Never Forget 69

The Ballparks Are The Problem

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:40:00 -0400

Apparently the problem with the Mets and Yankees this season has to do with architects, marketing, and sales management. Whew, now I feel better. I thought maybe it had to do with the players on the field.

Two of New York’s preeminent sports talk radio hosts claimed, yesterday, that the new buildings the New York teams play in are part of the problem. First Evan Roberts, of the mid-day show on WFAN complained that the atmosphere at Citi Field stinks. There is no enthusiasm, no life. Mike Francesa, who airs in the afternoons, never at a lost for an opinion, complained that the new Yankee Stadium lacks the excitement and party atmosphere as the old one. The point made by both hosts is the fans in these “expensive” seats are not true Yankee and Mets fans and are not there cheering on their heroes.

Hmm, and here I thought the problem with the Mets was related to poor starting pitching and not being able to hit with runners in scoring position. The Yankees middle relievers, masquerading as major league ballplayers is also misleading. I really need to study up on baseball.

This is a classic case of the cart being before the horse. What if either the Mets or Yankees had gotten off to a start like the Los Angeles Dodgers? In case you are not aware, the Dodgers have won every game at Dodger Stadium this season. Last night they set a major league record of 13 straight home wins to start a season. But I digress. The point is the excitement in the ballpark is generated by the team on the field. It doesn’t come from the concrete and steel sitting under the fans.

In fairness, the two new ballparks in New York have, to some degree, contributed to the problem of fans being into the game by creating buildings that have lots of distractions. On TV, a lot of seats, not just the absurdly high priced ones, appear empty because fans are walking the concourses checking out various eating options, getting different views of the field, or simply hanging out. However, had either team played with the promise we all expected, I think the seats would be filled more to capacity. However, I would be totally naive to assume that the expensive seats do not prohibit the rabid fan from being close to the field. But I really have difficulty believing this is why the Mets or Yankees have struggled this season.

Francesa, the subjective Yankee fan, spent most of his four and a half hour show yesterday raising his blood pressure over the two game sweep by the Red Sox. In part of his diatribe, Mike bashed Yankee management for destroying the home field advantage the Yankees enjoyed for so many seasons. Gee Mike, do you think the malaise witnessed at Yankee Stadium has anything to do with the fact that the Yankees are doing their best impression of the Mets by not getting a big knock when necessary or the fact the bullpen can’t hold a lead if their life depended on it?

I admit I could be wrong. Both fan bases, at least the louder mouthed ones, have not given unconditional endorsements of their team’s new homes. Part of that is being unfamiliar with the new buildings and the perception that it is too expensive to get in*. But with the new edifices came unrealistic expectations. I know that is the case for me. I really thought the Mets would get off to a great start this season. I have been very negative about the team since they have not. It didn’t help Mets fans either, still reeling from two seasons of getting eliminated on the last day, that their new park could have been called Generic Field for lack of Mets history. Mets fans got off on the wrong foot before the season began.

The fact is both teams possess the talent to get to the World Series. They also have enough shortcomings to end short of that goal. But the idea that the new stadiums have anything to do with how these teams are playing is silly. How did the new Yankee stadium cause the Yankees to lose three in a row at Fenway Park? The Mets were swept earlier last month at Busch Stadium. I guess that was because of the angry fans sitting in Citi Field. While some may argue the Mets have not hit home runs in Citi Field, the opposition has. That is also true in Yankee Stadium. The short porch in right field has helped the opponents hit lots of home runs too.

Watching the 1-0 win by the Mets last night, it seemed to me, at least on TV, that the crowd was into the game. With Johan Santana striking out ten batters in an exciting close game, and the Mets winning all of a sudden, I don’t think fans care so much about the seat prices, sight lines, and amenities of the new ballpark.

*Can’t afford a seat to Citi Field or Yankee Stadium? Go to StubHub on game day. You could have gone to last night’s Mets-Phillies game for as little as $10.00. The Yankees-Rays game could have cost you less. As game time draws closer, owners of tickets reduce the prices to unload them. Obviously, the cheapest seats do not have the best sight lines, but they get you into the parks where you can walk all over the place and if you don’t mind standing, you can get a great view of the game. Last week I stood just to the left of behind home plate on the field level at Yankee Stadium. Thirty feet in front of me were tickets costing hundreds of dollars. Makes no sense, does it.

