fans, they would have gone with the name "Gil Hodges Bridge" that we've been using all season. I think that one came from Howie Rose.
I would have kept the Gil Hodges name on the bridge, attached Casey Stengel's name to the plaza behind home plate on the Promenade level (Casey Stengel Plaza, same as I remember on a street designation outside Shea), made the "Shea entrance" at the Rotunda, and named the LF entrance after Tom Seaver. Having to pick another name for the RF entrance is tough - Koosman (i.e. Seaver and Koosman), Piazza, Gooden, Strawberry, etc.
This is good. I can see in my mind a real museum setting looking at a long wall with a timeline of the Mets. Something that has lots of space for future entries. Mookie's bat from the famous at-bat would be on display. Doc's uniform pants worn by Darryl Strawberry on Opening Day 1987 would be on display. Lenny Dykstra's 1986 World Series ring. Jerry Koosman's 1969 Mets and 2009 prison uniforms would be on display. The second base that Robin Ventura never touched. Jesse Orosco's glove from the championship toss. Eddie Kranepool. You get the idea. Maybe the timeline portion of the exhibit could be made up of the different Mets pocket schedules. Maybe we get to see the Mets yearbook covers. A corner dedicated to the 1964 All-Star game, and another for the "Shea Goodbye" event. I could go on and on.
If this were part of the original design, I would say the museum would be IN the Rotunda instead of next to it, but I won't go there now. I certainly can't ask that the Jackie Robinson exhibit be taken down. I do like that the museum would be available from both inside and outside. If memory serves me correctly, that space is occupied by a team store right now.
And we have the re-formation of a Hall of Fame committee. The press release goes on to say that Marty Noble, who's covered NY National League Baseball since the early 1900s, and Mets fans #1a Howie Rose and #1b Gary Cohen are on this committee (numbering them is no knock on them, rather a compliment for the fact that the biggest voices representing the Mets are two of the biggest fans). Dave Howard and Jay Horwitz, the other "voices" of the Mets, Tina Mannix, ex-Met Al Jackson, and little Jeffy Wilpon are also on the committee. I hope they're active. I read on one of the blogs a suggestion that they elect two Mets per season. I'm not even sure what I want here, but with Howie, Gary, and Marty there, I'm comfortable with it.
More details from the Mets will be coming at a later date. I hope this is ready for Opening Day. I also hope no one affiliated with team ownership is inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame (Joan Payson, the first owner, was the first inductee in 1981, which I do support).
I always though those staircases looked too boring in its brick-gray. I liked Shea's different levels being painted each in a single different color, matching the color of the seats from that level. That was something done earlier this decade. It kind of let you know where you were. I also remember from my visit to Philly that a lot of poles and beams were painted in the dark maroon color of the Phillies' color scheme. Orange and blue stair cases could be good.
More Mets logos will also be welcome. Let's hope this is done better than the imagery added to the ballpark last summer. Shea was beautiful with its bright colors shining through. Citi Field needs to be the same. In 2009, it was more grayscale.
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Let me break some of this press release down and share why I think the latter will be true.
RENAMING OF AREAS IN BALLPARK The Mets will rename and visually theme Citi Field's VIP entrances and outfield bridge after individuals who made an indelible mark on the club. First Base VIP will be named after Hodges to honor the manager who led the Mets to their first World Championship in 1969. Third Base VIP will honor Seaver, the Hall of Fame pitcher and Mets leader in wins, earned run average and strikeouts. Left Field VIP will be named after Stengel, the first manager in Mets history. The outfield bridge will be dedicated as Shea Bridge, honoring the legacy of the man who was the driving force to bring National League baseball back to New York after the departure of the Dodgers and Giants.
The VIP entrances are getting named the "Gil Hodges [First Base] VIP entrance", the "Tom Seaver [Third Base] VIP entrance", and "Casey Stengel [Left Field] VIP entrance". I think they forgot the "Marv Thronberry [Left Field] common man entrance" and the "George Theodore [Right Field] common man entrance". I don't know what good it is to have these entrances themed by some of the most elite Mets and yet most fans won't be allowed to see it since we're nothing more than P's, and hardly "Important", let alone "Very Important" in the Mets' eyes.
