GET. ADAM. DUNN. 

Omar should have signed this guy in the off-season.  I will never know why he didn't.  Parnell and one of our prospects, get it done Omar!  He would be a great fit in CitiField's massive gaps.  He was the solution this off-season and he is still the solution now. 

Yes, I know I am crazy but I have decided to run another Marathon, this year with a little more of a Mets twist.  I've chosen to run the Chicago Marathon which will be on October 11, 2009.  Even though I have an automatic bid, I've decided to run for a charity and have chosen the David Wright Foundation to help raise money for their programs for children in need.

I have pledged to raise at least $3,000 for the David Wright Foundation.  The funds raised will provide aid and assistance toward the health, emotional development, and education for children in need. Through programs and annual events, the David Wright Foundation strives to enhance the quality of life for children of the New York, Tri-State, and Norfolk, VA metro areas.

Some levels of giving which may be of interst to you include:

$26.20 - One dollar for every mile on October 11th.

$77.50 - .00001% of David Wright's 2009 salary.

$345 - The time in hours/minutes I hope to finish the Marathon in.

$101 - The number of years since the Chicago Cubs won a World Series

$5 - David Wright's number

If you would make a donation to the David Wright Foundation on my behalf, go HERE.

To read about the David Wright Foundation, go HERE.

Last year I ran the New York City Marathon and raised money for the Team For Kids.  It was a challenging and rewarding experience and one that I forward to again. 
 

DC is an awesome city, but DC is also hot as balls.  After a night out of drinking we turned it around quickly for a day Mets game.  Here is something that is very sweet at Nationals Park.....we had to catch a flight home and needed to check out of our hotel, so our bags needed to come with us.  We called the stadium before we left and we were told that they had a bag drop.  I instantly called bullshit on this, there was no way that a stadium had a controlled bag drop location. 

We made it out to the stadium easily again with mass transportation.  The subway system in DC is so clean, imagine standing on a platform in NYC waiting for a train in a clean and air conditioned setting.  True bliss.  Once out at the stadium we went to find our other friend who had the tickets, sweet season tickets about 10 rows off the field.  We asked around for the "bag drop" and after going through the gate we were directed to guest services.  We walked in to this office and had the nicest lady tell us that there was no problem at all, we could leave our bags in this clean, climate controlled room at no cost.  Wow, nice. 

The start time was 1:35 and I had not eaten anything since the night before when I chugged a Gatorade and stuffed my face with a box of Entamens cookies.  I was about to put on a an eating fest.  Sausages, ice slush, hot dogs, chicken fingers and nahos....dominated it. 

Our seats were fantastic, right behind the Nats dugout, but directly in the sun.  I spend $4 a pop for water, unreal, let me say that again $4 for a water!  Prices at Nationals Park were definitely more expensive than CitiField, another reason to love the Mets new home.

If I asked if a 5-1 record with a 3.88 ERA was All Star worthy, what would you say?  If I also told you that this record belonged to a 5th starter named Livan Hernandez, would you believe me?  Livan has been spectacular so far this year, even though a bulk of his starts have been against the Nationals, Pirates, Marlins and other sub .500 teams.  He has been a pleasant surprise.  The Mets offense got off to a hot, hot start, scoring 5 runs in the top of the first.  A much, much better line-up was put out on the field today, including the return of Ryan Church.  In my opinion something still seems off about him, but I guess only time will tell if he is fully back to strength, and I am talking about all the way back from pre-concussion. 

Other things of interest:
- Adam Dunn is huge.  I mean, he is like Sasquatch huge.  I was in such favor of the Mets signing him this off season, all he does is consistently put up 30 HR and 100 RBI.  I know hindsight is 20/20, but signing him would have solved our gap at 1B. 
- D Wright looked dialied in this series, he went 2/3 in this game with 2 walks. 
- At CitiField they have the t-shirt launch, well the same thing happens at Nationals Park, however, later in the game they stuff the t-shirt cannon with sausages and fire them into the upper tank.  I love it, CitiField Pepsi Patrol, get on that!
- James caught a t-shirt, of course it was a triple XL.
- Did I say it was hot, and did I say I was hung over?
- After the first inning the game went pretty silent for the rest of the game.  Livan and the Mets staff shut down the triple A Nationals and the Mets bats went quiet. 

After an awesome Saturday day and night we saw a great Mets win, 7-0, taking 2 of 3 from the Nationals.  It was a great weekend and as I have said in the past I love DC, it is my second city.  It was good to be back.  Road trips are always a blast and this one was no different.  Lots of laughs, drinking, memories. I highly suggest that you look at the Mets upcoming scheudle and plan a road trip, it awesome seeing a new city and the Mets play in their road uniforms.  The five of us had a sick time, can't wait to do it again.

