CitiField, like Shea, is kind of peaceful when the Mets suck. Lately, I almost feel like I have the whole place to myself. Plenty of room to stretch out, relax and talk baseball with the nearest fellow sufferer.
Take the 11-3 Monday night shellacking by the Braves (and how different would the outcome have been if Beltran had gotten a better jump on and caught that opening bloop by Nate McLouth for an out instead of it dropping in for a single?), please. With the suspense sucked out of the proceedings early, I had a lovely evening conversing with my brother-in-law about my nephew’s first days at college, discussing what the Mets need to do to not suck next year, and pondering the weird, wacky and not always wonderful ways fans act at CitiField.
I admit it. I’m sort of a Felix Ungar type – I’m actually at Citi to watch a game. I get there on time, I rest my bony white butt on a Mets pillow, I keep score, and I don’t leave my seat until the game is over. However, I accept that not every else in the stands is as baseball OCD as I am. For confirmation of this, I just have to gaze out beyond centerfield and see more people on line at Shake Shack than there are in the seats. (I got to Citi an hour early just to try the Shack – and there was already a line! I had an easier time getting McCartney tickets.)
In that vein, here are the first three of my Top Nine CitiField Fan Things That Make Me Go Hmmmm (one for each inning):
9. Get Up, Stand Up: Please don’t yell at me to stand up and cheer just because you want to stand up and cheer. If you want to be a cheerleader, come to the game in a pony skirt, bobby socks and saddle shoes waving pom poms, and then we’ll talk. Until then, you stand up and cheer when you want to cheer and I’ll stand up and cheer when I want to cheer. Lately, the biggest cheers have been for the Pepsi T-Shirt Launch, and I’m definitely not standing for that. For one thing, the Pepsi Party Patrol never shoots T-shirts at the Excelsior Gold Section.
8. Boo Birds: It’s bad enough when we boo our own players because they are human and err (how’d you like it if someone came to your job and jeered your job performance?). But booing future Hall of Famers? For one thing, sort of like Mongo in Blazing Saddles, booing just makes great players mad – and better. I’ve feel privileged to have been able to watch some of the greatest players of all time, and booing them just seems crazy to me. “Yes, grandchildren, I got to see Derek Jeter play. I yelled ‘You suck!’ at him.” (And don’t get me started on the classless illogic of yelling “You suck!” at players who obviously don’t. If you’re going to taunt, at least come up with something original.) But many Met fans seem to take a special joy in razzing the truly talented rather than just sitting back and appreciating them. Thankfully, Monday night’s crowd was so lethargic, it couldn’t even muster the usually de rigueur “LAAAAA-RY! LAAAAA-RY!” for Chipper Jones (admittedly a bubble HOFer – discuss), merely some scattered boos. As my BIL pointed out, John Rocker deserved boos. Not Chipper Jones. Heck, the guy named his kid Shea! How many of you have named your offspring after a place where people hate you?
7. Ball Return:And speaking of Chipper, he homered into the left field seats – and some nimrod threw the ball back onto the field. First, this isn’t Wrigley Field. Second, you celebrate like you won the lottery if you merely successfully emerge from a foul ball scrum, but a home run ball hit by a HOF – or anyone, for that matter? Ah, who needs it. Third, an umpire or ball boy ends up retrieving the ball then tosses it to not so particular fans along the base line clamoring for it like baby birds when mommy bird comes back to the nest with a guileful of worms. Some rich kid in the field level seats gets a cool souvenir and you got…what (other than sore hands), the approbation of the jealous drunks around you who couldn’t/didn’t catch it who don’t want you to have it either? Grow a pair, disdain the peer pressure, and cherish your once-in-a-lifetime memento.
Three more Things/Hmmmm in a day or so.
16 comments
prismo
9/24/2009-12:07pm at 12:07 pm (UTC -4)
In my mind Chipper’s a lock for the HOF. He should get in easily.
What do you have against “LAAAAAAARY!”? It’s a timeless tradition – even Piazza got in on the fun!
darknova306
9/24/2009-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t like the booing of our own players, as we should be supportive even if they suck. (Note: the one player I’ve ever booed at a game was Victor Zambrano, but that was more directed at the reason he was here. He actually pitched a decent game but came away with a 3-0 loss to ATL)
On the other hand, what’s wrong with taunting an opposing player in a serious rivalry? I think the “LAAAARRRYYY” chants are out there BECAUSE he’s so good. We realize just how great he is, especially against us, so we ride him for it. I personally see nothing wrong with booing a player that does well against your team. It shows you’re paying attention (or following those that pay attention, I suppose).
