Too late for me, though.

CitiField Catbird Seat. Night Owl's Eyeview.

(WPCNR wrote:)  However, if you’re in the decks, you are set way back starting well back of the field box level. Not good. This is done to accommodate sky boxes on the mezzaniene levels. If you compare the new ballparks ROK has built, the aim is to create more field level boxes (expensive seats) while stacking the upper decks high, slanted and back away from the foul lines.

When I bought my tickets (Caesar’s Club Gold) and (Promenade Club Gold) I truly believed I would be on top of the action. How wrong I was!! Unfortunately, I did not see your story until the day after my trip, but now am much wiser. I was quite angry when I arrived at the park.

 I drank the Kool-Aid the park’s idolaters have been spouting for months. I thought I was going to Ebbets Field, too. Ha Ha…(I was there once when I was a sprout).

Brooklyn's Ebbets Field from the Upper Deck.

Just thought I’d pass along a good word. I was the victim of the baseball equivalent of three-card monte.

John, I believe at Shea (Stadium), I was closer at a steeper angle. At Shea, I would sit in the loge reserve. I usually only purchased a single seat. (I go to the games buy myself – from Massachussetts , keep score in a real scorebook. (The programs are expensive and they don’t have enough room to write down all the necessary game data.) At Shea, because I was sitting by myself I usually got great seats. There is always a single seat in most sections.

Anyway, I was reading all the stories about how “intimate” CitiField was. I truly believe this characterization is nonsense. Maybe the price I paid for the tickets got me furious. You’re right. I am paying more for less. At Shea, for $38, I would sit in the loge reserved right near the plate. The CitiField equivalent is no longer affordable at any level.

At CitiField for Wednesday’s game I sat in Level 300 (Caesar’s Club) Section 311, Row 10 and Seat 20. Perhaps not a “bad” seat in an absolute sense, but I paid $150, including “fees” buying directly from Mets online. Photo By Mike Sereda

For  $150 I should be next to the dugout. My view of the scoreboard that has the lineups was cut off. To view the scoreboard completely, I had to leave my seat and walk down the rows. Based on my assumption, those fans, those fans seating farther down the line in the SAME level wouldn’t be able to see it at all. Photo by Mike Sereda

Thursday’s game, I had a seat in the first row of the Upper Deck. Level 400 Section 418, Row 1, Seat 8. $100, including “fees.” I was close to the plate, but high up. Again, the price did not seem fair. Photo by Mike Sereda

View out to Right,  Section 418 Upper Deck. Photo by Mike Sereda

I bought two regular hot dogs, a knish and a small soda, $16.00. Ouch. No one had any salt packets for the knish. There is no way on God’s Green Earth that I’m going to buy any of the designer food. I can’t even imagine those prices.

Parking: I am not cheap, just frugal. I don’t park at Shea/Citi. I drive from my Queens motel and park in the 12-hour municipal lot in Flushing for $4 then hop on the subway. There are all some sort of tricks in this. You can’t do it on a Saturday or a weekday game because all the commuters and shoppers take up the spots. It works great for night games. If I have to go to a Saturday game, I’ll take a NYC Transit bus to Main Street/7 Train (IRT).

The ballpark itself was OK. Good circulation, rest rooms large, enough toilets, clean.

The ads on ballpark sufaces were overwhelming. They are senses’ battering. The owners in the 50s and 60s and 70smade a conscious decision to get rid of ads because they were tacky. Fenway’s green monster had no ads. Now it’s plastered with them. The curren owners, forced by the economies caused by free agency, have put everything up for sale.

From my view on Wednesday and Thursday, there were a fair number of empty seats in those super expensive seats behind the plate on the field. Maybe rich folks don’t want to endure the cold of an April night.

In summary, I feel that I am already paying a premium to see my favorite team (live and in person) because I have to travel down from Massachusetts: four hours of driving one way, gas, tolls, motel room, food not at the ballpark like breakfast and lunch.

As I said to a friend, I’m changing the fan’s chant of “Let’s Go Mets” to the more appropriate “Stick ‘em Up.”

Furiously yours,

Michael  Sereda

Natick MA