Emil Brown!  What the F!  You are telling me that you would rather have EMIL BROWN hitting second and playing RF rather than give at bats to F-Mart.  Manuel is really not going to start F-Mart because there is a lefty pitching?  Are you kidding me?  Also, Murphy isn't playing first base?  All because a lefty is on the mound?  Both of these kids are the future of the ball club and are up here to get at bats and battle.  Manuel is babying these guys way too much. Emil Brown!  One more time, Emil Brown is your starting RF on this night and is hitting second, protecting Carlos Beltran.  Why not Jeremy Reed?  I would much rather battle the Nationals lefty Lannan with people not named Emil Brown.  Well, as it turns out the Mets paltry line-up made Lannan look like friggin' Cy Young as he tossed a complete game, 1 run, 4 hit ballgame.  He had the Mets off all night long.  On the flip side, John Maine looked off and as we would later find out he was battling after being sick last week.  He didn't pitch all that bad after the first inning.  He lacked zip on his fastball and couldn't command his off speed stuff. 

Here are some notes from Saturday:
- Our flight on Friday night was delayed from 8:00 to 11:00, so James and I decied to take the train, we ended up getting to DC around 10:00 and we would later find out that the flight didn't get in until 1:05 am.
- I ran the Komen Global Race for a Cure on Saturday, way, way too early in the morning.  I did well finishing 114th overall. 
- We rented bikes and rode the entire city, must have covered 12 miles from the National Mall, to Georgetown, to Arlington Cemetary.  All along the way we saw hundreds of people decked out in Mets gear. Hats, t shirts, jerseys, you name it, all over DC.  I find it very strange that in 2008 the Mets didn't have a weekend series in DC. It is such an easy and enjoyable trip and it looks like many Mets fans made the haul.
- The stadium was packed with about 75% Mets fans, it should have been a home game from them.
- We paid $60 a ticket for 25 rows off the field, lower section.  Great bang for the buck. 
- Beautiful stadium, not as nice as CitiField, but way nicer than Yankee Stadium.  Sightlines, vending options, fan friendly. 
- Fastest game I have ever been to, 2 hours!  Let me say that again, 2 hours!  We were at the Bullpen bar just outside the stadium at 9:05.  All games should be played this quickly.
- The area around Nationals Park reminds me of CitiField and the chop shops.  This was once an area of DC that had nothing.  They are building it up with condos, restaurants and bars.  It was a small look into the future of what CitiField and its surrouding are would be like and I must say I like it. 

Bad, bad Mets loss, 7-1, however it was great being back in DC and the five of us had a hell of a time on Saturday night. 

Hi everyone.  I just posted to eBay an auction for a Four Game Pack which Includes the Yankees, Rockies, Cardinals and Marlins at CitiField.  If you follow my blog you know that I have 2 great seats that are unobstructed, Row 1 Promenade 427. 

Click HERE to bid on the no reserve auction which stats at $5.00.

Two years ago the Mets played a weekend series in DC.  A few guy friends took a drive down and spent the weekend partying and watching the series.  It was the beginning of a tradition of road trips for us.  Unfortunately last year the Mets didn't play in DC and with all of our schedules we decided to hit up Iceland instead. 

Well, this year, this weekend the Mets will again be in DC for a weekend series.  We will be fying this year, as we learned from two years ago driving four hours on Sunday was an absolute disaster after a weekend of drinking.  The flight was cheap, $108, and it is quick, 30 minutes in the air.  I am excited to get back to my second city, and watch the depleted, triple A Mets play.  Seriously, can this team get healthy.....swine flu Carlos? 

It will be a homecoming of sorts as I have friends that still live in the area who are season ticket holders with the Nats and huge Mets fans.  It should be a great weekend of beers, baseball and "insert anything else that begins with a B".

OMIR SANTOS!  Unbelievable.  A little man love? I had read earlier in the day that the Mets were looking to trade Castro since they would soon be carrying three catchers, what a way to cement the idea.....in a 2-1 victory in the bottom of the 11th, Santos was responsible for the first run with a towering home run and the game winning run with a line drive base hit.  I like this kid, he has fire.  He fist pumps after a win behind the dish, he fist pumps and yells when he has a big home run (see Papelbon) and fist pumps and yells when he has a game winning hit.  I'd like to see this kid have the starting spot.

James and I went to the game and we sat in our seats the entire game, no roaming around the stadium.  Each game I go to I am more and more happy with CitiField, it is just a matter of time to feel like it is "our" home. 

