On Sunday, March 29th Citi Field opened its doors to the public for the first time. St. John’s University faced off against the Georgetown Hoyas for an NCAA sanctioned game at the new ball park. As an attendee, I was blown away by Citi Field and the facilities it boasts. It was hard to accept that this 632 million dollar, state of the art stadium now belongs to the New York Mets.
Without further ado, what you all have been waiting for… the photo gallery! Keep clicking on the photos to enlarge.
I spoke too soon! It appears there may be a delay in the toilet flushing test at Citi Field, according to a C.F.B. (Citi Field Blog) source that wishes to remain anonymous. I am proud to say this is Citi Field Blog’s first EXCLUSIVE story and will not be found elsewhere!
Sometime late this Friday afternoon, a Long Island based electric supply house received a frantic order request for wall light switches and bathroom rated (Ground Fault Interruption) electrical outlets. The order was requested for same-day delivery but this was not possible and our source indicates the order will be rushed to the stadium early Saturday morning to meet the waiting electrical contractors. We were able to secure an exclusive copy of the purchase order behind this nuttyfarce, company identifying information has been blacked out to protect our sources. Notice the frantic sounding “VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!” comment.
Purchase order behind Citi Field bathroom mayhem! (Click to Enlarge)
It seems that without the wall switches and electrical outlets the bathrooms do not meet New York City electrical/building codes and the non-affiliated “toilet tester” volunteers will not be allowed into the bathrooms. Stay tuned for more from the “Citi Field Bathroom Chronicles!”
So its official, the 2009 Mets will not go undefeated. That much we sort of knew already (ok I had my hopes up just a bit after the 2 and 0 start to spring). What we don’t know is whether or not we will be subjected to all sorts of late inning loses - for the third straight year. Surely, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and the gang must be eating their sushi tonight and discussing the same thing after the “pen” yielded 5 runs late to the Cards in this afternoons loss. In the end, the 2009 Mets will not be about starting pitching, a platoon in right (or left) field or the development of Fernando (you look mahvelous) Martinez. The 2009 Mets are about one thing and one thing only: The PEN. Let the pundits, Cole Hamels, etc… tag these Amazins as an overrated, under acheiving, passionless squad. I dont agree but I dont care either (come on COLE - what kind of name IS that anyway).
The key to getting to the Metsies making this year’s Fall Classic is closing games out, something they didnt do last year about 30 times. Meanwhile - reclamation project Brad Lidge was PERFECT ?!?! in Philly in the late inning and didn’t blow a SINGLE game. If the Mets blown saves number in ‘09 is cut in half even - none of us will need to watch HGTV or Classic Concerts on VH1 THIS fall - like last October - or cancel our Newsday Subscriptions - unable to tolerate the sports section or watch the evening highlight of the hated Phils still playing. Instead - we will see OUR team with an NL East crown, pushing deep into the playoffs (and beyond!) on the strength of FRod, JJ and a band of brothers.
Who knows, maybe this year, when the series is won on the new sod at Citi - FRod will pay homage to the 86 Mets and Jesse the Great - by throwing his glove and arms skyward after the last pitch. Having witnessed in person the last pitch ever thrown at Shea last year (ouch), it would sure be good for my mental health - and yours I am sure - to celebrate at CITI this Fall…
February 25th, 2009… it’s a date Mets fans have been waiting for… true, everyone looks forward to ‘Pitchers and Catchers’ reporting, especially anyone suffering through a debilitatingly cold and snowy winter in the Northeast. And no one can help but look forward to the Citi Field home opener on April 13th (can it really be 48 days away?) But on Wednesday the Mets get on the field for the first time as a unit this preseason, squaring off against the O’s in Ft. Lauderdale to begin Grapefruit League play. New York will trot out a smorgasbord of arms, such notables as Elmer Dessens, Valerio de los Santos, and Matt DeSalvo, to go along with Brian Stokes and Darren O’Day, as well as the better known Duaner Sanchez and Pedro Feliciano. Newcomer Sean Green will have the distinction of tossing the first Met pitch - or so say the press releases. Most of the Metropolitans’ starters will not even make the trip, but that shouldn’t stop hundreds of NY fans from showing up to celebrate the unofficial start of the season. If nothing else, it will be a helluvalot warmer in Ft. Lauderdale than it will be in Queens.
In the days and weeks ahead, we at citifieldblog.com will bring you everything you need to know about the Mets (actually, probably much more than you ever, ever will need to know), including previews, prognostications, prose, prattling, PR, and practically anything else that we can think of. In fact, there are plans to have a whole set of blogs and pieces written entirely using only words that begin with the letters ‘pr’. Pretty funny. We hope you will bookmark us and come back often, starting and ending your day with a peek at your favorite Mets blog site.
We look forward to hearing from you, the die-hard Mets fan. You can always reach us via email… scott@citifieldblog.com