Citi Field
Queens, New York
August 11, 2012
Atlanta Braves Vs New York Mets
"The Mets are gonna be amazing"
Mets' first manager, Casey Stengel
The Day After
"The Mets are gonna be amazing"
Mets' first manager, Casey Stengel
The Day After
"What time is it?" Ryan asked while rubbing his eyes.
"About two o'clock" I told him. "You fell asleep."
"I was tired. It was a long day yesterday" he said while yawning.
"Yes it was, but it's time to get moving. We have another game today."
With that he perked up.
"That's right. We're seeing the Mets tonight. Brendan and mommy are coming too, right?" He asked.
"Yes, and Aunt Kristen and Uncle Eui as well. Remember, they got us some of the tickets" I reminded him. "Let's go, time to get ready and head out."
Going to two games, in two cities, within twenty-four hours, was not in my plans this year. But when we had the chance to hit Philly and Citi Field, in one weekend, we decided we had to do it. So less than fourteen hours after getting home from Philly, we were back in the car and heading towards Queens.
Once again, we were the recipients of a wonderful gesture when it came to procuring tickets. Nicole's cousin, Kristen, had been a group leader for a work outing earlier in the year and was given a voucher for four free tickets to attend a game of her choice. She had offered those up and we would purchase two more. That way the six of us could make it a night out at the ballpark. Everyone was looking forward to the time together and the chance to make one of our "tour" stops a family affair.
"You've gotta root for the Mets" Ryan teased Brendan.
"No I don't. I'm a Yankees' fan" Brendan shot back.
"Nope" Ryan laughed, "We root for the home team, unless the home team is playing the Yankees."
"What the heck?!" Brendan looked at me for help.
"He's right" I told my youngest son. "Those are the rules of the tour."
"If I had to root for the Phillies last night, you have to root for the Mets" Ryan proclaimed.
"No I don't!" Brendan shot back.
Ryan just laughed.
"You're killing me, Smalls" I said to Ry.
"Knock it off, all of you" Nicole chimed in.
You could tell, just by looking at her, that she was in no mood for our nonsense. Wisely, we changed the subject and started to discuss the Mets, Shea Stadium and their history.
In 1959, it was announced that a third professional league, the Continental League, was going to try and begin operation in 1961 and New York was a city that was targeted. Major League Baseball acted quickly and agreed to expand each league by two teams, Washington and Los Angeles in the American League and Houston and New York in the National. The announcement was made official when funding was secured to build a new ballpark for the New York team, who would begin play in 1962 in the old home of the Giants, the Polo Grounds.
The primary logo was designed by cartoonist Ray Gatto and is a meshed skyline of New York (from left to right: the church spire, which signifies Brooklyn (known as the borough of churches), next is the Williamsburg Savings Bank (the tallest building in Brooklyn), then comes a generic view of Manhattan and finally the Empire State Building and the United Nations Building, with a bridge in the foreground that symbolizes the joining of the two rival baseball boroughs to form a new franchise).
For the first two years of their existence, the Mets shared the historic Polo Grounds with football's N.Y. Jets. The Mets played poorly, but fans came out in droves to watch their new N.L. team and supported them with a passion that had once been on display for both the Dodgers and the Giants. In fact there were a few former New York players on the roster those first years, Gil Hodges, Clem Labine, Don Zimmer and Gene Woodling played, while Casey Stengel managed.
Shea was an expansive stadium and early on had the largest foul territory in the major leagues. It was always known as a pitchers' park with dimensions that ran from 338 feet to Left Field (341 from 1964-1977), 358 to Medium Left-Center Field, 371 to Left-Center Field, 396 to Deepest Left-Center Field, 410 to Center Field, 396 to Deepest Right-Center Field, 371 to Right-Center Field, 358 to Medium Right-Center Field and 338 to Right Field (341 from 1964-1977). The playing surface was natural Kentucky Bluegrass, which at the time was different from the other multi-purpose stadiums, such as Riverfront and Three Rivers, which used Astro-Turf.
Throughout its lifetime, Shea Stadium was home to the Mets, the N.F.L.'s Jets (1964-1983), and the "American Soccer League's New York United. In 1975, Shea was the center of the New York sports scene as it became home to the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants and the Jets as Yankee Stadium was being remodeled. Aside from sports, Shea hosted musical concerts, such as Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, The WHO, The Clash, Simon and Garfunkel and, most famously, The Beatles. The stadium was also the setting for such movies as "Bang The Drum Slowly" and "Men In Black", and during a 1979 visit to the United States, Pope John Paul II as well.
With that he perked up.
"That's right. We're seeing the Mets tonight. Brendan and mommy are coming too, right?" He asked.
"Yes, and Aunt Kristen and Uncle Eui as well. Remember, they got us some of the tickets" I reminded him. "Let's go, time to get ready and head out."
Going to two games, in two cities, within twenty-four hours, was not in my plans this year. But when we had the chance to hit Philly and Citi Field, in one weekend, we decided we had to do it. So less than fourteen hours after getting home from Philly, we were back in the car and heading towards Queens.
Once again, we were the recipients of a wonderful gesture when it came to procuring tickets. Nicole's cousin, Kristen, had been a group leader for a work outing earlier in the year and was given a voucher for four free tickets to attend a game of her choice. She had offered those up and we would purchase two more. That way the six of us could make it a night out at the ballpark. Everyone was looking forward to the time together and the chance to make one of our "tour" stops a family affair.
"You've gotta root for the Mets" Ryan teased Brendan.
"No I don't. I'm a Yankees' fan" Brendan shot back.
"Nope" Ryan laughed, "We root for the home team, unless the home team is playing the Yankees."
"What the heck?!" Brendan looked at me for help.
"He's right" I told my youngest son. "Those are the rules of the tour."
"If I had to root for the Phillies last night, you have to root for the Mets" Ryan proclaimed.
"No I don't!" Brendan shot back.
Ryan just laughed.
"You're killing me, Smalls" I said to Ry.
"Knock it off, all of you" Nicole chimed in.
You could tell, just by looking at her, that she was in no mood for our nonsense. Wisely, we changed the subject and started to discuss the Mets, Shea Stadium and their history.
Reestablishing a National League Presence in New York:
After the 1957 season, both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants abandoned New York City for the West Coast. This left New York with one professional baseball team, the Yankees, for the first time since the turn of the century and broke the hearts of fans across the region.
 |
| Polo Grounds |
The owners of the new ball club were Joan and Charles Payson, who were minority owners of Giants, George Herbert Walker Jr., and former Giants director M. Donald Grant. Grant and the Paysons had been the only two members of the Giants Board of Directors who had voted against moving the club to San Francisco.
The name for the new franchise was decided to be New York Mets, (Empires and Islanders being runner-ups), in honor of the former Metropolitan Baseball Club of New York who played in the city for the American Association from 1880-1887.
The owners decided to reach out to the former fans of both the Dodgers and Giants by combing the color schemes of the old teams, orange from the Giants and blue from the Dodgers. It was decided that the logo would be orange and replicate the one the Giants wore on their caps during their final years, while the cap itself would be blue to honor the Dodgers.
For the first two years of their existence, the Mets shared the historic Polo Grounds with football's N.Y. Jets. The Mets played poorly, but fans came out in droves to watch their new N.L. team and supported them with a passion that had once been on display for both the Dodgers and the Giants. In fact there were a few former New York players on the roster those first years, Gil Hodges, Clem Labine, Don Zimmer and Gene Woodling played, while Casey Stengel managed.
The Mets took the field the first time on April 11, 1962 against the St. Louis Cardinals and suffered the first of their 120 losses. It was a record for futility that has only been surpassed by the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who went 20-134 that year.
Shea Stadium
In 1964 the Mets moved into their new home, Shea Stadium, in the borough of Queens, near the site of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fair Grounds. The location of the new stadium was originally discussed when the Dodgers were looking for a new home in the mid 1950's, but owner Walter O'Malley insisted on Brooklyn, while New York City official Robert Moses preferred Flushing Meadows. When Los Angeles gave O'Malley complete ownership of a new facility in Los Angeles, something Moses would not do, the Dodgers moved to west coast, taking the Giants along for the ride.