I have to say I was a bit confused with Manuel's handling of the bullpen tonight.  He brought pitchers in when they would have to be pinch hit for and with a thin bench he almost painted himself into a corner with lack of available players.  Speaking of lack of players, it is strange to go to a game and not see Jose playing SS, he can't come back fast enought, however, I am a big fan of Pagan and have enjoyed seeing him back in the line up.

Great atmosphere at Citi tonight, great win.  This ballclub, depite all the injuries, are finding ways to win. Their starting pitching has picked up the slack and their role players have come through in the clutch.  Let's keep it going!

"Going to the new Yankee Stadium is like having a catch with your step-dad next to your real dad's grave" - Artie Lange

Last week I had one of my Yankee friends come to CitiField with me and he provided a review of the stadium from a Yankee fans point of view.  Well, yesterday I had the opportunity to go to Yankee Stadium with some friends who were all fans of the team.  I now give you my review of the new Yankee Stadium.

First let me start out by saying that I have been very harsh on CitiField, pointing out some of the obstructions and even writing a petition.  After my afternoon at NYS I must be honest and say the Mets have the superior ballpark and I am even more in love with CitiField and the Mets now.  There is not even a contest, with all of the issues at CitiField aside, the Mets have given their fans one of the best stadiums in baseball, and I am more proud now to be a fan of the Mets.  I can not even put it into words.....well done Mets!

Ok, let's move on from that love fest......I had been to the old Yankee Stadium a total of 4 times in my life, the last being the Home Run Derby last year.  I had always been a fan of the history of the old stadium and I appreciated what the stadium meant to baseball.  It wasn't just holly ground for Yankee fans but it was also for baseball fans.  When I got off the subway and had a view of the old stadium I felt a bit sad to see this once great cathedral standing there empty and falling apart.  Mets fans were lucky, they did not have to go to a brand spanking new stadium and be reminded of the past with the old Shea still standing there.  Yankee fans need to see the dismantling of their once larger than life stadium, brick by brick and beam by beam.  It was a bit sad to see the old stadium standing there empty and dying.


Walking past the old stadium to NYS I was first taken by how big it feels.  I am amazed that they fit this into a city block and think they did a fantastic job, its curb appeal is amazing and it gave off a sense of power and monumentality.  We met our friends over by the Hard Rock and made our way over to Gate 6.  Both NYS and Citi have these rediculous self scanning barcodes which takes people way too long.  I get it, but it doesn't exactly help with the long lines. 



I have heard people say that they felt NYS was like a shopping mall, well, I felt that was a bit harsh, it was actually more like an airport terminal.  This was not only felt by me, but also by the Yankee fans I was with.  As you walk up the flight of stairs at the opposite end of the HD screen, there is a bar on your left.  Apparently it is the only bar (aside from the legend seats) that serves hard alcohol.  To get to this bar you have to wind through a cooridor that can only be explained as "prison like".  How people find this winding cooridor is beyond me, I only did because my friend had been there before.  Maybe if you ask the people holding signs saying "ask me, I'm here to help", which I thought was a fantastic idea, Citi should have this as well.

Our seats were in section 231, we made our way up to our level and walked behind home plate and got the "airport terminal" feeling again.  You could hardly tell you were at a ball game, there were only empty tables/chairs, no TV's and no sound, nothing.  It was a very strange area of the stadium, if there was a speed walkway like those found in airport terminals I would have thought it was JFK airport.  As you wind around you are then presented with the open view to the field.  The concessions are possitioned in the middle of the walkways significantly cutting down the open feeling.  The lines bleed into the walkway and as they grew it becomes a bit difficult to walk through.  I am not sure why at this level they were not designed at the back of the walkway. 

Once at the seats you have this impressive feeling of the stadium all around you.  We had awesome sightlines to the game and I felt that you have this comfortable feeling with the fans and stadium falling all around you.  They have done a great job making the stadium big and comforting and intimidating all at the same time.  The centerfield HD screen is massive and amazing.  The Yankee roll call by the bleacher section is one of the coolest things in baseball, I am kinda jealous that the Mets do not have some sort of tradition like this. 


We spend a few innings in our seats watching a fantastic pitching duel.  Mid way through we got up to walk around to CF to check out the concessions and grab some food.  Walking around and back was easy enough, until you actually try to get into the CF section where the walkway narrows to fit one person as you try to sneak past a line for concessions.  I think the CF section was one of the most dissappointing sections, and maybe it is because Citi is so well designed.  As a fan it is almost impossible to watch the game and eat from out there.  Not only do you have retarded obstructions from the CF restaurant where you lose the the entire LF or RF, but the space is so small that it makes it difficult to buy food, eat and drink and enjoy the game.  There was again the same concrete closed off feeling and it wasn't fun being out there trying to watch the game.  Also, what is the deal with not being able to get tops for your Pepsi or other drink?  I bought a milk shake and asked for a top, the lady looked at me like I had four heads saying, "we don't have tops for drinks".  But hey, they will give you your screw top for your beer, unlike at Citi.  

