Random Mets Jibber Jabber

[Ceetar]

Swan Swan H wrote: I know what I'm having tomorrow night. Thanks, batmags.

missing a chance for it Wednesday. b0ooo.

if you're out there, check for a "sixpoint" beer stand near section 139 (left of Shake Shack somewhere) rumors fly, but haven't found any real confirmation.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Ceetar wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: I know what I'm having tomorrow night. Thanks, batmags. missing a chance for it Wednesday. b0ooo. if you're out there, check for a "sixpoint" beer stand near section 139 (left of Shake Shack somewhere) rumors fly, but haven't found any real confirmation.

I'm on it. I'll take a look tomorrow and report once I wipe the au jus from my chin.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Whaddya suppose they'll charge for that steak sammich? I bet Kreskin knows.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Whaddya suppose they'll charge for that steak sammich? I bet Kreskin knows.

I'll guess $16.

[Ceetar]

Swan Swan H wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Whaddya suppose they'll charge for that steak sammich? I bet Kreskin knows. I'll guess $16.

It's $15 as per the NYT last week.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Ceetar wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Whaddya suppose they'll charge for that steak sammich? I bet Kreskin knows. I'll guess $16. It's $15 as per the NYT last week.

Excellent! Thanks.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Swan Swan H wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Whaddya suppose they'll charge for that steak sammich? I bet Kreskin knows. I'll guess $16. It's $15 as per the NYT last week. Excellent! Thanks.

Same as the MFY's Lobel's Steak sandwich. Unless they raised that price. I figgered they'd keep it under $20.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Does anybody here really think that the choice seats at Citi Field, field level at and around home plate are mostly sold out, as the Mets claim? Those sections are way too empty, too often, for the Mets' claims to hold any water. And if the Mets really did sell out (or mostly sell out) all of their choice seats, why the hell are they running ads for the Champions Club with the all you can eat buffet, like every two or three innings on every SNY broadcast?

I haven't seen the Champions Club SNY ad since I wrote the post above. Coincidence? Mets were on the road? Something else?

[Ceetar]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Does anybody here really think that the choice seats at Citi Field, field level at and around home plate are mostly sold out, as the Mets claim? Those sections are way too empty, too often, for the Mets' claims to hold any water. And if the Mets really did sell out (or mostly sell out) all of their choice seats, why the hell are they running ads for the Champions Club with the all you can eat buffet, like every two or three innings on every SNY broadcast? I haven't seen the Champions Club SNY ad since I wrote the post above. Coincidence? Mets were on the road? Something else?

Probably the west coast trip, or you just didn't notice it. Or they're switching gears towards selling tickets for next year?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Does anybody here really think that the choice seats at Citi Field, field level at and around home plate are mostly sold out, as the Mets claim? Those sections are way too empty, too often, for the Mets' claims to hold any water. And if the Mets really did sell out (or mostly sell out) all of their choice seats, why the hell are they running ads for the Champions Club with the all you can eat buffet, like every two or three innings on every SNY broadcast? I haven't seen the Champions Club SNY ad since I wrote the post above. Coincidence? Mets were on the road? Something else? Probably the west coast trip, or you just didn't notice it. Or they're switching gears towards selling tickets for next year?

Those last two are irreconcilable, no? Either I missed them (I didn't) or they didn't air.

[Ceetar]

True. I know I pay so little attention to commercials that even if I was making a point to watch for one I wouldn't believe I hadn't just missed it.

so if you're pretty sure it didn't air, maybe they've decided 'new month, new ad direction'? I know they have started suggesting ticket holders renew for 2013 to lock in pricing, so might just be that.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Whaddya suppose they'll charge for that steak sammich? I bet Kreskin knows. I'll guess $16. It's $15 as per the NYT last week. Excellent! Thanks. Same as the MFY's Lobel's Steak sandwich. Unless they raised that price. I figgered they'd keep it under $20.

Early reviews:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/862226

[Ceetar]

http://tedquarters.net/words/sandwiches-of-citi-field-original-filet-mignon-steak-sandwich/

[Guest Swan Swan H]

I'm on Team Ted. The sandwich was delicious, off the grill and in my hands within seconds. There was a line, but not ridiculous.

Two things I learned - it's a mother to try and eat this sitting at one's seat, so best to partake at a table, whether standing or sitting, and try to scrounge up a fork or spoon, since a large portion of the toppings found their way off the sandwich and into the box/tray/plate thing. Oh, and napkins. Many napkins. Or a dropcloth and hose. I'm not a neat eater.

Ceetar, we got there later than I wanted due to traffic so I didn't get a chance to look for your sixpoint beer. We'll be back on Saturday, and I'll try to get down there a bit earlier and peek around.