The original name of the stadium was supposed to be Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium, but was changed to Shea Stadium to honor the man who brought the National League, William A. Shea, back to New York. The ballpark was supposed to open in 1963, but labor issues and the severe winter of 1962-1963 pushed back the opening until 1964.
On April 17, 1964, at a cost of about $29 million, and almost two and a half years of construction, Shea Stadium opened its doors for the first time. The new park was a multi purpose stadium that would house the Mets and the N.F.L.'s Jets and would seat about 55,300 for baseball and over 60, 000 for football. Opening Day saw the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Mets, 4-3, before over 50,000 fans.
Shea was an expansive stadium and early on had the largest foul territory in the major leagues. It was always known as a pitchers' park with dimensions that ran from 338 feet to Left Field (341 from 1964-1977), 358 to Medium Left-Center Field, 371 to Left-Center Field, 396 to Deepest Left-Center Field, 410 to Center Field, 396 to Deepest Right-Center Field, 371 to Right-Center Field, 358 to Medium Right-Center Field and 338 to Right Field (341 from 1964-1977). The playing surface was natural Kentucky Bluegrass, which at the time was different from the other multi-purpose stadiums, such as Riverfront and Three Rivers, which used Astro-Turf. 
Throughout its lifetime, Shea Stadium was home to the Mets, the N.F.L.'s Jets (1964-1983), and the "American Soccer League's New York United. In 1975, Shea was the center of the New York sports scene as it became home to the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants and the Jets as Yankee Stadium was being remodeled. Aside from sports, Shea hosted musical concerts, such as Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, The WHO, The Clash, Simon and Garfunkel and, most famously, The Beatles. The stadium was also the setting for such movies as "Bang The Drum Slowly" and "Men In Black", and during a 1979 visit to the United States, Pope John Paul II as well.
Despite playing in a pitchers' park and having a rabid fan base, the Mets couldn't seem to stay out of their own way. The Mets' teams of the mid 1960's became known as lovable losers for their exploits both on and off the field. Players such as Gil Hodges, "Marvelous Marv" Throneberry, Richie Ashburn, Ron Swoboda, Ed Kranepool, Clean Jones, "Choo Choo" Coleman and a host of others kept things interesting.
However, with a record of 321-648 through the 1967 season, the lovable losers moniker was wearing thin. Some of the forgettable moments were; the 120 losses in 1962, the first N.L. perfect game since 1880, pitched by Philadelphia Phillies Jim Bunning on Fathers' Day, 1964 and the 1966 drafting of catcher Steve Chilcott with the number one pick. Chilcott has the auspicious notoriety of being the only number one overall pick to retire without ever playing a game in the major leagues. Reggie Jackson went number two that year to the Kansas City A's.
There were however some highlights along the way, such as: the May 1964 game where the Mets pounded the Cubs 19-1, being host to the 1964 All Star Game and the ability to help make the 1964 Pennant Race exciting by beating the Cardinals on a Friday and Saturday night in late September and keeping playoff hopes alive for the Reds, Giants and Phillies. By the winter of 1966 however, things would begin to turn.
Between the winter of 1966 and the spring of 1969, the Mets were able to put the pieces into place that would forge a "miracle". First, in the winter of 1966 a young pitcher named Tom Seaver was signed by the Atlanta Braves. However, Major League Baseball determined that Atlanta had illegally signed Seaver due to the fact that his college team had already begun play. He then wished to finish out his college career, but the NCAA ruled he had voided his eligibility by signing the contract with Atlanta. In the end, M.L.B. allowed teams to match the Braves offer and after three teams did so (the Mets, Phillies and Indians) he was awarded to the Mets in a lottery drawing. Together with Jerry Grote, Bud Harrelson, Jerry Kooseman, Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones, Seaver was ready to lead the Mets into a new era.
In 1969 it all came together as Gil Hodges managed his team back from third place, 9 1/2 games behind the Cubs, in late August, to the National League pennant. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 to capture a playoff berth, where they swept the Braves in three games and miraculously went to the World Series against the Orioles.
The Mets were given little chance in the World Series against the powerful Orioles, led by Brooks and Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer. The Orioles won the first game rather easily, 4-1, but it was the Mets who shocked the world by winning the next four and taking home their first World Championship, along with a new nickname "Amazin's", thanks to their late season and playoff heroics.
The Mets' magic wore off as the 1970's began, both on the field and off. While the pitchers excelled, the hitters didn't and the team slipped back to mediocrity. When the front office tried to bolster the roster, the moves invariably didn't work out. Two examples were when the Mets traded Amos Otis to Kansas City for Joy Foy and when Nolan Ryan was shipped off to the California Angels for Jim Fergosi. They also suffered a cruel fate when popular manager Gil Hodges died of a sudden heart attack during spring training in 1972 and was succeeded by Yogi Berra.
Berra's Mets were dead last, ten games under .500 at the end of August in 1973 when the "magic" returned. After going 21-8 the rest of the season they found themselves in the playoffs where they shocked Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" and met up with the Oakland A's in the World Series. The Mets pushed the defending champs to a seventh game, but lost 5-2 to Oakland. It would be the last bit of glory for the Mets for quite a while.
The years from 1974 to 1979 were not kind to the Mets. First, their cross town rivals invaded Shea Stadium for two years while Yankee Stadium was being renovated in 1974 and 1975, and to make matters worse, the Yankees were on an upswing, winning the World Series in 1977 and 1978, while the Mets were headed in the other direction. At the end of the 1975 season, Joan Payson passed away, leaving the team to her husband, who in turn delegated his authority to his daughters, who ceded control to M. Donald Grant. At the trade deadline in 1977, stars Dave Kingman and Tom Seaver were sent packing in moves that became known as "The Midnight Massacre". The trading of these popular veterans was bad enough, but adding insult to injury was the fact that none of the players that came back to the Mets made any lasting impression. Fans stayed away in droves and Shea became a ghost town.
In 1980 the club was sold to Doubleday Publishing and Fred Wilpon became the president. Over the next few years G.M. Frank Cashen started rebuilding the club through the draft, selecting Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, and trades which brought stars Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. By 1985, the team was back in contention and fought for a division flag until the final days of the season before bowing out to the Cardinals. Big things were on the horizon.
The Mets pulled away from the rest of the National League early in 1986, winning 20 of their first 24 games. The team was known for its play hard, party harder attitude and even had a few players arrested after a nightclub brawl in Houston. This however didn't stop them from recording 108 victories and marching into the N.L.C.S. against the Houston Astros.
Houston, unlike the Mets, had never won a pennant. Led by Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott and flame thrower Nolan Ryan, both former Mets, Houston provided a formidable opponent. The Mets would win the series in six games, but not easily. Houston took a 3-0 lead into the ninth inning of the sixth game before the Mets rallied to tie and force extra innings. New York then scored the go ahead run in the fourteenth, but the Astros tied it in the bottom of the inning. When the Mets scored three more in the top of the sixteenth, the game looked out of reach. But Houston scored two in the bottom of the 16th before finally being shut down. The Mets were on their way to the World Series and would face the Boston Red Sox.
The 1986 World Series was a thrilling ride of ups and downs for both teams. The Red Sox won the first two games at Shea, while the Mets did the same at Fenway Park. The Sox won the fifth game and were ahead in the sixth when a Gary Carter sacrifice fly sent the game into extra innings. The Sox had a 5-3 lead, with two outs and none on, in the tenth before the Mets' staged a miracle rally. Three straight singles by Carter, pinch hitter Kevin Mitchell and Ray Knight, scored a run while putting runners on first and third. The Sox replaced pitcher Calvin Schiraldi with Bob Stanley and with the count leveled at 2-2, Stanley threw a wild pitch that scored the tying run and allowed Knight to scamper to second. Three pitches later, Mookie Wilson dribbled a ball down the first base line that went under the glove of first baseman Bill Buckner and allowed the winning run to score. The Mets were back from the dead and had tied the series at three. Boston took a 3-0 lead the next night, but it was to no avail. The Mets again rallied and won the 1986 World Series in a way that would have made their 1969 brethren proud.
The 1986 Mets team should have become a powerhouse, but once again on and off field issues submarined them. Over the next few years the core of the World Championship teams were traded away or left via free agency, popular stars such as Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry battled drug and alcohol addictions. By the time the mid 1990's came around the Mets had fallen far into the nether regions of the National League.
1998 began another resurgence when the team traded for star catcher Mike Piazza and pitcher Al Leiter as well as signing veterans such as Robin Ventura and having young players Edgardo Alfonso and Benny Agbayani emerge. The team would go to the 1999 N.L.C.S. before bowing out to the Atlanta Braves in 6 exciting games.
In 2000, the Mets went back to the playoffs, easily winning the National League Wild Card and returning to the World Series when they beat the St Louis Cardinals in the N.L.C.S. They would face off against their cross town rivals, the New York Yankees, in the first Subway Series in 44 years. New York was the center of the playoff baseball world, as it had been throughout the 1950's, and the outcome of the Series was similar to those days gone by as well, with the Yankees capturing their third straight World Championship, four games to one.
Once again, after reaching the World Series, the Mets took backward steps. Instead of becoming more competitive, they became less. Multiple players came and went, ownership issues clouded the on field play and in 2002 the Wilpons became majority owners of the team. While the transaction didn't help immediately, it did pave the way for new G.M. Omar Minaya to hire Willie Randolph as manager and bring in star free agents Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and Billy Wagner. The new owners also set forth to create their own sports network, SNY, which launched in 2006 and began talks to replace an aging Shea Stadium.
On the field the Mets tore up the league in 2006. They ran away with the National League East, winning the division for the first time in eighteen years, and swept the Dodgers in the N.L.D.S before losing a heart breaking Game 7 in the N.L.C.S when Carlos Beltran watched strike three float over the plate with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. It would be the last shining moment to date.
In 2007, the Mets had a comfortable lead in September, but a late collapse made them the first team in M.L.B. history to blow a seven game lead with seventeen games to play. In 2008, the team had a 3.5 game lead with seventeen games to go, but managed to lose ten of those games to finish out of the playoffs again. Hopefully, 2009 would usher in a better outcome as well as a new ball park.
However, with a record of 321-648 through the 1967 season, the lovable losers moniker was wearing thin. Some of the forgettable moments were; the 120 losses in 1962, the first N.L. perfect game since 1880, pitched by Philadelphia Phillies Jim Bunning on Fathers' Day, 1964 and the 1966 drafting of catcher Steve Chilcott with the number one pick. Chilcott has the auspicious notoriety of being the only number one overall pick to retire without ever playing a game in the major leagues. Reggie Jackson went number two that year to the Kansas City A's.
There were however some highlights along the way, such as: the May 1964 game where the Mets pounded the Cubs 19-1, being host to the 1964 All Star Game and the ability to help make the 1964 Pennant Race exciting by beating the Cardinals on a Friday and Saturday night in late September and keeping playoff hopes alive for the Reds, Giants and Phillies. By the winter of 1966 however, things would begin to turn.
Between the winter of 1966 and the spring of 1969, the Mets were able to put the pieces into place that would forge a "miracle". First, in the winter of 1966 a young pitcher named Tom Seaver was signed by the Atlanta Braves. However, Major League Baseball determined that Atlanta had illegally signed Seaver due to the fact that his college team had already begun play. He then wished to finish out his college career, but the NCAA ruled he had voided his eligibility by signing the contract with Atlanta. In the end, M.L.B. allowed teams to match the Braves offer and after three teams did so (the Mets, Phillies and Indians) he was awarded to the Mets in a lottery drawing. Together with Jerry Grote, Bud Harrelson, Jerry Kooseman, Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones, Seaver was ready to lead the Mets into a new era.
In 1969 it all came together as Gil Hodges managed his team back from third place, 9 1/2 games behind the Cubs, in late August, to the National League pennant. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 to capture a playoff berth, where they swept the Braves in three games and miraculously went to the World Series against the Orioles.
The Mets were given little chance in the World Series against the powerful Orioles, led by Brooks and Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer. The Orioles won the first game rather easily, 4-1, but it was the Mets who shocked the world by winning the next four and taking home their first World Championship, along with a new nickname "Amazin's", thanks to their late season and playoff heroics.The Mets' magic wore off as the 1970's began, both on the field and off. While the pitchers excelled, the hitters didn't and the team slipped back to mediocrity. When the front office tried to bolster the roster, the moves invariably didn't work out. Two examples were when the Mets traded Amos Otis to Kansas City for Joy Foy and when Nolan Ryan was shipped off to the California Angels for Jim Fergosi. They also suffered a cruel fate when popular manager Gil Hodges died of a sudden heart attack during spring training in 1972 and was succeeded by Yogi Berra.
Berra's Mets were dead last, ten games under .500 at the end of August in 1973 when the "magic" returned. After going 21-8 the rest of the season they found themselves in the playoffs where they shocked Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" and met up with the Oakland A's in the World Series. The Mets pushed the defending champs to a seventh game, but lost 5-2 to Oakland. It would be the last bit of glory for the Mets for quite a while.
The years from 1974 to 1979 were not kind to the Mets. First, their cross town rivals invaded Shea Stadium for two years while Yankee Stadium was being renovated in 1974 and 1975, and to make matters worse, the Yankees were on an upswing, winning the World Series in 1977 and 1978, while the Mets were headed in the other direction. At the end of the 1975 season, Joan Payson passed away, leaving the team to her husband, who in turn delegated his authority to his daughters, who ceded control to M. Donald Grant. At the trade deadline in 1977, stars Dave Kingman and Tom Seaver were sent packing in moves that became known as "The Midnight Massacre". The trading of these popular veterans was bad enough, but adding insult to injury was the fact that none of the players that came back to the Mets made any lasting impression. Fans stayed away in droves and Shea became a ghost town.
In 1980 the club was sold to Doubleday Publishing and Fred Wilpon became the president. Over the next few years G.M. Frank Cashen started rebuilding the club through the draft, selecting Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, and trades which brought stars Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. By 1985, the team was back in contention and fought for a division flag until the final days of the season before bowing out to the Cardinals. Big things were on the horizon.
The Mets pulled away from the rest of the National League early in 1986, winning 20 of their first 24 games. The team was known for its play hard, party harder attitude and even had a few players arrested after a nightclub brawl in Houston. This however didn't stop them from recording 108 victories and marching into the N.L.C.S. against the Houston Astros.
Houston, unlike the Mets, had never won a pennant. Led by Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott and flame thrower Nolan Ryan, both former Mets, Houston provided a formidable opponent. The Mets would win the series in six games, but not easily. Houston took a 3-0 lead into the ninth inning of the sixth game before the Mets rallied to tie and force extra innings. New York then scored the go ahead run in the fourteenth, but the Astros tied it in the bottom of the inning. When the Mets scored three more in the top of the sixteenth, the game looked out of reach. But Houston scored two in the bottom of the 16th before finally being shut down. The Mets were on their way to the World Series and would face the Boston Red Sox.
The 1986 World Series was a thrilling ride of ups and downs for both teams. The Red Sox won the first two games at Shea, while the Mets did the same at Fenway Park. The Sox won the fifth game and were ahead in the sixth when a Gary Carter sacrifice fly sent the game into extra innings. The Sox had a 5-3 lead, with two outs and none on, in the tenth before the Mets' staged a miracle rally. Three straight singles by Carter, pinch hitter Kevin Mitchell and Ray Knight, scored a run while putting runners on first and third. The Sox replaced pitcher Calvin Schiraldi with Bob Stanley and with the count leveled at 2-2, Stanley threw a wild pitch that scored the tying run and allowed Knight to scamper to second. Three pitches later, Mookie Wilson dribbled a ball down the first base line that went under the glove of first baseman Bill Buckner and allowed the winning run to score. The Mets were back from the dead and had tied the series at three. Boston took a 3-0 lead the next night, but it was to no avail. The Mets again rallied and won the 1986 World Series in a way that would have made their 1969 brethren proud.The 1986 Mets team should have become a powerhouse, but once again on and off field issues submarined them. Over the next few years the core of the World Championship teams were traded away or left via free agency, popular stars such as Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry battled drug and alcohol addictions. By the time the mid 1990's came around the Mets had fallen far into the nether regions of the National League.
