Benjamin Grimm

And I'm glad that Shea Stadium will end its days with its original name, unlike Riverfront, and Candlestick, and SkyDome, etc.

Don't listen to the lame duck.

You flatterer!

He doesn't want to mess up his pretty hair. Were there any other players wielding shovels other than Reyes and Wright? Or are they the only ones not recuperating from offseason surgery?

I hope that swinging that shovel doesn't mess up David Wright for another three months.

Good point. By 2029, $20 million will probably be just enough to take a family of four to a ballgame. The cost would cover tickets, parking, four hot dogs, four beverages, two caps, and a scorecard.

The Black Flag company should sponsor them:

I just hope that Preparation H or Depends makes them an offer they can't refuse.

They can't. They're too tradition bound. They'll have to call it Yankee Stadium, and then they're going to have to brainwash their followers into thinking it was built in 1923, like they did with the second incarnation of their ballpark.

I bank at Citizens Bank. (It's like CitiBank, but with zen.) Does that mean the Phillies love me? I'm afraid that love if it exists is unrequited.

What about that paragraph instills dread? It matters little to me if the Mets are making money overseas. If anything, it means they'll be able to continue to afford the expensive players. I'm not disputing your dread, just asking you to spell out what you're seeing that I'm not.

For posterity: Here's the part about honoring Jackie Robinson: ="CitiGroup press release"]Citigroup and the Mets in the Community This landmark partnership will accelerate Citi’s and the Mets’ current significant commitments to the community with new resources to develop and launch outreach platforms and programs in and beyond New York City, involving both the Citigroup Foundation and the New York Mets Foundation. As the first step in this effort, the Mets and Citi will commission a statue and name the entry rotunda of Citi Field – inspired by the classic design of Ebbets Field – to honor Jackie Robinson, the legendary pioneer and great American who broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The partnership will include a significant commitment to recognize and perpetuate, in and around the rotunda and the community, Robinson’s legacy and the “nine values” he embodied as articulated by his daughter, Sharon Robinson: courage, integrity, determination, persistence, citizenship, justice, commitment, teamwork, and excellence. “The Robinson family and Jackie Robinson Foundation are extremely proud of the creation of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field,” said Rachel Robinson, Founder, Jackie Robinson Foundation. “The statue of Jack and the experience of passing through the rotunda will serve as a source of inspiration for future generations and as a powerful reminder of Jack’s commitment to excellence and social progress.” In addition, Citi and the Mets through a pledge to the Jackie Robinson Foundation will help create the Jackie Robinson Foundation Museum and Education Center in lower Manhattan. As much as a tribute to Jackie Robinson, the Museum and Education Center will educate children about Jackie Robinson’s pioneering spirit and leading role in social change. This partnership will support new programs for the Jackie Robinson Foundation, including leadership development and scholarships for students who exemplify Jackie’s humanitarian ideals.

I love the ghostly hologram of Shea in the Citi Field parking lot! That's a great idea! And I do like the space between Citi and Field. It makes the name a whole lot better, and increases the possibility that it will be pronounced as if the i was a y. Citi Field/City Field. Not bad at all. And a lot better than names like 3M, Petco, Safeco, and many others.

She's right! Sometimes I did feel bad for the real people who were made to look foolish in the film. But there were others who were their own worst enemies, and I have no sympathy for them. Cohen pulls off his comedy without regard for the feelings of others. He has a much crueler streak than Alan Funt did. Even though it's funny, the laughs come with a little guilt.

This weekend I went to see Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. I've previously enjoyed the character on HBO's Da Ali G Show and I knew going in that I would like the movie. I wasn't disappointed. The movie was a little uneven, but it had some very funny moments. The naked wrestling scene was pretty disgusting, though. Sacha Baron Cohen will go to great extremes to pull off a joke.

I care too. Here's what we should do: Pronounce it as two words, not one. City Field, not CitiField. As I mentioned earlier, it sounds much better that way. I could imagine the 1887 Metropolitans playing at a park called City Field.

Except that CitiBank is paying $20 million per year, and they probably don't want Jackie Robinson freeloading on their name.

I don't think we need to worry about Sandy Koufax dying. I've heard him described as "immortal."

I can't imagine that anyone would suggest that the pitcher's mound be named after Sandy Koufax.

My objection is to the cutesy spelling. It's the 21st Century though. I guess I have to get with the program.

I can't blame them for taking $20 million per year. That's a lot of dough, and it would be hard for anyone to resist. I just wish the name wasn't so hokey. CitiBank Park or CitiBank Field would have been more acceptable, even if it does sound more corporate. I guess we can just pretend that the name is "City Field" which sounds kind of 19th Century.

Not official yet, but looking more and more so. ="Associated Press"] Out with the old: Mets new park to be named CitiField NEW YORK -- Goodbye, Shea Stadium; hello, CitiField. The Mets and Citigroup Inc. have agreed on a 20-year sponsorship deal for the team's new ballpark that is worth more than an average of $20 million annually and includes stadium naming rights, a baseball official said Saturday. The source spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal will not be announced until Monday at the formal groundbreaking. This will be a record for U.S stadium naming rights, topping the approximately $10 million annually the NFL's Houston Texans receive from Reliant Energy to call their home Reliant Stadium. The agreement between the Mets and the financial services company includes options for both the team and Citigroup that could extend the deal to 35 years. Other commercial arrangements are part of the contract, the official said. Construction on the ballpark -- next to the current stadium in Queens -- began last summer and is scheduled to be ready for the 2009 season. The Mets have played at Shea Stadium since 1964, the team's third year in the league. The ballpark is named for William A. Shea, a lawyer who helped bring National League baseball back to New York. The decision comes three months after the U.S. Tennis Association renamed the nearby USTA National Tennis Center after tennis great Billie Jean King. Monday's announcement will take place at a ceremony to be attended by Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Citigroup is one of the world's largest full-service banks, with 200 million customers in more than 100 countries. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

I agree, the building doesn't look bad itself. In Manhattan nobody would even notice it. I remember when it was about to be built. I had a co-worker who lived in Long Island City and she was part of the neighborhood group opposed to its construction. Needless to say, the group failed in its task. If I remember right, and I may not, I think it was intended to be the start of a Long Island City skyline, which appears to be slow in developing. The LIC skyline is much like the one in Allentown, Pa. Just one building that sticks out like a sore thumb. I've long thought that LIC would have been the perfect place to build the replacement for Shea. But nobody with any authority seemed to share that opinion because I never heard a word about any location other than the Shea parking lot.

Yes. He's not even eligible to sign with the Braves yet.

I loved Bob Murphy, but I think naming a ballpark after him is a bit too much. As for corporate names, I liked the idea of Met Life Park. CitiField? Icch. I'd prefer CitiBank Park. One thing worse than a corporate name is a cutesy corporate name.