BALL IS BACK! we start at CITIFIELD!

(a tribute to shea--we miss you old girl! http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_history/bat_sports/32109_3-29-1964_Shea%20Stadium%20night%20game-NY%20Mets%20and%20SF%20Giants-lg.jpg)

We went today to citi-field for the first time--mets and red sox exhibition game...very cool!!!

First, if you want to go, do the train if you can--the cluster that is parking there is simply 100 times worse than it used to be--if you can go REALLY early and tailgate you might have a chance--we got there closer to game time--and we literally drove around the park for 45 minutes before parking under an overpass and catching a shuttle bus that dropped us at the foot of the LIRR and we had to walk up and over...

The ebbetts field feeling is very evident in the outter construction--it really is a beautiful stadium--the jackie robinson pavillion is stunning...inside--some areas arent completed yet--and the exposed plywood and concrete are in stark contrast to a lot of fancy brick work...

One thing that you didnt feel when at shea that you DEFINITELY feel here is a sense of segregation--the stadium has been broken up into "clubs" and if you dont have your ticket (even into the last inning) you aint getting in to that section--lines were LONG just to get into the ceasers club seats we had--the seats were about the same size as previous--we sat in the 300 level, first row, third base side--and the view was excellent--and what we didnt get was the WIND--now, i know that it was windy there today--and trash whipped all over the field--but this place is like a sieve! walking through the first level just to get to the second level escalators (poor placement for people moving for sure--though, they do still have outside stairwells) there was simply no protection from the wind--it was like a wind tunnel and you were supposedly inside!

since it was a blow out we walked down to the lower level to try and move closer to the field--the security guards were STILL checking tickets to go down in the 9th inning--so the moving around we used to do at shea is a thing of the past...

all in all, its a quirky park--the outfield warning track is almost a zig zag of overhangs and curves--they sure are going to have to get used to playing balls off those crazy walls...

i cant say i didnt like it--but the buildup was really hard to meet...the franks are still the same--and thats a good thing Will post up some pictures when i get the chance...

now on to fenway for mondays opening day!