I’ve been to a lot of Major League Baseball parks. Obviously I’ve been to Citi Field and Shea Stadium as well as the two most recent Yankee Stadiums. I’ve been to Fenway (Hideo Nomo one hit the Blue Jays, which I’d forgotten when I was leaving the Niese game the other day trying to think of the other one-hitters I’d seen), RFK Stadium (The final two games there ever, they were playing the Phillies in late 2007 so I even had a heavy rooting interest), Dolphin Stadium as it was known by that month, Wrigley Field, I was in St. Louis during the demolotion of the last Busch Stadium, Coors Field, Petco Park, Angel Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Oakland Colliseum and the Giant’s Park, which I think was named SBC Park at the time, but I didn’t see the Mets play at any of them.
The only time I’ve seen the Mets play on the road (I’m ignoring Yankee Stadium, because it doesn’t really count as ‘away’) was a day-night doubleheader in early 2007 in Citizen’s Bank Park. It was a fun day and was before the rivalry. Phillies fans had no hope for the season and were reveling in 10000 losses and just hoping not to get destroyed by the defending NL East champs. This weekend I will add one more road Mets game to my credit, against the Orioles in Camden Yards on Sunday. It’s supposed to be a great park, it’s a Pelfrey start, and the Mets have won six of seven games I’ve seen this year.
One thing that’s always odd about watching the Mets on the road is the batting first thing. All of a sudden the game has started and there is Reyes ready to go. Usually we have three outs to get settled. The scoreboard never prompts us to cheer “Lets Go Mets”, even though there will be a very good representation of Mets fans at these games. Mr. Met is nowhere to be found, and they never play Lazy Mary after Take Me Out To The Ballgame.
Nonetheless, I’m excited. I have a good feeling that they’ll finally have a winning road trip, and they’ve gotten off to a good start winning the first game. I’ll also be in attendance at Yankee Stadium to end the trip, hoping it’ll be a nice capper on a road trip that finally erases the 2009 bad feelings and has the Mets in first place to start the summer.