[Ceetar]

Swan Swan H wrote: Ceetar, we got there later than I wanted due to traffic so I didn't get a chance to look for your sixpoint beer. We'll be back on Saturday, and I'll try to get down there a bit earlier and peek around.

I was actually wondering if the Sixpoint was AT the Steak Sandwich place. It was in the opening from behind the seats into the center field concourse to the left of Shake Shack right? There (used to be at least) a Beer of the world little stand there.

No worries though, Someone told me they're going tonight and will check it out. I'm probably not making it out on this homestand myself, finances and broken cars being what they are.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Ceetar wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: Ceetar, we got there later than I wanted due to traffic so I didn't get a chance to look for your sixpoint beer. We'll be back on Saturday, and I'll try to get down there a bit earlier and peek around. I was actually wondering if the Sixpoint was AT the Steak Sandwich place. It was in the opening from behind the seats into the center field concourse to the left of Shake Shack right? There (used to be at least) a Beer of the world little stand there. No worries though, Someone told me they're going tonight and will check it out. I'm probably not making it out on this homestand myself, finances and broken cars being what they are.

That's exactly where it was. It's a double-wide stand, and there is a sausage stand to the left of it.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Another positive review for the Steak Sandwich. Ugly picture, though. The thing looks gelatinous, like pizza under the counter that was cooked eight hours ago.



New Citi Field eats: Pat LaFrieda�s steak sandwich

Don�t get me wrong, Shake Shack is great. But there�s a limit to the burger joint�s cache at Citi Field, mostly because you can find it easily enough around New York City, the Eastern seaboard and, now, the world. (Dubai, anyone?) It used to be unique, but it�s not anymore. Thankfully, the folks who run Citi Field�s concessions have constantly tweaked and improved over the past four seasons, this year alone adding a Greek stand in right field and Two Boots Pizza throughout the ballpark. The latest addition made its debut Tuesday: Pat LaFrieda�s original steak sandwich, with a location near Shake Shack in the center field food court. Fifteen dollars gets you one black angus filet, topped with Monterey jack cheese and sweet caramelized onions, served with a secret au jus on a custom-made and toasted French baguette. Like Shake Shack guru Danny Meyer, LaFrieda is a celebrity in the industry � you can read about him in this 2010 profile in New York magazine. But unlike Shake Shack, you can�t get this sandwich anywhere else � Citi Field is LaFrieda�s first and only retail location. I had my first taste this evening when the Mets delivered a cart of the sandwiches to the press box, and I was not disappointed. The bread is crusty and there�s a good amount of steak and cheese. If you don�t like onions, I would recommend ordering the sandwich without them � they dominate the flavor. But it�s a good flavor, and I�ll go as far as to say it�s worth the $15 if you can spare it.

http://dicomo.mlblogs.com/2012/08/07/new-citi-field-eats-pat-lafriedas-steak-sandwich/

[batmagadanleadoff]

One more.

People Are Waiting 3 Innings For The Pat LaFrieda Steak Sandwich At Citi Field

New York City celebrity butcher Pat LaFrieda has taken his talents to Citi Field. Last night the meat master debuted a filet mignon steak sandwich stand at a game between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins. The sandwich features hand-cut 100% black angus seared filet mignon, Monterey jack cheese, sweet caramelized onions, and is served with a secret au jus on a custom-made and toasted French baguette. LaFrieda�s sandwich was previously available only to family and friends, making Citi Field the first public venue to sell it, and the first restaurant concept from the purveyor. It sells for $15, the same amount that a Lobel�s steak sandwich sells for at Yankee Stadium. Last night, I visited the stand behind the centerfield wall to check out the sandwich�s opening night reception. The buzz was evident, as there was a slow-moving line of roughly 70 fans waiting for the moist and perfectly seasoned sandwich. Fearful that I might miss a Mets milestone performance (yeah, right), I decided not to brave the nearly three-inning line and returned to my seat hungry and unsatisfied. Initially the sandwich has received positive reviews from fans who stood in line, as well as from the Mets broadcast team � who received free samples between innings. LaFrieda�s signature product just may be the most exciting thing to happen at Citi Field since, umm, well let�s just say in a long time. Move over Shake Shack!