And they'll name the bullpen bridge the "Shea Bridge". This we'll see and we'll walk all over many times at the ballpark. If the Mets were really listening to the fans, they would have gone with the name "Gil Hodges Bridge" that we've been using all season. I think that one came from Howie Rose.
I would have kept the Gil Hodges name on the bridge, attached Casey Stengel's name to the plaza behind home plate on the Promenade level (Casey Stengel Plaza, same as I remember on a street designation outside Shea), made the "Shea entrance" at the Rotunda, and named the LF entrance after Tom Seaver. Having to pick another name for the RF entrance is tough - Koosman (i.e. Seaver and Koosman), Piazza, Gooden, Strawberry, etc.
METS HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM & HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE The centerpiece for Mets memorabilia will be the Mets Hall of Fame & Museum, located adjacent to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and accessible from both inside and outside the ballpark. A re-formed Mets Hall of Fame Committee will evaluate potential inductees, and is comprised of a combination of media members with a long-standing connection to the club and Mets front office staff.
This is good. I can see in my mind a real museum setting looking at a long wall with a timeline of the Mets. Something that has lots of space for future entries. Mookie's bat from the famous at-bat would be on display. Doc's uniform pants worn by Darryl Strawberry on Opening Day 1987 would be on display. Lenny Dykstra's 1986 World Series ring. Jerry Koosman's 1969 Mets and 2009 prison uniforms would be on display. The second base that Robin Ventura never touched. Jesse Orosco's glove from the championship toss. Eddie Kranepool. You get the idea. Maybe the timeline portion of the exhibit could be made up of the different Mets pocket schedules. Maybe we get to see the Mets yearbook covers. A corner dedicated to the 1964 All-Star game, and another for the "Shea Goodbye" event. I could go on and on.
If this were part of the original design, I would say the museum would be IN the Rotunda instead of next to it, but I won't go there now. I certainly can't ask that the Jackie Robinson exhibit be taken down. I do like that the museum would be available from both inside and outside. If memory serves me correctly, that space is occupied by a team store right now.
And we have the re-formation of a Hall of Fame committee. The press release goes on to say that Marty Noble, who's covered NY National League Baseball since the early 1900s, and Mets fans #1a Howie Rose and #1b Gary Cohen are on this committee (numbering them is no knock on them, rather a compliment for the fact that the biggest voices representing the Mets are two of the biggest fans). Dave Howard and Jay Horwitz, the other "voices" of the Mets, Tina Mannix, ex-Met Al Jackson, and little Jeffy Wilpon are also on the committee. I hope they're active. I read on one of the blogs a suggestion that they elect two Mets per season. I'm not even sure what I want here, but with Howie, Gary, and Marty there, I'm comfortable with it.
More details from the Mets will be coming at a later date. I hope this is ready for Opening Day. I also hope no one affiliated with team ownership is inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame (Joan Payson, the first owner, was the first inductee in 1981, which I do support).
IMAGERY & TEAM COLORS Next season, fans will be greeted by Mets colors as they approach Citi Field with full-color banners of Mets players on Mets Plaza in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Mets logos will be added on entry points to the parking areas and on the light poles in the parking lots. The addition of team colors will continue inside the ballpark with staircases painted with blue and orange and more Mets logos throughout the ballpark. Flowers in the gardens at Mets Plaza in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda will also be blue and orange.
I always though those staircases looked too boring in its brick-gray. I liked Shea's different levels being painted each in a single different color, matching the color of the seats from that level. That was something done earlier this decade. It kind of let you know where you were. I also remember from my visit to Philly that a lot of poles and beams were painted in the dark maroon color of the Phillies' color scheme. Orange and blue stair cases could be good.
More Mets logos will also be welcome. Let's hope this is done better than the imagery added to the ballpark last summer. Shea was beautiful with its bright colors shining through. Citi Field needs to be the same. In 2009, it was more grayscale.
