Take Me Out To The Ballgame 2011

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Gracing Opening Day for the first time ever (!): your LeiterWagners. (Gracing our apartment shortly thereafter: two baby-decapitated Mr. Met bobbleheads.) Anyone else?

[We five-packed and then some, too, because I got overexcited one night, and also because I'm an idiot who doesn't understand supply and demand.]

Gracing CitiField for the first time this year: Something called Hometown Beverages. (Never had it, myself. But the "local" concept gives it, like, a McFadden's-of-beers kinda waft.)

[Benjamin Grimm]

Enjoy it! Opening Day was an annual event for me from 1978 through 1992. Haven't done it since, but it was always fun, especially in the years when the Home Opener was also the Season Opener.

[Guest themetfairy]

D-Dad is planning the Mother of All Tailgate Parties on Opening Day. MK and I will be there. Look for us in the parking lot!

[Ceetar]

Gracing Opening Day for the first time ever (!): your LeiterWagners. (Gracing our apartment shortly thereafter: two baby-decapitated Mr. Met bobbleheads.) Anyone else? [We five-packed and then some, too, because I got overexcited one night, and also because I'm an idiot who doesn't understand supply and demand.] Gracing CitiField for the first time this year: Something called Hometown Beverages. (Never had it, myself. But the "local" concept gives it, like, a McFadden's-of-beers kinda waft.)

Don't we have a thread already? or was that for Spring.

anyway, I'll be there too. Plan is to hit the Read The Apple tailgate, circle Citi Field on the outside once, then on the inside once before settling near the back of the PRomenade, just off to the first base side of home. Definitely be checking out hometown beverages. I've decided I want to catalog beer selection this season, I've tossed around the idea of Citi Field having the best beer in the majors (maybe not, but it's definitely up there) and thought I should do some research and talk to some other beer snob fans of other teams and catalog the local selections available.

[Ceetar]

themetfairy wrote: D-Dad is planning the Mother of All Tailgate Parties on Opening Day. MK and I will be there. Look for us in the parking lot!

I'll have to look for you as well.

[HahnSolo]

Two of my friends and I have gone in on a 15-game plan for the second year in a row. We each get "family" games and there are a few that we take in as "guy's nights." I will probably be there for 6 or 7 of those games, not sure which, though. Our "draft" is this weekend while watching the final four.

My first likely game will be April 11 against Colorado.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd like to get to Citi Field early in the season, before all of the positive energy is sucked from the place, but the schedule doesn't look too accommodating, at least for April, where I have conflicts with my girls softball team. Haven't looked at the May games yet.

[TransMonk]

I'll be at the June 7th and 9th games in Milwaukee. I've had better beer at Citi, though.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Pittsburgh in June!

I'm leaving my immediate CF plans up to my luck in the Daily Snooze Mets Tixx Giveaway. I've entered like, 6 times already.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ceetar wrote: ... anyway, I'll be there too. Plan is to hit the Read The Apple tailgate, circle Citi Field on the outside once, then on the inside once before settling near the back of the PRomenade, just off to the first base side of home. Definitely be checking out hometown beverages. I've decided I want to catalog beer selection this season, I've tossed around the idea of Citi Field having the best beer in the majors (maybe not, but it's definitely up there) and thought I should do some research and talk to some other beer snob fans of other teams and catalog the local selections available.

CitiField's beer selection impressed me a lot more before I realized that Beer Island was pretty much all Anheuser-Busch-made/-distributed beers. The true locals are the Brooklyn (and its centerfield food-match varieties) and Bluepoint at Catch of the Day. More and more, I come around to Bluepoint as my default first-beer option (or the Brooklyn Shackmeister).

I'd put those up there against, say, Natty Boh or Old Style any day. That said... of the ones I've had in the last decade, a cold Anchor Steam/Liberty Ale on a warm SF day is tough to top. (Especially when it's chasing a Cha-Cha Bowl or garlic fries.) I'd imagine the Stone stuff at Petco would be up there, too.

Also: TAILGAAAAAAATE! WOO!

[Willets Point]

I expect the only game I'll attend this season is June 2nd.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Pittsburgh in June! I'm leaving my immediate CF plans up to my luck in the Daily Snooze Mets Tixx Giveaway. I've entered like, 6 times already.