1998 began another resurgence when the team traded for star catcher Mike Piazza and pitcher Al Leiter as well as signing veterans such as Robin Ventura and having young players Edgardo Alfonso and Benny Agbayani emerge. The team would go to the 1999 N.L.C.S. before bowing out to the Atlanta Braves in 6 exciting games.
In 2000, the Mets went back to the playoffs, easily winning the National League Wild Card and returning to the World Series when they beat the St Louis Cardinals in the N.L.C.S. They would face off against their cross town rivals, the New York Yankees, in the first Subway Series in 44 years. New York was the center of the playoff baseball world, as it had been throughout the 1950's, and the outcome of the Series was similar to those days gone by as well, with the Yankees capturing their third straight World Championship, four games to one.Once again, after reaching the World Series, the Mets took backward steps. Instead of becoming more competitive, they became less. Multiple players came and went, ownership issues clouded the on field play and in 2002 the Wilpons became majority owners of the team. While the transaction didn't help immediately, it did pave the way for new G.M. Omar Minaya to hire Willie Randolph as manager and bring in star free agents Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and Billy Wagner. The new owners also set forth to create their own sports network, SNY, which launched in 2006 and began talks to replace an aging Shea Stadium.
On the field the Mets tore up the league in 2006. They ran away with the National League East, winning the division for the first time in eighteen years, and swept the Dodgers in the N.L.D.S before losing a heart breaking Game 7 in the N.L.C.S when Carlos Beltran watched strike three float over the plate with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. It would be the last shining moment to date.
In 2007, the Mets had a comfortable lead in September, but a late collapse made them the first team in M.L.B. history to blow a seven game lead with seventeen games to play. In 2008, the team had a 3.5 game lead with seventeen games to go, but managed to lose ten of those games to finish out of the playoffs again. Hopefully, 2009 would usher in a better outcome as well as a new ball park.
Citi Field
As early as the mid 1990's, the Mets began looking to replace Shea Stadium. Initially, the team wanted a retro look which would feature a retractable roof and would be able to be used for indoor sporting events as well as conventions and shows. The team considered moving to Mitchell Field, Nassau County on Long Island, or even the West Side Rail Yard in Manhattan. In the end they settled on a spot directly next door to Shea, which would be demolished and turned into a parking lot for the new stadium.
As he left office, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced a tentative agreement to build new stadiums for both baseball teams, but incoming Mayor Michael Bloomberg exercised an escape clause, saying that it was too costly for the city to follow through in the economic climate of the times. However, by doing so he triggered another clause that he was not aware of that allowed both teams to void their leases and leave with sixty days notice if the city backed out of the prearraigned deals. Eventually, both teams got approval and the new "Shea" became part of the New York 2012 Olympic Bid. Had New York won the rights to the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, the new stadium would have been remodeled to allow for Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Mets would have shared Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. By July, 2006 construction was under way and the park was finished in time to begin the 2009 baseball season.
The park's outside is almost an exact replica to the old home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field. Owner Fred Wilpon was a lifelong Dodgers' fan and this is his tribute to his boyhood team. The stadium has a seating capacity of almost 42,000, which is about 15,000 less than Shea Stadium. The field dimensions are 335 feet to Left Field, 358 to Left-Center, 385 to deep Left-Center, 408 to Center, 390 to deep Right-Center, 375 to Right-Center and 330 to Right. These fences have been moved in over the last few years to provide more offense as teams had struggled to score runs. The seats are painted green, as opposed to Shea's orange, blue, red and green, to pay honor to those of the Mets and Giants' original home, The Polo Grounds and the foul poles are orange, as they were in Shea. In many ways, the Mets have incorporated as much of New York's National League baseball history into their new home.
Citi-Field opened it's doors on March 29th, 2009 for a college baseball game between St. Johns and Georgetown Universities. The first time the Mets played in their new home was for a pair of exhibition games against the Boston Red Sox on April 3 and 4 of that same year. The first regular season game was on April 13th against the San Diego Padres, who spoiled the home opener by beating the Mets 6-5. Jody Gerut became the first player in M.L.B. history to open a new ballpark with a home run and a new era had begun.
Unfortunately, the "new era" has looked a lot like the recent past, as opposed to the magical World Series seasons. From 2009 through today, the Mets have struggled both on and off the field with legal battles (the Bernie Madoff lawsuit), poor free agent signings (Jason Bay, Frank Francisco and John Rauch), injuries (Johann Santana, Dillon Gee) and lack of talent depth because of the Wilpon's financial concerns. However, with the Madoff lawsuit behind them and some promising youngsters "down on the farm", the Mets can hope to bounce back soon. New York needs a strong viable National League presence as the Dodgers and the Giants once were.
Starting Lineup:
Jim Kulhawy
Nicole Kulhawy
Ryan Kulhawy
Brendan Kulhawy
Kristen Gray Lee
Eui Lee
"I'd rather be going there" Ryan said, shaking me out of a daydream.
Looking out the driver's side window I saw Yankee Stadium speeding by.
"You've both already been there for the tour" I told him.
"Couldn't we have come here to see the Yankees?" Brendan asked. "That way we wouldn't have to root for the Mets."
"Really? You too?" I said, shaking my head. "I had enough of this yesterday with your brother."
"But, I don't want to root for the Mets. It'll make me feel icky" was his response.
"You'll be fine. I'll get you a hot dog, some soda and some ice cream."
"I'd rather watch kissing in a movie" he said.
I just looked at Nicole, who was busy trying to stifle a laugh.
As we pulled into the lot, the Citi Field outline rose out of the parking lot.
"Where was Shea?" Ryan asked.
"In one of these parking lots" I told him.
"Did they leave some monument for it?" he wanted to know.
"They put markers in the ground where home plate, the pitchers mound and all the bases were" I said.
"I wanna stand on the mound and pitch" Brendan told us.
"I wanna run the bases" Ryan chimed in.
"Lets pick up our tickets, grab a program and take some pictures first" I responded.
Together, the four of us headed to will call for the tickets.
After picking up our tickets and the program, we took some shots of the front of the park. It felt as if I had been transported back to 1952 and was standing outside Ebbets Field on a Brooklyn street corner. The architecture looked exactly like every picture I had ever seen of the long gone home of the Dodgers. Had my dad been here, I think he might have gotten a little nostalgic on me.
Just off to the right of the front gate is a garden-like setting and in the middle is the original Home Run Apple. Perhaps the most iconic feature of Shea Stadium was the apple, which debuted in 1980 and rose from a giant top hat each time a Mets player hit a home run. The apple, much like Yankee Stadium's famous bat, is a place for fans to meet and take pictures before or after the game. Citi Field's new apple is about four times the size of the original and sits beyond the center-field wall, ready to pop out after Mets' home run.
After taking pictures with the apple, we headed into the park. Fans enter the front of Citi Field through what is known as The Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The rotunda is a shrine to the Dodgers' legend who broke the color barrier in 1947 and serves as a reminder of his life and legacy.
The Mets Hall of Fame was created in 1981 to honor important players, broadcasters, managers and executives of the team and was located in the Shea Stadium Diamond Club. In April of 2010, the team opened their new Hall of Fame and Museum and those mentioned above were given plaques to honor their achievements. Some of the notable members are Casey Stengel, Ralph Kiner, Tom Seaver, Jerry Kooseman, Tug McGraw, Gary Carter, Mookie Wilson, Joan Payson, John Franco and Gil Hodges. The museum is open for all home games, from the time the gates open until the end of the game and during tours of Citi Field.