As we made our way back to our seats I was again not very impressed with the concessions offered and the concrete, maybe as a Mets fan I am now spoiled by the superior food options.  Also walking back, we made our way down to field level and it was quite bizzare to see 3/4 of the legend seats empty.  I mean, unreal!  If I was a Yankee fan I would be frustrated not only by the exclusivity that is constant in this stadium, but also with the fact that these high priced seats were never intended for Yankee fans, but for the corporate world.  I know Citi has similar issues, but NYS seemed to have a completely different corporate vibe.  For example, please tell me what a Peter Max gallery with $60,000 pieces of art is doing at a ballpark.  I asked the lady if they had sold anything, her response "we seem to do well when the weather is poor or the game is in the later innings".  I guess after you spend $1250 on tickets you might want to get absolutely robbed on a Peter Max print for $4000. 

On field level I love the old black and white photographs above the concession stands.  The Yankees have a great history and the ballpark definitely brings that back to the fans.  I especially liked the old black and white at one of the exits of Lou Gerhig giving his speach, gave me the chills.  Another touch I absolutely love are the old school manual scoreboard in the LF and RF walls. 

At the end of the day, the Yankees had another walk-off win over the Twins, but I went home even more excited about my New York Mets.  We have a team that is performing very well now, and we have a beautiful stadium in CitiField to watch them.

Great, great win tonight.  A 4-3 walk off win, and by walk off I literally mean "walk".  It is nice to see the Mets show a little fight when they are down a few runs going into the later innings.  Tonight I went to the game with my friend Jason, who as you may remember from past posts is a Yankees fan and a clown, enjoy:

Let me get one thing out of the way first... I'm a Yankees fan.  But before you start the "YANK-EES SUCK" chant... let me say that I'm not the typical Yankees fan. I am a baseball fan above all... and I actually root for the Mets too.  I grew up watching both teams and going to both stadiums... and I actually went to more games in Queens last year than in The Boogie-Down Bronx.  So... I think I'm in a good position to answer the big question in Flushing...

What do you think of the new stadium?

It's impressive.  Very impressive.  It's big.  It's beautiful.  And it's brand spanking new.  It's a great place to watch a game.  It doesn't seem like there are many bad seats.  You definitely feel more like a part of the action than Shea.  I love the standing room areas.  The views looking out of the stadium are amazing... the city... LGA... Jamaica Bay. There's really not many bad things I can say about it as a baseball stadium.

But... as a METS stadium...  it is lacking a little something on the inside.  An identity.

If you were to walk into that stadium on an off-day when it's totally empty, you might not know what team plays there.  Sure, there's the "Mets" logo painted onto the grass behind home plate and onto the roof of the dugout.  But from where I sat in the upper tank in left field, you can't see that.  There was nothing.  When you are in your seat, you can see more Subway, Pepsi and Budweiser ads than interlocking NYM insignias.

Yes, there is plenty of Mets signage around the stadium... from the pictures of old timers to the team stores... to the logos on the garbage cans... I even noticed the silhouette of Endy Chavez above the left field entrance.

But once I got to my seat... nothing.

I've been to the new Yankee Stadium and from the second you walk in the place, there is absolutely zero doubt who plays there.  I'm not saying the Mets need to imitate the Yankees... but they could take a few hints.

I'm not going to pretend I noticed this all by myself, although I think I would have anyway.  But my die-hard Mets fan friend Andy asked me to look for it... because he wanted to know if it was just him who felt this way.  I have to say... he's dead on.

As for the game itself... it was one of the fastest games I ever remember being at.  Pelfrey pitched well.  The Amazin's made some amazingly bad base running blunders.  Chipper physically cannot do anything wrong in the city of New York.  The "should you bunt with David Wright" argument is a tough one, I could make convincing pitches for both answers.  And Beltran picked up the team on his back not once... not twice... but three times.

He made a great catch at the wall to save a run.  The catch itself actually wasn't that spectacular, but to see how far he went to get the ball was incredible.  He stole third in the 9th to set up the game tying sac fly (for the record, just seconds after I said to Scott... he needs to steal third).  Yeah, he might have been out.  But after all the breaks the Braves seem to get against the Mets... it was time a close call went the other way.  And then he won the game... with his eyes.  That's why he gets paid all that money... if only he could do that every night.

