Citi Field
There were many disappointments last night. Clayton Kershaw was dominant. Steven Matz couldn’t limit the damage. The Mets couldn’t get the big hit.
However, one thing that wasn’t disappointing was the crowd. They brought it yesterday. Yes, I saw on Twitter that the crowd was better on Monday. However, it’s easy to be rambunctious when the final score is 13-4. What’s hard is to continue to cheer when you’re down 3-0 and 3-1 to the best pitcher in baseball who brought his A game.
Throughout the game, the fans tried a number of impromptu “Lets Go Mets” chants. Anytime the potential tying run reached base, the crowd went wild. It was a good crowd. It’s hard to sit through an excruciating game like that and still be there for your team. The crowd was great last night. Was it the best crowd I’ve ever sat in? No, but it was still a great crowd.
I was proud to call myself a Mets fan yesterday.
When it first opened, I hated Citi Field. I hated the Dodger aura. I hated the sight lines. I hated the dimensions. I hated the green seats and black walks. I hated that it wasn’t Shea.
Shea was where I went to my first Mets game. It’s where 1969 and 1986 happened. I saw great games there. I was there for Pratt’s All Folks, the Grand Slam Single, and the Jones’ one-hitter. The one thing I remember was how loud that place got. I remember how it shook. I remember after a huge win high giving and hugging people in the stands and on the ramps. I remember those loud “LETS GO METS” chants on this ramps. As funny as it sounds, I may miss those ramps most of all.
This past year my opinion on Citi Field has started to change. There’s more Mets stuff all over the place. The walls are blue. The dimensions are finally right. I liken it to when you move in to your home. At first, the place is empty and strange. However, over time, you make it your own. It may never have the nostalgia of the place you grew up, but this home has memories.
My memories truly began this year. It’s where I brought my son to his first game. Its where Wilmer Flores cried because he thought he was leaving. It’s where he hit a walk-off homerun to celebrate the fact he was still a Met. It’s now where the Mets play the 2015 NLDS.
With all due respect to No-han and the All Star Game, the Citi Field story starts tonight. Shea had the aforementioned moments. It had the catches in the 1969 World Series. I had the Buckner play. Tonight we may find out what the postseason play that defines Citi Field will be.
With a win today and tomorrow, this formerly despised ballpark will start to become beloved. It will become Mets fans’ Citi Field of Dreams.
On the last game of the season, the Mets had a young kid came up to help them. They needed him after losing six straight and getting no hit. Before entering the ballpark, he visited the bricks to remind himself of who he was playing for:
He had a pregame meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Met to get prepare:
Mr. Met would be with him the entire game:
With shades of Sidd Finch, he would eschew the traditional uniform. He would wear his lucky hat:
He waited for his moment, and then he got to the plate. He took two mighty swings, but the third time was the charm:
The ball didn’t quite make it out of the park, so he would have to hustle to give the Mets a shot to win:
AN INSIDE THE PARK HOMERUN! His hit would help the Mets win 1-0 and secure 90 wins en route to the division series. After the game, he would be carried across the Shea Bridge on his biggest fan’sshoulders as he celebrated with Mets fans:
Congrats on a great season. I can’t wait for the playoffs. Lets Go Mets!
It’s going to be a rainy weekend at Citi Field. If you’re like me, and you’re bringing the little guy, or gal, it means you have to be prepared.
First things, first, come prepared. If you have a water coat and the like, dress your child in them. Keep an extra set in a tightly sealed ziplock. Also, keep a set of dry clothes in the trunk of your car.
Second, stake your ground. Every seat now comes with some sort of club access. If you’re traveling with another adult, you can alternate holding the spot and running around with the kid. If there’s no room in a club, try to sit in a covered spot.
Third, eat your food early. If your brought it with you, eat it immediately. There’s nothing worse than a soggy sandwich. If you’re planning out eating at the park, eat immediately. There’s going to be water everywhere. You’ll enjoy it more if you eat it on a dry surface.
Overall, going to a game in the rain can be a lot of fun. I know my son had a blast when it happened to us earlier in the year. He loved running all over the ballpark with the puddles. The lines for Mr.Met, the ball field, and the dunk tank were short. The food and bathroom lines were as well.