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
What a Weekend - Part 2
What a weekend indeed. Saturday was the GKR Main Event at Citi Field. Sunday was the Mets season finale and the drive for 70 wins. I'll reserve comment on the 70 wins for another day. Sunday really wasn't bad. I was considering in the morning not going. My friend that I was planning on going with decided Saturday night not to go. We each had an extra ticket that we couldn't get rid of. So I went alone. I wasn't letting the pre-paid parking pass go to waste either, so I drove to the ballpark (something I don't like doing). I did find it was exactly 40.0 miles from my apartment building to the parking space in Citi Field's lot, somewhere in what was left field at Shea.
Sunday was a beautiful day, weather-wise. A beautiful day for baseball. A bit of sadness that the season was coming to an end, but good riddance to it. No batting practice after Saturday's long day. No real need at this point. Still, the fans came out, pushed to the outfield sections along the foul line to try to get players' attention (the relief corps went out for some stretching and throwing, which was the only action on the field), and a few of those guys stayed for a long time to sign. Lots of kids down there too. I've started to think it's better for autographs when there is no BP and just the relievers because there's less going on at field level and less people from the club watching and possibly discouraging positive fan interaction (and yes, going back to the Willie Randolph days, I do feel that to a degree. Just come out to Spring Training at Tradition Field with me and tell me there's good player-fan interaction before a game).
I did get to meet fellow blogger Ed Leyro of Studious Metsimus. We really should have a bloggers day/night at the ballpark to get to know one another.
I decided just to try out the new fad of not sitting in your seat and wandering around the ballpark to watch the game from the open concourses. It's a different experience. First, I felt no real reason to stay in my seats. They suck. I said that from day one. But I got a chance to see the imagery that's been added since the last time I was there in August. What they added was nice. I'm glad they did it. It would have been nice to see "space reserved" back on Opening Day to show the promise and forward thinking of images to come rather than doing this based on complaints. I see a real black-and-white theme to the images. And they're sponsored, which for a photo company is a good opportunity but for a fan, it shows no real investment by the club (this wasn't exactly prime advertising space they gave up). Maybe if Kodak sponsored it, the images would be in color.
I really don't like walking around during the game. I never did. I miss so much. I had a walkman, which helped, but still. I find it more enjoyable sitting and watching from one location. That's just me.
It was a good game. Maybe one of the best all year. Weekend sweep. Got to 70 wins. And the complete game shutout by Nelson Figueroa. What a game. What a story Figueroa was. And he's a good guy, always signing autographs. A model player from that respect. We need a person like that on the Mets, and we need a guy like that either as the number 5 or long man/spot starter. Remember that roster debacle back in April. We almost lost him. We did lost him and were damn lucky to get him back. A few moves where we were damn lucky to get someone just to fill a position for the final quarter of the season.
After the game, not well publicized or known to some stadium staff was a DynaMet Dash with Mr. Met (run the bases). This one was set up for all fans. I had heard something during the week about it being only for season ticket holders. Lots of kids went. I asked a security guard and he said everyone. Even the guy on the street could get in since nobody checked tickets. They lined us up after the game on 126th Street from the bullpen gate back to the subway tracks (breaking at walkways and driveways). The line even turned the corner on Roosevelt Ave. They brought us in through the bullpen entrance to the warning track (almost picking up where I had left off from Saturday), down the RF line to first base, and over the grass onto the infield (they had a tarp down to protect the grass). Around the infield with the customary security telling us to keep on moving, and down to home plate, and back under the tunnel under the stadium and out to the LF VIP entrance. That was good, right by my car.
And that was it. 2009 was over. A few photos now.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Sunday was a beautiful day, weather-wise. A beautiful day for baseball. A bit of sadness that the season was coming to an end, but good riddance to it. No batting practice after Saturday's long day. No real need at this point. Still, the fans came out, pushed to the outfield sections along the foul line to try to get players' attention (the relief corps went out for some stretching and throwing, which was the only action on the field), and a few of those guys stayed for a long time to sign. Lots of kids down there too. I've started to think it's better for autographs when there is no BP and just the relievers because there's less going on at field level and less people from the club watching and possibly discouraging positive fan interaction (and yes, going back to the Willie Randolph days, I do feel that to a degree. Just come out to Spring Training at Tradition Field with me and tell me there's good player-fan interaction before a game).
I did get to meet fellow blogger Ed Leyro of Studious Metsimus. We really should have a bloggers day/night at the ballpark to get to know one another.
