Why Can't the Mets Succeed at Home?

The Mets return to Citi Field tonight after what I would call a surprising road trip. Not only did they manage to get themselves over .500, but even in the games that they lost there seemed to be good baseball being played (except for the one game against the Angels).

The Mets are getting contribution from surprising places including Brown, Lagares (until he went on the DL) and Recker  while some of the more reliable players like Wright, Granderson & Murphy have struggled to find their swing. Even the bullpen proved it could close out a few games.

But that was on the road. For some reason things change as soon as that plane lands in LaGuardia.

Citi Field, while being one of the nicest looking ballparks in the National League, is still far from being home to the Mets. I'm not talking about the history and heritage of the park following in the footsteps of the beloved Shea Stadium, but rather the Mets rarely play at ease within the friendly confines of Flushing.

Why? There should be a comfort level there. They know the field. The pitcher's mound has the familiar spots for pitchers to push off the rubber. There are no surprises. But the Mets have yet to play well there.

The recent West Coast swing proves that the issue is purely psychological. To use an analogy from another sport it's like a 20 point per game scorer in basketball who can't hit free throws. His shot mechanics are the same, but something isn't setting right mentally when he steps to the line.

I'm no psychotherapist, nor do I have a degree in anything remotely close to it, but the evidence seems to be clear. The culture at Citi Field is lacking the confidence this team needs to perform at its highest level.

Can culture impact on field performance? Absolutely. Anyone who's played sports can tell you that. It has nothing to do with the players liking each other or the clubhouse being loose. It's when they step out on the field there isn't a confidence that teams should fear the fact they have to play at Citi Field.

We all know that feeling is absolutely true in parks in Atlanta, St. Louis and even San Francisco. I'll even throw Philadelphia in there. But definitely not Queens. Not yet at least.

I don't have the answer for what needs to change. All I know is that it has less to do with the skills of the players and more with the mindset of the organization. Sounds like psycho babble, but somehow the facts support it.

An All Star Experience

The 2013 Major League Baseball All Star Game might have been the most boring game I've ever attended. Zero hitting. Minimal run scoring. Even the runs that were scored were on lame sac flies or fielder's choice plays. It was also one of the most amazing sports experiences I've ever seen.

This was my first All Star Game. I've watched every All Start for the last 28 years on television and when the opportunity came to see it first hand in my favorite team's stadium I had to do it. Price gouging aside, this is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Not only was this my first All Star Game, it was the first All Star Game my son has been to. In fact, yesterday was the first baseball game he's ever been to in person. I will now accept my Father of the Year trophy. My son is 8 years old. He's not a huge baseball fan. He knows daddy loves the Mets. He knows David Wright and every so often asks where is Jose Reyes. I got him a Matt Harvey shirt and he thinks Kevin James on the jumbotron is fat, foolish and pretty hilarious. I didn't expect him to appreciate the significance of this game now, but I know he will down the road.

Explaining to my son what the All Star Game exactly is was interesting. He kept asking why aren't there more Mets players playing if it's in their stadium? He's starting to learn the game of baseball and a steady flow of junk food being passed his way helped him endure 9 innings of lackluster play from the game's top players.

But the sentimental father/son moments aside, the All Star Game being at Citi Field for a Mets Lifer was remarkable. Mets fans have lacked a packed house brimming with energy for quite a few years. What was interesting was just how few Yankees fans were in the building. This truly was a night for Mets fans.

The ovation for Wright and Harvey during the starting the lineups was raucous. David Wright may have worked harder the last two days than he will the remainder of the season. The guy did every interview. He was in almost every promo on the scoreboard. He was a PR machine for the Mets and after seeing him do all that I came to realize that it's really hard not to like David Wright. Is there a more clean cut, likeable, quality player in the majors than Wright? I'm not sure there is.