As you enter the museum you come face to face with the "Ring of Champions", which honors the 1969 and 1986 teams. Featured here are artifacts and World Series trophies from both of those clubs. Along the left wall, moving clockwise, are the Hall of Fame plaques, the "Defining Moments" section, a uniform wall of display and a Mets history video display. Along the right wall, and moving counter clockwise, are the stadium exhibits which detail the three stadiums the team has played in, the 9/21/2001 display, which showcases the first game back after the 9/11 tragedy, a broadcaster's section, the "Birth of the Franchise" collection, special sections for Tom Seaver and mascot Mr. Met as well as the "Mets Gallery", which houses the latest special memorabilia collection. This year it commemorates Gary Carter, who passed away earlier in the season.
As we exited the museum, through the team store, we were back in the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Looking around, Ryan had a question.
"Did Jackie Robinson ever play for the Mets?"
"Nope" I told him. "The Dodgers traded him to the Giants after the 1956 season, but he decided to retire rather than play for them."
"So, he didn't play for the Mets, he didn't coach for the Mets and he didn't work for the Mets, but they named this part of the stadium after him?" he wanted to know.
"Apparently so" I said, knowing full well where this was headed.
" So, the owner of the Mets was a Dodgers' fan when he was growing up and he decided to build a new stadium that looks just like the Dodgers old one and he named the main hall after a guy that didn't have any connection to the Mets?" Ryan asked, trying to comprehend all this.
"Basically, yes" I told him.
"So, it's like if he grew up in Kansas City and was a Yankees' fan and loved Mickey Mantle, but now owned the Royals, he'd build a stadium that looked just like Yankee Stadium and name the entrance after Mickey Mantle?"
"Yeah, that's about the size of it and it's rather annoying to some Mets' fans, so let's just leave it at that. OK?" I asked, as we took the escalator up to the main level.
As we got off the escalator I was a bit puzzled. I knew we were behind the home plate area, but I couldn't see the playing field. Directly in front of us was the "Delta Sky360 Club", which features a restaurant, two bars and an informal lounge, but completely blocks your view of the field as you first enter. After being in newer stadiums, such as Nationals Park, Citizen's Bank Park and Yankee Stadium, I couldn't imagine why any architect would design a new ballpark where a fan couldn't get a full on frontal view of the playing field when they walked in. The restaurant runs from, about, dugout to dugout, so you can get a view of the field, but not until you are down the first or third base lines.
"C'mon, I want to eat" Ryan said impatiently.
"You know the drill" I told him. "Pictures first, food next."
"OK, let's get the one from behind the plate and then we'll eat" he said, already salivating.
The only problem was, like in Washington, we couldn't get down behind the plate.
"All I want is to take a picture from behind the plate" I told the usher, who was about ten years older than me.
"Not gonna happen if you don't have a ticket for down there" I was told.
So I explained our story, hoping he would smile and allow us down.
"Without a ticket, you're not allowed down there son. They don't let you do that at any stadium I know of, especially the expensive one across town" he said with a smile.
I know I should have kept quiet, but I couldn't.
"I'm sorry sir, but you're wrong" I told him.
Nicole, sensing a confrontation she knew I wasn't going to back down from, started to move away with Brendan. Ryan, on the other hand, moved closer to me and started to smile.
"Young man" he said, "I work for a Major League Baseball team. I know what the policies and procedures are for other stadiums and we are not keeping fans from doing anything is allowed in other ballparks."
With that, I opened the camera and pulled up the pictures from Yankee Stadium, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia and promptly showed him the shots we had taken.
"I understand you work here, sir. But, I took every one of these pictures myself, at all of these ball parks, with this one (Citizens Bank Park) being just last night. As you can see, we were directly behind home plate, stayed there for one picture and then moved on. If you won't let us take one picture that's your policy, but please don't tell me that I wasn't allowed to do it at the other places we have visited" I said.
"Well, you're not taking one here" he told me nastily.
Knowing I made my point, Ryan and I rejoined Nicole and Brendan.
"Time to eat" I informed the boys.
Not surprisingly, Ryan knew just where to go to find what he wanted.
As we pulled into the lot, the Citi Field outline rose out of the parking lot.
"Where was Shea?" Ryan asked.
"In one of these parking lots" I told him.
"Did they leave some monument for it?" he wanted to know.
"They put markers in the ground where home plate, the pitchers mound and all the bases were" I said.
"I wanna stand on the mound and pitch" Brendan told us.
"I wanna run the bases" Ryan chimed in.
"Lets pick up our tickets, grab a program and take some pictures first" I responded.
Together, the four of us headed to will call for the tickets.
After picking up our tickets and the program, we took some shots of the front of the park. It felt as if I had been transported back to 1952 and was standing outside Ebbets Field on a Brooklyn street corner. The architecture looked exactly like every picture I had ever seen of the long gone home of the Dodgers. Had my dad been here, I think he might have gotten a little nostalgic on me.
After taking pictures with the apple, we headed into the park. Fans enter the front of Citi Field through what is known as The Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The rotunda is a shrine to the Dodgers' legend who broke the color barrier in 1947 and serves as a reminder of his life and legacy.
Engraved into the floor are nine words that have been used to define Robinson's accomplishments; courage, excellence, persistence, justice, teamwork, commitment, citizenship, determination and integrity. As you stand at the front doors and look in, there are escalators in the middle of the room and stairs along each wall. Above the stairs are a multitude of pictures of Robinson, and Ebbets Field, from his playing days. A giant number 42 sculpture, in Dodgers' blue, stands at the back and between the escalators. Off to the right, on the first base side, is the Mets' Hall of Fame and Museum and just past that, the team store. Our first stop would be the Hall of Fame/Museum.
As you enter the museum you come face to face with the "Ring of Champions", which honors the 1969 and 1986 teams. Featured here are artifacts and World Series trophies from both of those clubs. Along the left wall, moving clockwise, are the Hall of Fame plaques, the "Defining Moments" section, a uniform wall of display and a Mets history video display. Along the right wall, and moving counter clockwise, are the stadium exhibits which detail the three stadiums the team has played in, the 9/21/2001 display, which showcases the first game back after the 9/11 tragedy, a broadcaster's section, the "Birth of the Franchise" collection, special sections for Tom Seaver and mascot Mr. Met as well as the "Mets Gallery", which houses the latest special memorabilia collection. This year it commemorates Gary Carter, who passed away earlier in the season. As we exited the museum, through the team store, we were back in the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Looking around, Ryan had a question.
"Did Jackie Robinson ever play for the Mets?"
"Nope" I told him. "The Dodgers traded him to the Giants after the 1956 season, but he decided to retire rather than play for them."
"So, he didn't play for the Mets, he didn't coach for the Mets and he didn't work for the Mets, but they named this part of the stadium after him?" he wanted to know.
"Apparently so" I said, knowing full well where this was headed.
" So, the owner of the Mets was a Dodgers' fan when he was growing up and he decided to build a new stadium that looks just like the Dodgers old one and he named the main hall after a guy that didn't have any connection to the Mets?" Ryan asked, trying to comprehend all this.
"Basically, yes" I told him.
"So, it's like if he grew up in Kansas City and was a Yankees' fan and loved Mickey Mantle, but now owned the Royals, he'd build a stadium that looked just like Yankee Stadium and name the entrance after Mickey Mantle?"
"Yeah, that's about the size of it and it's rather annoying to some Mets' fans, so let's just leave it at that. OK?" I asked, as we took the escalator up to the main level.
As we got off the escalator I was a bit puzzled. I knew we were behind the home plate area, but I couldn't see the playing field. Directly in front of us was the "Delta Sky360 Club", which features a restaurant, two bars and an informal lounge, but completely blocks your view of the field as you first enter. After being in newer stadiums, such as Nationals Park, Citizen's Bank Park and Yankee Stadium, I couldn't imagine why any architect would design a new ballpark where a fan couldn't get a full on frontal view of the playing field when they walked in. The restaurant runs from, about, dugout to dugout, so you can get a view of the field, but not until you are down the first or third base lines.
"C'mon, I want to eat" Ryan said impatiently.
"You know the drill" I told him. "Pictures first, food next."
