This was my weekly Monday column on Flushing University . A few hours dated now but hopefully you’ll enjoy it anyway.
Today’s the big day. The home openeris always my favorite day of the season, and tonight will be doublyspecial as it’s likely to be the only new Mets stadium opener Iattend unless they wheel me out to the replica of Shea built when I’min in my 90’s.
The new park signifies a turning pointin this city. For the first time since the Yankees christened theirremodeled stadium with a run of pennants, the Mets have the betterpark in town. That’s not me being a rah-rah mets fan and Yankeehater (I’m far from it), I’m hearing it from Yankee fans too. We’llget into that another day, tonight is all about the Mets.
It stinks that it’s a night game. Apparently the P’s from San Diego can’t get out of bed after a crosscountry flight…they are too wimpy to play at even 4:05pm (or sosays the union) so we’ll wear an extra sweatshirt and root heartilyagainst the San Diego Chickens at night.
Tom Seaver and Mike (I’m a Met,really!) Piazza will reunite to throw out the first pitch. Tom’s theright choice of course, and if Mike wants to go into the Hall of Fameas a Met, hey why not.
If you haven’t been to Citi Field yet,it’s great. The whole Dodgers thing isn’t as bad as it seemed itwould be, and during the Red Sox games there weren’t too many Metsthings hung on the walls, but it already feels like home.
If you’re in the first few rows of thePromenade you may find yourself sad – the railings and staircasesare ill-placed, but so far the Mets have been amenable to requestsfrom fans to get their seats changed. If it says “row 3†onyour ticket I wish you well for tonight.
We’ve seen a week’s worth of games fromour Metsies, and although there has been some bad luck and some shakypitching (Ollie for one, Pelfrey for another, and I seem to be theonly one who didn’t like Maine’s start, but I didn’t.) – for the mostpart this team looks solid and battles. Santana lost a gem onSunday, and if I were Dan Murphy I’d be seen shagging flies all daytoday. Murph and Church seem like they are on a mission to keepSheffield on the bench.
“I like my team†is what I have tosay about the Mets. In fantasy sports that usually meansstubbornness leading to last place, but so far so good despite therecord.
Hopefully City Field will have atradition of winning. Mike Pelfrey, we’re counting on you. We’reMets fans…on the way out we’ll have decided if we’re winning theWorld Series or if this team is another choker. It will be yourperformance that forms that opinion. Don’t stink up the joint.
See you in the Promenade! Bring meback a shake. Chocolate.
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