Then you have Harvey. The flashbacks to the hopes and dreams of Doc Gooden come flooding back every time I see Harvey take the mound. When he had 2 outs and 2 strikes in the first inning, the "Harvey! Harvey" chants started up organically as Citi Field just wanted to explode with a strikeout. I can't wait for more of those types of moments in regular season and hopefully postseason games in the future.

And Harvey plunking Cano was a bit entertaining as well.

Even as a Mets fan, I could appreciate the moment that was Mariano Rivera's final All Star Game. How could you not applaud this guy who might be the best pitcher we'll ever see. Rivera standing alone on the mound for a good 3 minutes amongst cheers and revelry was a moment I'll never forget.

So the National League lost and won't have home field advantage in the World Series. And yes the game was ridiculously boring for the most part. It didn't matter. This was an amazing experience, especially for Mets fans. If I liked the Dodgers or the Orioles or even the Reds, I probably would have walked away without that much of an impression. But for Mets fans, the All Star Game might very well have been the beginning of a new chapter. Changes are happening. An inkling of that was felt last night and I can't wait for what's to come.

A Home Stand with Implications

The Mets have played the majority of their games up to this point in the season away from  home. In fact they've played more away games than most any other team in the National League.  The amazing part is they currently sit 4 games above .500.

Think about that.

When I look at the Mets record I think about all the "almost wins" they've had where Francisco has blown the save or they tied up the game but couldn't take the lead late. There are at least 5 or 6 of those games so far that could have gone either way. Stop thinking about those games and think about this instead:

• The Mets have started 4 guys consistently over the last 3 weeks that weren't in the opening day lineup.
• They are playing without Thole & Tejada who were integral parts of the Mets great early start
• Ike Davis is hitting below .200 and yet the team is still winning
• RA Dickey is having a Cy Young year
• The majority of their wins have come against NL East teams

The Mets are in very, very good shape considering all the factors. And so here comes an 11 game home stand with serious implications. The Mets face some decent teams and if they can take advantage of playing at home, we may just see the Mets make some serious headway in the standings and put themselves in solid position for the coming months. 

Just think about this: an 8-3 home stand would put the Mets 9 games over .500. We haven't seen that in years. The Padres are a team the Mets have to sweep as the Phils & Cards follow which will be competitive series. In the past there's been a lack of dominance at home. That needs to change not just for W's but to put people in the seats as well.

The Mets are in a very good place, but there's got to be a desire for me. And it starts at Citi Field tonight.

Let's go Mets!

Don't Trade Jose Reyes Day at Citi Field

This is a great groundswell movement started by uber-Mets fan, Donna Bauer (no relation to Jack). Friday, June 3rd is the unofficial Don't Trade Jose Reyes Day at Citi Field.

In a recent blast email, Donna encouraged Mets fans attending the June 3rd game to:
Weare a Jose Reyes jersey or T-shirt and bring a sign that reads "DON'T TRADE JOSE REYES."

Love this concept and would truly enjoy seeing that game's broadcast show nothing but Don't Trade Reyes signs showing up in the stands.

To join this movement, you can visit the Don't Trade Jose Reyes page on Facebook by clicking here. And to get this awesome Don't Trade Reyes t-shirt pictured above, visit The 7 Line t-shirt store.

Citi Field: Home of the 410 Foot Out

...great t-shirt. came across it at howbouthosemets.com. fantastic job guys. really creative selection of shirts. check them out.

Are Mets Fans Willing to Be Patient?

The Sandy Alderson era is here. It's a stark change from the player centric, buddy-buddy feel of the Omar Minaya regime that was able to bring one NL East pennant but nothing else.

There's lots of talk about the Mets being a respectable organization now and how they have someone running the show this is experienced and will run a tight ship. But the big question is how long are Mets fans willing to wait and allow Alderson to make his chess moves toward another World Series?

The banter online and on talk radio is that it will be at least a two year process if not more. With Mets fans having endured 4 of the most painstaking baseball seasons in a row that a team can ever produce, are we ready for another two year wait?

Citi Field was empty in 2009 and this past season as meaningless August and September baseball made its way to Queens. A ton of money is lost when you can't put people in the seats so is a two year bridge to relevancy going to manageable on the balance sheet?