"OK, let's get the one from behind the plate and then we'll eat" he said, already salivating.
The only problem was, like in Washington, we couldn't get down behind the plate.
"All I want is to take a picture from behind the plate" I told the usher, who was about ten years older than me.
"Not gonna happen if you don't have a ticket for down there" I was told.
So I explained our story, hoping he would smile and allow us down.
"Without a ticket, you're not allowed down there son. They don't let you do that at any stadium I know of, especially the expensive one across town" he said with a smile.
I know I should have kept quiet, but I couldn't.
"I'm sorry sir, but you're wrong" I told him.
Nicole, sensing a confrontation she knew I wasn't going to back down from, started to move away with Brendan. Ryan, on the other hand, moved closer to me and started to smile.
"Young man" he said, "I work for a Major League Baseball team. I know what the policies and procedures are for other stadiums and we are not keeping fans from doing anything is allowed in other ballparks."
With that, I opened the camera and pulled up the pictures from Yankee Stadium, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia and promptly showed him the shots we had taken.
"I understand you work here, sir. But, I took every one of these pictures myself, at all of these ball parks, with this one (Citizens Bank Park) being just last night. As you can see, we were directly behind home plate, stayed there for one picture and then moved on. If you won't let us take one picture that's your policy, but please don't tell me that I wasn't allowed to do it at the other places we have visited" I said.
"Well, you're not taking one here" he told me nastily.
Knowing I made my point, Ryan and I rejoined Nicole and Brendan.
"Time to eat" I informed the boys.
Not surprisingly, Ryan knew just where to go to find what he wanted.
Concessions:
 |
| Dinner Time |
When researching signature foods of the different stadiums, Citi Field had me stumped. I was looking for something distinct to the ballpark, yet wasn't your typical ballpark fare. Boston has the "Fenway Frank", Washington is famous for its "Half Smoke All The Way" and Philly prides itself on "Bull's BBQ" and its cheesesteak, but I have never heard anyone say a certain food was a must at Citi Field. So, we did a little research and came up with the perfect Citi Field Meal, which is a must for anyone who comes to New York.
"Let's go I'm hungry" Ryan yelled while grabbing Brendan and running down the third base concourse.
"Me too" Brendan called back, laughing and trying to keep up with his older brother.
Citi Field has the usual ball park fare, but a lot of extras as well. There is "Blue Smoke", which serves pulled pork sandwiches and hickory smoked ribs, "Box Frites",which has different variations on french fries, "Brooklyn Burger" which grills your meal to order while you wait, "Catch of the Day", which specializes in seafood, such as; a fried flounder sandwich, a shrimp "Po Boy", crab cakes or lobster rolls and "Moma's of Corona, which serves the biggest sandwiches and salads I have ever seen.
If desserts are what you are craving, Citi Field has a large assortment of those as well. You can choose from Carvel ice cream, the "Candy Cart", fried dough, "Dunkin' Donuts", kettle corn or traditional popped popcorn, sno-cones, cotton candy or the "Shake Shack". These will all satisfy your sweet tooth and possibly leave you in sugar shock as well.
As far as drinks are concerned, the Mets have you covered there as well. There is "Zachary's Wine Bar" in Section 105, which has many different whites, reds and blushes for the discerning palate and will please even the most sophisticated connoisseur. If beers are your thing, there is a wide assortment to be found all over the ballpark. There is "Beers of the World", which specializes in imports from many countries, such as; Canada, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica, Germany, Holland and a few others, "Big Apple Brews", which is mostly mass produced American beers and "Craft Beer", which specializes in many different micro brews. If a hard beverage is up your alley, visit the "Excelsior Bars" on either the first or third base side of the park.
For Ryan and I it was not a hard decision on what we were going to have. We had been looking for something that was not typical ballpark fare, yet was indicative to the city/team that we were there to see. Since the Mets were a hybrid of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants, we had decided to find something that would represent the city of New York and we found it on the Main Level.
"Hot Pastrami on Rye" is located down the left field line, in Section 135 and is always ready to serve up this traditional New York delicacy. As we got closer you could smell the aroma of the meat wafting down the corridor and it put Ryan and I into overdrive. We picked up the pace and I am sorry to say, left Nicole and Brendan in our wake.
We were the first in line at the stand and that didn't go unnoticed by the gentleman behind the counter.
"Son, are you ready to have the best food here at Cit Field?" he asked Ryan, who could only nod.
"Now, I don't usually do this, but you look like a smart boy who doesn't want a bad sandwich. So, how 'bout I give you a small taste?."
Again, a nod from Ryan, who looked like a hungry wolf pup with a full meal in front of him. The man then proceeded to cut off the biggest small taste I had ever seen. I was the size of the back of my hand. Ryan proceed to tear it in half and hand some to me before devouring his portion.
"We have to get this" he proclaimed, after finishing his "taste".
I watched as the man constructed our sandwich. First, he took two slices of rye bread and put on a dollop of spicy brown mustard and then rubbed both slices of bread together to evenly spread the mustard on both pieces. Next, he started to hand slice the pastrami. Now, I can tell you from trying to cook pastrami that the biggest problem is making sure it doesn't dry out. That's not a problem here as the juices were dripping out as he cut into the brisket. The sandwich here is supposed to be about a half pound, but because we were the only ones here, or maybe he just took a shine to Ryan, he doubled the amount for us. You also get a huge deli pickle, but that too was doubled.
"Oh, my God", was all Ryan could say as he saw the size of the sandwich. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Enjoy your night little man" the gentleman told us as we walked away. Ryan and I were so excited over dinner that we forgot we weren't alone.
"Come on, c'mon" Brendan yelled. "I want a hot dog"
Now, we had decided that Ryan and I were not doing hot dogs unless it was what the park was known for, but Brendan and Nicole didn't agree to that. Bren has simple tastes and was quite content with his choice. So, we found a Nathan's Famous stand and was happy as a clam. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs is synonymous with New York. The company was founded by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, in 1916 on Coney Island's boardwalk. Almost one hundred years later, the business is world renowned and there are franchises all over the metropolitan area. Besides, this was the perfect balance of New York, just as the Mets hoped to be, pastrami like they serve at the Manhattan delicatessen and a hot dog from Nathan's, which originated in Brooklyn.
Now it was time to eat, so the four of us headed to the center field food court area where there are tables for hungry patrons to eat at, while getting a premium view of Citi Field looking in from the outfield. As we opened the food containers the kids were acting as if they hadn't been fed in days. Ryan was bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean, while Brendan was tapping his hands impatiently on the table.
A hot dog is a hot dog as far as I am concerned, but Brendan and Nicole love Nathan's, so they were quite happy. Ryan and I have more discerning taste buds when it comes to ballpark food and this sandwich was amazing. The rye bread was soft, but just chewy enough around the crust to satisfy. The pastrami, still piping hot, was flavored with just the right amount of coriander and charred at the tips and the juices flowed out with every bite, while the spicy mustard gave it just enough "kick" without being overpowering. Neither Ryan nor I like pickles, so those went to Nicole, who was more than happy to take them off our hands. She said there was just the right amount of dill and garlic and had a nice crunch when she bit into it. All in all, the meal was perfect and we left satisfied to walk around the rest of the stadium.
In the back of the center field area the Mets have housed the 2K Sports Fan Fest Area, where kids can play wiffleball in a mini replica of Citi Field, a batting cage, video game attractions and other things that will entertain the whole family.
As you walk from right field towards home plate you walk under the Pepsi Porch, which hangs over the concourse and is reminiscent of Tiger Stadium's old right field porch. The Pepsi sign is almost a replica of the one along the East River, in Gantry Plaza State Park. Further down the concourse you come to the "Shea Bridge", which is a pedestrian crossing that resembles the Hell Gate Bridge that crosses the East River and connects Queens and the Bronx. This a favorite spot for pictures and for people to meet up inside the ballpark.
Once we circled the lower concourse it was time to head to our seats, but Uncle Eui and Aunt Kristen had not yet arrived. Nicole and Brendan understood that we needed to be in our seats for first pitch, so they graciously offered to wait in the rotunda while Ryan and I walked upstairs.
