Citi Field Renovation

Image per Mets.com
The news that was first reported on Mets Blog was confirmed today by the Mets. Several renovations/changes to Citi Field's outfield walls were detailed in a conference call.

First, the outfield dimensions were revealed. While not the completely symmetrical field that was rumored, the dimensions were shortened in several of the deepest areas.

Image per Mets.com

In the above rendering, you can see the difference. The left center "corner" was simply too deep and the 16 foot original wall was a further penalty. The new wall will be a uniform 8 feet all the way from right to left in 2012. Additionally, a new wall will be built in front of the 16 foot part in left.

In Right Field, the old 415 spot just right of center in front of the bullpens will be shortened to 398. In additon, the spot in front of the Modell's Zone seating was squared off and shortened.

Beyond the dimensions, all of the interior walls will be made blue. The old backing walls will remain the "soot" black color.

Image per Mets.com
The cool thing about the new interior walls is that it allowed the Mets to add new seats. This image seems to show a row of seats much like the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park. While I'm sure they will be expensive, they should give an interesting view of the game.

Image per Mets.com
Here is another view of the new left field seating.

Image per Mets.com
Finally, here's a view of how the Modell's Zone section will look. With new seats/tables on what used to be the warning track, the group sales section should be able to have its capacity expanded. Also it now features standing room on what used to be the warning track.

Overall, I think these are good moves. The talk of every ESPN/FOX national game that featured the Mets at home was on how difficult the ballpark was. That can't be good for attracting players and the hitters' confidence. The new dimensions do not make it a "hitter's paradise" though. Mets GM Sandy Alderson mentioned that the change should put Citi Field in the middle.

The change to blue walls is ok with me. The black walls were distinctive, but many Mets fans have been clamoring for blue for a while now. Its good to see the organization listening. (Now maybe they can listen for our calls to sign Reyes...)

You can see all of these images in a slideshow at Mets.com or on StadiumPage.com.

Citi Field Fences

As reported on Mets Blog, work on moving in the Citi Field fences has already begun.

Image per Mets Blog

As Sandy Alderson mentioned in during one of the final Mets broadcasts of 2011, the changes wouldn't be subtle. He wasn't kidding! It looks like Citi is going from one of the most radical/quirky outfields to a perfectly rounded one. I'm a bit mixed on this, but overall I think its a good move:

PROS:
- Some of the quirks seemed pointless from the beginning.
- The Mets hitters were obviously affected by the old dimensions. As Yogi Berra said, "99% of the game is half mental" If the hitters are more comfortable, they will play better.
- Maybe the Mets decide to go all out and replace the black fences with fan favorite blue fences.
- It should create some cool "on field" type seating in left field and right field.
- They may re-do the bullpens again. From many angles in the park, its hard to see who is warming in the 'pen.

CONS:
- To be blunt, (Dickey aside) the Mets' pitching stinks. This can only make it worse.
- I actually like the black fences.
- No more "overhang" in Right field. It was a bit contrived anyway.

I'll try to take a tour sometime in early 2012 to get some pictures before opening day and post them here and on StadiumPage.com.

Happy Opening Day!!

Opening Day Bunting at Shea Stadium in 2008

It's the best day of the baseball year. Enjoy all of the games. I'll be out at Citi Field. (My 11th consecutive Mets home opener. 13th straight opening day overall.) I'm hoping for a comeback year for the Mets.

No matter who you root for, its the one day everyone is in first place.

Be sure to check the blog and StadiumPage.com Monday evening for new Citi Field images.

Changes at Citi Field

Any reader of StadiumPage.com and this blog probably knows already, but the Mets have made many changes to Citi Field for 2010. I never had a problem with Citi as it was, but the minor addition of "Mets Stuff" is ok too. I was definitely disappointed that the museum wasn't there from the start. However, I suppose it was a huge task just to get the park game ready, so 1 year late isn't that bad.

Some of the bigger changes:
- New Mets Museum: As promised, the Mets constructed a new museum just off of the rotunda. Some readers have passed along photos and it looks great.