I don't have the answer. All I know is that Mets fans desperately want, and need, a winning product on the field. A competitive team is all we ask. Give us a playoff berth and we'll be ecstatic. Keep us close into September and we'll be pleased.

We are jaded as Mets fans. The promise of things to come is lost on us at this point. Two years to be competitive? Sure. I'll believe it when I see it.

Mr. Alderson may have the baseball community, ownership and baseball experts sold on his abilities. But it's the Mets fans that will ultimately decide his fate. Another empty Citi Field in September and Sandy will quickly learn what Omar had to deal with.

This isn't Oakland.

The Kids Come Through

Baseball is so much more fun when you win, but last night's Mets game was even more fun as you got to watch two of the Mets young prospects perform at a high level.

Jon Niese pitched a great game yesterday. He gave up a ton of hits, but the beauty of it is he got out of the jam every time. Niese was pitching Derek Lee like he owned him. Jamming him inside with the fastball. Then throwing the off speed pitch outside. The way he was changing velocity and location was textbook pitching. Something we rarely see as Mets fans.

Then of course, there's Ike Davis. I honestly thought the guy would go 0 for 4 because of all the hype and anticipation around his arrival. But he showed that he can deal with pressure. He packaged a couple of hits with a nice RBI and made everyone watching forget that there's this guy Daniel Murphy who's supposed to be starting at first base.

This is what the Mets have been missing. Some energy around some young guys and being able to watch them play. Citi Field looked rather empty last night, but if these young guys continue to perform well (even if the Mets don't win) you'll see more fans wanting to come to the ballpark.

Picture: NY Daily News/Antonelli

The Talented Mr. Chone Figgins

Chone Figgins is the latest name to pop up on the Mets rumor radar and SI.com is reporting that Omar Minaya met with Figgins' agent last night in Chicago.

Figgins is a versatile and interesting player that could fill a lot of holes for the Mets, but are they the right ones? He can play pretty much any position in the infield and even play some left field. Ok, but he's not playing third base with David Wright there. He's not playing shortstop with a healthy Jose Reyes. I don't think the Mets would sign him as an everyday left fielder because that's not really the power bat you're looking to get for that position.

Figgins is not suited to play first base full time, and I don't think you'd pay that much for him to be a bench player or platoon guy. So where do you put him?

Easy, second base.

While Luis Castillo was a solid performer last year, I think every Mets fan realizes we can't expect those kind of years from him in the future. Figgins would fit in nicely at second base, and provide a fantastic leadoff combo with Reyes at the top of the lineup.

I think I'd even like Figgins over the coveted Orlando Hudson. While Hudson would be a better clubhouse leader, I think the Mets would more years and some Citi Field optimized performance out of Figgins.

Of course the Phillies are interested in him as well and if Figgins becomes this year's Raul Ibanez, we'll be banging our heads against the wall.

It's still early in the off season so we may forget about Figgins in a few weeks, but with Carl Crawford off the market to me Figgins is the type of player that's suited for Citi Field and the Mets lineup.

Mets Lifer: Buy or Sell

As the season comes mercifully to a close, Bryan and I take a look at some of the issues the Mets will face when October 4th comes around in a little Mets Lifer: Buy or Sell.


Buy or Sell: The Mets will get Adrien Gonzalez this off season.
Bryan: Sell. While I would love him on the Mets, this is a pipe dream. Gonzalez is one of the best first basemen in the sport and he is dirt cheap right now. Mets do not have anything to offer to get him. I pray he becomes a free agent after 2011 but I suspect the Red Sox will land him in a trade.

Dave: Sell. I would trade the farm system for Gonzalez but I doubt the Mets will. Instead I hope they realize how important starting pitching is and instead go after a Doc Halladay or Felix Hernandez to support Johan Santana.