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/08/08/people-are-waiting-3-innings-pat-lafrieda-steak-sa

[batmagadanleadoff]

The Crazy Review: Pat LaFrieda's Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich

If you have not yet heard, Pat LaFrieda steak sandwich is now at Citi Field. Last night Mets fans had the opportunity to try this carnivorous delight. There was nothing short about the debut of the Pat LaFrieda Original Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich and that included the line to get this $15 sandwich. "The original LaFrieda family recipe features hand-cut Black Angus seared filet mignon topped with Monterey Jack cheese and sweet caramelized onions, served with a secret au jus on a custom-made and toasted French baguette," according to a press release. The Citi Field stand is LaFrieda's only retail location and for now. At first glance I was tempted to shy away from this line that could soon compete with Shake Shack or Blue Smoke. It took me an easy 15-20 minutes to approach the front of the line where there were two grills and two cashiers. At the flat top grill they would prepare 3 hand-cut Black Angus seared filet mignon (per sandwich) on one side with sweet caramelized onions on the other. For each sandwich they would break away 2 mounds of the caramelized onions and place Monterey Jack cheese on each mound to let the cheese melt into the onions. They carefully placed the three rare steaks on the toasted French baguette then added the next layer of onions and Monterey Jack cheese topping it with secret au jus sauce. After paying my $15, I headed off to a high top table near the Big Apple Brew with a good view of the outfield screen so I could watch the game. I knew after my first bite that this sandwich had made it to the top of the list of my favorite sandwiches at CitiField over Blue Smoke Pulled Pork sandwich and Keith's Grill Mex burger. The combination of the Monterey Jack, caramelized onions and au jus sauce over the well prepared filet mignon was to die for and even with all that the baguette was not soggy but rather crispy. I give this a definite thumbs up and a must have while at Citi Field for the Mets game.

http://www.thecrazymetsfan.com/

[stevejrogers]

G-Fafif wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: OE -- There's some truth to what you wrote. I'm not dismissing it outright. But there's also, I think, a lot of urban legend to your post, and it doesn't account for the level of vacancy you see in those choice sections at CF, game after game after game. Even when Dickey pitches. By contrast, ticket prices for seats in the section behind home plate underneath the netting at Shea Stadium reached prohibitively expensive levels by the late 1990's. And those sections were never as empty as the choice sections at CF. Not even during the Art Howe years. Reminds me of an episode Bob Costas recalled in Loose Balls, Terry Pluto's enormously entertaining oral history of the ABA. He challenged the PR guy from the Miami Floridians on inflated attendance figures. Whatever the number he was given dwarfed the actual fannies in the seats, which Costas could count for himself during the game. The PR guy insisted all those folks were here, they're just up buying refreshments or using the washroom. Costas finished his reminiscence with some crack about how the plumbing would burst (or something like that) if this was true. Anyway, I often think of that passage when I see the Mets report an attendance of 30,000.

To be fair, whatever one feels about all the amenities behind home in the Promenade, Caesar's Club and it's Horseshoe bars along the baselines and the Field Level outfield extravaganza from Shake Shack through the World's Fair Market and of course McFadden's (providing you don't mind not being able to go back into the stadium), I think there is more of a reason for the Mets PR to use that excuse than the Miami Floridians PR guy from the 1970s did.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Josh Thole's 2012 batting line was lifted straight from the resume of the prime of Bud Harrelson. Except Thole's a lot slower. And probably wouldn't of stood up to Pete Rose.

[Ceetar]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Josh Thole's 2012 batting line was lifted straight from the resume of the prime of Bud Harrelson. Except Thole's a lot slower. And probably wouldn't of stood up to Pete Rose.

True, but Thole's also under-performing his career this year. Bud's OPS+ with the Mets 75, Thole's at 81 this year.

But wow, did Harrelson have a reallllllly bad '77 and '78. like, jealous of Jason Bay bad.

And then suddenly a great year as what appears to be a super-sub with the Phillies in '79 and another good one with the Rangers after that at age 36? .50 and .70 points above his career average OBP.

[Ceetar]

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mini Mets Museum Graces Lake Hopatcong Home
Liz Mottolese and her family pay tribute to their favorite baseball team.

There are Met fans. There are even diehard Met fans. And then there�s Liz Mottolese of Lake Hopatcong, who, along with her husband Johnny and daughters Ashley, Nicole and Taylor Mueller redecorated a whole room in their home and turned it into a mini Mets museum. Mottolese opened the room with a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday. Filled with bats, balls, ticket stubs, signed photographs and highlighted by Mottolese�s actual seats from Shea Stadium, the room pays tribute to the team that Mottolese and her extended family have been fans of since 1969. The idea for the room actually came from Mottolese�s daughter Nicole Mueller. �We had all this Met stuff just sitting in the basement, so I figured we should do something with it. We all love the team, so it just made sense.� Once the idea took hold, it also took off. Mottolese said it took about five weeks to complete. �This had been a dirty old work room,� she said of the tribute. �We had to rip down old shelves, take out the old lighting and put in recessed lighting, pick out the blue and orange paint and then figure out how to display everything.� The room includes several highlights, including a bat given by Tom Seaver to Ashley Mueller when she was just four years old, during spring training and a ball signed by Jerry Koosman. Several friends and family members came to the ribbon cutting ceremony, including Ronda Ralph, Mottolese�s closest friend, whom she met at�wait for it�Shea Stadium, when the women�s two families had seats near each other.

http://jefferson.patch.com/articles/mini-mets-museum-graces-lake-hopatcong-home#photo-11208565

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mini Mets Museum Graces Lake Hopatcong Home

Now this guy's got a real Mets museum in his home.




He Has Met the Mets and He Owns Them
By VINCENT M. MALLOZZI
Published: September 24, 2006

Even Hollywood has made the pilgrimage to the mecca of Mets memorabilia, a shrine to Andy Fogel�s favorite team. �I was 12 when the Mets were born in 1962,�� said Fogel, 56, who grew up in Brooklyn as the son of Dodger fans. �I grew up with the Mets, and I know an awful lot about their history.�� He owns a lot of it as well, an estimated 3,000 pieces, including Jerry Grote�s catching equipment from the 1960�s; jerseys worn by Casey Stengel, Gil Hodges and Tom Seaver; and team-autographed baseballs from every season in Mets history. In a never-ending bid to add to his Amazin� collection, Fogel spends about 25 hours a week visiting auction sites on the Internet and auction houses, a pastime he began to pursue seriously in 1990 after he and his wife, Rona, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. �I saw a whole room filled with an art collection donated by one man,�� he recalled. �It was quite inspiring.�� So he began collecting everything Mets: autographed baseballs, pictures, postcards, pennants, yearbooks, programs, bobble-head dolls, even an original wood seat from Shea Stadium. He also owns unused tickets from every home and away postseason game in Mets history; a life-size Tom Seaver cardboard cutout from 1968; a 1969 World Series ring; a mannequin dressed in the complete 1973 uniform of the former Mets coach Roy McMillan; and jerseys worn by 24 members of the 1986 championship team. Most of those items are displayed in the bedroom that once belonged to Fogel�s daughter, Lauren, before she married five years ago, but there is much more in the basement of his house in Suffern, N.Y. When his son, Joshua, married two years ago, Fogel wanted to combine both bedrooms to increase the size of his Metropolitan area. �I told him that if he did that, he could take up residence in the garage,�� Rona Fogel said. �Hey, look, it�s a great collection, and it�s better than a mistress, but I still have to push him back if he oversteps his boundaries.�� Fogel has sold only one item from his collection, a 1969 Ed Charles World Series jersey. Price: $20,000. Reason: Priceless. �I used the money to pay for my daughter�s wedding,�� he said. Having retired last year from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as an assistant director in charge of E-ZPass, Fogel often takes relatives, friends and fellow collectors for a two-hour spin through what Ya Gotta Believe is the world�s first Mets museum. The collection includes such rare items as a cigarette lighter that plays �Meet the Mets,�� with a picture of Mr. Met on one side and Shea on the other, and name plates that once hung over the lockers of players from the 1960�s like Ed Kranepool and Marvelous Marv Throneberry. Among Fogel�s oddest items are a set of window curtains, adorned with Mr. Met and team logos, that had belonged to Joan Payson, the team�s original owner, and a straw hat that she wore at Shea during the 1969 World Series. Perhaps the most historically significant pieces are five pages of short evaluations of the 1964 Mets handwritten by Stengel, the team�s first manager. Stengel�s evaluation of Ron Hunt, which Fogel has framed with others, reads: �Demands that a ballplayer outplay him at second base. If so, he will try another position. Good, hard, tough game player that can execute almost every play. Could cover more ground.�� Memorabilia from Fogel�s collection appeared in the 2000 movie �Frequency,�� which starred Dennis Quaid and James Caviezel as a father and son who root for the Mets and communicate by radio across 30 years to track a murderer. In August, �Mets Weekly,�� a show on SNY, the Mets� network, filmed a segment at Fogel�s house, and members of the team�s public relations staff toured his treasured souvenirs. The team is considering using some of his collectibles for inclusion in yearbooks, programs or celebrations. But Fogel has visions of an even longer shelf life. �Maybe the Mets will open a museum inside their new stadium,�� he said. �I could certainly loan them some of my stuff for display.��

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/sports/baseball/24cheer.html