I just entered 3 times myself, not that I read that rag, but my grandmother shoved them at me and told me to mail them in, so i did.

rather selfishly, I'm looking for a place that gives Mets tickets as a prize for giving blood. I have a feeling if I give in NJ they'll give me Devils, or *gasp* Nets tickets. Free tickets seems a way to mitigate the $20 tolls to get there and back.

[Guest themetfairy]

Ceetar wrote: D-Dad is planning the Mother of All Tailgate Parties on Opening Day. MK and I will be there. Look for us in the parking lot! I'll have to look for you as well.

I'll look forward to meeting you in person

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: ... anyway, I'll be there too. Plan is to hit the Read The Apple tailgate, circle Citi Field on the outside once, then on the inside once before settling near the back of the PRomenade, just off to the first base side of home. Definitely be checking out hometown beverages. I've decided I want to catalog beer selection this season, I've tossed around the idea of Citi Field having the best beer in the majors (maybe not, but it's definitely up there) and thought I should do some research and talk to some other beer snob fans of other teams and catalog the local selections available. CitiField's beer selection impressed me a lot more before I realized that Beer Island was pretty much all Anheuser-Busch-made/-distributed beers. The true locals are the Brooklyn (and its centerfield food-match varieties) and Bluepoint at Catch of the Day. More and more, I come around to Bluepoint as my default first-beer option (or the Brooklyn Shackmeister). I'd put those up there against, say, Natty Boh or Old Style any day. That said... of the ones I've had in the last decade, a cold Anchor Steam/Liberty Ale on a warm SF day is tough to top. (Especially when it's chasing a Cha-Cha Bowl or garlic fries.) I'd imagine the Stone stuff at Petco would be up there, too. Also: TAILGAAAAAAATE! WOO!

I'm mixed on the AB selection, for one it's not just them, since those breweries (Kona, Goose Island until MOnday) were still operated and run separately. It's actually the craft brewery alliance which is affiliated with Ahheuser or whatever. But I support that idea, because those b eers are pretty good in some cases, and the ability to get that distribution mainstream means more bars with real drinkable options instead of the just Bud and Bud Light crap. I will love them forever if they get Kona Kola Nut Brown (toasted coconut, it's amazing) mass distributed.

I love the brooklyn stuff. I sometimes wait on those lines just for the beer. (well, not shake shack) It's been a while since i've been to CBP, but Pennsylvania, and specifically Philly, has an amazin brewery collection and they're really good about getting them out places. This will be the last nice thing you see me say about that city or stadium thsi year.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

AB actually went and officially bought Goose Island just this week (edit, saw the Ceets noted this above).

I like to support the Brooklyn Breweries cuz their founders are big-time Mets fans.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

AB's had the distribution agreement with Goose Island for a while, IIRC. (It's popped up in a bunch of non-Chicago airport bars, e.g., over the last few years.)

CBP's beer is pretty damn good; they've got Victory, Flying Fish, Yards, Dock Street, Iron Hill, and Ortlieb's along with the usual suspects. But then, CBP does street food consumers a great service in general. From the Schmitter to Turkey Hill to the crab fries, they did a fantastic job with the concessions/keeping things of-the-community. Hell, just getting Tony Luke's as the cheesesteak/roast pork place is like getting, say, Di Fara's, Grimaldi's or Nick's of Forest Hills to do Citi's pizza.

[Gwreck]

We told the Mets to go shove it when it comes to multi-game plans this year but wound up buying a chunk of games off another season ticket holder (the games we wanted to go to).

Roadtrips: Detroit in June. Considering Pittsburgh in June; and Washington in July but will probably wait and see as to how the team does before committing.

Will of course be there on April 8. I'm a big fan of the 4:10 start time. Originally thought I would have to worry about getting out of work but now will just have to leave a few hours early.

[Ceetar]

I'm debating a game in Philly this year. I don't love the ballpark, and hate the team, but hey.. it's different!
And i'll pass it off as blog/beer research. The wife has the same disdain for Phillies fans, so I may have to go alone, which leaves me pondering how reasonable it is to leave north jersey at 4:30, floor it down to Philly for a weekday game, and then race home afterwards.

Not next week, too early for that I think.

[Guest themetfairy]

We'll be in Texas for the June series.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I'll say this: virtually all the stuff that Citi missed on when it opened-- from the sparseness of Met-specific decor and statuary to how to incorporate ads tastefully to fun, city-specific aesthetic touches to sky-high prices to a playable, natural-appearing playing field-- CBP had nailed from Day One. If it were our stadium, I'd love it so hard it hurt.

