During the Amazin’ Ideas series there were some common themes like statues, Old Timers’ Day and letting people move down. I didn’t want to repeat ideas, but I also don’t want to bury ideas. Here are some that didn’t make the series-proper.
STATUES
Hello, i’ve been a Mets fan since 1964 & i’ve had this idea to honor the best broadcasting team ever – Kiner Murphy & Nelson. I’ve had this idea ever since i went to the 1st game ever at Citifield & noticed that i was in Dodger Stadium.
I think the statue should be of all 3 together in bronze, however since they all had their own unique color to add to each broadcast some parts of the statue would be painted in. For example: Only Lindsey’s JACKET would be in color; a cartoon bubble above Bob Murphy’s head would be in color highlighting one of his colorful phrases like ” Back with the Happy Recap”; And maybe Ralph would have a microphone in one hand & a bat (in color) in the other.
Obviously the details could be debated however i think it is a unique way to honor televisions longest 3 man broadcast team. It is about time to honor the people who made THIS franchise what it is today(no disrespect to Jackie Robinson but he was NEVER a Met!) – don’t get me started about Seaver & Gil Hodges!
Thank you
Tony
OLD-TIMERS’ DAY
Bring back Old Timers Day. Time to build back in tradition and embrace the NY Mets history, good and bad. When I was a kid it was great to see the players that I read about in books.
You don’t have to play a game just a ceremony and have the players around the Stadium for pictures and autographs.
Gary Mack
Baseball connects generations. A mom or day can bring the kids and say I remember so and so; he was like our David Wright or Daniel Murphy. But it can’t be all just Mets like the Yankees do. To be done right, it has to be a mix a former stars or forgotten opponents. OTD shows that management is connected to the past as a bridge to the future. Cooperstown has been somewhat successful in holding a Baseball Classics game annually since the former exhibition game between two major league teams ended. This can serve as the model for OTD at Citi Field.
Greg
THE RETIRED NUMBERS
Please please please ditch the drop-shadow on the retired numbers in left field. If they want to include a drop shadow on a “31” should it ever be retired, fine (though it’d look quite awkward), but there’s no reason 37, 14, 41, and Shea should have them anymore. The fact that the drop shadow still exists on the numbers simply advertises what little thought the front office gives to such matters.
Kevin
AUTOGRAPHS
I am a huge Mets fan obviously and I plan on visiting every baseball stadium and I have noticed some promotions that really make the fans feel good. Off the top of my head I know the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox have an autograph alley. This allowd fans to come on the field and let their favorite player or a alotted players to sign some autographs. I think its a good idea because it dosen’t create a disconnect that some fans have with players and vice versa. It can be done once a month or once a week like as soon as the stadium opens. My vision is to see these players in the bullpen gate and they would have security of course. This is my vision. Thanks MetsPolice.
@BigDantheMetsFa
Make the players more accessible. The last two games of 2013, the Mets had players standing in the rotunda taking photos with fans before the game. It was great, it was fun, and it was well managed. This should be a regular thing. Last year it was guys like Aardsma, Byrdak, den Dekker, and d’Arnaud, on days they were not expected to play. Fans take photos with their phones, so it is a promotional item that has no cost, and a photo with a Met is probably better than much of the promotional stuff handed out. The Mets can make some money on it as well by having their photographers snap photos to be sold on their website. The Marlins have “Selfie Sundays” where fans can snap photos with players; so it is an idea that apparently is already in use.
@StevenNYM65
THE SCOREBOARD
A new scoreboard. I don’t know about you, but the 1964 scoreboard built for Shea had everything you needed in one spot -line score, lineup, balls and strikes and out of town scores. Technology shouldn’t go backwords, yet somehow it has with the mish mosh at Citi Field. Remove the out of town board above the left field stands so more fans can see it.
Greg
Replace the center field scoreboard (CitiVision) with a much larger scoreboard. It’s very small compared to other stadiums and small in relation to the size of the ballpark.
@dengal
I’m with you on the scoreboard. Shea’s first take was perfect. I always said if they wanted to do a nod towards the early Mets, make the right field scoreboard a matrix scoreboard with the cyclotron shell. The centerfield can be the video board. They also need to organize the ads better around the right field scoreboard. What a mess!
Lastly, if you are going to leave the left field ramp bare, why not do a serious homage and put the blue and orange steel panels on it like vintage Shea?
This and the rest of the 41 ideas series has had its share of ok ideas, but I found the majority of them to be way too fargone. Citi Field is and never will be Shea. Shea Stadium is dead and buried, no matter how much you loved it. Shea style seating at Citi? A Shea style scoreboard? Give me a break. The team’s future may be iffy, but that doesn’t mean fans should be so stuck in the past to want to want to turn Citi into Shea II. There are definitely more improvements that could be done about the staff procedure and certain physical elements at Citi, but to say that this should be more like Shea or that should be more like Shea is a disservice to how good of a park Citi actually is.