Oh... I almost forgot... From my seat in the first row of the upper deck I was inches away from catching a t-shirt fired from the field.  The girl with the launcher fired it right at me... and it was just out of my reach.  If my feet were tied down, I definitely could have caught it.  But I'm not risking my life for a shirt that probably won't fit right anyway.

And then... there's this guy.  I got to see the first home run ever hit at the new Yankee Stadium (even if it was pre-season).  At CitiField... I got to see the first streaker.  There's a joke in there somewhere... but I don't think I need to explain...

http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/13/mets-steaker-take-me-out-to-the-balls-game/

I am excited to go back and enjoy CitiField again as a baseball fan.

I was in a cab the other day on my way home from the airport when I saw Ron Darling walking along Broadway in lower Manhattan.  So, like any Met fan, I casually yelled out the window "Hey Ronnie", to which Ron gave me a wave and head nod.  That made my night. 

I had sold my tickets for today's game about a month ago because I was away in Nashville earlier in the weekend.  Since the Mets had been on such a tear lately and the weather was going to be perfect, I thought I would buy some tickets and enjoy the game today.  Catherine and I ended up buying great seats on StubHub.  This was my first experience with StubHub and it went very smoothly, except for the printing of tickets at home.  I tried to sneak into the Hilton's business office around the corner from my apartnemt to print them off but was unable to get in, so I had to walk over the the FedEx store in Tribeca.  Lot's of great seat options on StubHub and well below face value, I highly recommend using this site.  We ended up with tickets in the Ceasars Club level, first base side, for about 30% off face value. 

After a very quick LIRR trip to Citi, we made our way to the Club, which is very nice.  It is basically like other sections except that you have a few bars and your own concessions and a restaurant.  The bars were good, no long lines at the bathrooms or fod stands.  The options for food are much better in the Promenade behind home plate.  The problem today with Ceaser level was that you were in the shade pretty much all game.  It was a bit windy and chilly in the shade, so we decided to walk over to the Pepsi Porch.  We spent a good 5 innings there after scoring a table overlooking the field.  I think this has to be one of my most favorite places to watch a game, in fact, I would seriously consider changing my seat location to the Pepsi Porch next year. 

Now, to the game:

- Ian Snell looked like Cy Young the first three innings.  But finally the Mets bats came alive.
- Daniel Murphy looks so, so, so uncomfortable in RF.
- Livan Hernandez is quite the innings eater and has been a nice surprise with the quality starts he has been providing.  I hope he continues to anchor the back end of the rotation.
- Carlos Beltran is locked-in, plain and simple.  There is something about him this year that just screams quiet confidence.  It has been a pleasure watching him so far this year.

Today was a fantastic game, great weather and a sold win.  You need to sweep series when you have a team on the rope, it helps with the killer instanct, and today the Mets proved they have some fight in them after being down 2-0. 

Again, Happy Mother's Day!

We are starting to settle into the season and becoming more and more excited about what the 2009 campaign will be like for the Mets.  I am excited for the season to unfold and hope that the Mets offense can break out of its early slump and ugly production with men on base.  Each game you expect at least 10-15 men left on base.  They have to start clicking at some point, don't they?

I have been amazed that a blogger like myself who is simply a die hard Mets fan can all of a sudden cause such a stir online with the Mets ongoing issues with obstructions.  I have to smile just a bit when I see the referring pages and people reading about obstructions.  So first, thank you to those who have liked to my past articles about obstructions and thank you to those who have signed the petition I created.  Here is the problem I see.....the Mets, I am afraid, will continue to sweep these issues under the rug, dismissing this as a non-issue and never really making an effort to make the situation right. 

Let me be clear, I am a season ticket holder, but my seats are not affected by the LED obstruction.  My reasons for coming out and putting the petiton together and writing about it on my blog have been because I felt that luck was the only way I found out about the obstructions and luck that had my seats far enough down the line to not have an issue.  I feel very bad for the paying customers, whether season ticket holders or individual game buyers, who have obstructions and are unaware of them.  Nothing will be done unless we, the paying customers whether affected or not, create enough noise about it.  I just want to do my part.  I was sick to my stomach seeing some of the obstructions and early images online.  I was distressed to know that a father and son may not enjoy a game becasue they did not know about the obstructions.  I was pissed at the spin and rhetoric from Dave Howard, all of which is still happening. 