Agreed on the ball returning. Gimme a break. It’s every kid’s dream to catch a homerun ball, there’s no reason to toss it back. We’re not Cubs fans here.
CaseStreet
9/24/2009-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
I have no problem w/ throwing back the ball, but throwing back a Larry-Ball is kind of dumb.
However, if Shane hits a cheap shot right over the LF corner, I’m aiming for his head.
dirtysanchez
9/24/2009-1:38pm at 1:38 pm (UTC -4)
hahaha…this looks like its going to be a very entertaining series. I have never caught a HR ball or any ball what so ever but idk about throwing the ball back. It depends on the person i think. As case said above, if its a shane or rollins shot…I would fire that sucker back to home plate. As far as larry…well the mets arent really feuding with the braves anymore and i may hate the guy but i respect him. I would probably sell it on ebay or something but i dont have a problem with people throwing balls back onto the field.
Agreed about the booing..never made sense to me.
trs86
9/24/2009-1:42pm at 1:42 pm (UTC -4)
Why limit it to balls? Can we throw other random items from the stands back on the field if we are unhappy. Man what a terrible hotdog. LOL.
DNDJohan aka kistics
9/24/2009-1:44pm at 1:44 pm (UTC -4)
Fire that sucker back to home plate? Wow you should play for the Mets LF next year with an arm like that.
DNDJohan aka kistics
9/24/2009-1:45pm at 1:45 pm (UTC -4)
But I agree that I would try to hit Vicky or JRoll with anything and everything I’ve got if I get a shot.
CaseStreet
9/24/2009-1:49pm at 1:49 pm (UTC -4)
With a decent arm, you can try to catch him rounding 2nd.
darknova306
9/24/2009-2:07pm at 2:07 pm (UTC -4)
If I caught a ball from Jones, I’d probably try to see if I could get an autograph on it. Other than that, I’d just keep it as a nice souvenier.
CaseStreet
9/24/2009-1:44pm at 1:44 pm (UTC -4)
re: booing, I’ll admit I’ve booed dumb ass plays. Would you not have booed all the baserunning errors or half-assing a pop fly that drops out of your glove?
I know it doesn’t set the right example, but shouldn’t the fans let these guys know that we expect them to play ball the right way?
DNDJohan aka kistics
9/24/2009-1:47pm at 1:47 pm (UTC -4)
I wouldn’t have a problem with the booing if it’s done to every player while cheering every player as well. But when it is targeted at specific individual on anything they do, I think it’s counter productive.
I give a lot of credit to Castillo for fighting it out like a man.
CaseStreet
9/24/2009-1:47pm at 1:47 pm (UTC -4)
Hmm, I wonder if Mets fans could pull off an end of year bon-fire. I’m sure there’s somethings we’d like to see go up in smoke along with the season.
fongy2
9/24/2009-2:50pm at 2:50 pm (UTC -4)
Bring a good book!
metsfan4decades
9/24/2009-3:32pm at 3:32 pm (UTC -4)
I can tell you that I wouldn’t throw any ball back if I was lucky enough to catch one.
As far as booing….I think this all depends. I’m sure I’d be booing Milton Bradley if I was a Cub fan. That head case has every excuse in the book why nothing is ever his fault. He doesn’t get the concept of if there was no fans, he wouldn’t have a job.
I have no problem with the Larry chant. As someone previously said, I can’t stand him but at the same time, I respect him. I don’t think he’s got any problems with the Larry chant.
I know though there is no way I would have booed Delgado at all first half of last season of Luis all of last season. What’s the point? They know they stink at the time. And no….I don’t think it’s god given right just b/c I paid for a ticket. Is this our team or what?
trs86
9/24/2009-3:43pm at 3:43 pm (UTC -4)
What bothered me more than any other time in Mets history was in 2007 when we started to collapse and instead of cheering our team on and trying to pull them into one more win…. We Booed. One of the saddest things in Mets history.
metsfan4decades
9/24/2009-4:15pm at 4:15 pm (UTC -4)
I couldn’t agree more.