Buy or Sell: Angel Pagan is your starting left fielder in 2010.
Bryan: Sell. While a good hitter, and fielder, he makes way too many mental errors. I see him as a solid 4th outfielder. The Mets have to give F Mart a chance to play every day, assuming he’s healthy.

Dave: Buy. Pagan is like a college basketball freshman. Great talent, but inexperienced so he lacks the in-game intelligence. Pagan hasn’t played a full season in the bigs, ever. So these mental lapses are all part of the growth process to turn into an everyday player. The guy can hit. He’s got a solid glove and he can run like the wind. Those are three things that are a perfect match for Citi Field. Give him a shot to start and use Sullivan as your #4. Besides, hopefully FMart will be traded in a deal for Halladay or King Felix.

Buy or Sell: The Mets need to adjust the Citi Field dimensions.
Bryan: A BIG BUY here. Listen, I hate band box parks like the one in Philly, or the Bronx for that matter, but take one look at David Wright’s putrid numbers this year, and you’d have to be a fool not to consider moving the fences in, especially in right. I’ve said this before, but David Wright is the most glaring concern I have with this club going into 2010. He looks nothing like the hitter he used to be and that scares the heck out of me because if he no longer produces like he’s supposed to, the Mets and their fan base will suffer greatly. I’m shocked that more people aren’t as concerned about his decline. 8 HRs…EIGHT! He needs to seek out Jeff Kent to learn how to lay off the slider, b/c he reminds me of Kent when he was on the Mets. Slider down and away, and Kent was toast. Same thing now with Wright. If he’s not half-swinging at it, it’s totally in his head and he gets beat on the fast ball. Now somewhere along the way, Kent figured it out and we all know what happened to his career post Mets. Wright desperately needs to find the remedy. And bringing in that right field fence is a good start.

Dave: Sell, with an exception. I was as much a proponent of adjusting the dimensions as Bryan a month or so ago. But since then I’ve seen Derek Lee, Mark Reynolds, Dan Uggla, Brad Hawpe and others have zero issue with putting the ball over the fence. It seems like the only team struggling to hit home runs at Citi is the Mets. The power drought is an issue with the player not the field. However, the right field fence is just stupid. The Mo Zone fence should be moved up so it's even with “Utley’s Porch.” That has less to do with hitting home runs and more with creating a better playing field for the outfielders. Plus it serves no purpose being back that far other than to just be annoying. Kinda like that stupid hill in center field in Houston.

Buy or Sell: Mets fans will root for the Yankees in the playoffs.
Bryan: Sell. No true Mets fan will root for the Yanks in the playoffs, unless of course, they meet Philly in the World Series. Then I want the Yanks to win. It’s the lesser of two evils for me.

Dave: Sell. I’m with Bryan. Word for word.

First Mets Game

After 4 years of brain washing my daughter and 18 months of doing the exact same to my son, I finally took my kids to see their first Mets game this past Sunday. For baseball-junkie dads, this is one of those milestone moments that you look forward to and for me, the day did not disappoint. It was truly special. Here’s how it unfolded.

You have to understand, for those of you who do not have kids, there is a lot of preparation involved in taking them anywhere, let alone going to a ball game. This adds a whole new level of stress to your planning. Diapers? Check. Wipes? Check. Extra set of clothes (vomiting may occur)? Check. Goldfish (crackers)? Check. What about the stroller? You definitely don’t want to lug your kids all over especially when your back is already shot from lifting them up. Does Citi Field allow strollers? Not sure. Unable to find a “general information” number at Citi Field, I call the ticket line and got someone to tell me that ‘yes’ I can bring a stroller. How ‘bout a double-wide? Remember, my son is 18 months old, and while my daughter is certainly very capable of walking at 4 years of age, I know her well enough to know that at some point she’ll ask my wife or I to carry her so we definitely need the double-wide. ‘Yes, you can bring the double-wide.’ Perfect! Stress level reduced somewhat.

