So far this year I’ve been to two Citi Field games. It was neither the first nor the last game of the initial homestand, so they lost both. Outscored 15-5. I sort of saw the lone Mets home run on the homestand by Yeonis Cespedes—I mean sort of because, having stumbled into the Promenade Club during Sunday’s frigid game (in the shade) against Philly, I could only see the tops of the outfielders, but I heard the cheer and picked up the crowd welcoming the ball into the stands. For one home run in 52 innings of swinging (and missing), I’m counting it. Unfortunately, I had much better sightings of Odubel Herrera, Giancarlo Stanton, Marcel Ozuna’s home runs—the latter two seen from my first visit to the Party City Deck Monday night. If they are going to name the stadium Citi Field, how about Party Citi Deck? Doesn’t matter, as they informed us it was now the M&M deck, but of all the stuff they “gave us” (after charging us $115 for all you can eat and drink) we did not get a single M&M.
All right, I am already rambling and I’m still just trying to lay the story straight on last year. The postseason threw off my ritual annual postings so I didn’t know when to do them. So how about just in time for tax day?
Favorite Nonplaying Met: Juan Uribe. I sure do miss the guy’s bat and smile. Even in the World Series, he got up just once and singled in a run—compared to three K-ABs by totally done Michael Cuddyer in Kansas City. We’ve never had a FNP Met who came midseason from another team and spent just a couple of months on the Mets roster, but he was the only guy I wanted to see play more. Though Kirk Nieuwenhuis had a chance to go back-to-back FNPs, like Nick Evans before him (2009-10). Uribe played plenty until David Wright came back and then Juan got hurt and couldn’t play again until the World Series. Still, this coveted prize will look great in an Extended Stay America suite somewhere near Cleveland. We’re thinking about you, Juan, and there’s that rendezvous at Flo Field in Cleveland!
OK, what’s next? Mets final grades. To quote newlywed Flap from Terms of Endearment, who he had more pressing concerns than giving out grades on English papers: “Oh, I’ll just give ’em all B’s.” Rarely have I ever been prouder to be a Mets fan than I was last fall. That’s better than any letter grade I can come up with.
And finally, there is the log of games at Citi Field, which I do annually so I never have to say I think I’ve been to so and so many games at the park. And for the first time since this began in 2009, I have postseason games to include. Come back a few months with me. It is magic from first to (almost) last pitch.
Captain’s Log 2015 Citi Field
| Date | Foe, Result | Mets Rec, Pos | MS Rec | Win | Loss | Save | HRs /by NYM | Who hit the HRs | Note |
| 13-Ap | Phi, 2-0 W | 4-3, 2nd | 1-0 | deGrom | Harang | Familia | 0 | Only thing more perfect than Opening Day at the park was start of perfect 10-0 homestand. | |
| 15-Jun | Tor, 4-3 W | 35-30, 1st | 2-0 | Robles | Cecil | 2 | Bautista 2 | Most years this is signature win, but in ’15… Syndergaard superb, 2 Bautista bombs, Duda RBI in 11th ties, and then a Wilmer walkoff hit! | |
| 24-July | LA, 7-2 L | 49-48, 1st | 2-1 | Thomas | Niese | 3 | Turner, Puig, Rollins | Conforto debut, night of Uribe & Johnson deal, and Niese missed birth to get torched by LA. Mets 2nd, 1 game over .500, and all changed. | |
| 28-Aug | Bos, 6-4 L | 71-57, 1st | 2-2 | Layne | C. Torres | Breslow | 3 | Ortiz, Bradley, Swihart | 1st place Mets kept coming back on Sox, but another great Harvey start with no decision. Scoreless Eric O’Flaherty appearance! |
| 2-Sep | Phi, 9-4 W | 74-59, 1st | 3-2 | Harvey | Nola | 4/3 | Tejada, Conforto, Cespedes, Sweeney | Finally saw a Mets HR–3, actually! And Tejada inside-the-park job! Plus Conforto and Cespedes! And Mets got win for Harvey…just before innings gate and the big series in DC. | |
| 4-Oct. | Was, 1-0 W | 90-72, W | 4-2 | Clippard | Treinen | Familia | 1/1 | Granderson | Worried this’d be for the marbles. Mets no-hit previous night. So what? Granderson HR! |
| 12-Oct | LA, 13-7 W | NLDS, 2-1 | 5-2 | Harvey | Anderson | 4/2 | d’Arnaud, Cespedes, Gonzalez, Kendrick | First postseason game at Citi. Heard ovation for Tejada a mile away–where we had to park! Mets down 3-0 and then…Ka-Boom! 10 unanswered runs! One NLDS game not duel. | |
| 17-Oct | Chi, 4-2 W | NLCS, 1-0 | 6-2 | Harvey | Lester | Familia | 3/2 | Murphy, d’Arnaud, Schwarber | 1973 World Series level frigid but electric at top of Citi. d’Arnaud off apple, Shawarber off Unisphere, Murph HR and nice play to end. |
| 30-Oct | KC, 9-3 W | WS, 1-2 | 7-2 | Syndergaard | Ventura | 2/2 | Wright, Granderson | Pregame atmosphere worthy of World Series. Standing room only and my spine tingles thinking of Wright’s HR–and Syndergaard! | |
| 29-Sep | KC, 7-2 L | WS, 1-4 | 7-3 | Hochevar | Reed | 1/1 | Granderson | Should have quit while I was ahead. Spent last half inning in last go round for Pepsi Porch. | |
| 2015 | Harvey 3 | Familia 2 | 23/11 | Grand 3, d’arnaud 2, Cespedes 2 | Like everything else in 2015, the HRs came on late. As did the wins. | ||||
| Since ’09 opening | 280-287 | 46-38 | Dickey & Santana 4 | Pelfrey 3 | K-Rod 7 | 126/68 | Wright 8 | Counting postseason, Mets are 284-290 at Citi. A winning record at the place isn’t far fetched. |