Mets v. Marlins, 4/28/09
It was the first regular season game I was attending at the new Shea, and we went extra early to catch batting practice. I was going with a friend who hadn't yet been to the new Shea, so we spent the Marlins' part of BP doing the ol' walkthrough. Mets BP was standard--nothing to report. Omar was chillin' with his rich friends in one corner. DWright was laughing it up with all the guys. There were some funny moments when the guy throwing BP threw a few very-inside pitches to DWright. The first one, he was just a little surprised and stepped back. The second one, he laughed at something Reyes said next to him. The third one, he made like he was going to approach the mound.
I was standing at the Marlins dugout behind third base when David went jogging around the basepaths. It was so quiet that when I said, "Hey David," he not only heard me but he gave me a little wiggle of his fingers to say hi, which... I have to admit, made me giggle like a little girl. :D
My friend and I began our roaming of the new Shea. I was determined to see everything I missed during the exhibition game. The brick oven pizza place was open, I found the Touch store (which I couldn't, for the life of me, last time), and we walked through the Caesar Club (which looks great)--
And we scoped out the Acela Club from within--
I didn't get a great shot of the interior of the restaurant. Suffice it to say, it was moderately classy. Also, I couldn't help but try to get a little artsy with my shots at this point:
My friend and I made our way to the Shake Shack area and I had myself some burger love--
We also checked out the Pepsi Porch, got a close look at the pennant flags flying above (and so lonely), the view of the car yards behind the stadium, and peered through the bullpen mesh fences to try to understand the other teams' complaints (very understandable).
Once the game began, we didn't budge from our seats --
It was a great game until it wasn't so great anymore. The experience was further ruined by the fact that we were surrounded by jerks. The guy two seats to our right was a Yankees fan, taking excessive delight in DWright's strikeouts and screaming obscenities at him at every opportunity. His friends, the idiots that brought him, sat quietly by while he did this. Eventually, my blood boiling so much that I couldn't even pay attention to the game, I snapped. He shouted something along the lines of, "TWO STRIKES, NO PROBLEM D, YOU JUST TAKE A PITCH RIGHT HERE!" Sarcasm was apparently his forte. I snapped and yelled, just as loudly, "SHUT UP!" which made everyone around us crack up. Wasn't funny to me. This guy was ruining my night. He kept yelling, and every time he did, I told him to shut up until he finally sat down.
Then there was the woman in front of us who was talking loudly for all to hear about how she supported both NY teams and thought that Derek Jeter was "Mr. Baseball." It wasn't just the annoying inability to pick a team to really get behind that bugged my friend and me, it was the fact that she was talking so loudly about baseball and it was so clear that she didn't understand it at all. She was just spouting generic things about the Yankees and stuff she'd read off the headlines about the Mets to the suit next to her. I couldn't say anything to her; I mean, she has the right to be an idiot, but when David had to field that bad hop and Reyes got it instead, she said, "See, what I mean? Jeter would've had that. David not only doesn't get hits, but he can't field." My head almost exploded.
Around the eighth inning, after the Marlins had quieted us down a bit, the five guys sitting directly behind us seemed to wake up. They began to bellow obscenities in spanish at the Marlins players. I only speak high school spanish, but I got the gist of what they were saying. It was dirty. It was incredibly loud. It was right into our ears. And then they started whistling-- like... not "whistling a tune" but you know. Those ear piercing whistles. They didn't let up until halfway through the ninth. My friend and I had to move our seats.
Not only that, but the general atmosphere on field level was so dead. It was silent and solemn and dead. I was jealous of the Pepsi Porch, which was by far the loudest section of the stadium, and I was jealous of the upper levels, where clearly people were actually enjoying themselves.
These were great seats, but I love going to baseball games for the atmosphere and the party mood. That energy was completely missing that close to the field. It seems unfair. If money wasn't an issue, and it was first-come, first-served at a ballpark. The die-hards would be the ones right behind the net and along the dugouts. And being close to that much energy would spark the players into playing with passion. Instead, surrounded by moneyed suits and quiet (with only distant cheering), no wonder they can't play with the fire we wish they would sometimes.
Actually, the field level did show a little enthusiasm at one point by participating in a round-the-park wave.
My friend and I made our way to the Shake Shack area and I had myself some burger love--
We also checked out the Pepsi Porch, got a close look at the pennant flags flying above (and so lonely), the view of the car yards behind the stadium, and peered through the bullpen mesh fences to try to understand the other teams' complaints (very understandable).