So we head to Citi Field from NJ, as a very clutch (I’m talking Keith Hernandez clutch!) DVD, Baby Einstein, occupies my son so he doesn’t get car sick. We found that one out on our trip to Flushing for Opening Day when we were dropping the kids off at Grammie’s Puked all over himself and the car seat. Awesome! Anyway, we begin to see the new park on the horizon as we make our way on the Grand Central and my daughter starts to get excited. She tells us she’s going to see David Wright (her favorite), Mr. Met, Jerry, Jose and Carlos and Carlos. (Remember, 4 years of brain-washing, she knows them all). I disappoint her when I tell her Jose and the Carloses are still hurt. She asks why they’re hurt and I tell her not even the team doctors know why. She didn’t understand why the doctors didn’t know why.

We arrive at Citi Field, drop $18 bucks for parking, pick up the kids’ first program, (photo op) and we stroll on over to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda entrance. Here, the stress level starts to increase because I’m thinking that we have to get the kids out of the double-wide and fold it up so we can pass through the turnstiles. Not an easy task when you consider my wife and I are also carrying backpacks containing the key ingredients; diapers, wipes, food, clothes. I wheeled the kids as close as I could and a security person came over and opened the big gate for us to walk through so we didn’t have to wait on the line. We also did not have to walk through the turnstiles as someone else came immediately over and scanned our tickets. Fantastic! That was a huge relief. But now what? Walk up the stairs or take the escalator? Both options would require some “heavy lifting.” But, once again, Citi Field staff saved the day as a lady came over and asked us if we would like to take the elevator. Bam! Absolutely! So she guided us over and we were up on the field level in no time. You could not have scripted our entrance any better. Stress level greatly reduced, all due to the personnel at Citi Field.

Before the start of the game, we walk to the Fan Fest area beyond center field in hopes of catching a glimpse of Mr. Met. Sure enough, there he is posing for pictures. My daughter is very excited as she wants to give him a hug. My son has no idea what’s going on but the look on his face says he’s having a blast. Unfortunately, the line is too long and Mr. Met has to head to the field for the start of the game. No worries, as we head over to the apple, which my daughter loves. (All kids do by the way). It is fantastic to see the legendary apple up close. The same apple that popped up on Todd Pratt’s series ending bomb in ’99, Dykstra’s walk off in Game 3 ’86 NLCS and of course Piazza’s memorable moon shot against the Braves after 9/11.

While we were near the apple, my son decided to walk over by the bullpen and stood up on the table to get a look inside. No doubt he was heckling the Reds (see pic above). ‘Atta boy. (Remember, 18 months of brain washing).

After, we headed to our seats which were perfectly located. Field level, down the right field line, 29^th row, two rows from the concourse. With kids, you know you’re going to have to get up and down a lot throughout the game; bathroom, food, diaper change, so the fact that we were right there made our lives so much easier. Plus, a supervisor allowed us to park our double-wide in the handicap section. The game started and sure enough, David Wright smacks an RBI double to deep center, appropriately giving my kids their first RBI and extra base hit in person. Throughout the game, my kids were great. My son couldn’t stop smiling and clapping. He had a great time, even shaking people’s hands introducing himself. He knew he was in good company so he was fitting right in. My daughter got all kinds of food; hot dog, pretzel, ice cream, but finished none of them which was perfectly fine with her brother as he gladly took the leftovers. We had to leave in the 6^th inning because we had to go to a birthday party.

Unfortunately, we missed “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” which my kids love, and we never did reconnect with Mr. Met. And of course, in typical Mets fashion, they hit back-to-back home runs in the 7^th (after going like a hundred games without one) so my daughter never did get to see the new apple pop up as she was hoping for but no matter, we still had an extraordinary day.

Truth be told, this was one of the more memorable days in my life. To experience that first game with my kids, was truly priceless and I will remember it always. And while our beloved NY Mets break our hearts year after year, I know I made the right decision in raising my kids as Met Lifers. The looks on their faces reminded me of the excitement I felt when I first started going to Met games more than 30 years ago. After all the Yadier Molina’s, Mike Scocia’s, John Franco’s, Armando Benitez’s, and September choke jobs, I wouldn’t trade it for the world…or all those Yankee championships for that matter.

