Citi Field Tour 2018
Published 8-21-2021
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Hello readers. This is Ryan Casey, and welcome to Citi Field Tour 2018! Throughout my previous trip reports, I often mentioned baseball teams and the cities they play in. Over the years, I’ve seen live games in a lot of baseball stadiums in the United States. Then-AT&T Park, now Oracle Park, Busch Stadium, Chase Field, Citizens Bank Park, Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Orioles Park at Camden Yards, Petco Park, PNC Park, Safeco Field (Now T-Mobile Field), and Wrigley Field. With a visit to Toronto, Canada’s Rogers Centre, formerly known as the Skydome, and both the old and new Yankee Stadiums in the Bronx. But no other baseball stadiums bring memories back more than Shea Stadium, and Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, New York, home of the New York Mets. There are many ways to get to Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, New York. Firstly, by car, be it from Long Island, Staten Island, or the Bronx and Manhattan. Secondly, by boat from New Jersey, on a special NY Waterways Ferry Boat service on select game days. But the most interesting way to get there is by none other than, the 7 train.
Memories of riding the 7 Train in the mid-2000s.
Every summer, except for 2020, many New York Mets fans living in New York City make their journey to the home games on the 7 train. The famous Redbird Cars once ran on this line. But by the time I first took the 7 train in July 2005, they were gone. However, there was still plenty of interesting railroading and urban folklore to be found. Departing Hunters Point Avenue, the train emerges from the tunnel, and becomes an elevated line. Between Hunters Point Avenue and Queensboro Plaza, Sunnyside Yard could be seen as well as a graffitied building called 5 Pointz. The 5 Pointz building was once an old factory, built in 1882. In the 1980s, 5 Pointz became a graffiti artist’s (legal) mecca, and featured celebrities as well as notable Nintendo Characters. Unfortunately, in 2014 and without warning, the building was torn down to make room for luxury condos. But the memories still live on for those who rode the 7 train in those times. During that first trip in 2005, several Mets fans thought I looked like David Wright, who at the time was a rookie, and becoming popular. Continuing east to the Mets-Willets Point Station, the Corona Subway yard and bus depot are in close proximity to the World’s Fair and Citi Field.
Tour of Citi Field 2018
The ultimate experience for any New York Mets fan is to be able to go behind the scenes at an affordable price. These stadium tours are hard to find, easy to lose, and harder to find again. After visiting Safeco Field earlier in 2018, mentioned in my Empire Builder 2018 story, we decided one day to take one of those hard to find tours of Citi Field. The Mets were out of town, and were not in playoff contention that year. Twelve and a half years before this, I was still barely young enough to be able to run the bases, and get close to the field at the old Shea Stadium. But I’ve never been close to the field at Citi Field. So this was going to be a great opportunity to experience that. But unfortunately, there was no base running this time. On July 1st, 2018, we drove out to Citi Field to take that tour.
We began our tour on the third base side of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, and checked in. First stop was the interior of the actual Jackie Robinson Rotunda. When the Mets are out of town, they never clean the floors inside of the Rotunda. But nonetheless, it was nice to not have all the people around for once. Then we ascended up the escalators to the first base corridor. Ever wonder how the screens, graphics, announcements, and ever-so-loud music are controlled? On big expensive equipment, yes. But one thing that most visitors overlook on game days, is that the control room is actually situated along the first base corridor! What’s astonishing was that it was all located inside one office-like room! Only the most die-hard Mets fans know about it, and on game-days, they have to put up a barricade to keep them at bay. We were lucky to be able to get close to the window. Inside, there were screens showing graphics, and a few soundboards. All of which were computer controlled, and still used Windows XP to operate. It was the late 2010-teens, and by this time, most people switched over to Macs. Citi Field has yet to do the same.
Our next stop was the second floor or Excelsior Level, and Foxwoods Club Lounge. For an extra price, Mets fans can pause to get a bite to eat, and enjoy panoramic views of Flushing, Queens. On the south and east side, one can see the Mets-Willets Point 7 train station, the World’s Fair sites, a Rocket Park, and the Arthur Ashe Tennis Stadium, where the US Open is held every year. Only being canceled twice in the past 76 years by World War II from 1941-1945, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. On the west and north side, one can see the skyline of Manhattan with the 1 World Trade Center, Empire State Building, and the Chrysler Building all in view. Between Lots B and D, the infield bases of the Old Shea Stadium were incorporated into the pavement. It’s rare to see the area without the cars, and hard to believe that this was the very place where the Mets won two World Series. Back in 1969 and 1986, crowds went wild, and stormed the field whenever the Mets won a playoff game. Some even taking pieces of soil for a souvenir! That wouldn’t happen in today’s world.