- McFadden's Restaurant: From what I've seen, it won't be ready for Opening Day, but there will be a new bar/restuarant in the building directly below the FanFest area.

- New Location for Old Apple: The old Apple has been moved from the spot behind the visitors bullpen to "Mets Plaza" outside of the rotunda.

- New Bullpen Configuration: Relievers from both teams will now be throwing toward the outfield wall.

- Lower Center Field Wall: This news was out since January, but the outfield wall will be a uniform eight feet from the Modell's Zone to Left Field.

- Bigger "Mets" Presence: This was a big complaint from day 1 by many. There are tons of new banners/pennants/etc inside and outside the park.

- Ebbets Club No More: The pricey Ebbets Club sections were renamed "Champions Club" one side being 1969 themed, the other 1986 themed.

- Greater Access to Clubs: If you have a ticket anywhere but Promenade IF or OF Reserved, there is at least one club you are eligible for.

- New Fanwalk Bricks: The new sections of bricks are now "Mets Moments" themed. My brick is actually in the Todd Pratt 1999 NLDS clincher section. (A game I was at!)

I'm sure there's some other stuff I'm missing. I'll be at the game on Monday taking tons of pictuers. Be sure to check StadiumPage.com and this blog on Monday evening for all the images.

Figural Row Ends - Volume 1 - NL East

"Figural Row Ends" (aka Figural Seats) are the logos that are cast on the end of a row at a ballpark. I'm sure they go unnoticed by most fans, but they're an interesting touch that really personalizes the ballpark. Sometimes they have the park's logo and sometimes the team's logo. While a lot of the multipurpose stadiums from the 60's and 70's did not have this feature, the tradition goes back to baseball's beginnings. They were seen in parks as far back as Cincinnati's Crosley Field and New York's Polo Grounds.

In this blog entry, I'll go through the figural row ends of the National League East.


Citizens Bank Park

Starting with the three-time defending champs of the NL East, the Citizens Bank Park row ends feature the team's logo. With the ballpark's large neon liberty bell that rings for home runs, it was natural for the Phillies to use the liberty bell logo on the seat ends. Along with the bell is the Phillies script logo.


Citi Field

The NL East's newest ballpark, Citi Field, features two different row ends. The two logos alternate from row to row. One row has the Mets logo and the next has the Citi Field logo. Unlike most of the row ends in the league, Citi Field's are actually just a blank circle on the iron with a big sticker on it. While it seems cheap, its probably a good idea to have replacable logos when your naming sponsor is basically under government control.


Turner Field

The row ends at Turner Field in Atlanta are very interesting. The red script Braves logo catches the eye, but behind it seems to be a silhouette of the great Hank Aaron in a home run swing. Behind Hammerin' Hank is the outline of a baseball field. Its all cast in iron right on the row end.


Nationals Ballpark

Nationals Ballpark keeps it pretty simple. A simple version of the Nationals' "Curly W" logo is cast onto the side of the seat post.


SunLife Stadium

At SunLife Stadium (formerly Dolphin Stadium and Landshark Stadium), the row ends feature the logo not of the stadium or the Marlins, but the logo of Marlins current landlord the Miami Dolphins. With the Marlins slated to open their new park in 2012 this will change.

Check out these and many other images at StadiumPage.com.

Dedication Plaques - Volume 1 - Shea Stadium

One thing I always try to find whenever I visit a ballpark is the park's dedication plaque. Most ballparks have them, but they're sometimes difficult to find.

Shea Stadium's plaque was located near the Gate E ticket window. Like all dedication plaques, Shea's shows its full proper name (William A. Shea Municipal Stadium). In addition, the plaque highlights the civic leaders of the time starting with the NYC mayor, comptroller, etc. Also listed was Robert Moses. While he played a large role in the Dodgers and Giants leaving New York in 1957, he was also the main proponent of the placement a ballpark in Queens. The site was actually offered to the Dodgers, but they declined and moved to Los Angeles.