I decided just to try out the new fad of not sitting in your seat and wandering around the ballpark to watch the game from the open concourses. It's a different experience. First, I felt no real reason to stay in my seats. They suck. I said that from day one. But I got a chance to see the imagery that's been added since the last time I was there in August. What they added was nice. I'm glad they did it. It would have been nice to see "space reserved" back on Opening Day to show the promise and forward thinking of images to come rather than doing this based on complaints. I see a real black-and-white theme to the images. And they're sponsored, which for a photo company is a good opportunity but for a fan, it shows no real investment by the club (this wasn't exactly prime advertising space they gave up). Maybe if Kodak sponsored it, the images would be in color.
I really don't like walking around during the game. I never did. I miss so much. I had a walkman, which helped, but still. I find it more enjoyable sitting and watching from one location. That's just me.
It was a good game. Maybe one of the best all year. Weekend sweep. Got to 70 wins. And the complete game shutout by Nelson Figueroa. What a game. What a story Figueroa was. And he's a good guy, always signing autographs. A model player from that respect. We need a person like that on the Mets, and we need a guy like that either as the number 5 or long man/spot starter. Remember that roster debacle back in April. We almost lost him. We did lost him and were damn lucky to get him back. A few moves where we were damn lucky to get someone just to fill a position for the final quarter of the season.
After the game, not well publicized or known to some stadium staff was a DynaMet Dash with Mr. Met (run the bases). This one was set up for all fans. I had heard something during the week about it being only for season ticket holders. Lots of kids went. I asked a security guard and he said everyone. Even the guy on the street could get in since nobody checked tickets. They lined us up after the game on 126th Street from the bullpen gate back to the subway tracks (breaking at walkways and driveways). The line even turned the corner on Roosevelt Ave. They brought us in through the bullpen entrance to the warning track (almost picking up where I had left off from Saturday), down the RF line to first base, and over the grass onto the infield (they had a tarp down to protect the grass). Around the infield with the customary security telling us to keep on moving, and down to home plate, and back under the tunnel under the stadium and out to the LF VIP entrance. That was good, right by my car.
And that was it. 2009 was over. A few photos now.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Tuesday, October 6, 2009
F-You, F. Wilpon
If I had seen Fred Wilpon greeting fans at either Saturday's or Sunday's game, this is what I would have said to him (somewhat of an assumption is that he's thanking fans for coming out to see the Mets and that he doesn't apologize for anything).
OK, that last line is a bit corny and dripping with a punchline.
That's worked in other ballparks.
I think they'll learn the hard way what happens when the fans stop showing up.
Other bloggers have written their own letters or purging their ill will, and I'll go read them now. I purposely didn't want those opinions to get in the way of my own.
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Mr. Wilpon, I think you owe me more than a "thanks for coming". I think you owe me an apology. You owe all fans an apology. You should step up to the microphone and say to the fans and media, "I'm sorry for the way things turned out. I'm sorry for all the injuries. I'm sorry for the bad play. I'm sorry for what happened with Adam Rubin and Tony Bernazard. I'm sorry for 2009. The buck stops here, and I accept full responsibility."
OK, that last line is a bit corny and dripping with a punchline.
Mr. Wilpon, even with that, I can't accept your apology. I'm not sure why, but I can't. But it's good that you said it. It was a start. But you owe us more. You owe me more.
What about (the absurdly high) ticket prices? What about (deceptive) ticket packages? Why so expensive to park your car at the ballpark? Where are the Mets colors? Where is the Mets Hall Of Fame? Why did we have to force you to put up the Mets (championship outfield wall) banners? Why did we have to force you to put up Mets photos and "imagery"? Why is it all black-and-white? Why are there no statues (like of Tom Seaver, "The Franchise")? Why were so many photos and banners sold (online and then at auction). Why haven't more numbers been retired? Why couldn't you have fixed/renovated Shea?
That's worked in other ballparks.
Why not (formally call it) the "Gil Hodges Bridge", and in front of it, "The (Mike) Piazza"? Why not "Casey Stengel Plaza" (behind the Promenade Club over the Rotunda)? Why not allow us to congregate at a bar called "The Happy Recap"? Why are the pieces of Shea (scoreboard skyline and home run apple) hidden (behind the big scoreboard and behind the bullpens respectively)? Why have so many restricted areas? Why focus on suites and corporate instead of the fans?
