The elusive picture of Shea for the Jets. Notice how the field level is rotated. This picture is from 1964.
Crossword
It’s the off season(except for two teams..damn them), and as I hate rumors, I haven’t been posting much.
I noticed this in today’s AMNY crossword puzzle, and while it’s true in a past tense sense, it’s a little outdated now.
65 Across: Shea Player.
It’s obviously Met (Although Jet would also work, since both teams used to play there, and neither do now), but right now the Mets don’t have a home. They’re still on the moving truck between them.
Jets at Shea
I know I saw a picture at one point, but I can’t find any on the internet at the moment.
Does anyone out there have a good picture of the field level rotated out to accommodate the Jets?
All or Nothing
Shea was great on Saturday. And hopefully it’ll be great on Sunday. Hopefully this isn’t actually the last game. Either way I’m going to take 6 zillion pictures. It’s going to be insane, and we won’t know the final of the Brewers game until the middle of the Shea Goodbye ceremony, which will make it all the more nerve wracking.
What Johan did was amazing. Oliver Perez never moved from his spot leaning on the railing in the front of the dug out, and was one of the first out to congratulate him. Here’s hoping he was taking notes.
Division Title is Brewing
Regardless of the struggles for the division, the Brewers inability to win games has put up a safety net for the Mets. They own a substantial lead over the wild card challengers in
There are nine games left, which is also the magic number to clinch the division outright. Seven is the magic number to clinch the postseason altogether. Both are doable. This team looks good right now; finding ways to win, capitalizing on errors, and not letting their own errors hurt them.
86 wins in the book, with nine to play. Chances are they don’t win every one of them, but end up with a comfortable 90-92. Which is where they’d have been last year if their collapse had been mini instead of total. Time to finish it out, put the Phillies away, and win this division. Leave the final weekend at Shea for Shea, not trying to make the playoffs.
Argenis Reyes really should just told he can come back next year. His spot in the lineup should just read ‘out’. I know Castillo has been slow returning from the DL, but so has Church, and we’re not killing him. Castillo is better than Argenis, and a hurt Castillo is better than a hurt Easley, and I don’t think Castillo’s that hurt. Maybe he’s lost a step here and there, but he still can run the bases, still can draw the walk, still gets on base. If he can get on base, and Wright, Beltran and Delgado can hit, then everythings peachy. Argenis Reyes however, hasn’t had a hit in over a month spanning 12 games. He’s had one walk in that span. Castillo accomplished both last night.
Citi Field: Home of the Mets, and only the Mets.
News today confirms what has probably been the plan all along. A shiny new Home Run Apple at the Citi. This is just as it should be, I don’t understand those that want the same old decrepit apple from Shea. It’s worn out and needs to be replaced anyway. Moving it would be as silly as taking the seats from Shea to put in Citi Field.
A lot of stuff about Citi Field hasn’t been decided or released yet. There will be plenty of Shea mementos, and plenty of references to the Mets, despite what some people like to think. For example, the neon guys from the outside of Shea will be featured in one of the clubhouses somewhere, and while we can’t see them, they’ll be there. I’m sure other things will as well. Citi Field is not some Dodger tribute either. The façade of the rotunda will resemble Ebbett’s Field, which I think is a nice touch for the part of the stadium that will be named one of the few baseball players that actually transcends the sport. There are a couple of names for landings and areas that are tributes to old Dodgers and Giants, and you might say it’s a bit too much, and maybe it is. However, there will be plenty of Mets stuff all around, as well as any new memories and additions that happen will likely to Mets related. These Dodger/Giant references are merely the way to recognize and remember the past that led to the creation of the Mets. It’s a way for Mets fans and the next generation to not forget the roots of the team, while we move into a new state of the art facility designed specifically for the New York Mets. Next summer, when the Mets are making memories and leaving their mark all over the place, no one will be thinking about the Dodgers.
Another misconception is that the average fan is being priced out of Citi Field. This is just people overreacting to little snippets of news and expectation. The facts are that there will be plenty of affordable seating at the Citi, and the concessions are likely to be on par with Shea, just with more options and better quality. I’ve heard from a variety of season ticket holders, and while the top prices for the very best seats are obscene, some people are actually paying less than they are this year. There are definitely reasonable priced tickets, and it will be possible for everyone to see a game at the Field next year. I believe the cheapest ticket is going to be $12, compared to $5 this year. There will probably be the occasional special and discount too. And this doesn’t include the Standing Room Only tickets, which they haven’t discussed yet.
Of course, there are some things about the new stadium that aren’t perfect. Despite the ‘good views everywhere’ philosophy, I don’t like the limited seating. Financially I understand why it was done; it would probably take decades to replace the cost of building those extra 10k charging what they’d be worth. While more legroom and closer seats is important, those next 10 thousand people that get left out of the big game would rather be inside than out. However, the Mets rarely average more than the capacity of Citi Field, and the only reason they did this year is because it’s the last year at Shea.
All in all, I’m looking forward to Citi Field a lot. Shea Stadium has a lot of memories, but just like everyone eventually moves out of their first apartment that was falling apart but fun nonetheless, it’s time for the Mets and the fans to move to a better home.
All-Star Guide
I wrote a sort of guide to the All-Star game, of what to expect, which i’m pasting below. I also created a drinking game, if anyone is interested in that.