Our seats were in the 500 level, directly behind home plate, and once again I was amazed to see that the area that would offer the best view of the park was obstructed. There is a food court for hungry patrons to get something to eat/drink, but they can not see the action going on except on TV monitors. Don't get me wrong, they spared no expense to bring the best of food/beverages to the fans, but the most important thing, the game, seems to have been an afterthought when plans were drawn up. I shook my head, got Ryan his soda and we headed to our seats to see the beginning of the game.
Now we had seen some top level pitchers so far, Kuroda, Peavy, Strasburg, Halladay and Loshe, to name a few, and tonight the Mets were sending their ace, Johan Santana to the mound. Needless to say, we were hoping for another exceptional performance. It was not to be.
"Let's go I'm hungry" Ryan yelled while grabbing Brendan and running down the third base concourse.
"Me too" Brendan called back, laughing and trying to keep up with his older brother.
Citi Field has the usual ball park fare, but a lot of extras as well. There is "Blue Smoke", which serves pulled pork sandwiches and hickory smoked ribs, "Box Frites",which has different variations on french fries, "Brooklyn Burger" which grills your meal to order while you wait, "Catch of the Day", which specializes in seafood, such as; a fried flounder sandwich, a shrimp "Po Boy", crab cakes or lobster rolls and "Moma's of Corona, which serves the biggest sandwiches and salads I have ever seen.
If desserts are what you are craving, Citi Field has a large assortment of those as well. You can choose from Carvel ice cream, the "Candy Cart", fried dough, "Dunkin' Donuts", kettle corn or traditional popped popcorn, sno-cones, cotton candy or the "Shake Shack". These will all satisfy your sweet tooth and possibly leave you in sugar shock as well.
As far as drinks are concerned, the Mets have you covered there as well. There is "Zachary's Wine Bar" in Section 105, which has many different whites, reds and blushes for the discerning palate and will please even the most sophisticated connoisseur. If beers are your thing, there is a wide assortment to be found all over the ballpark. There is "Beers of the World", which specializes in imports from many countries, such as; Canada, Japan, Mexico, Jamaica, Germany, Holland and a few others, "Big Apple Brews", which is mostly mass produced American beers and "Craft Beer", which specializes in many different micro brews. If a hard beverage is up your alley, visit the "Excelsior Bars" on either the first or third base side of the park.
For Ryan and I it was not a hard decision on what we were going to have. We had been looking for something that was not typical ballpark fare, yet was indicative to the city/team that we were there to see. Since the Mets were a hybrid of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants, we had decided to find something that would represent the city of New York and we found it on the Main Level.
"Hot Pastrami on Rye" is located down the left field line, in Section 135 and is always ready to serve up this traditional New York delicacy. As we got closer you could smell the aroma of the meat wafting down the corridor and it put Ryan and I into overdrive. We picked up the pace and I am sorry to say, left Nicole and Brendan in our wake.
We were the first in line at the stand and that didn't go unnoticed by the gentleman behind the counter.
"Son, are you ready to have the best food here at Cit Field?" he asked Ryan, who could only nod.
"Now, I don't usually do this, but you look like a smart boy who doesn't want a bad sandwich. So, how 'bout I give you a small taste?."
Again, a nod from Ryan, who looked like a hungry wolf pup with a full meal in front of him. The man then proceeded to cut off the biggest small taste I had ever seen. I was the size of the back of my hand. Ryan proceed to tear it in half and hand some to me before devouring his portion.
"We have to get this" he proclaimed, after finishing his "taste".
I watched as the man constructed our sandwich. First, he took two slices of rye bread and put on a dollop of spicy brown mustard and then rubbed both slices of bread together to evenly spread the mustard on both pieces. Next, he started to hand slice the pastrami. Now, I can tell you from trying to cook pastrami that the biggest problem is making sure it doesn't dry out. That's not a problem here as the juices were dripping out as he cut into the brisket. The sandwich here is supposed to be about a half pound, but because we were the only ones here, or maybe he just took a shine to Ryan, he doubled the amount for us. You also get a huge deli pickle, but that too was doubled.
"Enjoy your night little man" the gentleman told us as we walked away. Ryan and I were so excited over dinner that we forgot we weren't alone.
"Come on, c'mon" Brendan yelled. "I want a hot dog"
Now, we had decided that Ryan and I were not doing hot dogs unless it was what the park was known for, but Brendan and Nicole didn't agree to that. Bren has simple tastes and was quite content with his choice. So, we found a Nathan's Famous stand and was happy as a clam. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs is synonymous with New York. The company was founded by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, in 1916 on Coney Island's boardwalk. Almost one hundred years later, the business is world renowned and there are franchises all over the metropolitan area. Besides, this was the perfect balance of New York, just as the Mets hoped to be, pastrami like they serve at the Manhattan delicatessen and a hot dog from Nathan's, which originated in Brooklyn.
Now it was time to eat, so the four of us headed to the center field food court area where there are tables for hungry patrons to eat at, while getting a premium view of Citi Field looking in from the outfield. As we opened the food containers the kids were acting as if they hadn't been fed in days. Ryan was bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean, while Brendan was tapping his hands impatiently on the table.
In the back of the center field area the Mets have housed the 2K Sports Fan Fest Area, where kids can play wiffleball in a mini replica of Citi Field, a batting cage, video game attractions and other things that will entertain the whole family.
As you walk from right field towards home plate you walk under the Pepsi Porch, which hangs over the concourse and is reminiscent of Tiger Stadium's old right field porch. The Pepsi sign is almost a replica of the one along the East River, in Gantry Plaza State Park. Further down the concourse you come to the "Shea Bridge", which is a pedestrian crossing that resembles the Hell Gate Bridge that crosses the East River and connects Queens and the Bronx. This a favorite spot for pictures and for people to meet up inside the ballpark.
Once we circled the lower concourse it was time to head to our seats, but Uncle Eui and Aunt Kristen had not yet arrived. Nicole and Brendan understood that we needed to be in our seats for first pitch, so they graciously offered to wait in the rotunda while Ryan and I walked upstairs.
Our seats were in the 500 level, directly behind home plate, and once again I was amazed to see that the area that would offer the best view of the park was obstructed. There is a food court for hungry patrons to get something to eat/drink, but they can not see the action going on except on TV monitors. Don't get me wrong, they spared no expense to bring the best of food/beverages to the fans, but the most important thing, the game, seems to have been an afterthought when plans were drawn up. I shook my head, got Ryan his soda and we headed to our seats to see the beginning of the game.
The Game
 |
| First Pitch |
The Braves jumped on Santana in the first inning as Bourn and Johnson singled to lead off the game. Santana then struck out Heyward and Jones, but just when the crowd thought he could get out of the inning without damage, Freeman ripped a double to right plating both runs, giving the Braves a two to nothing lead. Brian McCann popped to first to end the inning, but the fans were already restless.
The Mets went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first and then the roof fell in in the top of the second. Uggla led off the inning with a walk and went to third on Janish's single and Janish went to second when the throw went into third. Medlen then singled, scoring Uggla and sending Janish to third. After Bourn singled in another run to make it four to nothing, Johnson fouled out to first for the first out of the inning. However, before the crowd could even catch its breath Heyward and Jones both singled, which was when Santana was mercifully removed from the game in favor of Jeremy Heffner. Unfortunately he fared no better as Freeman hit a monstrous homer to center to give the Braves a nine to nothing lead. The inning ended after McCann grounded to second and Uggla, who led off the inning with a walk, flied to right.
The Mets got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Davis, Baxter and Torres all singled, but Thole bounced into an inning ending double play, killing a possible multi-run inning. Nicole, Brendan, Kristen and Eui had reached the seats just as Atlanta came to bat in the second and we all settled in for what looked to be a very long night.
We decided that it was best for Nicole and Kristen to sit together so they could chat with one another and pay attention to the game as they saw fit, This left Eui, Ryan, Brendan and I to sit in the first four seats to talk baseball and catch up on what had been going on since we had all last been together.