I think they'll learn the hard way what happens when the fans stop showing up.
Why didn't you have the banners out where everyone could see them? Why did you get away from the familiar names of "Loge", "Mezzanine", and "Upper Deck" and their familiar colors in favor of country club names and a generic color? Why didn't you see the (seating) obstructions?
Why didn't you stop and review medical practice and procedure when players started dropping like flies? Why were so many players trying to rest an injury only to end up on the DL? Why were we strung along to think there was real hope for all these guys? Why was there no depth in the farm system? Why were we made to believe that the core group was a winning group? Who is supposed to be accountable for the endings of the past 4 seasons? Why do we continue to build the team up only to see it fall down again after a few years?
Other bloggers have written their own letters or purging their ill will, and I'll go read them now. I purposely didn't want those opinions to get in the way of my own.
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Friday, October 2, 2009
A few programming notes
A few items of note while I try to figure out what to write here on the Mets ticket prices for next year (to which, I may hold my final word until I see a pricing chart)...
SNY's own Ron Darling will be working the Yankees playoff series for TBS. That's a battle for my senses - the most evil baseball team and the best analyst in the game. Ronnie will be paired with Chip Caray on TBS's lead team for the Division Series and NLCS. (Thanks to Neil Best for that tip). No word if anyone of note will be on ESPN Radio, but Neil has all 4 pairings on TBS.
NHL Center Ice has a free 3 week preview to start the season. On most cable companies (primarily those with inDemand programming), that also means a bonus free preview of MLB Extra Innings for the last 4 days of the season (started last night). So in most cases, check out the channels before spending the $69 for the pennant race package. Schedules for both are available on their respective websites.
I'll be out in the crowd with the GKR group on Saturday and then back in the worst seasts in the house, section 405, on Sunday to serenade the Mets.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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SNY's own Ron Darling will be working the Yankees playoff series for TBS. That's a battle for my senses - the most evil baseball team and the best analyst in the game. Ronnie will be paired with Chip Caray on TBS's lead team for the Division Series and NLCS. (Thanks to Neil Best for that tip). No word if anyone of note will be on ESPN Radio, but Neil has all 4 pairings on TBS.
NHL Center Ice has a free 3 week preview to start the season. On most cable companies (primarily those with inDemand programming), that also means a bonus free preview of MLB Extra Innings for the last 4 days of the season (started last night). So in most cases, check out the channels before spending the $69 for the pennant race package. Schedules for both are available on their respective websites.
I'll be out in the crowd with the GKR group on Saturday and then back in the worst seasts in the house, section 405, on Sunday to serenade the Mets.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Ballpark Review - Philadelphia
Forgive me for saying this (my blue pinstripes may be taken away for this), but I went to the baseball stadium in Philadelphia on Sunday and enjoyed the ballpark. The Mets lost (so what else is new). But my friend and I walked all over the ballpark and we really liked it.
There was a great atmosphere in the park. The home team is in first place. The fans were all into the game, and the day. Cheering on their failing closer and other stars. Making noise mostly without being asked to do so. Almost everyone there was wearing a Phillies jersey of some sort (they have a few different types, all represented in my section), and none of these were cheap knockoffs (and not saying all of our Mets jerseys are, and meaning that the proper colors were used for the name and number of the back of the jersey). The seats are all Phillies-blue (it's a seldom used color, but it's there), and it was a really good visual contrast with the fans in the seats wearing different whites and reds, showing you all of the team's colors. It was good. It was fun.
Walking around my eyes started seeing many comparisons to Citi Field. A Phillies fan may come to Citi Field and call it a cheap knockoff of the Philly park. So let me begin the comparisons in the outfield area.
They had lots of open space, wide and open concourse, varried concessions, sunshine, and just a feeling that this park belonged to the Phillies (I couldn't quite put my finger on it). The outfield area is the most unique. Wikipedia describes Ashburn Alley better than I do. Hidden behind the pictures on your TV is a Phillies Hall of Fame. A big, but not eye sore-big, scoreboard is over there too. And bullpens that you could spit into.
