Originally written on May 2, 2009
Amidst a setting of history and longevity in New York City’s most diverse borough, a new addition to the Queen’s family opened it’s doors this spring: the sparkling Citi Field. Since it’s only a short walk from my house in Corona, my girlfriend Maureen and I decided to catch a Mets game on an un-seasonally warm Monday evening in April. The hated Florida Marlins were in town and there is no better ball game, or sporting event for that matter, than watching two division rivals square off.
Taking a short walk through Flushing Meadows Corona Park and strolling past Arthur Ashe Stadium, one can see Citi Field looming on the horizon. We decided to get there an hour and a half before game time so that we can take in all that the ballpark has to offer. As we approached the stadium, a very friendly staff greeted us with, “Hello and welcome to Citi Field. Please watch your step.” Needless to say, we were very impressed by that small gesture, as the both of us couldn’t seem to recall anytime that we were ever greeted coming into a stadium before. After stopping briefly to get a program (I just had to get one), we took the escalator up through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and proceeded to head for the food court.
As we made our way, we stopped to admire the open-air view from the first base side of the field level. The great thing about this stadium is that one can stand behind the seats and still enjoy a great view of the game. We both agreed that this stadium is like a combination of the Prudential Center, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Giants Stadium. After taking pictures and watching a little fielding practice, we found ourselves at the food court. The lines weren’t that long, except for the Shake Shack, which apparently is a very popular eatery at Citi Field. I splurged and went for the lobster roll at Catch of the Day while Maureen decided on chicken tacos and french fries from Box Frites.
We headed down to the Bullpen Plaza, where there is an abundance of picnic tables to sit at. What’s unique about the Bullpen Plaza is that fans can see the opposing team’s pitchers warming up in their bullpen. The distance between the fence and bullpen is enough to keep the fans out, but not enough to stop their good-natured heckling. Fans can also take a picture with the old homerun apple from Shea Stadium as well the piece of wall that Dwight Gooden autographed during the opening home stand.
The lobster roll was excellent, but for the price, I wish it were a little bit bigger. If you’re a fan of lobster, I suggest trying it out. The tacos were not that impressive as all they were, was chicken inside of a corn tortilla. No cheese, lettuce or tomatoes, which is how we’re accustomed to eating tacos. The French fries were tasty and crispy and came with a smoky bacon dipping sauce, which complemented them well. Much of the concession prices for items such as beer, pretzels, hot dogs, etc… are either lower or in-line with the prices at Shea Stadium and reasonable when compared with the other arenas and stadiums in the city. And if you’re a beer lover, there is a wide selection of beer available at Beers of the World.
We sat in the promenade level, Citi Field’s version of the upper deck, where the seats were much more roomier than at Shea. The view from up high was spectacular and is definitely a lot closer than the view from its predecessor. The open-air concession area behind home plate adds a nice touch to the ballpark, but be careful if the weather forecast calls for rain. If the skies decide to open up, there isn’t much in the way of cover.
The actual game itself turned out to be a memorable one. As Florida jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, thanks to an error by Gary Sheffield, I thought we were settling in for a typical Mets game. In the bottom of the inning, history was made as rookie catcher Omar Santos hit his first career homerun, a grand slam, to put the Mets ahead 5-1. It was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. It was also the first grand slam hit at Citi Field. “It was a great, great moment,” said Santos. “I knew it would at least hit the wall. But this is a big park.” Santos became the third player in major league history to hit a grand slam as his first career homerun. The last player to do so was Jose Reyes, who hit his six years ago.
After that the Mets would cruise to a 7-1 victory over their archrivals. John Maine would pick up his first win of the season, striking out six Marlins and allowing one run and one hit through six innings of work. The Marlins would extend their losing streak to seven games and only finish with two hits on the night.
All in all, it was a wonderful night out at the ballpark. Fortunately for us, it was this game that we chose to go to. Unfortunately for the Mets, they would end up losing their next two games to the Marlins to close out the home stand. Look on the bright side though; so far this season, the Mets are undefeated when we go to Citi Field!