Also listed on the plaque is Shea Stadium's Engineer/Architect Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury. PKG was involved in the design of other ballparks such as Dodger Stadium and the 1970's renovation of Yankee Stadium.

Finally, the most important item listed on the plaque is the year of dedication, 1964. These plaques are often overlooked, but they're something I always look for when visiting a park for the first time.

Ballpark Wall Colors - Keep The Black!

Like with ballpark seat colors, green is by far the color of choice in major league ballparks. More than two-thirds of the 30 major league ballparks have green walls.



Twenty One MLB parks have green walls: Angel Stadium, Fenway Park, Rangers Ballpark, Target Field, Comerica Park, Safeco Field, Tropicana Field, U.S. Cellular Field, Kauffman Stadium, Progressive Field, Oriole Park, Citizens Bank Park, Coors Field, Busch Stadium, AT&T Park, Great American Ballpark, Minute Maid Park, Chase Field, PNC Park and Nationals Park.



Blue walls are the second-most used in MLB. Unlike green though, there is actually variety of shades of blue in use. Yankee Stadium has uses a navy blue color. Turner Field, Rogers Centre, and Miller Park have more of a royal blue color. Dodger Stadium seems to have almost a powder blue color. The walls at Petco Park in San Diego are a very very dark blue. (***I'm not 100% sure of this, it is possible that they are black.)



Citi Field is the lone ballpark in the majors with black walls. While many Mets fans feel they should revert to the royal blue color that was used at Shea Stadium, I find the black walls to be striking and unique. Whenever you see the black walls in a highlight package, you instantly know what park it is. In a league where 90% of the ballparks use green or blue walls this exception is refreshing. While I think the Mets should wear their traditional blue caps more (especially with the road uniforms), I hope the black walls stay for a long time.



In my opinion one of the best traditions in sports is the brick walls covered in ivy at Wrigley Field. While they're somewhat unsafe for outfielders early in the year before the ivy grows in, its a unique feature of the second oldest park in the majors.



Finally, we have the teal walls of Sun Life Stadium. While the Marlins don't use much teal in their uniforms anymore, they have chosen to keep the teal walls throughout their stay at this multi-named multipurpose stadium. Looking at the first renderings of their new retractable-dome that will open in 2012, the Marlins seem to be ready to join the green wall majority in a few years.

Shea's Last Day

Today marks one year since the last sections of Shea Stadium were demolished. The final part of the demolition was captured in the photos above by Gary Dunaier. You can see more photos from February 18, 2009 on StadiumPage.com. Also, be sure to check out Gary's countless volumes of New York ballpark photos at Flickr.

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 1 - Mets Dome

Back in 1998, before Citi Field's current design was finalized, the Mets plans were to have a ballpark with a retractable roof. The picture above is a later version of the dome plan. This one is more modern with more glass and steel.



This is the original model from 1998. There are many similarities to Citi Field's final design: Ebbets inspired brick arches; rotunda behind home plate; and overhang in right field.



The big difference is the presence of the retractable dome. Since we only get a few rainouts a year in New York, it wasn't entirely necessary. While it would be nice not to have the threat of a delay or rainout, the bad affect on the turf and the "indoor" feeling wouldn't be good.



The big advancement with this design was the retractable field. If you look at Minute Maid field, they seem to have problems keeping the grass green at times. The Mets answer to this was a field that rolled out into the parking lot. This way the field got the light it needed and also was protected from non-baseball events. (basketball, trade shows, concerts etc.)



As it took the Mets almost ten years to get "shovels in the ground" on the project, things changed. The roof was nixed due to cost issues. Without the roof, the rolling field was more or less unnecessary. Although the rolling field concept seems strange, the Arizona Cardinals actually implemented the same concept in their new University of Phoenix Stadium.

You can see more images of the Mets Dome concept at StadiumPage.com.