_______________

Journey to Metca

With the demolition of Shea Stadium, I have been searching for a place where Mets dreams and memories appear before my very eyes. I won�t call it a glorious past, because that would be inaccurate, but it certainly has been interesting. The commemorative DVDs and TV specials are great, but they�re only two dimensional. Citi Field, for all its charm, does not work as a reminder of past Mets glory once you get inside�though the outside looks great. Citi Field is the best place this side of New Orleans for a po� boy, but the only tributes to the Mets inside the new park seem to be reactions to tough FAN love regarding the home team they forgot to honor (the old Apple repository, Doc�s signed wall, some bases in the parking lot�). I went to a subterranean museum of blue and orange gold (that statement makes sense if you want it to), a place not located in the Wilbert Robinson-Pete Reiser-Carl Erskine wine cellar at Citi Field, but far away from Queens, in the Iron Mountain of Mets Matter: Andy Fogel�s basement. Vincent Mallozzi of the New York Times, who wrote a story about my little Mets life last year, chronicled the Fogel tale just after the Mets clinched their last postseason berth in 2006. I got the �you�re crazy� reaction when I told a recent interviewer that I bought two seats from Shea Stadium and put them in my basement, the first major memorabilia purchase of my life. My defense: �The cost of those seats included shipping and it was cheaper than four tickets in the Ebbets boxes for a Thursday night game against San Diego in April.� Which is true by about $100, I�m told. And not that I believe in Mets Mojo, but twice on the recent homestand I sat in my Shea basement seats with the game tied late and the Mets put it away that very inning. My butt has become a rally cap. But this isn�t about me�or my butt�it�s about the great vein of Metrobilia found in Rockland County. Andy Fogel also has seats from Shea, along with seats from the Polo Grounds, stools from the Shea locker room, and a very rare wooden seat in pristine condition from the 1970s. New ownership burned the old seats in 1980. This came a few months after they removed and scrapped the signature aluminum panels that made Shea Shea. For the End of Sheas, the savvy Mets sold everything. The sale went so well that there doesn�t seem to be much left from the old ballpark to transfer to the new ballpark. Nor does there seem to be much inclination to muss up the new digs with such dusty relics. As I�ve told anyone who asks, I like Citi Field very much. It�s very representative of the retro ballpark era that started 17 years ago. Unfortunately, you could airlift any team into the place and tell them it was their home and there would few indications to say you were wrong. There appears to be no truth to the rumor that the Dodgers will wear their home whites when they come to New York in mid-July. Andy Fogel likes the new ballpark, too. But his basement has more Mets stuff than the million-plus square feet in Citi Field. (His collection recently moved from one of his children�s rooms to his clean, spacious basement and many of his items are newly returned from loans to NYC museums.) Andy has Joan Payson�s 1969 Styrofoam hat, not to mention her Mr. Met curtains, Casey�s uniform, Tug�s uniform, about 100 others Mets� uniforms, the spiffy 1960s jackets worn by ushers, Ed Charles�s Mets jacket that looks like it just came off the assembly line this morning, 1969 Mets figurines, every advertisement Tom Seaver seemingly ever did (he makes Jeter look like he�s not even trying to hawk), every ticket stub save one�July 31�for the 1986 Mets, the top of the Shea foul pole that they could use at Citi Field (those paying attention will note Gary, Keith, and Ron have been discussing how short the new poles are), and more Mets pennants than the franchise could win if it lasted a thousand years. I had a purpose for my pilgrimage. Since seemingly time began, Ken Samelson and I, plus many others have been working hard on a comprehensive telling of the 1969 Mets season and every player: The Miracle Has Landed, scheduled for fall release from Maple Street Press. It�s a group effort and a non-profit one at that for the Society of American Baseball Research. So this long-planned, much-delayed journey to Andy�s to take photos of the holy relics from his collection was well worth the wait. My reporting of his Art(Shamsky)ifacts does not do the collection justice, and neither has the team that inspired it. So much for trying not to hop on the Citi-bashing bandwagon. I�m late to a party I tried to avoid in the first place. The wonderful Fogel basement pushed me over the top. Enough now from me about a little more Mets presence at the new stadium. I�ll let Andy�s final words from Mallozzi�s 2006 article speak for itself: �Maybe the Mets will open a museum inside their new stadium,�� he said. �I could certainly loan them some of my stuff for display.�� Amen.

http://metsilverman.com/may09.html

[Guest The Second Spitter]

[youtube:1on1lt80]2xbFZgL7XTY[/youtube:1on1lt80]

I call dibs on the parody of the video title!

[MFS62]

His legs were moving too fast to tell when he went around first and second, but he definitely hit/ turned third with his left foot.

Later

[Ceetar]

Mets are 776-580-4 (through 2011) when they hit a double in the 6th inning.