Over the next seven innings we watched, cheered, laughed groaned, ate hot dogs, sausage and peppers, popcorn and drank beers, soda and water. Uncle Eui and Aunt Kristen discussed our trip with Ryan, asked questions about camp and the upcoming school year with both boys and talked baseball with all three of us.
The rest of the game went by quicker than we expected as the Braves only had five more runners reach base on four hits and a walk, and the Mets didn't fare much better with one walk and two hit until the bottom of the eighth, when Cedeno walked, Tejada doubled, scoring Cedeno and Wright singled, scoring Tejada. The inning ended when Davis grounded into a fielders choice at second, with the score now being 9-3. It was as close as the Mets would get, despite a Torres triple in the ninth.
"Thank God that's over" Ryan said as we walked down the stairs at the end of the game.
"Long game?" Eui asked.
"Nah, I can stop rooting for the Mets now"
"Me too" Brendan chimed in.
I just shook my head as the others snickered.
It didn't take long to walk out of the stadium to the parking lot. Not many people stayed til the end, that tends to happen in a blow out game, but our credo is to stay til the final out is recorded and we always do. We said goodbye at the front of the rotunda and thanked Kristen and Eui for their generosity in getting the tickets and told them we would see them soon.
"I'm tired" Ryan said to no one in particular.
"Well, you had a long two days, in two cities and little sleep" I reminded him. "Was it fun though?"
"Absolutely" he said enthusiastically. "We should do more games like this"
"That's next summer" I said.
"Do we have any more games" Brendan asked, surprising me with his interest.
"Yup, Baltimore in about three weeks" I replied.
"Yes!" he yelped.
"You're that excited about going to Camden Yards?" I said, happily surprised.
"No, I want to go to the aquarium" he told me, rolling his eyes, Ryan style.
Nicole, as usual, thought this was hysterical.
As we got to the car and were ready to get in my cell rang. It was Aunt Kristen telling us that she just passed the markers where the old Shea Stadium once stood and it was only about one hundred yards from where we parked. I had completely forgotten about that, so; thanks Aunt Kristen and Uncle Eui.
The spot where Shea once stood is on the third base side of Citi Field, at approximately the half way way mark and about 150 yards from the wall. There are remembrance markers at the spots of home plate, the pitcher's mound and all three bases. The parking lot is set up so no one parks directly on top of any and it is a spot frequented by the fans that come out for a ball game. When we got there parents were taking pictures and kids were "running the bases". Of course mine were no exception.
"I'm batting" Ryan proclaimed.
"Are you Mike Piazza" a Man asked, amused. He wasn't amused long.
"No, I'm Derek Jeter, hitting a home run on the first pitch of the game in the 2000 World Series" Ryan told him.
Apparently rooting for the home team ends with the game's final out.
As Ryan was running the bases after his "home run", Brendan decided he was getting into the act.
"Please tell me he is going to pretend to be a Met?" the man who Ryan had disappointed asked me.
"Brenny, who are you pretending to be on the mound" I called over.
"Mariano Rivera. Who else?" He shouted back.
I laughed, the man turned away and Brendan went into his windup just as Ryan crossed home plate.
As if that wasn't enough, Ryan called out the play by play.
"Rivera to the belt...the pitch...Strike Three...Ballgame over...Yankees win...THHHHHEEEE YANKEES WIN...."
Needless to say, Nicole and I gathered them up and got out after taking a few pictures.
As we pulled out of the parking lot and headed back towards the Tri-Boro Bridge, I asked the boys what their favorite part of the night was.
"Seeing Uncle Eui and Aunt Kristen...Oh and the pastrami sandwich" Ryan said, rubbing his tummy.
"When I could stop rooting for the Mets" Brendan decided.
"Brenny, you're definitely my kid" I told him. "Now, let's head home. I think I'm ready for bed."
"I think we're all ready for bed" Nicole replied as she navigated towards home.
The Mets got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Davis, Baxter and Torres all singled, but Thole bounced into an inning ending double play, killing a possible multi-run inning. Nicole, Brendan, Kristen and Eui had reached the seats just as Atlanta came to bat in the second and we all settled in for what looked to be a very long night.
 |
| Kristin and Nicole |
We decided that it was best for Nicole and Kristen to sit together so they could chat with one another and pay attention to the game as they saw fit, This left Eui, Ryan, Brendan and I to sit in the first four seats to talk baseball and catch up on what had been going on since we had all last been together.
 |
| Eui and Ry Chow Down |
The rest of the game went by quicker than we expected as the Braves only had five more runners reach base on four hits and a walk, and the Mets didn't fare much better with one walk and two hit until the bottom of the eighth, when Cedeno walked, Tejada doubled, scoring Cedeno and Wright singled, scoring Tejada. The inning ended when Davis grounded into a fielders choice at second, with the score now being 9-3. It was as close as the Mets would get, despite a Torres triple in the ninth.
"Long game?" Eui asked.
"Nah, I can stop rooting for the Mets now"
"Me too" Brendan chimed in.
I just shook my head as the others snickered.
It didn't take long to walk out of the stadium to the parking lot. Not many people stayed til the end, that tends to happen in a blow out game, but our credo is to stay til the final out is recorded and we always do. We said goodbye at the front of the rotunda and thanked Kristen and Eui for their generosity in getting the tickets and told them we would see them soon.
Final Score:
Braves 9, Mets 3
Medlen (W) 3-1
Santana (L) 6-8
Post Game Wrap up
 |
| L-R: Eui, Kristen, Me, Nicole, Ry and Bren |
"I'm tired" Ryan said to no one in particular.
"Well, you had a long two days, in two cities and little sleep" I reminded him. "Was it fun though?"
"Absolutely" he said enthusiastically. "We should do more games like this"
"That's next summer" I said.
"Do we have any more games" Brendan asked, surprising me with his interest.
"Yup, Baltimore in about three weeks" I replied.
"Yes!" he yelped.
"You're that excited about going to Camden Yards?" I said, happily surprised.
"No, I want to go to the aquarium" he told me, rolling his eyes, Ryan style.
Nicole, as usual, thought this was hysterical.
As we got to the car and were ready to get in my cell rang. It was Aunt Kristen telling us that she just passed the markers where the old Shea Stadium once stood and it was only about one hundred yards from where we parked. I had completely forgotten about that, so; thanks Aunt Kristen and Uncle Eui.
The spot where Shea once stood is on the third base side of Citi Field, at approximately the half way way mark and about 150 yards from the wall. There are remembrance markers at the spots of home plate, the pitcher's mound and all three bases. The parking lot is set up so no one parks directly on top of any and it is a spot frequented by the fans that come out for a ball game. When we got there parents were taking pictures and kids were "running the bases". Of course mine were no exception.
"I'm batting" Ryan proclaimed."Are you Mike Piazza" a Man asked, amused. He wasn't amused long.
"No, I'm Derek Jeter, hitting a home run on the first pitch of the game in the 2000 World Series" Ryan told him.
Apparently rooting for the home team ends with the game's final out.
As Ryan was running the bases after his "home run", Brendan decided he was getting into the act.
"Please tell me he is going to pretend to be a Met?" the man who Ryan had disappointed asked me.
"Mariano Rivera. Who else?" He shouted back.
I laughed, the man turned away and Brendan went into his windup just as Ryan crossed home plate.
As if that wasn't enough, Ryan called out the play by play.
"Rivera to the belt...the pitch...Strike Three...Ballgame over...Yankees win...THHHHHEEEE YANKEES WIN...."
Needless to say, Nicole and I gathered them up and got out after taking a few pictures.
"Seeing Uncle Eui and Aunt Kristen...Oh and the pastrami sandwich" Ryan said, rubbing his tummy.
"When I could stop rooting for the Mets" Brendan decided.
"Brenny, you're definitely my kid" I told him. "Now, let's head home. I think I'm ready for bed."
"I think we're all ready for bed" Nicole replied as she navigated towards home.
Next Stop
September 8, 2012
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore, Md
New York Yankees Vs Baltimore Orioles
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