I hope you find this information helpful. I hope you enjoy saluting the 2015 NL East Champion Mets when they come home.
Lets Go Mets!
Diehard fans hate the wave. Casual fans love it. Remember Mets fans, if you want the Mets to take back New York, we’re going to have to deal with the casual fan.
Personally, the wave is annoying. I like to keep score, and I always have a soda. I have to drop everything to do the wave. With that said, the reason I participate is for little kids. Since the wave is annoying, but I see its merit, I think there should be some groundrules.
RULE 1: The Wave is Always Acceptable on Camp Days
You see, little kids love the wave. They watch for it to come. They clap and cheer for it to make it. When the wave reaches its destination, everyone cheers. When it doesn’t get there, everyone boos. You won’t admit this, but at times, even the wave can be fun.
Keep that in mind for those few 12:00 day games in the weekday in the summer. Those games are for the kids. If they want to do the wave, let them do it. The idea is to let kids have fun and want them to want to come back to more games. Let them have their wave.
By extension, also allow the wave on Family Sunday or any game with a kids giveaway. However, these two days, unlike the camp games, are subject to Rules 8 & 9.
Rule 2: If There is a Kid Near You at Least Fake It
If there’s a kid near you at any game, please give the minimal effort. It doesn’t hurt you to stay in your seat and throw your hands up. At least you won’t be the jerk who killed the wave and let a kid cry. A corollary to this is if you helped kill the wave, and there is an upset kid near you, you can’t complain about the kid. You helped create the situation.
Rule 3: You Are Never Obligated to Help Start a Wave
Personally, I do not think this conflicts with the second rule. There, I only ask for minimal effort. To start the wave, you actually have to stand up and get loud. You’re not disappointing a child because the wave didn’t exist yet. If a child is upset at that, their parent either needs to try to start one, or if they are trying themself, they need to do a better job.
Rule 4: You Only Get Three Chances to Start the Wave
When you do a wave, you’re irritating a lot of people. The most annoyed people are the ones in your section. They constantly hear some idiot screaming to the top of their lungs “1! 2! 3! Ahhhh!” If it fizzles, let it die. It was never meant to be.
My suggestion is if you really want to do the wave politely go around the section and try to spread the word BETWEEN INNINGS. Tell them you’re doing it for your kid. I’m sure most people would oblige. If you try that and the wave still isn’t going, move on. These people aren’t doing it. Don’t annoy them and waste your time. Just sit back and enjoy the game.
Rule 5: You Must Be Sober When You Start the Wave
First, you have to be coherent if you want people to listen to you. Two, you don’t want to be belligerent when people don’t acquiesce. Three, if you fail and if you’re annoying people, don’t give them an excuse to get security to remove you. If you’re a jerk trying to get a wave started, security may talk to you. If security hears you’re drunk and screaming, they’ll remove you from the game. Be smart here.
Rule 6: You Must Be in LF or RF to Start the Wave
This isn’t a Choose Your Own Adventure book. The wave must only head in one direction and one direction only.
Rule 7: There Must Be a Sellout
Lets face it you’re not going to sit in the far wings of the Upper a Deck by yourself if you are, there’s no way the wave gets started. You and five friends can all stand up and hoot and holler, but the people 10 sections over won’t hear you or care.
As a corollary to this rule, you need to start the wave in the Upper Deck. I know it’s the Primenade now, but it’ll always be the Upper a Deck to me. The reason for the corollary is the Field Level costs way too much, so they’re doing what they want. The other tiers are partially obstructed views and don’t have the same effect. Keep in mind if you do your job well enough, they may join in anyway.
Rule 8: No Waves in Close Games
We’re all there to have fun, but mostly we’re there to enjoy a baseball game. If there’s a close game, chances are it’s a good one. When you stand up, it should be to cheer; not do the wave.
By extension, the earlier in the game the better . . . like the first three innings. In fact, if done properly the wave can bring some energy into the stadium. Surprisingly, the wave then might actually be a benefit by getting the crowd pumped and building some electricity for the team to feed upon.
