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.
As Citi Field draws closer to its first public event contractors are scrambling to put the final touches on the stadium. The usual cleanup, painting and decorating is taking place, but there are other issues to be tackled… slightly dirtier issues if I may be so forward.
Citi Field Plumbing Engineers
Planning on computers and calculators is one thing, but before inviting in some 35,000 guests, contractors want to make sure Citi Field can handle the “load,” literally. What is every fans least favorite experience at a ball park? If you’re like me, it’s waiting in line for the bathroom, and what you may find waiting for you inside. If you share this view, I have some good news.
Citi Field will have 78 more toilets and roughly 12,000 less seats than Shea Stadium for a total of 646 waste receptacles. Shea Stadium had one toilet for every 82 fans while Citi Field will have one toilet for every 54 fans. Translation, shorter lines at the bathroom!
Rest assured, top fluids and plumbing engineers at Cardoza Plumbing Corp. have been busily calculating away with their slide ruler and computer models to ensure your excrements are not overflowing in left field to throw off Marlon Anderson’s game. Imagine making a diving “Sports Center worthy” catch across an overflowing cesspool… sorry for the visual! Just because the math and models check out does not necessarily mean the system will work flawlessly.
To ensure all 646 toilets and accompanying plumbing can “handle the job,” Citi Field contractors arranged for 300 volunteers to simulate game day usage. Volunteers gained an all access behind the scenes pass to Citi Field’s fine restroom facilities and were busy running from toilet to toilet flushing away simultaneously. Citi Field received an overwhelming response from fans wanting to volunteer for the sanitation test, sadly many had to be turned away.
All reports point towards a successful test and another green light for Citi Field’s March 29th opening college series. When you find yourself standing in line for the bathroom at Citi Field remember to do us all a favor and flush away!
Continuing our series on the Mets top prospects, as ranked by Baseball America (March 9-22, Issue 0906) magazine in their Top 100 Prospects list… the #3 prospect in the Mets farm system is P Jonathon Niese – the #77 prospect overall.
Niese is the 22 year old southpaw drafted by the Mets in the 7th round (#209 overall) of the 2005 amateur entry draft. He’s been a well regarded prospect for the past several years, having ranked on BA’s Top 10 Mets prospects previously in 2007 (#7 in the organization) and 2008 (#8). This is his first appearance in BA’s Top 100.
Niese was born in Defiance, OH and attended Defiance High School – the same school that produced former major league hurlers Doug Bair and Scott Taylor, and current Dodger standout Chad Billingsley.
Niese was a First Team Ohio All-State selection in 2005, when he led the Bulldogs to a 30-2 record and a District Championship. As a pitcher, he posted a 12-0 record and 0.09 ERA in 13 starts, to go along with 144 K’s and a paltry .100 batting average against (BAA). At the plate, Niese compiled a .554 average (4th highest in school history) and a .661 OBP (2nd best). The 12-0 record tied the school mark for wins in a season, and is the best single-season won/loss percentage in the school’s history. In addition to being selected to the All-State squad, Niese was named the Ohio Division II Player of the Year, and the Pro-Line Player Of The Year.
For his career, Niese won a total of 22 games (6th most in school history), with 6 shutouts (tied for 2nd behind Billingsley’s 11), and also saved 6 games (tied for the career lead). He holds the Defiance High School career records for lowest ERA (1.09) and BAA (.146).
Niese began his pro career at rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League at the ripe old age of 18. In 7 games (5 starts) he posted a 1-0 record and a 3.65 ERA. He spent the bulk of the 2006 season at A ball in the South Atlantic League, going 11-9 in 25 starts. He yielded less than a hit per inning (8.8/9IP) and averaged more than a strikeout per inning over 123 2/3 IP. His ERA at Hagerstown that season was a serviceable 3.93.
2007 was a subpar year for the 6′-3″, 190 lb. lefty. He went 11-7 at Hi A St. Lucie in the Florida State League, but his ERA climbed to 4.19 over 28 appearances - all starts - and he yielded over 10 hits per 9 innings. On the positive side, his K/BB ratio improved from 2/1 in 2006 to around 3.5/1 in 2007.
Things took a turn for the better in 2008, with Niese showing signs of blossoming. To start with, he handled himself quite nicely in his first experience at AA (Binghamton in the Eastern League). Though his record was just 6-7, his ERA was an impressive 3.04 over 22 games and 124+ innings. He was back under a hit per inning pitched (WHIP of 1.30), and struck out 112 against just 44 walks (about a 2.5/1 ratio). After moving up to AAA New Orleans, the youngster proceeded to notch a 5-1 record with a 3.40 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and an opponent’s BAA of just .231.
Pressed into service in ‘The Show’ last September, Niese made 3 starts for the Mets with mixed results. In two of his outings he lasted just 3 innings and gave up 7 hits and 5 or more runs. To be fair, one of those starts was against the Cubs - one of the best hitting teams against lefthanders. Sandwiched between those two short outings was an 8 inning gem during which he yielded just 6 hits and 2 walks against the Braves, striking out 7 while guiding the Mets to a 5-0 victory - in a game which at the time was a critical win for the New Yorkers’ playoff hopes.
After all was said and done, Niese’s major league stats were hardly impressive - 14 IP, 20 hits and 8 walks allowed, and a 7.07 ERA. But he did earn his first major league victory, and undoubtedly gained some valuable experience that he should be able to draw on in the future.
