Opening Day IGT, 2026-03-26

[Fman99]

What an awesome start to the season. I am rock hard with enthusiasm 

[Edgy MD]

1 hour ago, Lefty Specialist said:

Imagine how much fun this would have been with Gary, Keith and Ron.

Well, it did go over three hours, and with all that Opening Day traffic to beat, Keith would have certainly given us some high-end, mid-season-quality prima donna grumbling.

[Frayed Knot]

Wasn't the prettiest game in the world. But I'll take an ugly 1-0 over a pretty 0-1.

[Centerfield]

Just got home. What a game!  
 

I feel like it’s been 87 years since I felt good about the Mets. 

[Gwreck]

Great time at the game.  Miscellaneous things not mentioned above:

-Tyrone Taylor got a nice hand from the crowd…and is still wearing #15.

-Nunez, Megill, and Garrett all present to be introduced.

-Marcell Ozuna getting loudly booed during introductions and every time he came to the plate.  Well done fans.

-Robert could easily become a favorite if he can hit a little bit.  Looks like he has some great baseball skills.  Got a great read on Baty’s triple and nearly caught Polanco on the basepaths.

-Benge got all the attention but Alvarez’s follow-up was absolutely pummeled and he was really enjoying his trip around the bases to celebrate.

-Polanco looked fine at first, had a couple good plays, a hard grounder and a wide throw from Bichette.

[whippoorwill]

6 hours ago, metirish said:

Neil Walker should be on the Golf channel 

Yeah these guys are BORING

[Centerfield]

5 minutes ago, Gwreck said:

Great time at the game.  Miscellaneous things not mentioned above:

-Tyrone Taylor got a nice hand from the crowd…and is still wearing #15.

-Nunez, Megill, and Garrett all present to be introduced.

-Marcell Ozuna getting loudly booed during introductions and every time he came to the plate.  Well done fans.

-Robert could easily become a favorite if he can hit a little bit.  Looks like he has some great baseball skills.  Got a great read on Baty’s triple and nearly caught Polanco on the basepaths.

-Benge got all the attention but Alvarez’s follow-up was absolutely pummeled and he was really enjoying his trip around the bases to celebrate.

-Polanco looked fine at first, had a couple good plays, a hard grounder and a wide throw from Bichette.

Agree with all of this. 
 

I missed the anthem. But I heard he messed up the lyrics. Awful. 
 

there was a bird collision in RF that led to a bird fatality.  There was a dead bird on the field for a while and everyone was telling Benge to pick it up. I missed this but heard about it after. 

The seventh inning stretch was weird.  They didn’t show the lyrics on the scoreboard and it felt like no one was singing.  Might have been where I was sitting  

I was in a box for a work event. I hate it. You can’t really hear anything.  The crowd. The speakers. Anything. It’s like they want it quiet so you can mingle. I can’t imagine actual fans like this. It’s not like you’re at the game. It’s like you’re watching everyone else who is actually at the game. 
 

Mr Mets hat is removable. Mind. Blown. 
 

Benge curtain call was great. 

[Frayed Knot]

THOUGHTS ON THE GAME!!!! (don't worry, I'm not going to do a list of ten).

Yeah, we got a bit lucky both with several cheap hits and the two botched hit to Cruz in CF ... but they also had a bunch of good ABs:

- Bichette's Sac Fly that got us back in the game after Pitt's two run 1st came after being down 0-2 and fighting off a bunch of stuff. And the cheap hits were the result of getting wood to ball rather than flailing away.

- Lindor, leading off the game, could have challenged the 3-0 count (and likely would have won it) but wound up walking anyway while costing Skenes another 3 or 4 pitches. Smart (non) call by Lindy IMO.

- Soto (of course) and Luis Robert (Louie Bobby?) had a great 1st inning ABs and just about everybody (except Benge) in that 1st inning fouled off a ton of pitches to run that pitch count up. So while it's easy to say that that inning wasn't Skenes's fault, it also was not Not his fault either.

 

So while it's too early to call anything we saw today part of some kind of trend, it was nice to see regardless.

[Gwreck]

44 minutes ago, Centerfield said:

I missed the anthem. But I heard he messed up the lyrics. Awful. 

The seventh inning stretch was weird.  They didn’t show the lyrics on the scoreboard and it felt like no one was singing.  Might have been where I was sitting  

I was in a box for a work event. I hate it. You can’t really hear anything.  The crowd. The speakers. Anything. It’s like they want it quiet so you can mingle. I can’t imagine actual fans like this. It’s not like you’re at the game. It’s like you’re watching everyone else who is actually at the game. 
 

The anthem is a trickier song to sing than sometimes one realizes.  What happened today is literally the reason so many singers use teleprompters, even if you’re singing something for the millionth time.

They started doing a different version of the stretch in the last year or two, with the organist playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” instead of the rousing version they used to use.  No surprise it’s lifeless and bad, as organ music at the ballpark sucks.  Not everything that once was old is good.

Sorry to hear about the box but hopefully it was free?  Most of the Citi boxes typically do have two rows of seats in the front that are sufficiently exposed that you feel like you’re at the game.  If you’re in the back, though?  Agree that it’s not a fan experience. 

[Edgy MD]

The first four lines of the anthem (which are really eight lines, based on the cadences) are all one sentence.

A run-on question of a sentence.

Hard to sing?  Sure, but I'd've nailed it if they asked me.

They never ask me.

[Lundy]

What a beautiful day for a baseball game. Our group got into the Citi Field lot shortly after 10:30. We had prepaid for parking and that made it more smoother. We took our usual spot near the exits and ate, drank, and played games until 12:30 and made our way in. It seems they're a lot more lax these days in checking bags and such, because I walked right through security without much of a hassle despite carrying a bag of stuff into the stadium.