Rule 9: No Waves in October
Ultimately, you’re there to enjoy the games. Your time to bring your kids for fun was the Spring and Summer. That’s also the time for the casual fan. October (and really September) is for the die hards. If you bring your kid to the game (I know I will), explain there is a time and place, and this is not the time and place for booing.
The die hard Mets fan has been waiting for this day for 10 years now. They’ve been desperately waiting for a Workd Series for 30 years. They’re dying for this moment. The casual fan, who so happened to get a ticket,and wants to start a wave doesn’t get a right to ruin anything for the diehard fan.
Rule 10: If Someone Ignores These Rules, You May Boo Them
Someone won’t do the wave when kids are around, boo them. Someone won’t stop trying to set up the wave, boo them. Someone tries to do a wave in October, boo them until you crush their soul.
Keep in mind, I’m only advocating booing. Never resort to insults, profanity, or name calling. Like Rule 5, don’t give someone an excuse to get you removed from a game.
Overall, let’s make it a fun environment for everyone. I know I personally treat it like life and death, but it’s only a game. It’s supposed to be fun. The next time a way comes around just go with it. Maybe letting go a little will make you feel more relaxed and enjoy the game more.
In a sport that has Yankee Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Ebbetts Field, for one night, Shea Stadium was the most famous stadium in the world. The Beatles were playing there.
It is still regarded as one of the greatest concerts of all time. For four more years, it most likely was the Mets’ fans favorite moment in the Big Shea. That would be until Davey Johnson’s fly ball fell harmlessly into Cleon Jones’ glove.
The Beatles were a phenomenon on their way to becoming the greatest Rock & Roll group ever. They rocked the house:
I was lucky enough to be able to attend Billy Joel’s Last Play at Shea over 40 years later. It was awesome. Aside from Billy Joel’s typical brilliance, he brought superstar guests onto the stage: Steven Tyler, Garth Brooks, and Roger Daltrey. Then, a miracle happened of the same ilk as a little dribbler up the first base line:
That’s right. McCartney would play in the two greatest concerts in Shea Stadium. We would later find out everyone moved heaven and hell to get him there. Much like the police escort the Beatles needed in 1965 just to get to the stage, McCartney needed one just to get to Shea on time.
Then Billy Joel did the classiest thing I’ve ever seen: he ceded his stage to Paul McCartney to close out his concert:
I remember my then girlfriend, now wife, and I calling our families so they could hear it. Like Billy Joel, we wanted to share this experience with everyone. This was a moment I’ll never forget.
As a native son, this was Billy Joel’s moment in his hometown. The Mets were letting him close down a stadium the Beatles opened. Instead, Billy Joel let the man who opened Shea close it down.
Fifty years later, Citi Field has a post game concert starring NeYo. He’s got some massive shoes to fill.
The Mets are in a pennant chase with the first place Washington Nationals coming into town. I know the last 36 hours have been rough between the blown trade and blown save, but the Mets are still in this thing . . . even if they do nothing else at the trade deadline.
If you have a little one, it is a great time to bring them to their first Mets game. The Mets will be throwing their stud muffins out there. Citi Field should be electric. This is a great opportunity to get your little one hooked on baseball. However, when you go to the ballpark with little ones, you have to be extra prepared.
When we brought my son to his first Mets game, my wife tasked me with one responsibility. I had to make sure there was a place to breastfeed our son. Now, if you have $10,000 laying around, you can always get a suite at Citi Field and have all the privacy you want. If you’re like me, that’s not an option, so I had to find a real solution. If it couldn’t be done, we were not going to the game. I love the Mets, but I wasn’t going to let my child starve for the better part of the day to watch the Mets get pummeled by the Nationals (they did lose 3-0 and it wasn’t that close).
Now if you go the Mets’ website, there is nothing there about breastfeeding at Citi Field. I was undeterred, and I did my research. I visited every mommy site there was. I was fairly confident I found the area where a mommy can breastfeed at Citi Field. We got tickets, and the whole family went to the game. Unfortunately, the mommy websites were very wrong.