Newsday, New York Times, Daily News, New York Post help out us Mets fans.  MetsBlog, Baseball Prospectus, Mets Police, Baseball Fever, Queens Crap and other blogs/forums, let's continue to make noise and have people sign the petition.  Let's get enough feedback so we can take this to the organization.  I am sure in this economy the Mets do not need another reason (possible obstructions) for people to not buy tickets.  Right now we have 39 people, at 1000 we will take this to the Mets organization. 

So eveyone out there, keep up the talk.  Sign the petition.  Email me your frustrations. Talk to people about the issues. 

I want to end this on a positive note.  I do not want readers to think that I do not appreciate the new stadium or the workers who build the stadium or the money invested into it by the city of New York and the Mets organization. To not appreciate this would be a slap in their faces.  I do really, really love the new stadium and can't wait to one day take my family to a game.  However, this appreciation does not change the fact that there are obstructions and that people will spend their hard earned money to go to a game and may have an obstruction. The organization needs to address this head-on and inform the paying public of their solutions. 

If I was to tell you three months ago that the following would happen, you would have thought I was on crack:

First batter faced at CitiField would hit a home run.  A cat would run onto the field, 1969 style.  A balk would bring  home the deciding run.  Mike Pelfrey would trip and fall during his delivery.

New stadium, some of the same old tricks.  The Mets starting rotation needs to get its act together, the bullpen is getting too many innings and the offense is being put into holes early and often.  David Wright, fantastic game, you were the perfect person to hit the first home run at CitiField.  It was a big one, too.  A game tying three run home run bomb, and my goodness, that new home run applet is huge!  I mean, that is one big apple, I would say at least 3x's the size of the old one.  I am digging it.

CitiField on my second trip definitely grew on me a bit more.  I am getting more and more familiar with my surroundings and comfortable with the seats.  I do still feel very bad for the people in the first few rows who have LED obstructions, and equally as bad for the people who have to watch a game through the plexi glass staircases.  You can read my past blog entries to get my feelings and reviews about these horrible obstructions. 

I noticed that CitiField is about 40% less loud than Shea.  At certain points to the game my brother Jack and I noticed that it was much less noisy than Shea.  Was this the case because it is a more corporate crowd?  Is it because there is 10,000+ less fans in the stands?  Is it because fans don't know when to cheer because of their obstructions?  Is it less loud because of the new stadium layout?  I am sure all of the above is factoring into this, but one thing is 100% for sure, it is not as loud as Shea.  If D. Wright hits that same home run in Shea I would not have been able to hear myself think.  Last night, it was as if it was muted.  I don't know, something that I will definitely keep thinking and writing about.  Other than the Mets losing, overall on the whole, fantastic Opening Night.  The Seaver to Piazza first pitch was a great touch.  It was also nice to see that Tom got the ball over the plate, it looked like he had some late movement on the pitch.  The flyover is also a fan favorite and I happened to get it on tape.  I will be posting it when I download my pictures and movies. 

Come on Mets, let's start picking it up.  It is a simple game, you hit the ball, you catch the ball and you throw the ball.  It looks like the Mets fans and players are all trying to get comfortable with their new home. I know how everyone feels, I just moved into a new apartment and I am still trying to figure out my morning and evening agenda's. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, the Mets and their fans will be settled in to CitiField.

Recently I have been contacted by other Mets fans who are very unhappy and annoyed with the obstructions at Citi Field.  So, I have started a petition in the hopes that we will get some answers from the New York Mets, please read and sign by clicking HERE.

I was lucky enough to be down the line in section 427 and do not have an issue with LED obstructions, however, I feel that the Mets have not done a good job in communicating with paying customers and that eveyone should speak up.

I created three packs of tickets that I am selling on eBay at no reserve.  Check them out and bid if you want.  I am selling these regardless of price.  All packs are 2 tickets, Promenade Box 427, Row 1, no obstructions (see the picture), and is an aisle. 

Pack 1, Four Games:
April 27 vs. the Marlins
May 25 vs. the Nats
June 28th vs. the Yankees
August 3rd vs. the DBacks

Pack 2, Three Games:
April 15th vs. the Padres (2nd game at CitiField)
June 24th vs. the Cardinals
August 4 vs. the Cardinals

Pack 3, Four Games:
April 16th vs. the Padres (3rd game at CitiField)
May 11th vs. the Braves
June 25th vs. the Cardinals
August 17th vs. the Giants

If you are interested, click on the blue link to view the listing. 

Opening Day 2009.  I can't believe that it is here already.  It has been another long off-season, and just when you think you couldn't take the cold weather, same story lines, WBC games or spring training games, Opening Day sneaks up on you and is here. 