Now let’s get our guys back and make a run in the second half!

Special thanks goes to two key people (L&L) who scored us the free tickets. I cannot thank you enough. And special props goes to the staff at Citi Field. Citi Field has been criticized at times, and rightfully so, for its lack of Mets history on display, (not to mention those silly white tarps over the bullpen – can someone please remove those eyesores?), They were absolutely fantastic in making our day as easy and as enjoyable as possible.

Things to Hate About the Young 2009 Season

It's not even May, but I'm already annoyed, agitated, and other adjectives that express distaste for this Mets team. Time to open the flood gates:

1. Hate the lack of fundamentals
2. Hate the baserunning - where are the stolen bases?
3. Hate that the best hitter on the team so far doesn't play every other day because Sheffield needs at bats
4. Hate the drama over Citi Field being an ode to the Dodgers. It's beautiful! Quit complaining.
5. Hate that just when you think the Mets as an organization are turning the corner something like Doc Gooden signing a wall reminds you just how much they don't get it.
6. Hate the pre game show
7. Hate the fact that the second best Mets pitcher on any given day at Citi Field works in the SNY broadcast booth
8. Hate the lack of clutchness
9. Hate that Jerry Manuel is screwing around with the lineup already. Uh Jerry, it's pitching that's the problem
10. Hate that we have the best reliever in the game, but he can't pitch in these games because the starting rotation is so awful
11. Hate that Daniel Murphy is reminding me of Todd Hundley out there
12. Hate the Marlins
13. Hate that we paid so much money for Oliver Perez
14. Hate that it's April and I'm already discounting this team's chances - they aren't giving me much choice!
15. Hate the economy - sorry, that just slipped
16. Hate that Livan Hernandez gives me more hope than Mike Pelfrey
17. Hate that Tim Redding is the pitcher I'm looking to for some hope
18. Hate losing games when you score 8 runs
19. Hate the inaugural season patch - Domino's anyone?
20. Hate the Drake
21. Hate the fact that Mike Francesa can now legitamitely rail on the Mets for 5 hours a day with just cause

A lot of anger. A series with the Nationals should help....hopefully.

METS OWNERSHIP CLUELESS YET AGAIN

If not being able to hit with men on base isn’t enough to anger Mets fans, then the decision from Mets management to remove an impromptu signature by Dwight Gooden on the wall in the Ebbets Field Club at Citi Field will absolutely infuriate them. And who could blame them?

With so much criticism levied at the Wilpons for not showing enough Mets history in the new park (not to mention a bullpen that no one can see in to or out of), you would think they would not only accept this brilliant stroke of spontaneity, but that they would wholeheartedly embrace it for its originality, authenticity. And for crying out loud, it’s Doctor “K”! It’s not like it was Jeff Innis (no offense Jeff).

Instead, much like the Mets hitters for the last 2+ seasons, the Mets brass just can’t take advantage of an opportunity when it’s right there in front of them. How cool would that have been to have Doc’s signature on that wall forever? The story alone would go down as legend. I can just picture Gary Cohen, long after his retirement, relaying this great story as a guest in the broadcast booth (with David Wright and Mike Pelfrey doing color). Rather than covering it with a felt cloth held up by four tacks like they did this weekend, they should have put a glass case around it like the freakin’ Mona Lisa! But, of course, with stupidity perpetually oozing out of their pores, they elect to erase it. Yes, erase it! I mean, you can’t make this stuff up. I wonder what Gooden thinks about it. I guarantee you if Rachel Robinson (Jackie’s wife) had signed her name on that wall, they would have been drooling all over it and hired every newspaper, TV outlet they could find to do a story about it.

"It's a brand-new building," said Jay Horwitz, the Mets' VP of media relations. "No one is supposed to write on the wall. It's going to be erased." An autograph on the wall? Absolutely not! Firing the manger in the middle of the night one game into a west coast trip? You beth’cya. Brilliant, just absolutely brilliant.