We're considering road trips to SF or SD.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I'll say this: virtually all the stuff that Citi missed on when it opened-- from the sparseness of Met-specific decor and statuary to how to incorporate ads tastefully to fun, Philly-specific aesthetic touches to sky-high prices-- CBP had nailed from Day One. If it were our stadium, I'd love it so hard it hurt. We're considering road trips to SF or SD.

I dunno, I never really cared for the place. There were some nice features, but I was underwhelmed from the getgo.

[Guest themetfairy]

We just secured tickets for the Saturday, April 30th game in Philly.

This works out well, because I need to be at Lincoln Financial Field that day anyway to pick up my Broad Street Run race bib. I'll pick up the bib early and then try to catch some Mets BP

[Valadius]

Ok, so the Mets come to Washington in April, July, and September. September looks best, since the Mets are here on the pre-Labor Day weekend.

[Gwreck]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I'll say this: virtually all the stuff that Citi missed on when it opened-- from the sparseness of Met-specific decor and statuary to how to incorporate ads tastefully to fun, city-specific aesthetic touches to sky-high prices to a playable, natural-appearing playing field-- CBP had nailed from Day One. If it were our stadium, I'd love it so hard it hurt.

That's pretty much how I feel about Pittsburgh, Seattle and Minneapolis. If it weren't for the degenerates that make up the fan base in Philly, I'd probably have that park it in my top 5 or 6.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: CitiField's beer selection impressed me a lot more before I realized that Beer Island was pretty much all Anheuser-Busch-made/-distributed beers. The true locals are the Brooklyn (and its centerfield food-match varieties) and Bluepoint at Catch of the Day. More and more, I come around to Bluepoint as my default first-beer option (or the Brooklyn Shackmeister).

G-Fafif bought me a glass of something which was the only decent beer I had at Citi. Can't remember what it was though....I vaguely remember he said it was from LI but could be mistaken.

Enjoy it! Opening Day was an annual event for me from 1978 through 1992. Haven't done it since, but it was always fun, especially in the years when the Home Opener was also the Season Opener.

The one and only opening day I have attended was in 2000 -- Shea was buzzing.........until Mike Hampton walked the first hitter, hit the second and gave-up a run with 0 outs. I fondly recollect the words of the person sitting in-front of me: "We gave up Dotel for this ass-muncher?"

In 99, I went up to see them in Montreal because opening day wasn't until the second Monday of the season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The Second Spitter wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: CitiField's beer selection impressed me a lot more before I realized that Beer Island was pretty much all Anheuser-Busch-made/-distributed beers. The true locals are the Brooklyn (and its centerfield food-match varieties) and Bluepoint at Catch of the Day. More and more, I come around to Bluepoint as my default first-beer option (or the Brooklyn Shackmeister). G-Fafif bought me a glass of something which was the only decent beer I had at Citi. Can't remember what it was though....I vaguely remember he said it was from LI but could be mistaken.

Almost definitely Bluepoint Toasted Lager from the fish place. From LI, and Greg's a fan.

[metirish]

Was looking yesterday for tix...anyone ever go to the BJ's Club House

BJ's Club-House is a new, specially priced area of the ballpark.

Sections 338 and 339 in Citi Field's Left Field Landing are priced at $10 for kids 12 and under and $20 for adults ($20 and $30 respectively for four Marquee game dates).

Mr. Met will visit both sections during every home Mets game.

looking at Dodgers May 7 ,

the odds of the kid meeting Mr.Met?

[Guest themetfairy]

I've been in the Left Field Landing before - it's not a bad view, and it's reasonably close to the good concessions.

Two Left Field Landing sections have been designated as the BJ's Club House this year (after temporarily being named the Mr. Met Landing), and they're promising that Mr. Met will visit during the game.

For the price, it sounds like it's worth a try.


=====================

I'll be back at the Citi tonight. Anyone else going to be there for Ski Cap Night?

[metirish]

Thanks Metfairy, I knew you'd now .$64 for two adult and one kid under 12....I like , but I wanted three adult with the one kid and if I am reading correctly limit two adults and four kids per game....wtf?

[Guest themetfairy]

I guess they're trying to keep it to a family thing. But don't they realize that families like to attend games with other families?

You might just be better off finding something on Stub Hub in the Left Field Landing and keeping an eye out for Mr. Met's visit.