David Wright: Citi Field Not “Suitable”
David Wright is always the diplomat; he will never let you know if something is bothering him. But he made a couple of comments that might show his true feelings about Citi Field.
Talking about a week in which his average dropped to .275 from .316, Wright told the New York Post, “The last week or so, I’ve really hit some balls hard. Whether it’s the wrong time of the year, the wrong part of the ballpark, whatever it’s been, it seems like I’ve had some good at-bats and hit some balls hard, but don’t have much to show for it.”
He added that better weather and leaving Citi Field could help.
“Hopefully, when the weather warms up and we stop getting these swirling winds and get on the road and get in some more suitable hitting ballparks, hopefully we’ll start seeing some results.”
So David Wright is suggesting that Citi Field is not a “suitable hitting ballpark.” That’s about as critical as Wright will get. He will never approach Jeff Francoeur’s level of frankness, who came right out and said “Citi Field is a damn joke.”
Citi Field is less of a damn joke after the Mets moved the fences in, but it is still a difficult place to hit. Curtis Granderson has hit several shots that would have been homers in a more “suitable” ballpark. So have David Wright and other players. It must be frustrating to hit a ball on the nose only to see it die on the warning track.
It is unlikely the Mets will move the fences yet again, so the offensive home offense will probably continue. The Mets have to hope and pray that the pitching remains spectacular. Otherwise, this will be a very long season indeed.
But thinking past this season, Citi Field’s dimensions will make it very difficult to lure power hitters to the team, if it hasn’t already. Why would any home run hitter want to follow Granderson and come to a place where it is hard to hit home runs?
Certainly good pitching beats good hitting, but the Mets will have to have some hitting to take the next great leap into contention. Right now they have nothing, and it could remain that way as long as Citi Field remains the same.
The only reason the Mets moved out of Shea was because of a lack of luxury boxes. Ditto the Yankees move to the “House that Greed built”. (Both built with partial tax payer subsidies.)
I am not saying that Shea was a palace. Far from the truth it had become quite dumpy. But it was “our” dump! If you want to see a game in a dump – go to Fenway. I get all the history and nostalgia but the place is cramped, smelly, dank and a mess. Tremendously hard to get in and out of via mass transit. Why was there no “nostalgia” surrounding Shea. When they tore it down it was the third oldest stadium in the national league – behind Wrigley and Dodger Stadium. It was structurally sound.
I miss the place. All it needed was a clean up. That apple looks so out of place at Citi-field. Maybe it is because the Mets have yet to win at Citi?
Shea was a “fair” park. No cheapies but it didn’t take away either. The Wilpons ode to “Freddie’s” childhood, IS a joke. High prices – most expensive hot dog in baseball – parking……
AND still no real aura of Mets history.
Sadly, we are stuck with $hiti Field and all its nonsensical Brooklyn Dodger crap but the least they could do is reduce the proportions to fit what other people are playing in so that our guys can start hitting again.
If there are too many weird winds coming in, erect a windscreen.
If the fences are still to far out, bring them in a little. I’m not saying make it a bandbox like Skankee Stadium. Just make the fences easier to reach.