Once the game began, we didn't budge from our seats --
It was a great game until it wasn't so great anymore. The experience was further ruined by the fact that we were surrounded by jerks. The guy two seats to our right was a Yankees fan, taking excessive delight in DWright's strikeouts and screaming obscenities at him at every opportunity. His friends, the idiots that brought him, sat quietly by while he did this. Eventually, my blood boiling so much that I couldn't even pay attention to the game, I snapped. He shouted something along the lines of, "TWO STRIKES, NO PROBLEM D, YOU JUST TAKE A PITCH RIGHT HERE!" Sarcasm was apparently his forte. I snapped and yelled, just as loudly, "SHUT UP!" which made everyone around us crack up. Wasn't funny to me. This guy was ruining my night. He kept yelling, and every time he did, I told him to shut up until he finally sat down.
Then there was the woman in front of us who was talking loudly for all to hear about how she supported both NY teams and thought that Derek Jeter was "Mr. Baseball." It wasn't just the annoying inability to pick a team to really get behind that bugged my friend and me, it was the fact that she was talking so loudly about baseball and it was so clear that she didn't understand it at all. She was just spouting generic things about the Yankees and stuff she'd read off the headlines about the Mets to the suit next to her. I couldn't say anything to her; I mean, she has the right to be an idiot, but when David had to field that bad hop and Reyes got it instead, she said, "See, what I mean? Jeter would've had that. David not only doesn't get hits, but he can't field." My head almost exploded.
Around the eighth inning, after the Marlins had quieted us down a bit, the five guys sitting directly behind us seemed to wake up. They began to bellow obscenities in spanish at the Marlins players. I only speak high school spanish, but I got the gist of what they were saying. It was dirty. It was incredibly loud. It was right into our ears. And then they started whistling-- like... not "whistling a tune" but you know. Those ear piercing whistles. They didn't let up until halfway through the ninth. My friend and I had to move our seats.
Not only that, but the general atmosphere on field level was so dead. It was silent and solemn and dead. I was jealous of the Pepsi Porch, which was by far the loudest section of the stadium, and I was jealous of the upper levels, where clearly people were actually enjoying themselves.
These were great seats, but I love going to baseball games for the atmosphere and the party mood. That energy was completely missing that close to the field. It seems unfair. If money wasn't an issue, and it was first-come, first-served at a ballpark. The die-hards would be the ones right behind the net and along the dugouts. And being close to that much energy would spark the players into playing with passion. Instead, surrounded by moneyed suits and quiet (with only distant cheering), no wonder they can't play with the fire we wish they would sometimes.
Actually, the field level did show a little enthusiasm at one point by participating in a round-the-park wave.
Yes, that's me asking how long this would continue. The answer? Five times all the way around, until someone hit a fly ball to left and finally put an end to it.
So, all in all, the game was disappointing. The seats were fantastic. The atmosphere sucked. Next game I go to will be May 12th, and I'll be comfortably home-sweet-home in the uppers. Hooray :)
That's too bad about the loud fans. I hate it when that happens. My family can only afford the Upper Deck at Petco Park, and that's probably my favorite area. It's really cool to be closer, but like you said, it's all the rich people who mostly don't care. I love the upper deck, though, it's a lot of fun up there. Great entry!
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Derek Jeter, of course, known for his remarkable range. See? Sarcasm is my forte, too. ;-)
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Hey,
I'm a loyal, big time Mets fan just like you (I have no idea how old you are but I'm 24 and have been a fan since Piazza was traded to the Mets) and I saw your blog when I ran a search for "mets" tags on MLBlogs. I have to say, I was thrilled to read a couple of your entries because you seem to mirror my own feelings as a NY Met fan. I get the same joy in watching them. I love the team and I also hate it when I listen to people Boo our players (especially those who call themselves fans). I'm always sick of listening to idiotic negativity (since when has booing been constructive?) when positivity would help the cause more. I also loved this statement from you.
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"I take it personally when I meet a self-proclaimed Mets fan who then pronounces, "We're not going to win." It hurts. What is the point of calling himself a fan if he's going to get down on his team for falling short? It's a tired phrase, but there's more to sports than winning! Why do I feel increasingly alone in truly believing that? And if you're a true fan, sure the last two years were devastating, but when it's time for a new season, you pick yourself up and get behind your team."
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The Mets lost out on the playoffs the last 2 years and it feels like the atmosphere in Queens is that of a spoiled brat who can't get what they want so they whine about it and lash out at those who should provide it. Winning is great but if the players do their best and fall short, it's not the biggest travesty in the world and it's not probable cause to curse out/insult the players. I think the best traits in a Mets fan are patience, loyalty, and a positive attitude. Glad to see you seem to echo my sentiments.
By the way, I really like our team in 2009- I think the offense is sick, the bench is nasty (sheff, tatis, santos, castro, cora...), the pen is great (guys like stokes and parnell are the real keys), and the Starting Pitching is fine except for Oliver Perez (who I think could use a few weeks in the minors so he can come back with full confidence and take over his spot again in the rotation). Just my few cents. What do you think?
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