This will be my fourth year following the season on Section Six.  It is funny, the name Section Six comes from my first section I had a ticket package in, Section 6 of the Mezzaine at old Shea.  So much has happened since that first year, I found it funny to go back and read past entries about the Mets.  Each Opening Day I treat like the start of the new year, where I reflect on the past season and what I hope to happen the upcoming one.  No doubt 2009 is going to be a fun year with CitiField open and hype around this 2009 Mets team.  Everywhere I read there are bold predictions for this 2009 team.  World Series winners here, NL East champs there.  I will stick to what I said in my Spring Training entry, if the Mets play hard, team, inspired baseball then we will part of a special season.  Manuel brought team baseball back to the Mets this preseason and it certainly feels like this 2009 team is on the brink of something special.  I am a bit concerned with the depth of the rotation.  I am concerned with what Sheffield will bring to the Mets, even though it is a low risk/high reward opportunity.  But hey, every team has concerns and soft spots now. 

If the formula is correct I expect the Mets to make up a lot of those 29 blown saves from 2008.  I expect them to play inspired, team baseball every inning of each game, and if they do this, I feel confident that this 2009 Mets team will put to bed the deamons from 2006 and 2007.

A new year.  A new stadium.  A differnt approach. A fresh beginning.  If only life was like the baseball season where you could start 0-0 each year.  It is going to be an eventful season. 

On a cold Saturday, April 4, 2009, I went to my very first game at CitiField.  Mark it in the books, my first ever game.  I had been so excited to see the new stadium I didn't know what I was most excited for.  Arriving at CitiField was a bit strange, walking towards the stadium there is such a void where Shea once stood.  I think I was so familiar with seeing the big blue eyesore that I was half expecting it to still be there.  My first thought was how CitiField didn't dominate the skyline like Shea once did. 

I went to the game with Jack.  He made a comment as we were approaching the stadium that was right on the mark.  He said that he felt like it was Disney World as we were approaching the stadium.  With a combination of the music, the clean grounds, flower beds, the jolly PA announcer on a loop welcoming you to CitiField, it all did feel like walking into the Magic Kingdom.  I felt excited and like a kid again, I couldn't believe that this was actually where I will be coming to watch the Mets play for now on.  The entrance to the Rotunda was absolutely jammed, so we decided to enter at the Left Field gate, but not before finding our brick.  We went to the section and searched and searched.  We thought we found it but realized that it was another from Wyckoff, NJ.  Finally, we found it, snapped a picture as my mind wandered.  I kept thinking, wow, one day my kids kids will be coming  here and seeing this.  It was a very strange feeling. 

We got the the Left Field gate and the entrance is fantastic, a silhouette of Endy Chavez making "The Catch".  Just above on the stadium are banners from the past years of Mets history.  Even though it is an Ebbets field throwback, it absolutely is a Mets stadium. 

Once we got off the first escalator and around the corner we had our first glimpse of the stadium.  From the Left Field gate you wind up in the concourse with an open view to the field.  I tell you, I am amazed with how beautiful this stadium is.  We went up to our seats in the Promenade, section 427 first row, and we have a fantastic view of the field.  The LED is not an issue from our section.  I feel like the actual seats are higher taking the LED out of the view, seems like this was the solution.  You feel as if you are sitting on top of the field, unlike Shea where you were set back. Our seats are definitely higher than the first row of the Mezzanine, I'd say about 20-30 feet higher.  The view of the field is the same as before and from our seats we have a great view of both scoreboards and the out of town scoreboard.  The outfield is HUGE! Unbelievable how big this park is, it is definitely a pitchers park.  One thing I noticed was that the PA announcer is not loud at all, we could barely hear it.  Also, we couldn't hear the music very well either.  I hope they decide to turn up the volume a bit, this made Shea so much fun. 

We watched Ollie walk three guys and a run home and decided to take a walk around the stadium.  Let me say that every seat in this place is awesome, except for the ones obstructed by the stairs.  The outfield seats are so cool, regardless of level or section.  Center field concessions are fantastic and just walking around the park you get a sense for how amazing this place is.  One of my thoughts was that since there is so much more to do at CitiField that even during a sold out game the stadium will be 3/4 full.  Most people will be out and about checking out the stadium like we did.  It will be interesting to see opening day and if people continue to walk around and not paying attention to the game. 

Other interesting parts of the park:  The apple, the Hells Gate bridge, The Sky Line above Shake Shack, the Rotunda, concession stands everywhere, bathrooms everywhere, the Pepsi Porch.  This stadium is awesome.  It will be a fun year of Mets baseball at CitiField. 

