Great Baseball Summer for Blogging Mets

It was a crummy baseball summer for the Mets, but it was a pretty good one for your pal here at Blogging Mets. I made it to five different ballparks this season, three of them new ones for me.

You can see the complete rundown of every stadium I’ve ever been to here (24 and counting, including the Tokyo Dome!), but here is a brief log of this year’s little ballpark tour:

It all began in June at U.S. Cellular Field. I coincided my visit to Chicago with a visit by the Mets, where I got to see Zack Wheeler’s second start. “The Cell,” as it is called, is much maligned, but I liked it a lot. I love wide open outfield concourses, and this stadium had a nice one. One problem was that at first, I was not allowed onto the lower level to access the concourse because I did not have a field level ticket. I had to basically hijack an elevator to get down there. The concourse should be open to all, not just those with the best seats.

I also realized that I prefer symmetrical stadiums. Whether it is my obsessive-compulsiveness or just that it is more visually appealing, but I like things to be even. I know that goes against current stadium design, but too bad!

Then it was onto New York, where I made it to the new Yankee Stadium just before the All-Star break. Gone are the dank, cramped corridors of the old place, replaced with pleasant places to walk and buy food. They also added a nice outfield concourse.

The playing field itself is exactly the same as the old park, but the stands are smaller and less imposing. Maybe it was the familiarity, but I was not impressed with the new Yankee Stadium.

Of course no trip to New York is complete without a visit to Citi Field. The Mets shut out the Phillies 5-0 on July 21, with Matt Harvey going seven innings.

This was my third trip to Citi Field, and the place continues to evolve into the home of the Mets. It is far less generic than it was during the inaugural season. I would still like to see a Mets logo on the top of the scoreboard, though.

The following Sunday I was down in D.C. and I had to watch while the Nationals destroyed the Mets 14-1.

Nationals Park is a pretty nice place. The outfield looks like a mish-mash of structures, but it does have a pretty cool two-level outfield concourse that contains an outdoor bar. That is a great idea — sit at a bar and see the field.

Finally, this week I made it to my first Dodgers game in four years. I picked a good one — Game 5 of the NLCS. Amazingly, I was able to score a ticket on StubHub on the morning of the game for $13. $13 for a playoff ticket! Rest assured, if the Mets ever make it back to the post-season, you will never, ever be able to get into the building for $13.

Dodger Stadium is gorgeous and is one of my favorites; after all, you can’t get more symmetrical than Dodger Stadium. Dodger Dogs are highly overrated and the parking lot is a nightmare, but a visit to Dodger Stadium is a must-see for every baseball fan.

So overall it was a pretty good baseball year for me. Next year — Pittsburgh? Minnesota?