Except for the food, Philly set up the space better. A bar and grille named after a popular broadcaster (Harry the K's after Harry Kalas) - does anyone want a place at Citi Field called "The Happy Recap" named for Bob Murphy? A BBQ pit named after another well liked player ("Bull's BBQ" for Greg "The Bull" Luzinski, or for the Mets, "Rusty's"). The whole open area named for a popular Phillie player and broadcaster (how about Casey Stengel Plaza at Citi Field, I like it for the area above the Rotunda on the Promenade level).
Inside, where the color of the brick fits the Phillies scheme, there's plenty of Phillies stuff inside, but otherwise almost identical to Citi Field. Except that I noticed something while going over the pictures, something that Citi Field was lacking that I just couldn't put my finger on. Sunshine. The Philly ballpark main concourse is at street level, so the entrances from outside go right there. Openings in the brick castle. As someone once sang, "Let the sunshine in" (or was it "Let the sun shine in"?). The two parks were so alike that the layout of the concourse and steel in RF and the bridge from the 2nd concourse above me to the RF area looked almost exactly like Citi Field. Another thing inside, and a few of my blogger-friends can appreciate me saying this, were hanging banners of different Philly players. Something greatly missing at Citi Field.
Citi Field's Excelsior level seemed to be modeled after the second deck in Philly. My friend and I went up to our seats out in LF (this part is miror image from Citi Field - Citi has the LF landing and Philly has it in RF). We got up, went to walk, got two sections over, and got stopped at the entrance to the Hall of Fame club. The RF side looked bigger but we never got over there. Many suites, and many were full for a Sunday afternoon game. Their seating comes out to meet the regular folk.
Upstairs to the very open upper level (I think they call it the Terrace there). Very similar design to what Citi Field has, except for one big thing that I noticed in the pictures. There are no back walls, so it feels real open and the sun shines in (concessions along that side did have back walls though, but the concourse wasn't completely enclosed0. Even the staircases are open, and not enclosed (probably bad in a rain storm, though, to be open). This level also had a Phillies feel. Even the steel beams in the ballpark are the old Phillies maroon color.
They did appear to do something better in Philly - access to the upper seats (the seats above the concourse). It's a staircase underneath the seats that winds up to the middle of the section (think of the seats behind home plate at Citi Field where you basically walk over the club into the seats). So the fans in the first rows aren't distracted by those plexiglass railings and barriers, or even by people entering the seating area. That's really the way it should be.
One other thing that I saw on the LED ribbons was something that said "Welcome to Citizen's Bank Park - Home of the Philadelphia Phillies". Has anyone seen something similarly worded at Citi Field? Maybe I just didn't notice. My friend didn't recall seeing one.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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There was a great atmosphere in the park. The home team is in first place. The fans were all into the game, and the day. Cheering on their failing closer and other stars. Making noise mostly without being asked to do so. Almost everyone there was wearing a Phillies jersey of some sort (they have a few different types, all represented in my section), and none of these were cheap knockoffs (and not saying all of our Mets jerseys are, and meaning that the proper colors were used for the name and number of the back of the jersey). The seats are all Phillies-blue (it's a seldom used color, but it's there), and it was a really good visual contrast with the fans in the seats wearing different whites and reds, showing you all of the team's colors. It was good. It was fun.
Walking around my eyes started seeing many comparisons to Citi Field. A Phillies fan may come to Citi Field and call it a cheap knockoff of the Philly park. So let me begin the comparisons in the outfield area.
They had lots of open space, wide and open concourse, varried concessions, sunshine, and just a feeling that this park belonged to the Phillies (I couldn't quite put my finger on it). The outfield area is the most unique. Wikipedia describes Ashburn Alley better than I do. Hidden behind the pictures on your TV is a Phillies Hall of Fame. A big, but not eye sore-big, scoreboard is over there too. And bullpens that you could spit into.