Taking a short walk through Flushing Meadows Corona Park and strolling past Arthur Ashe Stadium, one can see Citi Field looming on the horizon. We decided to get there an hour and a half before game time so that we can take in all that the ballpark has to offer. As we approached the stadium, a very friendly staff greeted us with, “Hello and welcome to Citi Field. Please watch your step.” Needless to say, we were very impressed by that small gesture, as the both of us couldn’t seem to recall anytime that we were ever greeted coming into a stadium before. After stopping briefly to get a program (I just had to get one), we took the escalator up through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and proceeded to head for the food court.
As we made our way, we stopped to admire the open-air view from the first base side of the field level. The great thing about this stadium is that one can stand behind the seats and still enjoy a great view of the game. We both agreed that this stadium is like a combination of the Prudential Center, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Giants Stadium. After taking pictures and watching a little fielding practice, we found ourselves at the food court. The lines weren’t that long, except for the Shake Shack, which apparently is a very popular eatery at Citi Field. I splurged and went for the lobster roll at Catch of the Day while Maureen decided on chicken tacos and french fries from Box Frites.
We headed down to the Bullpen Plaza, where there is an abundance of picnic tables to sit at. What’s unique about the Bullpen Plaza is that fans can see the opposing team’s pitchers warming up in their bullpen. The distance between the fence and bullpen is enough to keep the fans out, but not enough to stop their good-natured heckling. Fans can also take a picture with the old homerun apple from Shea Stadium as well the piece of wall that Dwight Gooden autographed during the opening home stand.
The lobster roll was excellent, but for the price, I wish it were a little bit bigger. If you’re a fan of lobster, I suggest trying it out. The tacos were not that impressive as all they were, was chicken inside of a corn tortilla. No cheese, lettuce or tomatoes, which is how we’re accustomed to eating tacos. The French fries were tasty and crispy and came with a smoky bacon dipping sauce, which complemented them well. Much of the concession prices for items such as beer, pretzels, hot dogs, etc… are either lower or in-line with the prices at Shea Stadium and reasonable when compared with the other arenas and stadiums in the city. And if you’re a beer lover, there is a wide selection of beer available at Beers of the World.
We sat in the promenade level, Citi Field’s version of the upper deck, where the seats were much more roomier than at Shea. The view from up high was spectacular and is definitely a lot closer than the view from its predecessor. The open-air concession area behind home plate adds a nice touch to the ballpark, but be careful if the weather forecast calls for rain. If the skies decide to open up, there isn’t much in the way of cover.
The actual game itself turned out to be a memorable one. As Florida jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, thanks to an error by Gary Sheffield, I thought we were settling in for a typical Mets game. In the bottom of the inning, history was made as rookie catcher Omar Santos hit his first career homerun, a grand slam, to put the Mets ahead 5-1. It was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. It was also the first grand slam hit at Citi Field. “It was a great, great moment,” said Santos. “I knew it would at least hit the wall. But this is a big park.” Santos became the third player in major league history to hit a grand slam as his first career homerun. The last player to do so was Jose Reyes, who hit his six years ago.
After that the Mets would cruise to a 7-1 victory over their archrivals. John Maine would pick up his first win of the season, striking out six Marlins and allowing one run and one hit through six innings of work. The Marlins would extend their losing streak to seven games and only finish with two hits on the night.
All in all, it was a wonderful night out at the ballpark. Fortunately for us, it was this game that we chose to go to. Unfortunately for the Mets, they would end up losing their next two games to the Marlins to close out the home stand. Look on the bright side though; so far this season, the Mets are undefeated when we go to Citi Field!
Sidenotes...During one of the later innings, the infamous "Potvin Sucks" chant was heard.
Very nice to hear about Citifield and the Marlins, I enjoyed the article, post some more about these events, I will keep track. Also, you can visit me at http://blues-hound.blogspot.com and thanks again. EB
ReplyDeleteWill be going to my 4th game @ Citi Field this thursday against the phillies. Foodwise, I suggest the wings @ blue smoke and the nachos from the nacho stand on the field level (or whatever they call it now). Also, you can't go wrong with hot or sweet sausages.
ReplyDelete