New Yankee Stadium

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:08:00 -0400

Last evening, I accepted a ticket from a friend to attend a Yankee game at the new Yankee Stadium

Now I have been to both new ballparks in New York, Citi Field twice, and Yankee Stadium once. I really wanted to not like Yankee Stadium and hoped that it was not even close to the niceness of Citi Field, a childish wish I admit. But in all honesty, as much as I do like Citi Field, the new Yankee Stadium is simply spectacular.

By comparison to Citi, it is enormous in size. It is majestic and grand. With the historic frieze back on the roof, where it always belonged, Yankee Stadium recaptures the aura of the original.

Like many modern ballparks as well as Citi Field, Yankee Stadium is open. You can maneuver all around the stadium on each level taking in different views of the field from the wide concourse. I sat in the Terrace level which is equivalent to the promenade box seats at Citi Field. In the right field corner, I was far from the field but it still was a good seat.

From my vantage point I could see the entire field except for the right field corner which is cut off from view because of height. This has been a common complaint at Citi Field down the lines and in the outfield. Even the opulent Yankee Stadium has similar issues. To me, and for the price, I don't consider it a problem especially when after a play occurred in that area, the replay on the most incredible video board I have ever seen showed the action almost instantaneously.

Because of Yankee Stadiums immensity, fans are not as close to the action as they are at Citi Field but the field still seems close and almost every seat in the house is a good one. The often reported obstructed bleacher seats is no joke. From there you cannot see half of the field but for the five bucks to get in you have the freedom to roam around the ballpark and watch from anywhere behind the seats. Not a bad deal.

You would expect Yankee Stadium to be a much grander venue than Citi Field simply because it cost almost twice the price to build. But that's not what really impressed me. What I liked so much more than the Mets home is how the Yankees incorporated their history into the new stadium.

I was very defensive of the Wilpons and Citi Field when it opened. I thought the criticism of not enough Mets memorabilia was very unfair. But when you see how much effort went into making Yankee fans feel at home in the new Yankee Stadium, it's hard to argue with the plethora of outspoken and angry Mets fans.

The Yankees had a completely different paradigm in front of them than the Mets did. While the Yankees had to recreate Yankee Stadium, the Mets wanted no part of Shea. From an architectural standpoint, who could blame them. Discarding Shea was appropriate but not eliminating the history and the many memories the late ballpark held.

It's true that some Mets fans outrage over Citi Field stemmed from being in a totally alien environment. But much of it was due to the fact the Wilpons neglected to brand the place with Mets glory. And even this much maligned franchise has had many historic moments.

Again, I feel somewhat hypocritical because I strongly defended the Mets after many criticism were levied by fans who were first into Citi Field. But in retrospect, would it have killed the brain trust to adorn the concourses with posters of great Mets moments and players. What Mets fan would not like to see a young Ed Kranepool or Wally Backman appear over one of the many Nathans stands. And why didn't the Mets follow through with a Mets museum as was discussed when the new ballpark was first announced?

In fairness, Citi is not devoid of Mets stuff. The outer walls of the building have banners of former Mets stars and Mets moments are displayed on the left field ramps. But inside the park there are only retired numbers (Seaver being the only player), championship flags, and a "Lets Go Mets" sign on top of the scoreboard. I do believe they could have done better.

This feeling of inferiority is compounded by the fact the Mets have had such a miserably slow start this season. For the past two seasons and the first month of this one we have seen a team completely underachieve. For whatever the reason, the Mets appear to be lethargic and uninterested, especially when losing. What is the message ownership sends to the fans when so little of the franchise's history is on display? Perception is everything and unfortunately, the perception the Wilpons and others have made is that they don't care. I do not think that is true. But it is a perception and generally, that's all that matters.

I must admit to feeling jealous as I walked around the new Stadium. It is a beautiful edifice that reminds baseball fans of a tremendous era of baseball in New York. When I saw a father walking the concourse with his young son it made me wonder. Why would a young fan gravitate toward the Mets when the Yankees do so much more to give fans a reason to go over to their side?

It doesn't have to be this way. But for it to change, someone in the Mets hierarchy must wake up and realize the National League club in this town is no longer the Dodgers or Giants. It's the Mets and it has been for almost a half century!

Citi Field and New Yankee Stadium: A Review

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:21:00 -0500

Each day that passes City Field is looking more and more like a finished product. The new Yankee Stadium is making great progress as well.