Game day

So guess where we were on Sunday?

Here's a hint:

Yes, yes, we were....

Yeah, that's Citi Field.  Ersatz Shea is finally starting to feel like home.

The weather sunday afternoon:

 

 

Can you believe that?  On September 24? 

So it was an afternoon over overpriced hot dogs, overpriced burgers and fries, giveaways, song singalongs...and a little baseball.

 

 

We always drive to Citi Field, and park in a lot across the street from the ballpark.  the police won't let you walk across Roosevelt Avenue, you have to go up to the el -- the elevated train -- to get across. 

 

 

 

Sunday was part of "fan appreciation weekend", so there was a lot going on outside the ballpark. McDonald's was giving away t-shirts, someoneelse was giving away Mets tote bags, children could make use of the bounce house, stuff like that.

 

The main entrance to the ball park:

 

 

 

(Yes, that's my  thumb in the picture...)

 

 

 

And the Home Run Apple from Shea:

 

 

The salute to Mets players, both current team members and past heroes:

 

 

 

Number 3, Bud Harrelson.

 

NYPD is using smart cars these days:

 

 

 

 

The swag:

 

We also got refrigerator magnets with next year's schedule, and a scratch-off card -- we each won a $2 gift card to Dunkin' Donuts.

 

Inside the rotunda, there's a salute to Jackie Robinson:

 

 

 

 

If you look at the map from my iPad, you'll see just how close Citi Field is to La Guardia.  Really, the flight path sometimes goes right over the ball park.  You haven't lived until you've looked up and seen the underbelly of a jet, close enough to read the word "Delta" as it flies overhead.

 

Here are some of the planes:

 

 

 

 

I even caught the shadow of a plane on the field:

 

 

 

The retired numbers.  42 for Jackie Robinson, 41 for Tom Seaver, 14 for Gil Hodges,  37 for Casey Stengel and 31 for Mike Piazza:

 

 

 

 

Shea, of course, for William Shea, who was so important to the franchise in the early 1960's.  and the microphone is for Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner.

 

During the 7th inning stretch, you'll see our mascots leading the sing along:

 

 And later we enjoy singing our favorite Billy Joel song:

 

 

Think this guy's a fan?

 

 

 

Nimmo hit a home run!

 

 Hard to tell, but yes, that's DeGrom on the mound:

That pedestrian bridge under the scoreboard?  It's called the Shea Bridge, but New Yorkers know it looks just like the Kosciusko Bridge, the bridge that connects Brooklyn and Queens. 

It was a great game.  Ultimately the Mets lost to the Nationals, but they kept things interesting all the way to the bottom of the 9th.