Except for the food, Philly set up the space better. A bar and grille named after a popular broadcaster (Harry the K's after Harry Kalas) - does anyone want a place at Citi Field called "The Happy Recap" named for Bob Murphy? A BBQ pit named after another well liked player ("Bull's BBQ" for Greg "The Bull" Luzinski, or for the Mets, "Rusty's"). The whole open area named for a popular Phillie player and broadcaster (how about Casey Stengel Plaza at Citi Field, I like it for the area above the Rotunda on the Promenade level).
Inside, where the color of the brick fits the Phillies scheme, there's plenty of Phillies stuff inside, but otherwise almost identical to Citi Field. Except that I noticed something while going over the pictures, something that Citi Field was lacking that I just couldn't put my finger on. Sunshine. The Philly ballpark main concourse is at street level, so the entrances from outside go right there. Openings in the brick castle. As someone once sang, "Let the sunshine in" (or was it "Let the sun shine in"?). The two parks were so alike that the layout of the concourse and steel in RF and the bridge from the 2nd concourse above me to the RF area looked almost exactly like Citi Field. Another thing inside, and a few of my blogger-friends can appreciate me saying this, were hanging banners of different Philly players. Something greatly missing at Citi Field.
Citi Field's Excelsior level seemed to be modeled after the second deck in Philly. My friend and I went up to our seats out in LF (this part is miror image from Citi Field - Citi has the LF landing and Philly has it in RF). We got up, went to walk, got two sections over, and got stopped at the entrance to the Hall of Fame club. The RF side looked bigger but we never got over there. Many suites, and many were full for a Sunday afternoon game. Their seating comes out to meet the regular folk.
Upstairs to the very open upper level (I think they call it the Terrace there). Very similar design to what Citi Field has, except for one big thing that I noticed in the pictures. There are no back walls, so it feels real open and the sun shines in (concessions along that side did have back walls though, but the concourse wasn't completely enclosed0. Even the staircases are open, and not enclosed (probably bad in a rain storm, though, to be open). This level also had a Phillies feel. Even the steel beams in the ballpark are the old Phillies maroon color.
They did appear to do something better in Philly - access to the upper seats (the seats above the concourse). It's a staircase underneath the seats that winds up to the middle of the section (think of the seats behind home plate at Citi Field where you basically walk over the club into the seats). So the fans in the first rows aren't distracted by those plexiglass railings and barriers, or even by people entering the seating area. That's really the way it should be.
One other thing that I saw on the LED ribbons was something that said "Welcome to Citizen's Bank Park - Home of the Philadelphia Phillies". Has anyone seen something similarly worded at Citi Field? Maybe I just didn't notice. My friend didn't recall seeing one.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Monday, September 7, 2009
From Shea Stadium to Citi Field
From Marty Noble on MLB.com who has been covering the Mets for what seems like forever comes, in his words, Shea Stadium's Open Letter to Citi Field. Clever.
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Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Sunday, September 6, 2009
A fan's take on the US Open
With all due respect to the Mets [sarcasm], a first week US Open day session ticket is the best bang-for-your-buck in all of sports [seriously]. A $62 ticket got me 11 hours of live tennis on Friday. Planning back in June, I had no way to know that the better marquee matches would be played Thursday afternoon and Saturday afternoon, but it was still a good day. The US Open of course is located on the old World's Fair grounds adjacent to the Shea Stadium/Citi Field site.
One thing I observed was just lots of people. The US Open is out-drawing the Mets and setting attendance records on an annual basis now. They need to expand some of the side courts to handle the larger crowds during the first week. Fans can sit on small bleachers (2 or 3 rows deep) next to each side court (not including the main 3) on one side, and in some, both sides, to watch the action on that court (the other side is usually a larger set of bleachers for a couple hundered fans). these are nice because you can turn around and watch another court. Fine for small crowds, but there were some matches where the big bleachers were filled and the open side was swelled with people that fans were lined up on the top of the other set of bleachers to stand over the crowd and between was lined up 2 or 3 deep to try to watch that action. They really need to expand the seating area to fix that.
I'll get an album on webshots at some point.
Another thing I noted was about Arthur Ashe Stadium itself. Back in April, I had compared it to the brand new Citi Field, saying how generic-looking Citi Field was from the inside. Not a knock on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but one on Citi Field, since a baseball stadium belonging to a team should not have that generic look.