Tuesday is the Major League Baseball All-Star game. It’s being played this year in Yankee Stadium, in it’s final season before being knocked down. This is, quite understandably, going to create a feeling of nostalgia around the broadcasts and events involved in this game. From clips of past All-Star games at Yankee Stadium and other memorable moments to discussions about Yankees from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, there is going to be a lot of talk about the Yankees and Yankee Stadium during these festivities.
Things to expect on Tuesday for the All-Star game
Players:
-I expect plenty of coverage of Goose Gossage, a Yankee who played in the 1977 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium and is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
-Thurman Munson also played in that game, and is a much beloved Yankee that will get plenty of discussion.
-The other Yankees to play in the 1977 All-Star game; Reggie Jackson, Sparky Lyle, Graig Nettles and Willie Randolph will get some mention.
-It’ll be mentioned that Randolph managed the Mets and got fired, but other than that I’m sure it’ll be all Yankee references.
-Probably at least some discussion of the other Yankees to play in All-Star games at Yankee Stadium over the years.
-Especially on ESPN, Joe Morgan will talk about, or be talked about, since he was at the game in 1977. If we don’t see a clip of the home run he hit in the game, I’ll be shocked.
-I don’t expect a lot of talk about the Yankees citymates, the New York Mets. David Wright and Billy Wagner will get mentioned since they’re on the team, but even though this isn’t the only stadium closing in the city, not much will be made of the 1964 All-Star game at Shea Stadium. John Sterns was the only Met representative at the 1977 All-Star game, but Tom Seaver was also on the roster for the Reds before being traded back to the Mets, as was former Met Nolan Ryan.
Stadium:
-An overabundance of Yankee Stadium goodbyes. All sorts of people will be asked about their first and last moments in Yankee Stadium and what it means to them.
-Plenty of talk about when Yankee Stadium was built, about Babe Ruth’s career helping to make it what it is today.
-Repeated shots of Monument Park and all the plaques and statues enclosed within. Also discussions about how it’s going to be moved to the new stadium.
-Plenty of overhead shots of the new Yankee Stadium being build, and the comparisons and similarities between the two stadiums.
-I’d be shocked if they showed Shea Stadium at all. Despite there being another stadium in New York that housed plenty of baseball’s history as well as an All-Star game, it won’t get more than a passing mention. At best I’d expect a quick aerial shot of it and Citi Field, the Mets home from 2009 and beyond.
As for the game itself, I suspect it’ll be a fairly decent game this year. There are a great amount of young players on the rosters that are fun to watch, as well as some terrific pitchers. I think the National League will finally prevail this year, after failing in a close comeback last year and Trevor Hoffman blowing the save in 2006. This means Yankees closer Mariano Rivera will not get to close out the final All-Star game in Yankee Stadium for the American League, but he can still pitch the ninth inning if Terry Francona was inclined to do so.
On Top of the World
A huge confidence booster to end the unofficial first half on this kind of note. Win or lose tomorrow, when they resume play on Thursday it’ll be with the knowledge that they can and will beat everyone.
The Mets now control their own destiny. They are zero losses behind for the lead, so if they win, they win. It’s a good place to be, and even if they were to fall back to one out, they can go into the break relaxed and confident.
For the first time probably all year, their was optimism and confidence in the stands at Shea while I was there. And the place was virtually packed too.
Last True Doubleheader
This very well could be the last true doubleheader ever at Shea Stadium. It’s also on Fathers Day, which seems rather fitting.
I was ‘at’ the game Saturday Night, and I got quite a few interesting pictures. The Field was an absolute wreck by the time they called the game. There were puddles everywhere, including a lake on the warning track in center field. I didn’t take any pictures of the inside as I was leaving, but all I could think was “Is it time to go to the Citi yet?” As I waded through stagnant puddles of water and dodging raindrops somehow leaking through the ceiling.
Before the game, during the brief non-rainy period they were holding a Nathan’s hot dog eating contest. The winner ate 42 hot dogs, which was rather disturbing, but it was kind of interesting too.
Also, I’m in the process of uploading a video of the Texas Rangers playing Slip N Slide on the trap as the game was being called. I assume the Mets were either already dressing to go home, already on their way home, or not in a jovial mood the way they’ve been playing. Either way, there were still fans that managed to criticize them for not being out there on the tarp, and it almost seemed like there were callers to WFAN blaming Willie for the rain out. Probably a bit much, but I was disappointed Trot Nixon wasn’t in the lineup, and Easley was supposed to be playing left field. I suppose we’ll see them all tomorrow.
Rangers Can’t Win
Texas Rangers are 1-5 all-time at Shea Stadium. Of course, they’ve never played the Mets. The Yankees ripped them apart back in 1975 when they played at Shea. The only certainty about this weekend is that the Rangers won’t ever have a winning record at Shea Stadium. This isn’t an absolute however, but it’s unlike the Rangers will visit Shea in the World Series.
I ‘have’ to go to the game tomorrow. I’m looking more forward to getting my Nathan’s Shea replica than the game though. It’s sad, but it’s a lose-lose situation for a while. They lose, it sucks. They win, okay fine, show me more. It is ultimately still kinda early, and the Phillies aren’t going to run away, but they need to get around to figuring out what type of team they want to be and how to play like winners.