Next was a visit to one of the Suites, where groups of fans can spend the day with unlimited food. Then there were the Press Boxes, where newspaper journalists, and sports writers alike all take numbers and statistics from each game as they are being played. Each part of the desk space has a number, and just a small chair for the writers to sit on. Not very comfortable, is it? Continuing on, we then passed through the hallway where the Mets yearbook, and group photos of times gone by were all hanging. Soon we reached the Delta 360 SkyClub, the fanciest club in all of Citi Field. It’s here where celebrities such as Ray Romano, Billy Joel, and Kevin James, who are also Mets fans, occasionally come to. The seats for this club are located directly behind home plate, and unlike some places, most working class Mets fans can’t afford them. This is socio-economic discrimination at its worst. With the magic of our stadium tour however, we got to see and walk by them in person without paying an exorbitant amount of money.
Add to this, we went straight down to the Warning Track behind home plate! We were forbidden from even touching or stepping on the grass here. We knew not to step on the field back in Seattle, but the Mets Security Staff made it more explicitly clear. At the Mets home dugout, the MLB Authenticator and Field Reporters’ chairs were there. Inside, there are three phones. One calling the Bullpen, where relieving pitchers warm up, one for the Press Box, and one for the Video Replay. When an unfair play is challenged, such as a missed “out” call on first base, officials in an MLB building in Chelsea, Manhattan review them, and can be contacted directly from this dugout. On the air, most TV stations will say that the challenged plays are being reviewed in New York. But on SNY, Sportsnet New York, the announcers will mention that challenged plays are being “Reviewed in Chelsea”. This is unique among Mets fans, and whenever Mets fans start talking about challenged plays, you’ll never hear them say, the play is being “Reviewed in New York”. They correct themselves to say that it has to be “Reviewed in Chelsea”, whether the call stands or not.
Departing the dugout, we then entered the stadium’s underground corridor area. With access to the bullpen, and visiting clubhouses. Continuing west from the bullpen, we then encountered the Mets’ Clubhouse, and were only allowed to take pictures of the door. This clubhouse is like the players’ home, and the current agreement allows no media in here, except for significant games or moments. Inside, there was a mailbox, the locker room, a cafeteria, and even a gym with bench presses and weights. Those baseball players know no off-season, and train hard year round. The walls and carpeting in the cafeteria had designs of all the years the Mets went to the playoffs printed on them. Several wall prints of Mets legends were also adorn in the clubhouse hallway. Leaving the Mets Clubhouse, we then ventured out to the room where the press conferences after each home game take place. Believe it or not, the microphone actually worked, and one could talk into it!
For the final segment of the tour, we then stopped by the Mets Hall of Fame. The trophies of the 1969 and 1986 World Series were sitting proudly on display. There were also Jerseys from past Mets legends, and more recently, the 2015 Postseason and World Series on display here, too. Pieces of champaign bottles from the celebrations also made it to the display cases! It’s not just the players who are important, so are the mascots, Mr. and Mrs. Met, the oldest live-action mascots in baseball. Mr. Met is more well-known, and his influence even went international. At the 2000 Opening Day game in Tokyo, Japan, Mr Met was the first MLB mascot to entertain fans outside the United States. More importantly, all this is now accessible to all ticketed Mets fans. In Shea Stadium, this memorabilia was only accessible via the Diamond club, to the rich and privileged few. Stepping outside, the tour was over. But we decided to see one more thing before we left. The Mets Home Run Apple, that was once used in the old Shea Stadium. Originally introduced in 1980 to improve the atmosphere at Mets Games during the Bad Old Days, this apple used to say “Mets Magic”. But was changed to “Home Run” later on. Every time the Mets hit a home run, this apple would rise, and it did up until the final days of Shea Stadium in 2008. That tradition continues today with a new home run apple in Citi Field, which is much bigger and taller. It’s hopeful that this prop will continue to entertain fans for a long time to come.
Thanks for reading!
Coming soon, Pittsburgh Line Adventures 2001-2015, Strasburg and Lancaster: Retrospective, and more.
To catch up on my previous post, click here:https://empireofrails.com/index.php/2021/07/28/travel-stories-memoir-acela-trips-revolutionary-proportions/
To learn more about the New York Mets and how to book tickets, click here:https://www.mlb.com/mets
End of Report
Disclaimer: Empire Of Rails is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, the New York Mets, or Sportsnet New York. This text is for informational and journalistic purposes only, and no profit was made from this trip report.
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Upstate New York 2021 - Empire Of Rails - Road Trips · October 12, 2021 at 6:35 pm
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