Listen, I’m not even that bent out of shape about the lack of Mets stuff in the park. I agree, there should be more, but I’m not going crazy about it like many others. I like the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, and the ball park is gorgeous, although I did sit in the upper deck for Opening Night and was very annoyed about not being able to see the right field corner. However, I was fortunate to go to the next game and sat in the field level section behind Pardres’ dugout, which was a first class experience. Ironically, I actually saw the Doctor signing autographs two sections away behind home plate.

I’m just sick and tired of this organization not getting it! Time and time again they simply fail to connect with their fan base and they wonder why we’re so angry. They just don’t have a clue.

I have a great idea for the Wilpons that I am positive they will love: Sell a sponsorship next to Gooden’s signature. Preferably that awesome clip art from that fork lift ad next to the giant scoreboard in center field…It’s so cheesy it’s perfect for them.

This Mets Team Can Score

No one can score from first base on a pass ball and an error that trickles merely 20 feet from home plate. No one, except for Jose Reyes.

In oneo of the most remarkable plays yet this season, Jose Reyes scored from first last night on a pass ball and a throwing error that didn't look long enough for one runner to advance an extra base let alone come around to score from first.

That play capped off an offensive night for the Mets that showed this team can score runs. There were more opportunities to score that the Mets failed to execute, but even with that they were able to muster 7 runs to support Oliver Perez in his first win of the season.

There was a lot of discussion this offseason about the need for an extra bat in right or left field, but I think we've seen in both spring training and early on that this team can get on base and score runs. The key is whether they feel like it on any given day as we do know the Mets have a propensity for not hitting with runners in scoring position in 2 outs. But the Mets are not without opportunities to score.

The first win at Citi Field is over and done with and I'm anxious to see if the John Maine we saw last week shows up again tonight because he looked really sharp against the Marlins even in the loss.

A Game That Had Everything...But A Win

What a way to open a new stadium. Actually when you think about it, it was opened in typical Mets fashion.

The leadoff hitter for the other team gets a home run to open the game. The Mets starting pitcher struggles. Defensive errors score runs. The Mets come back but can't come back all the way. A balk drives in the winning run.

What other team does this kind of stuff happen to other than the Mets? It was a bizarre first game at Citi Field. Pelfrey struggled not only locating his pitches, but he even fell off the mound at one point. Feliciano's balk may have been the most subtle balk in major league history. I watched the replay at least 30 times and still couldn't understand why that's a balk.

There were two highlights tonight. The first being the pre-game festivities which included a ceremonial first pitch from legend Tom Seaver to future legend Mike Piazza.

The second highlight was David Wright's blast to left field. Wright was crushing the ball last night and hit another shot 405 feet to center, but the ball was caught against the wall. The best thing about Wright's homer was his reaction and intensity while running the bases. He wanted this game bad.

Many a Mets fan will comfort themselves by saying it was only one game. We can only hope it's not symbolic of how things will fare this year.

Citi Field: Menus and Pricing

Some fantastic recon work was done by our friend over at Pick Me Up Some Mets. She actually took photos of various concession stand menus at the new Citi Field so you can see how much you're going to be expected to pay for a hot dog ($5.75 in case you're wondering).

The good news is the food options look really good. The prices are pricey, but not totally extravagant from what you'd expect. $17 for a lobster roll might be a little excessive.

Definitely check out the post over at Pick Me Up Some Mets.

Video Tour of Citi Field

Thanks to the folks at FOX 5, below is a video tour of our beloved new home of the Mets Citi Field. I can't wait to check it out in person so this video will have to do for now.

Citi Field: Up Close and Personal

Our friend over at MetsGrrl.com, put together possibly the most comprehensive preview of Citi Field you'll find online. It's like she made her very own episode of "Cribs", Mets style, as she takes you through the ins and outs, pros and cons of the new home of our beloved New York Mets.