Rotoworld.com reports that Niese is likely headed to AAA Buffalo and will not start the season as the Mets’ fifth starter… I tend to agree with that prediction, although not necessarily because he was unimpressive last season or in Grapefruit League play this spring (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 7 walks in 8 IP). It’s more a fact of Niese’s age and the fact that he can log consistent innings at AAA. He’s also pitched only a total of 164 innings above Hi-A which would suggest at least another half year of seasoning in the minors is in order.
What do you think of Jon Niese and the rest of the Mets farm system? Share your thoughts with us… post your comments or send us an email… Scott can be reached at… scott@citifieldblog.com
Continuing our series on the Mets top prospects, as ranked by Baseball America (March 9-22, Issue 0906) magazine in their Top 100 Prospects list… the #2 prospect in the Mets farm system is SS Wilmer Flores - the #47 prospect over all.
Courtesy of MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com
Flores is the 5th highest ranked shortstop on the 2009 list, behind only Alcides Escobar (#19/Milwaukee), Gordon Beckham (#20/White Sox), Tim Beckham (#28/Tampa), and Elvis Andrus (#37/Texas). That’s an amazing fact given that Wilmer just turned 17 in August. That made him the youngest player in all of full-season professional baseball.
The Valencia, Venezuela native had a solid campaign for Kingsport in the Appalachian League (rookie level). He batted .309 over 59 games, with 36 runs and 41 RBI’s. He slugged .490, with 12 doubles, 4 triples, and 8 home runs. His OPS was a solid .842. In recognition of his accomplishments, Flores was named an Appalachian League Post-Season All-Star in August… Flores also had short stints at both Savannah (A) and Brooklyn (Short Season), and for the year hit a combined .307.
Flores was signed for $750,000 as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 6, 2007.
Given his age and lack of professional experience, it would make sense that Flores would start the season at Brooklyn (SS) or Savannah (A). He would seem to have nothing left to prove in Rookie ball. With Jose Reyes and David Wright both locked up long-term, look for the Mets to explore options for Flores including at 2B.
What do you think of Wilmer Flores and the rest of the Mets farm system? Share your thoughts with us… post your comments or send us an email… Scott can be reached at… scott@citifieldblog.com
It’s 40 days until the Mets’ home opener on April 13th! But Met fans have several great chances to see Citi Field even before that Monday night showdown against the Padres. As noted here on citifieldblog.com over the past several days, the brand new park will play host to a Big East contest between St. John’s and Georgetown on Sunday, March 29th. Although that game has already sold out, tickets can of course still be found on Ebay, StubHub!, or even from your local scalper.
If you can’t make it to the Big East matchup, you can still take in one of two exhibition games between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox later that same week. Tickets for the April 3rd and 4th games (that’s Friday and Saturday) go on sale this Friday, March 6th, at 10 AM. First pitch on the 3rd (a Friday) is scheduled for 610PM, and the teams will square off at 110PM on Saturday the 4th.
Through the miracle that is the Internet - along with the folks at StubHub! - I’m proud to say that I’m already (in theory) the proud owner of two tickets for the Mets-Sox game on April 3rd… bought the pair in time to give to my son for Christmas, in fact. I grew up with Shea Stadium, and while the past 35 years or so have been wonderful, I’m dying to see Citi Field in action.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Shea-hater like so many of you out there. I’ve heard all the criticisms, how it was a ’sterile’ place, ‘cookie-cutter’, and so on. I never bought any of that, and never will. Like so many others, I grew up at Shea (not only on baseball, but on football too)… those were the days when the Jets actually had a place to play in New York.
I saw Rusty, and King Kong, and the spectacular defense of Rey Ordonez. I saw Randall K punch out Bonds and Bonilla and Van Slyke in succession. Watched The Kid smack an extra inning home run on a freezing day in April. Damn near caught a foul ball off the bat of Doug Flynn. And hung around during rain delays in the hopes of sliding down to the ‘good’ seats when the tarp came off. It was with an immense sense of fulfillment that I took my son to his first Mets game at Shea a couple of years back. But I’m looking forward to seeing the new digs.
Baseball is a game of tremendous history; so much more so than football or hockey. And what could be more historic than watching the first Mets game ever at their new stadium, as they host their rivals from the ‘86 World Series? My son will be able to tell his son (or daughter) that he was there for the first game the Mets ever played at Citi Field - even before Opening Day. Maybe even tell his children, “I went to the first game back in 2009, the year the Mets finally won the World Series again!”
When do you plan to visit Citi Field for the first time? Share your thoughts with us… post your comments or send us an email… Scott can be reached at… scott@citifieldblog.com
I warned you… Tickets to Citi Field’s first public event sold out in 45 minutes according to mets.com. Big props to our writer Greg Howes for snagging 8 tickets at 10:00:01 AM. I was unfortunately shoveling mass quantities of snow and when I came inside at 10:30 I found myself out of luck. Fortunately, I was offered one of the seats, sorry everyone else. If your going to be at the game we will be sitting at the 100 level – section 128 – row 24 – seats 8-15.
Anyone else going to the game feel free to send us any photos from Citi Field’s inaugural night. We will be creating an opening night photo gallery and would like to feature some of our readers in it.
VS. 
Say tuned for information regarding the Boston Red Sox - Mets exhibition series at Citi Field. The games will be Friday April 3rd and Saturday April 4th. Mets.com claims they will be annoucing the sale date for tickets sometime soon.