Stadium Remains - Part Two - Shea Stadium

By popular demand, here is a profile of Shea Stadium's "remains". As Citi Field was built in Shea Stadium's parking lot, Shea Stadium's remains are in Citi's parking lot. In the picture above, taken from the last row of Citi Field's Promenade, you can see the plate, all three bases and the pitcher's mound. Home plate is at the top. The parking lot was set up quite well and no cars park directly over any of the markers. They're quite easy to find and you can see dozens of fans checking them out and posing for pictures before every game. The markers are quite nice, made what seems to be a solid brass material. Each has one of the neon figures that used to adorn the bright blue Shea facade.



Here is home plate. This is the exact spot where Ray Knight triumphantly leapt onto to score the winning run in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.



Here is the marker for the pitcher's mound. Yes, the official term in the baseball rulebook is "pitcher's plate".



Just to the south is the first base marker.



Ninety feet away is the marker for second base.



And finally, here's third base.

This is the second of an ongoing series. You can see these and thousands of other photos of current and former ballparks at StadiumPage.com.

Citi Field CF Wall - Mockup

As I mentioned yesterday, the Mets are changing the Citi Field center field wall for 2010. From the descriptions in the articles, I think this is what it will look like. I don't think it was done to get more home runs, more just to make the wall fairer. Really, the only point of having the wall jump to 16 feet in dead center field was to create a batter's eye to block the apple. No reason to have the HR line that high.

I don't recall too many balls hitting the wall that far out in 2009, so I don't think it will affect play much in 2010.

Citi Field CF Wall

The Mets confirmed that the Center Field wall at Citi Field will be lowered to a uniform eight feet per a story on Mets.com.

My assumption is that this means that the length of fence from just to the RF side of the apple out to the bullpen chain-link fence will be eight feet high all the way across. Above the 8 feet of padding will still be 4-8 feet of concrete wall. (4 feet everywhere but the area in front of the apple which juts up another 4 feet) Hopefuly there will be some contrast in color or there will be many replay delays and confused umpires in 2010.

Ballpark Logos

One great thing about baseball and sports in general is the logos. Many people don't realize, but just about every MLB park has its own logo. The teams use them for ballpark signs and promotional efforts. The logos end up being a key part of StadiumPage.com in that they act as the link to each park's photos. Here are a few of my favorite ballpark logos


While incorporating the sponsor's logo, it still conveys the fact that its the sign for a ballpark. Simple but effective.


This one is nice because although it is a naming rights deal, if you weren't aware of the Safeco brand, you may not realize. Also it incorporates the Mariners' compass logo, which is one of the best in the game.


This is more of an anniversary logo, but I still consider it a ballpark logo. I like how it incorporates the old look of Shea from 1964 through the early 80's on the left side along with the 1980's forward blue/neon look.


One of the few ballpark logos that actually has an image of the park in it. I think its also supposed to look like a political campaign button which is appropriate to Washington DC.


This is a rarely seen alternate version of the Citizens Bank Park logo. It incorporates the signature Neon Liberty Bell from Right Field along with the field's shape. Simple and effective. The Phillies should use this version more.


Like Miller Park, this one is able to incorporate the sponsor's logo with the club's. The growling tiger along with the bats and the ballpark's signature steel arches are all present. A nice way to sum up an underrated ballpark.


Its too bad that the original Yankee Stadium gates were lost in the 1970's renovation. The designer did a nice job pulling them into this final season logo. Great logo for one of the classic parks.

That's just some of my favorites. You can see more on StadiumPage.com .

A year ago...

Its been just about a year since Shea Stadium entered the final stages of demolition. The photo above is from February 7, 2009. By this point, only about 1/3 of the "horseshoe" was still standing with nearly all of the concrete seating plank demolished. Basically all that was left was the structural steel.

It was definitely an interesting time. StadiumPage.com was churning incredible traffic numbers which caused the site to completely shut down for days at a time due to fans looking to see the latest phases of demolition. We were getting linked to and mentioned all over the press including the NY Times and Daily News. Pretty amazing for a little site that I run by myself.

Anyway, that was a year ago. Just 14 days until Spring Training and 2 months to Opening Day 2010!!