The Mets are limping to the end of their fifth consecutive losing season. I’m not sure what’s harder to believe – that Citi Field is five years old already, or that the Mets have never enjoyed success there. Hopefully the Wilpon family finances and the Mets’ talent will change things next year, though I have to admit I have doubts.
I still have plans to go to somewhere between two and five more baseball games before the calendar page turns, but it feels like the season is just about over for me, too.
This year, I went to the ballpark 30 times and saw 27 games.
There were 3 extra inning affairs, including the June 8th 20-inning game between the Mets and Marlins, the longest one I’ve ever watched in person. (it actually felt like I saw more extra inning games, perhaps due to the length of two of them. Besides the 20 inning game, I was also at the 15 inning July 4th game between the Mets and Diamondbacks and a 10 inning one between the Trenton Thunder and the Portland Sea Dogs.)
There were two rainouts (both at Yankee Stadium) and one rain delay (at Citi Field).
And there was one game that started in April and ended in July. (I was only able to catch the last 7 innings of that one.)
Here’s my record at the different ballparks I visited in 2013:
- Citi Field – the Mets are 3-6; the USA Futures Team was 1-0
- TD Bank Park – the Somerset Patriots are 4-2
- Arm & Hammer Park – the Trenton Thunder were 3-1
- Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium – the Newark Bears were 0-2
- Yankee Stadium – the Yankees are 1-0
- Coca-Cola Park – the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs were 1-0
- First Energy Stadium – the Reading Fightin Phils were 1-0
- Metro Bank Park – the Harrisburg Senators were 0-1
- First Energy Park – the Lakewood BlueClaws were 1-0
Coolest giveaway item: a baseball card set featuring the Trenton Thunder’s All-Time Team.
Most random giveaway item: a Jay Horowitz bobblehead.
Best food (that I ate): pulled pork sandwich at First Energy Park
Ballpark I wish was close enough to visit regularly: Harrisburg’s Metro Bank Park
How many games & ballparks did you get to go to this season? What were your highlights?
PaulHadsall.com 
Paul,
Went to two games all year (three if you count the Saturday twin bill against the Marlins–and, even then, we only stayed until the no-hitter was gone for both sides in the second game as sitting through two games I find to be tedious). The Mets DH, as mentioned, was number one. And, when an umpiring buddy of mine (and who umped my son’s games and taught middle school math to my daughter a number of years ago) mentioned he was going out to Yogi Berra to watch the umpires and I asked if he wouldn’t mind company, I went to see the Jackals, of whom I have no interest, though I would if I were working for them.
Best food? Pat LaFrieda’s steak sandwich at Citi Field. Though I wish he used regular yellow onions instead of the sweet Vidalia ones.
Ballpark I wish were closer: PNC in Pittsburgh. The place is stunning. Tell you what, though… Citi Field is mighty impressive and the people who work there seem very nice. From the parking lot attendant to the ticket takers to people who sort of greet you and send you in the right direction to your seats–all were polite, welcomed us and hoped we (my son and I) enjoyed the game. Unfortunately (for them), given the amount of people who were there for the first pitch of the second game (about 4,000, in my estimation), they could have greeted everyone personally and gotten to know their names.
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I just couldn’t convince myself to go to the doubleheader Saturday. Maybe if it had been Dillon Gee or Jonathon Niese (or even Aaron Harang) pitching instead Daisuke “Four Hour Game” Matsuzaka… but probably not. I haven’t seen the Mets win a game at Citi since April and it’s going to take Mike Piazza to get me back out there this year.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Pat LaFrieda steak sandwich, but I have not tried it.
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Hi Paul,
I attended games this year with my son or entire brood at some of the usual regional stadia: Citi Field, Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.
I also was able to get to games at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, just two days ago; Richmond County Ballpark in Staten Island; and Campbell’s Field in Camden. The last two, I haven’t visited in about 4-5 years. Planned, but never made a 2013 return trip to Coney Island to see the Cyclones.
The treat this past summer was seeing the Erie Seawolves at Bowie Baysox in Maryland for the 1st time ever. Prince George’s County Stadium is similar to Trenton’s, but in a slightly more secluded setting. I unexpectedly saw, and got an autograph from, former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson. He’s now the minor league roving pitching coordinator for the Orioles.
Did you see a night game at Harrisburg? If so, were you blinded by the zillions of mayflies everywhere? That happened to me years ago during my visit.
With both the Phils and Mets struggling, I’m hoping to see cheap tickets at StubHub for Citizens’ Bank Park this Sunday. Maybe I’ll get there this weekend.
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Nice catch with Rick Peterson. I saw him in Trenton last year, but I didn’t have anything appropriate to get signed so I didn’t ask.
I went to a 1 p.m. game in Harrisburg, and fortunately there were no blinding swarms of bugs. My friends and I got to sit in the front row behind home plate & saw Noah Syndergaard pitch for the Binghamton Mets. (Talk about good luck)
I had hoped to get to Brooklyn this year and actually made plans twice only to end up cancelling them. I also had the opportunity to go to Camden, but I just wasn’t able to do it.
Hopefully Philadelphia works out for you this weekend & you get to see a good game.
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I didn’t get to nearly as many as I had hoped. I had grand ambitions of seeing at least one new ballpark a month. In the end, I only made it to Scranton/WB in April (great renovations, but a cold night!) and the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, in June. Quite impressive, that one. It’s a lot like Coca-Cola Park in Allentown with a little First Energy Park in Lakewood mixed in (and Allentown, with the same owners as Lakewood, drew some of its characteristics from Lakewood) — 360-degree concourse, big food court area in LF, sloped grass seating all around the OF. Also a pool in LF — it’s Texas, it was hot!
Locally, I got to Lakewood (twice, and happened to win jerseys worn by players that evening both times) and Staten Island. That’s it. I don’t remember the last time I missed a game in Trenton in a season. And though Yogi Berra is 10 minutes from my house and I like to get there at least once a year, I just never made it.
Even Citi Field, where I had a string of at least 10 games a year broken last year (I only made it to nine), I’ve only been to four times: Opening Day, an 11-2 Pirates win in May, a 13-2 Nationals win in June and the Futures Game. I think Mike Piazza’s HOF induction will be the only other one I get to. It’s been a busy and fun summer in other ways, but I’m now lamenting that I won’t make it back to a ballpark, other than the 29th, until March/April.
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It may have been a less ambitious list than you had planned, but it doesn’t seem like a bad one.
I should see 10 Mets games this year, but I’m planning to cut back on that number in 2014 – Opening Day and Banner Day are worth the trip for the pre-game festivities, and they will probably manage one or two interesting promotions along the way. But I find that I enjoy the games on tv more the trip to & from the ballpark.
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