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Best 2009 Mets Acquisition

Without a doubt, the best acquisition the Mets made in 2009 was Citi Field. Given all the problems and the Mets going nowhere, the one new thing this year that helped sooth the pain and will continue to be there year after year is Citi Field.

From Citifield

The stadium was there for all 81 games is was schedule to host, which is more than most Mets can say. It’s a great place to watch a game, and my biggest regret is the season died too fast to really get a feel for how it handles the big game, and what that energy would feel like. There’s great standing room only spots, including the bridge out in center field. We got to keep the Home Run Apple; If only the whole ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ had worked for the Mets this year. Maybe that’s the problem. They certainly didn’t get the Apple to pop up every game.

From Citifield

Mobility and visibility are one of the big pluses of Citi Field. No matter where you are in Citi Field, you’re rarely a few steps from being able to see the field. It’s easy to get around the park as well. It has 360 degree mobility so that if you’re in the right field promenade you don’t have to circle the entire stadium to visit someone or something in left field reserved. You can do it without having to fight through crowded aisles or concourses, or puddles of water or vendors and janitors pushing pallets of trash or frozen burgers through the area. While it’s crowded, I have yet to encounter the type of gridlock that was prevalent at Shea Stadium. With the exception of the middle level club seats you can get to any part of the stadium with any ticket. I wish there were a center field exit to the Pepsi Porch, but I’ll live with it.

From Citifield

The food, beer and distractions available at Citi Field are great. I do agree that the focus should be on the game, but if I wanted to zone out and stare at the game, I could stay home too. I want to immerse myself in the stadium, the crowd, the beer and the food. I want to do it without missing the game, and Citi Field allows me to do this without missing whole innings, something that was common at Shea.

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Instant Replay, Seating and Pricing, First Place

Instant Replay! Best thing to happen to baseball since the Wild Card! Last night’s was probably the least clear of them all; Murphy’s drive glanced off the overhang of the Pepsi Porch, which is exactly what it was intended to do. However, it shouldn’t have been that difficult. Here’s what I propose.

Tilt all the advertisements slightly. Make it so the bottom of the ad is an inch closer to home plate than the top of it. This will be virtually unnoticeable to anyone, but it will clearly alter the path of any balls that even glance off of it.

Add a camera that is on the corner of the Porch, in foul territory, that only points along the front wall of the Porch.

The best view of it may have been the fans standing (or sitting) in the last section of the Excelsior level. Here’s a shot I took standing there into the bullpen, but you have a good view of that Subway sign.

From 040709_Phillies

People joke about all the pricing levels at Citi Field, but it’s actually pretty straight forward. I opened ticketmaster to check availability for a game at Yankee Stadium, and was confronted with way too many options.

From MetsStuff

Good win by the Mets, getting Santana the W even when he hasn’t been his best. He’s going to be a serious contender for 20 wins this year. The Mets are back in first place where they belong and aren’t playing good teams for the next couple of weeks. Beltran is hopefully back tomorrow, and hopefully Reyes and Church will be back before they find themselves facing a tough team again. It’s time to hang onto first place for the long run.

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Winning Streak

Four in a row against division rivals. That’s what champions do. Last I checked, throwing elbows and trying to draw penalties is a soccer move, not a baseball one. No one’s surprised that Victorino is a punk though. I echo the sentiments around the other blogs that say, “Drill Him.” Or better yet, just drill Utley. He hangs out over the plate enough that you could probably bean him and not even draw a warning, although drawing a warning gives you a leg up when they try to retaliate. Of course, I’m not sure the Phillies have a pitcher with enough control to hit a batter.

Now the team has to stave off a letdown, and play three against the Pirates. After that, three more against the division rival Braves before the west coast trip that has them with a layover in Boston on the way home. It’ll be a tough two weeks, but it’s time for the Mets to rise to the top. No more wallowing around .500, dropping below, bouncing back, etc etc. I’m not suggesting they need to win six here for a 10 game winning streak, but you’d like to see at least four of six.

I caught the game from the Pepsi Porch last night for the first time, and despite initial reservations about the area, I love it. I was in row six, just in foul territory, but it felt so close. Do to the porch nature, the right fielder was semi-obstructed, but the only thing I missed was Ryan Howard’s home run, and I didn’t need to see that. Besides, I could see four different televisions on the Excelsior level to my left, and was able to watch replays and note that Keith was roaming the park. This is also how I figured out it was a bogus obstruction call they were fighting about, because watching the play unfold I didn’t notice it. The only thing about the Porch is that it’s a small one-way exit, and if you want to head to the Center Field Taste of the City food court, you have to walk out of your way. They really could use a staircase straight down, but those are Mets offices and I guess they don’t have a Porch access stairwell.

I had the elote corn, which was delicious, as well as the tacos that Matt Cerrone, among others, always seem to be ranting about. They were also excellent. I had another Brooklyn Sabroso Ale, and came back to have a Goose Island India Pale Ale, even if it’s a Chicago beer. I feel like they should not sell those when the Cubs are in town, but that’s silly.

From 041609_Padres

Good game, good atmosphere at the park, good winning streak, good feelings. Let’s Go Mets!

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First Regular Season Trip to Citi Field

I’d have hoped the Mets would get off to a better start, but they had some bad breaks. Hopefully Pelfrey’s tendinitis isn’t a big deal. Once the weather warms up, and they shake off this spring rust, I’m expecting them to put together a nice little run.

Thursday I’m going to my first regular season game at Citi, since I couldn’t find even scalped tickets to the opener for less than $250. I’m going to go for batting practice, and roam around like crazy. I plan to check out views, and bounces, and try to catch a bp home run. Here’s a quick run down of some things I plan on doing. Feel free to comment/email me if you think of other things I should check out.

1.Views from all the seats I currently have tickets to.

2.Other views, last row behind the plate. Last sections in the promenade on both sides. View from the Left Field Landing under the Promenade. Many others.

3.See what type of ‘club access’ is available well before the game. Are all the clubs already locked down and checking tickets, or am I able to go inside and look at them?

4.Someone asked me about the veggie options at Citi Field. So I’m going to keep an eye out for that stuff. I know they have salads and such in the Worlds Fare Market. Veggie burgers?

5.If I’m feeling ambitious, maybe I’ll try to time how long it takes to get up from high in the promenade after an inning, walk down, go to the bathroom, and get a hot dog, and get back.

6.Shea always had ‘hidden’ food items, especially in the later years. Where were the knishes? You can get Killian’s and Blue Moon on the Mezz? Really? I’m going to keep an eye out for the odd kiosk that might be serving something less standard at Citi.

7.I really want to check out the standing room options from around the park. I know there are some amazing standing views up on the Promenade that are close, block no one’s view and block no one’s path.

8.How tight is security for the ‘roamers’. I’m planning on buying a cheap seat, but not sitting in it. Am I going to get harassed for grabbing a seat here and there during the game? Only on the field level? What about the Big Apple seats?

9.Of course I’m going to have a beer or two, to continue the Citi Field Beer Review.  First will be the exclusive Brooklyn Sabroso Ale.

I’m looking forward to a fun six hour day at the ballpark.