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Citi Field means new memories for Mets fans

Trainspotter

By Trainspotter,
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Trainspotter

Trainspotter 0

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In the end, you don't come to the ballpark, even a brand new one, for the food, no matter how good the food is, no matter how much of an upgrade it is over hot dogs and peanuts and ice cream in a tiny Mets batting helmet and popcorn that could taste older than the pitching rubber by the late innings. And you don't talk about how well you ate yesterday afternoon or last night, as if you went to "21" instead of a ballgame. You talk about the hit that won the game or lost it or a play in the field you just had to see to believe.

 

You come to Citi Field Monday night for the same reason they came to Ebbets Field for the first time in April of 1913 and the Polo Grounds and the first Yankee Stadium:

 

You come looking for memories.

 

Oh, it will be different for Mets fans Monday night than it was across the parking lot, where Shea Stadium used to be, where Seaver threw and Namath threw and the Beatles sang and a ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs one time. The new place is smaller and built for baseball and the sightlines are better and the seats are more comfortable and the ballpark food - if you can really call it that - from chefs like Drew Nieporent and Danny Meyer and Dave Pasternak will be a whole lot better than it was across the parking lot.

 

They will even be keeping Mama's of Corona.

 

So you will eat better than you ever did at a Mets game in your life and it will be a lot easier to have your kids there (if they're coming with you on a Monday night in April), than it ever was before, as you begin to pass the Mets on to them the way the Mets were passed on to you once. But those are the add-ons of modern ballparks, where you go to a ballgame and feel as if you've left an old neighborhood.

 

Mostly people will come looking for something great to happen.

 

They will come to this end of the parking lot and walk through the gates and maybe spend some time in the fine space built in Jackie Robinson's honor and sample the food and then hope to see the Mets win and keep winning and make a World Series for the first time in a long time and only the fifth time in the history of the team.

 

They come for the baseball, for the Mets, for the memories. The Yankees have more memories, a lot more, a ton more, the way they seem to have more of everything. But Mets fans had their share at Shea. They did. And even though the view of baseball will be so much better at Citi Field than Mets fans ever have had in their lives, another thing will be the same here as it was at the old place:

 

If something pretty wonderful happens for their team, they will remember exactly where they were sitting forever.

 

MIKE LUPICA

NY DAILY NEWS

April 13th 2009

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus 1,121

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Not to spoil on Mets parade but except for NY1news and Ch. 11/WPIX('free tv' home of the Mets) none of the morning shows on local NYC tv stations today spent much time on the "offical opening" of Citifield.

 

Yet on Friday 4/17/09 when the new Yankee Stadium opens barring a major news development, it be wall-wall headline coverage on most if not all of the NYC tv stations and the tabolids ie NY Daily News and NY Post.

 

Just being honest on how the Yankess is still the Metro area and maybe all of the USA as well, the #1 most popular sports team.

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7LineFan

7LineFan 256

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Yankees can't even get into the playoffs even with their roster full of salary cap players. :P

 

- A

 

And the Mets have epically collapsed how many times in the last few seasons? ;)

 

Seriously now, I want to see results from both teams. Would be cool if we could have a Subway World Series again this year...

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metsfan

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And the Mets have epically collapsed how many times in the last few seasons? :P

 

Seriously now, I want to see results from both teams. Would be cool if we could have a Subway World Series again this year...

 

Honestly i'd be afraid to go to such a series, even if i could afford it. :confused:

 

- A

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metsfan

metsfan 2

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Does anyone think that CitiField's playing field might be tough for the hitters, longer dimensions, 20-ft wall along left field, weird right center layout, and the impossible dead center.

 

The dimensions are about the same as shea, however some parts have taller walls, and they added niches and stuff to make it look "home grown" (not something i think they needed to do), plus the park is more enclosed out of the wind.

 

I just can't wait to hear what the planes sound like when they fly over with all the funky new shapes. :P

 

- A

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7LineFan

7LineFan 256

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Does anyone think that CitiField's playing field might be tough for the hitters, longer dimensions, 20-ft wall along left field, weird right center layout, and the impossible dead center.

 

My track coach does. I heard him cursing out the 20-ft wall one day.

 

The dimensions are about the same as shea, however some parts have taller walls, and they added niches and stuff to make it look "home grown" (not something i think they needed to do), plus the park is more enclosed out of the wind.

 

All part of the retro-classic ideal in building stadiums. The old Jewel Box parks (Fenway, Wrigley, pre-renovation old Yankee Stadium) had weird dimensions because of necessity (like being confined to the city block they were built on, resulting in shorter distances, taller walls, and angles), and they're trying to recreate this. It just doesn't feel the same though when they imitate it rather than do it out of need.

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UlmerPark B6

UlmerPark B6 0

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It's a gigantic waste of money and a platform to push away real fans with their high ticket prices? :P

 

It's not as high as Yankee Stadium, at CitiField, since they mark the prices at what the opposing team is, the highese ticket is around $600, but in Yankee Stadium, all prices are same for all the games, and the highest ticket price is $2650.

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus 1,121

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It's not a stadium. :P

 

Agreed. Citifield is old school early 20th century type baseball only ballpark bulit like a new Ebbets Field. The Yankees new home is a stadium.

A stadium even if for 'baseball only' has over 45,000 seats like the new YS.

 

This is not a knock against Metsfans this is what is a fact.

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Y2Julio

Y2Julio 206

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Heh, psst... don't say that to a devoted Mets fan!

 

I'm such a die hard fan that I told my mom to give birth to me in the year that the Mets won their last World Series Championship.:P

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus 1,121

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I'm such a die hard fan that I told my mom to give birth to me in the year that the Mets won their last World Series Championship.:P

 

Really. 1986 such memories. The statue of liberty 100th anniversity celebration. And the Mets.

 

No joke i was at Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS playoff vs the Astros and Lenny Dystrkra hit that walk off game winning homer. Tehincally i was at the Shea parking lot with couple of school buddies and my brother watching the game:cool:.

Oringally we were on the subway concourse level before the police told us to leave.

 

Dumb question. I have yet to been at the Shea/Citifield area in while but can fans 'take a sneak peak' from the subway platform to the ballpark at the Willets Point station like the old Shea?

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UlmerPark B6

UlmerPark B6 0

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Really. 1986 such memories. The statue of liberty 100th anniversity celebration. And the Mets.

 

No joke i was at Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS playoff vs the Astros and Lenny Dystrkra hit that walk off game winning homer. Tehincally i was at the Shea parking lot with couple of school buddies and my brother watching the game:cool:.

Oringally we were on the subway concourse level before the police told us to leave.

 

Before they built the Bleacher Wall, at the old Yankee Stadium in '73, you could watch the game from the station, or even your apartment building.

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7LineFan

7LineFan 256

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I don't love to hate the Mets, but I hate the Mets, but not as much as I just wanna plunk Big Papi and the rest of his guys in the head, with a baseball.

 

Same here! I hate the Red Sucks more than the Mets.

 

One thing I don't like about Citi Field is the height of the field camera over the field... I was watching ESPN a little while ago, and the camera is so high over the field it's a little dizzying on the TV. Same thing with Nationals Ballpark.

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