Today was all about the stadium.  Let's not forget that there was a game taking place.  This game was OVER after 2/3 of an inning.  Ollie let up a hit, walked three batters, made a throwing error and let up a Grand Slam.  Unreal that we paid this guy $12 million per year. 

As a baseball fan I am absolutely loving the WBC.  As a patriotic American I am absolutely loving the WBC.  As a Mets fan I am absolutely hating the WBC.  I can't help but think the worst each time a Met is playing.  Who's going to blow out their arm.  Who's going to tear a hammy.  I guess it is natural to think this way considering the Mets have (or, had) 16 guys playing in the WBC.  It is a bit strange to see guys going 100%, full-out in March, especially pitchers.  I can't help but think that either guys will get into a bad habit, push too much too early causing injury or be burnt out by August.  Either way, I have been enjoying the Classic and watching baseball in what may be its purest form.  It  has been entertaining and I find myself feeling like it is post-season baseball. 

For example, last nights Puerto Rico/USA game was fantastic.  What a great game and represented well by our Mets.  Carlos Delgado hit a bomb.  Carlos Beltran robbed a home run.  Putz threw a dominating and scoreless inning.  Figgy pitched well.  Finally, David Wright's huge game winning hit.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching this game unfold.  Congrats to team USA, and good luck the rest of the way.

Welcome back to Port St. Lucie losers in the WBC.  Once of the things that concerns me is that since so many everyday players have been gone for the Mets that they will have a tough time "gelling" as a team.  Everything that they worked on for the early weeks of spring training will have to be programed again in these players.  I don't care how many times players say they are happy to be back in camp, in my opinion they can't be.  It is just human nature.  They just got bounced from the WBC while playing for their country in a playoff atmosphere.  Now they are back in camp, dog days of spring training and it will probably take a good week to get back in the frame of mind that you are preparing for 162 games.  Let's call it a shortened off-season for the next few weeks for these guys. 

Other observations about the WBC:
- Luis Soho, are you kidding me, using K-Rod two games in a row for a 4 out save!  He did that once all of last year.  If I am Omar I am calling Luis and letting him know that is is not making me happy.  Are we going to have to worry about K-Rod in August knowing that innings were already a concern.  K-Rod is absolutely letting it rip in the WBC and that does not make me comfortable.
- Back in Port St. Lucie the Mets have an absolute mess for their fifth starter.  Well, I think there is a solution in  Nelson Figueroa.  I have been impressed with his movement, control and compared to what we have in camp, I'd be happy to put Figgy in the mix.
- Ollie is being Ollie.  This guy looked absolutely miserable in the WBC.  He only has a few weeks to get into MLB playing form and this may not be enough time.  This guy must work on his stuff because we can not afford for Ollie to shit the bed this year.  We know he is going to be erratic, but can this kid recover from a shortened spring training where he obviously picked up more bad habits.  Did you see him pitch?  He looked like a totally different Ollie on every pitch.  An absolute circus.
- JC Romero, how did you pull this magic trick.  Test positive for a banned substance, get suspend without pay for 50 games but yet still can pitch in the WBC and earn money for it, all while being a cheater.  I think the WBC needs to look at its rules.  What is stopping others players or teams from taking advantage of this loop hole? 
- Great for Adam Dunn, I am so happy for him. For the first time in his career he is playing meaningful baseball games and it looks like he is locked in.  If only the Mets needed a left handed hitting bat this off-season, he could have been a solid option for them. 

Anyway, bottom line is that I am torn on the WBC.  Great for baseball, bad for Mets fans because of our representation.  These guys can not come back to camp fast enough.  I know they are professionals, but they are going to have to start from scratch again when it comes to playing as a member of the Metropolitans.

Back to work guys.  Back to a goal of winning a championship for the New York fans!

I am sitting here watching the end of the Netherlands and Dominican Republic game and I am in awe.  This is like watching a DIII baseball squad beat the Yankess and their starting line-up......twice!  The Dutch are playing hard, team inspired baseball.  It is absolutely shocking, or is it?  Seeing the Dominican Republic fold like this shows what happens when a ballclub pays as individuals.  It certainly looks like this is what happened to Team USA in 2006, with the king offender being A-Rod. 

Here is my point, I watched a Mets team over the past few years that have not played inspired team baseball.  I have seen a team that is not a cohesive group.   I have written over and over again about these feelings during the past few years, and in my spring training review below I point out how the Mets need to play solid team baseball.  It is refreshing to see that Manuel understands this and is trying to instill unselfish team baseball this spring.  I believe Manuel's message will become even more clear after this historic loss by the Dominican Republic team.  Let's hope that after the WBC Mets players will come back with a stronger sense of team baseball.