There were 41,007 pairs of eyes, many of them new, witnessing Citi Field on Monday, April 13, and most were clearly entranced. Before the game, passages to the food court area behind center field were jammed on both sides; landmarks like the old Home Run Apple and the big blue “42” were as mobbed as a European tourist attraction.
The biggest treat awaiting those in attendance was the pre-game ritual, which saw Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza link the Mets’ past to, well, the Mets’ recent past, in a ceremonial first pitch that actually crossed the strike zone.
The pair’s heralded entrance was reminiscent of their closing-ceremony exit following the final game at Shea Stadium. They were greeted warmly by the audience, though those cheers quickly faded into quiet flashbulbs as witnesses grew preoccupied with their point-and-shoot cameras. Outright boos were reserved for the introduction of San Diego Padres (and former Mets) Heath Bell and Duaner Sanchez; teammate Cliff Floyd, meanwhile, is still enormously popular.
And what about that crowd? It’s hard to pinpoint the difference between the sound at Shea and the sound at Citi Field, but a difference there was — perhaps because the Mets succeeded at making the new park more “intimate,” perhaps because the demographic of Opening Game attendees is slightly different from the folks who show up day-in and day-out.
There was a sizable celebrity presence, for instance. Tim Robbins, Donald Trump, and Queens borough president Helen Marshall were part of the crowd; Mayor Michael Bloomberg and police commissioner Ray Kelly patrolled the best seats in the house. Bloomberg, who stayed for the duration, had a wonderful time: Not only was he the only introduced politician whom the crowd cheered for, but he also caught a foul ball on a rebound and tossed it to another fan, earning himself further vocal praise. (He did laugh at the boos a few of his compatriots received.)
As for the Mets’ own celebrities, they offered nothing but admiration for the new stadium.
“I thought the dirt was beautiful, and I’m not being facetious,” Seaver said.
“Just the field itself is beautiful,” John Franco said. “The stands being closer to the field [is] pretty nice. I think the fans and the players are going to enjoy it.”
Former Mets greats Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry were also in attendance.
Finally, there were the fans, who, generally speaking, were similarly pleased. Kate and Terry McCabe of Chatham, New Jersey, were at Citi Field for the first time. They both loved it.
“At Shea, if you were in the first few rows of the upper deck, there would constantly be people walking in front of you,” Terry said. “Outstanding” and “beautiful” were among the words the couple, who for years have traveled cross-country to watch the Mets play, used to describe the new park.
Bobby Gillis of Long Beach, who has already been to Citi Field three times, was an exception. Lamenting a lack of blue and orange, he pointed out that the park “doesn’t even look like it’s a Mets field.”