I also mentioned that the plexiglass safety barriers that Citi Field uses are similar to the ones at Ashe Stadium, which I've noted (maybe just to myself) create obstructions. I got to see Ashe Stadium in person for the first time since making those comparisons. In the tennis photo here, there is plexi glass behind the railing from the stairs. Both stadiums use a similar design with boxes below the concourse level and the regular seating above it, with stairs from the concourse up to the first row. Somehow, Ashe Stadium did it better.
While annonying at Ashe Stadium to have them, the two facilities are constructed around them differently, and they can block your view of lower seating and not the court by moving just 2 or 3 rows back, and not even block anything by moving just 5 or 6 seats away from the aisle. That's really not so bad. Citi Field has larger plexiglass and seats that are pitched differently and angeled differently that it causes more obstructions.
Here I'm able to move just a few seats over and this is not a problem. I don't remember being able to do that at Citi Field. Going 10 rows up at Ashe Stadium, this is a non-issue. Not at Citi Field.
A few other things - beware of the sun. It'll get you. Wear sunscreen and sunglasses if you have them. It's quicker to get in to the complex if you don't have any bag/purse at all, but if you must, small ones only. Their rule, not mine. Drink plenty of water and/or gatorade. Forget about the dollar cost. If you want to spent 10 hours there, you need it. Take mass transit. It's just easier, especially for the days when the Mets are home. If you're taking the (LIRR) train, they run all day. Just like after a Mets game, if the track-level platform fills up, they'll hold you and you may miss your connection at Penn Station. Actually, that was almost the case Friday night just after I got down there, along with the 8th inning departers from Citi Field.
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One thing I observed was just lots of people. The US Open is out-drawing the Mets and setting attendance records on an annual basis now. They need to expand some of the side courts to handle the larger crowds during the first week. Fans can sit on small bleachers (2 or 3 rows deep) next to each side court (not including the main 3) on one side, and in some, both sides, to watch the action on that court (the other side is usually a larger set of bleachers for a couple hundered fans). these are nice because you can turn around and watch another court. Fine for small crowds, but there were some matches where the big bleachers were filled and the open side was swelled with people that fans were lined up on the top of the other set of bleachers to stand over the crowd and between was lined up 2 or 3 deep to try to watch that action. They really need to expand the seating area to fix that.
I'll get an album on webshots at some point.
Another thing I noted was about Arthur Ashe Stadium itself. Back in April, I had compared it to the brand new Citi Field, saying how generic-looking Citi Field was from the inside. Not a knock on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but one on Citi Field, since a baseball stadium belonging to a team should not have that generic look.
I also mentioned that the plexiglass safety barriers that Citi Field uses are similar to the ones at Ashe Stadium, which I've noted (maybe just to myself) create obstructions. I got to see Ashe Stadium in person for the first time since making those comparisons. In the tennis photo here, there is plexi glass behind the railing from the stairs. Both stadiums use a similar design with boxes below the concourse level and the regular seating above it, with stairs from the concourse up to the first row. Somehow, Ashe Stadium did it better.
While annonying at Ashe Stadium to have them, the two facilities are constructed around them differently, and they can block your view of lower seating and not the court by moving just 2 or 3 rows back, and not even block anything by moving just 5 or 6 seats away from the aisle. That's really not so bad. Citi Field has larger plexiglass and seats that are pitched differently and angeled differently that it causes more obstructions.
Here I'm able to move just a few seats over and this is not a problem. I don't remember being able to do that at Citi Field. Going 10 rows up at Ashe Stadium, this is a non-issue. Not at Citi Field.
A few other things - beware of the sun. It'll get you. Wear sunscreen and sunglasses if you have them. It's quicker to get in to the complex if you don't have any bag/purse at all, but if you must, small ones only. Their rule, not mine. Drink plenty of water and/or gatorade. Forget about the dollar cost. If you want to spent 10 hours there, you need it. Take mass transit. It's just easier, especially for the days when the Mets are home. If you're taking the (LIRR) train, they run all day. Just like after a Mets game, if the track-level platform fills up, they'll hold you and you may miss your connection at Penn Station. Actually, that was almost the case Friday night just after I got down there, along with the 8th inning departers from Citi Field.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com.
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