I’m not going to link those websites because I do not want to embarass them because I’m sure they meant well. They did, however, leave us in a lurch. We had to find a solution and fast. We first went to the Nurses’ Station as instructed by the mommy blogs. There was no room at the inn. First of all, they cannot permit you to breastfeed in there if the rooms are full. Secondly, they are not enthusiastic about allowing you back there because someone may need to come in and use the room. That means your child will have to stop feeding immediately, and your wife will be exposed to the public. Not exactly a recipe for marital bliss. Now, I know there are family restrooms. However, they are always locked, and you can never find someone who can open them. Jimmy Hoffa can be in there for all I know. That eliminated the family restrooms. We were at a loss, and we were on the verge of going home.
With seconds remaining before going home, we stopped at Fan Assistance. They were as baffled as we were about where in Citi Field you could breastfeed a child. To their credit, they were very helpful. They arranged for us to use a small ticket office in the Promenade section (not the ticket windows, it’s in the opposite side) to breastfeed. An employee stood guard while my wife and I went in. This is not the ideal situation, but at least we were in private. It was an acceptable solution. This prevented my wife from having to feed our son in public, and it permitted us to stay for the game. It was also nice an employee stood outside making sure no one entered while we were in there.
So my recommendation to you is if your wife is breastfeeding, immediately go to Fan Assistance once you enter the ballpark. They will be very helpful. If not, please advise them that you were able to breastfeed in the ticket office in the Promenade section before, and you wish to go there again. It is the best of a series of bad choices.
As to the other issues a parent may have, Citi Field is accommodating for parents with infants. Each and every restroom has a changing table. They permit you to bring formula and bottles into the game. If you do choose to bring formula, I suggest you might want to get the travel pouches of formula as security might have a problem bringing white powder into the stadium. You can bring bottled water into the park to mix the formula. You can bring an umbrella stroller, which Fan Assistance will make you check with them.
When you stop by Fan Assistance to check in your stroller make sure you ask for a certificate for your child’s first Mets game. If you do, make sure you write very carefully and neatly otherwise you’ll have a misspelled name on your certificate like I do.
Overall, if you are better prepared than I am, you can have a fun filled day at Citi Field. In the end, it turned out to be a reasonably nice day, and my son was able to stay for all nine innings. It looks like he was born a Mets fan just like his “Mets Daddy.” If you go the game this weekend, I wish you the best of luck. Have fun at Citi Field and Lets Go Mets!
Mr. Mets is awesome. He is one of the best parts of the entire Mets organization. He was the first ever mascot to step onto the field, and he has been a legend ever since. Forbes magazine has named him the best mascot in all of sports. Similar to our beloved Tom Seaver, Mr. Met is also a Hall of Famer. He even has his own money!
The story of Mr. Met has been a story many have sought to tell. Paul Lucas has done phenomenal work trying to uncover who is the creator of the famous mascot. ESPN has dedicated one of its awarding winning 30 for 30s to find out who is the man inside the mascot. He was even the subject of a feature in Rolling Stone. Needless to say, Mr. Met has not only captivated the hearts and mind of Mets fans, but also the entire world.
That is why the best thing the Mets organization has done in recent years is to make him eminently available to Mets fans young and old. In fact, if you want to see him at Citi Field, the Mets have provided a schedule of his appearances:
| 12:10 Game | 1:10 Game | 4:10 Game | 7:10 Game | 8:05 Game |
| 10:45 a.m.* | 11:45 a.m.* | 2:45 p.m.* | 5:45 p.m.* | 6:40 p.m.* |
| 11:20 a.m. | 12:20 p.m. | 3:20 p.m. | 6:20 p.m. | 7:15 p.m. |
| 2nd Inning | 2nd Inning | 2nd Inning | 2nd Inning | 2nd Inning |
Mr. Met is always there rooting along with us Mets fans. Win or lose, he always has a smile on his face (of course he does, he gets to go to all the Mets home games). His smile greets Mets fans as they come to Citi Field, and it is there when we make our way home. I also find Mr. Met is always at his best around young Mets fans.
I know this is true because my son loves Mr. Met. When we have been to Citi Field, Mr. Met has given my son his autograph, a high five, and has taken a picture with him. Thanks to Mr. Met, we have memories of the Mets games we have spent together
I look forward to more memories like this with my son, and God willing, future generations of Mets fans. Thank you Mr. Met.