The pictures are fantastic and I especially love the branding on each row of seats. If Citi goes belly up I'd hate to be the one that has to replace all those stickers on the sides of the seats.

Between the economy, ticket prices, and the high demand for tickets, this might be the closest some of us get to experiencing Citi Field. You have to check this out.

Click here to read MetsGrrl.com's Citi Field Preview.

My First Mets Game

The following commentary is straight from the mouth of a future Mets Lifer who attended his first Mets game ever on Thursday afternoon. This is such a great narrative of baseball games through the eyes of children. He saw a fantastic game, but the best part is to him it didn't matter if the Mets won or lost. He enjoyed the game because of the atmosphere, the snacks, and the fact that he was there with his dad and grandpa.

My name is Matthew Siroty and today (Thursday, 8/7/08) I went to my first Mets game. I went with my dad and grandpa. I wore my David Wright Mets t-shirt with number 5 on the back. I was excited to go and even missed a day of gymnastics camp to go. We took two trains to get to Shea Stadium and the Long Island railroad was very nice.

When we got there I saw two stadiums, Citi Field and Shea Stadium. There were a lot of people and a lot of kids, probably because it was Sesame Street Day and camps came. I gave my Sesame Street coloring book that they gave me to my little brother Michael. I love him and he does whatever I do. He is my only brother but was too little to get to go the game. He wouldn't totally like it because he is only 3.

We got our tickets and they were right behind home plate and I could see the players really close. I thought Shea Stadium was smaller than it really was. I saw Ernie and David Cook. He was the winner of American Idol.

The best part of the game was all of the food I had. I started with pretzels that my mom packed, then a hot pretzel, then Sierra Mist, a hot dog, french fries and then a water. I also had my first peanuts and tried to throw them in my dad's mouth. My favorite part was throwing the shells on the ground. I waited until the bottom of the fourth inning to have my ice cream. When we went to get my ice cream, I got to take my picture with Mr. Met. That was cool.

I watched a little of the game, but most of the time I played brickbreaker on my dad's phone. It was also pretty hot outside. The Mets were winning 3-2 in the ninth inning and we thought they were going to win. I was getting a little bored because the Mets kept changing pitchers. And when the Padres tied the score I thought we were going to have extra inings and we wouldn't be able to go home.

But then in the bottom of the ninth, my favorite player David Wright hit a walk-off homer and the Mets won the game. I didn't see the home run because I was playing brickbreaker and the crowd scared me because they were cheering so loudly.

My dad picked me up so I could see David Wright run the bases and then the Mets were so excited they jumped on David Wright when he got to home plate. I will always remember my favorite player hitting the winning home run. When we were leaving, a man told me I was wearing the right shirt. That was fun. I'm glad I got to see Shea Stadium before they tear it down. I loved my first baseball game!

Things I Hate About Shea Stadium

There's a lot of love going around for Shea Stadium. We've got documentaries, articles, books, etc. Believe me I'll miss Shea's memories and we'll shell out some more love for Shea in the coming months, but let's be honest. Shea Stadium is possibly the worst professional sports stadium on the planet.

Here are a number of things I hate about Shea Stadium and can't wait for Citi Field to open:

1. The bathrooms
2. The worst choice of concessions
3. Those neon baseball figures hanging on the outside
4. The fact that you can't see half the field if you sit under the overhang on the Mezzanine level
5. The filthy "seat wipes" the ushers use that date back to the opening of the park in 1964
6. The cheesy retired number decals that hang over the left field fence. They look like oversized "Colorforms" from my days in 2nd grade. Can't we honor our heroes in a better way?
7. The "Everybody clap your hands" song that plays incessantly throughout the game
8. Parking underneath the highway
9. The bathrooms

I'm sure there's more things that no one will miss so feel free to add to the list.

View Your Seat in Citi Field

Very cool interactive site that gives you a detailed look of how it will feel to be in Citi Field. You can even pick out your seat and see the potential view.

Check out the Citi Field interactive experience here via Seats3D.com.