Shannon Shark

April 27, 2009

Sports Illustrated Breaks Down Mets Citi Field and Yankee Stadium

Sports Illustrated has a long piece about both new stadiums…I find the Yankee Stadium part the more interesting.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/the_bonus/04/27/stadiums/

Many Mets fans will tell you they are happy to have a new, updated park, even if some miss Shea, but I spoke to a lot of Yankee fans over the winter who are so repulsed by the idea of the new Stadium and its prices that they hate it even before they’ve even seen it. There’s no reason for a new Stadium, they say, upset on principle. And yet, there is no arguing that both facilities had become functionally outdated, even if, at least in the case of Yankee Stadium, the building remained aesthetically pleasing. It’s the execution of the new buildings, encompassing pricing as well as design, that has the power to engage and disgust.

Only a few look back at the old building. Some have their pictures taken with it in the background. On the uptown 4 train, you can look inside the old place between the gap of the right field stands and the bleachers. The seats are still there but there is no grass on the field. The floor is a carpet of dirt. The hum of conversation in the subway car comes to a halt as people look inside the ghost town. They make quiet remarks like “whoa,” “weird” and “empty.”

April 27, 2009

Mets attendance down 23% (CNBC)

Interesting story: http://www.cnbc.com/id/30437102

And how about the Mets, who at first glance are averaging an attendance decline of 23.4 percent. But they are actually drawing more of a capacity crowd (90.8 percent) through the games that they’ve played so far as compared to the percent capacity they drew in Shea (86.5 percent).

The author suggests that the attendance isn’t “really” down 23% because the capacity is less…but if the stadium isn’t full why does the capacity matter? Have Tom Seaver unretire and start tomorrow night and you’d be able to draw 100,000.

April 27, 2009

Daily News Suggestions For Mets-ing Up Citi Field

From Saturday’s News

Who cares if Doug Flynn wasn’t the greatest second baseman of all time? Let him throw out a first pitch every once in a while. I’d walk to Queens for Dave Kingman bobblehead night.

Awesome suggestions! Exactly the kind of thing they never do. There are days I swear Mets history starts with Mike Piazza in a black jersey.

â€¢ Put the Mets Hall of Fame on public display at Citi Field. I’m not talking about the lobby of some restaurant (that’s where it was at Shea), it should be on full display for every fan at Citi Field to see. The fact that the Mets Hall of Fame didn’t have a home on Opening Day at Citi Field is extremely maddening.

â€¢ Rename the Ebbets Club: The only clubs at Citi Field not named after a sponsor – or level – are the Ebbets Club and the Promenade Club.

Ebbets is named after the former home of the Dodgers (wasn’t it enough that the new park looks like Ebbets Field?) and promenade is the fancy name for the upper deck. Why not call one the Shea Club and the other the Hodges (Gil, not Ron) Club, which would serve both the Dodgers and Mets? See how easy this is?

â€¢ Name the food court after a Met great: It’s currently called Taste of the City. Why not call it Harrelson’s House or Koosman’s Kitchen or Mookie’s Mall? Fans – excuse the pun – would eat that up.

The rest of these I’ve brought up before.

Retire some numbers. The Mets have only retired three numbers – and two of them were worn by managers. The other belonged to Seaver.

While I respect the Mets for not going overboard and retiring every member of their championship teams (see the 1994 Rangers), they should at least think about retiring Keith Hernandez‘s No. 17 and Gary Carter‘s No. 8.

The Mets could go so far as to retire Gooden’s No. 16 and Darryl Strawberry‘s No. 18, but with the way both guys left the organization, you couldn’t blame the Wilpons for not doing that.

And if the Mets think the honor of a retired number should be reserved for Met immortals, at least have a day for Carter, Hernandez, Straw or Gooden. I’m not talking about a day for the 1986 team – they already did that – but a day for each individual. I guarantee all the seats in Citi Field would be full.

â€¢ Bring back Banner Day: It’s the one original idea – other than the Apple – that this franchise has had. I know playing doubleheaders is out of the question these days, but the Mets could still hold the parade before a game.

â€¢ Bring back Old-Timers’ Day: True, the Mets can’t compete with the roster of Yankee Old-Timers, but who cares? I would love to see Craig Swan pitch from a mound in Queens just one more time. Heck, Doug Sisk might even get some cheers for once in his life.

â€¢ Erect a statue of Seaver: The dude is the franchise. How about a likeness of him in front of Citi Field? And what about one of Jesse Orosco in his famous pose after the final out of the 1986 World Series?

Cleary Bill Price understands the fanbase. It’s amazing to me that the Mets don’t. I was out there yesterday and heard Sweet Caroline get loudly booed. Don’t they get it? Read the rest of Bill’s article here.

www.metspolice.com
@metspolice

April 27, 2009

Bizarre Mets Dwight Gooden Interview

Nj.com had this the other day….bizarre editing. Click here for the accompanying article.

www.metspolice.com
@metspolice

April 27, 2009

Views From Promenade 528

Good morning, is everyone back? I hope everyone had a nice weekend because you sure weren’t reading blogs. Well, like you I’m killing time in the office until they let us go home – so let’s take a look at the views from Promenade 528.

That first one is what got my kid to complain that the “mirror’ blocks your view. Wow, wait until he’s old enough to take over the blog. You think I’m tough?

This next one is what it’s like if you’re trying to watch the game.

Not bad. You can see everything except a ball hit into the corner. I won’t complain about that.

I was surprised that it was quite cool in these seats (Saturday afternoon). The sun disappears right around game time. It’s somewhat breezy too, so like you did at Shea, bring a jacket for night games.

However in the sun…

DyHrdMET said:
I wore my blue. An all blue old-style BP jersey (at least that’s what I think it is). And Beware of the April sun along the RF line. I could feel it eating me from behind and on the left. Not hot air, but by the 6th, I had already burned.

I did notice that the concession wifi was out again. Note the sign, they aren’t even trying.

And everyone has seen the video of The Worst Seat At Citi Field , right?