We were in Section 106 in right field. I can't say I've been witness to such an action-packed first inning. Our heads were spinning from everything that happened. Couldn't believe Skenes only lasted 2/3rds of an inning.

We did see the bird fall from the heavens and right next to Carson Benge. I yelled "Fowl, fowl, fowl!" and others noticed the dead bird in the field. We started a chant, "GET THE BIRD! GET THE BIRD!" and eventually a crew came to scoop up the bird off the field. 

It was not long after that when Benge hit his first dinger, and we chanted his name until he acknowledged us. It was great. Agreed on other comments on the Alvarez homer--he absolutely creamed the baseball.

Agree with the comments on the seventh inning stretch, it just didn't work. At least they got Lazy Mary right.

We did the 9-9-9 challenge, although it was more of a gimmick than anything else. We had fun with it.

We stayed until the end, and hit the usual traffic on the Grand Central, but what you gonna do when the game ends during rush hour traffic? Just grin and bear it, and savor a great win.

(by the way, I love the new place here!)

[Ceetar]

8 hours ago, Lundy said:

What a beautiful day for a baseball game. Our group got into the Citi Field lot shortly after 10:30. We had prepaid for parking and that made it more smoother. We took our usual spot near the exits and ate, drank, and played games until 12:30 and made our way in. It seems they're a lot more lax these days in checking bags and such, because I walked right through security without much of a hassle despite carrying a bag of stuff into the stadium.

We were in Section 106 in right field. I can't say I've been witness to such an action-packed first inning. Our heads were spinning from everything that happened. Couldn't believe Skenes only lasted 2/3rds of an inning.

We did see the bird fall from the heavens and right next to Carson Benge. I yelled "Fowl, fowl, fowl!" and others noticed the dead bird in the field. We started a chant, "GET THE BIRD! GET THE BIRD!" and eventually a crew came to scoop up the bird off the field. 

It was not long after that when Benge hit his first dinger, and we chanted his name until he acknowledged us. It was great. Agreed on other comments on the Alvarez homer--he absolutely creamed the baseball.

Agree with the comments on the seventh inning stretch, it just didn't work. At least they got Lazy Mary right.

We did the 9-9-9 challenge, although it was more of a gimmick than anything else. We had fun with it.

We stayed until the end, and hit the usual traffic on the Grand Central, but what you gonna do when the game ends during rush hour traffic? Just grin and bear it, and savor a great win.

(by the way, I love the new place here!)

 

Security tech has improved that they generally don't need to paw through your stuff (unless you're going to the brewery) the machine detects what it needs to detect and they'll pull you aside if you ding it. 

 

Where'd you get the 9-9-9 challenge? I wondered everywhere but didn't quite study every menu. It looked even stupider in person. Like I saw people with a fresh one in the bottom of the 6th...

 

Took me over 2 hours to get home, and over 40 minutes exiting the area because they remain terrible at traffic control.  I screwed up the parking thing to start with, but man it's going to be terrible there for...

well forever. 

 

 

 

[seawolf17]

I think they really want folks to take public transit, and I don't disagree. Problem is that the trains aren't convenient for anyone outside of the five boroughs or northern Nassau County.

[Ceetar]

15 minutes ago, seawolf17 said:

I think they really want folks to take public transit, and I don't disagree. Problem is that the trains aren't convenient for anyone outside of the five boroughs or northern Nassau County.

yeah. as much as it sucked driving home, it would've taken me a similar time on transit.  They are doing a shuttle bus service from Paramus Park mall which may help some of us, but looks like, while cheaper, you gotta get there at 4:30 for a normal game. 

I think currently the best move is prepay parking and get there earlier enough for a spot in the main lot. This might actually work great to go west, because the entrance to OUR Grand Central west is essentially in the parking lot, versus having to do lots of loops from other spots. Otherwise the Skyview mall is a 10 minute walk (And there are shuttles).  

The BEST plan would be a 7 line extension in NJ, treating the other side of the Hudson a little more like a 6th borough, Merging NJ Transit/Port Authority/MTA all into one big interconnected thing..

[Edgy MD]

Great to see lundy checking in.

[Gwreck]

3 hours ago, seawolf17 said:

I think they really want folks to take public transit, and I don't disagree. Problem is that the trains aren't convenient for anyone outside of the five boroughs or northern Nassau County.

A lot depends on what “convenient” means.   Having to make one connection — e.g., subway to subway, subway to commuter rail —  seems fairly reasonable to  call “convenient.” 

Example: all the Metro-North lines go right to Grand Central where the 7 runs frequently to the ballpark.  That also seems to be a pretty convenient public transit option.   
 

[Lefty Specialist]

I never drive.  Coming from NJ, I take NJ Transit to Penn Station, take the E to 74th/Roosevelt to catch the 7, and stand with the sweaty masses for a few stops.  It's easier than driving for me.

[whippoorwill]

Assuming this is true!

From a Pirates page

 

Edited March 28 by whippoorwill
Added content

[Edgy MD]

wOw!

I initially misread that as the victim going back to his seat and watching the game.

[Gwreck]

The story is generally true but a few key details are wrong there:

-It was Section 122 (not 121).  I know this because I was sitting right there and this happened a couple rows in front of me.

-The key assistance was actually provided by an emergency medicine physician who by an amazing stroke of luck happened to be seated right on the aisle a couple rows up from the afflicted person. 
 

In fairness, when this was pointed out to Carton, he did re-tweet this additional info:

 

[Lundy]

  

After the anthem

The 9-9-9 Challenge

Me enjoying one

Carson and the bird

Bye bye birdie

[Centerfield]

Great photo!

question. How many full size beers/dogs would you say the 9-9-9 is?