17. Citi Field
The fourth of five stops on the 2012 baseball road trip was the new home of the most incompetently run team in baseball, the New York Mets. It's old home, Shea Stadium, was pretty bad. How would its new home, Citi Field, turn out?
Mike & I braved the highway from Philadelphia to New York City along the New Jersey shoreway on a summer Sunday and ended up in Queens at the apartment of my good friend jackthebodyless. From there we took the subway out to Flushing Meadows, where the new park stands right next to where Shea Stadium used to be, and just across from the home of the U.S. Open.
The game itself was a Sunday night interleague game featuring the cross town New York Yankees. We were fortunate to see Mets knuckleball pitcher R.A. Dickey in the midst of what was by far his career year (he won the Cy Young) go up against Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who also was having an excellent year. Dickey came into the game riding a forty game scoreless inning streak. Alas, we saw what might have been Dickey's worst start of the year; he gave up 5 and did not figure in the decision. His finest moment was on offense as he knocked the ball from the catcher sliding into home as he scored from second on a single. Sabathia was actually worse; he also gave up 5 with fewer inning pitched. The Yankees managed to push across a sixth run late in the game and that was that.
But what about the park? Well, it's pretty average. Much like Nationals Park, Citizens Bank Park and Great American Ballpark, there's not much about it that stands out. The only standout feature is the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is a large entryway featuring a memorial to the great Dodgers player. Of course, Jackie played down in Brooklyn, so although the man richly deserves having part of a building named after him, it feels like the Mets are sort of trying to bask in his glory. In other words, it feels fake. Apparently when the park opened the Robinson Rotunda was one reason that fans were upset that the park generally celebrates the Dodgers more than the Mets, leading to them adding more Mets memorabilia.
However, Citi Field is not actively bad like the horror show that was Shea Stadium, and with the Yankees visiting it was packed to the gills with enthusiastic fans. We were actually there for the fifth largest crowd in stadium history. I'd probably go back if for no other reason than to visit the Mets Hall of Fame I which I missed out on last time.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5 Camden YardsBaltimore OriolesJune 22, 20121
6 Yankee Stadium (original)New York YankeesJuly 28, 20061
7 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
8 Turner FieldAtlanta BravesMay 5, 20071
9 Nationals ParkWashington NationalsJune 21, 20121
10 Citizens Bank ParkPhiladelphia PhilliesJune 23, 20121
11Citi FieldNew York MetsJune 24, 20121
12 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
13 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
14 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
15 Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
16 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
17 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude
Mike & I braved the highway from Philadelphia to New York City along the New Jersey shoreway on a summer Sunday and ended up in Queens at the apartment of my good friend jackthebodyless. From there we took the subway out to Flushing Meadows, where the new park stands right next to where Shea Stadium used to be, and just across from the home of the U.S. Open.
The game itself was a Sunday night interleague game featuring the cross town New York Yankees. We were fortunate to see Mets knuckleball pitcher R.A. Dickey in the midst of what was by far his career year (he won the Cy Young) go up against Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who also was having an excellent year. Dickey came into the game riding a forty game scoreless inning streak. Alas, we saw what might have been Dickey's worst start of the year; he gave up 5 and did not figure in the decision. His finest moment was on offense as he knocked the ball from the catcher sliding into home as he scored from second on a single. Sabathia was actually worse; he also gave up 5 with fewer inning pitched. The Yankees managed to push across a sixth run late in the game and that was that.
But what about the park? Well, it's pretty average. Much like Nationals Park, Citizens Bank Park and Great American Ballpark, there's not much about it that stands out. The only standout feature is the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is a large entryway featuring a memorial to the great Dodgers player. Of course, Jackie played down in Brooklyn, so although the man richly deserves having part of a building named after him, it feels like the Mets are sort of trying to bask in his glory. In other words, it feels fake. Apparently when the park opened the Robinson Rotunda was one reason that fans were upset that the park generally celebrates the Dodgers more than the Mets, leading to them adding more Mets memorabilia.
However, Citi Field is not actively bad like the horror show that was Shea Stadium, and with the Yankees visiting it was packed to the gills with enthusiastic fans. We were actually there for the fifth largest crowd in stadium history. I'd probably go back if for no other reason than to visit the Mets Hall of Fame I which I missed out on last time.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5 Camden YardsBaltimore OriolesJune 22, 20121
6 Yankee Stadium (original)New York YankeesJuly 28, 20061
7 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
8 Turner FieldAtlanta BravesMay 5, 20071
9 Nationals ParkWashington NationalsJune 21, 20121
10 Citizens Bank ParkPhiladelphia PhilliesJune 23, 20121
11Citi FieldNew York MetsJune 24, 20121
12 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
13 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
14 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
15 Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
16 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
17 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude