My thoughts on Citi Field, and the Jeter record

Yes, as Squawker Jon notes, I'm cheap (I prefer to call it frugal.) And given how poorly the Mets have been playing, I wasn't willing to spend more than a buck to see them, as I described online yesterday. How could I resist rubbing in the Mets' sorry fortunes to my writing partner better than taking him to a game with tickets that cost less than a dollar menu item at McDonald's change! Sorry, I'm mean that way.

We were trying to figure out why somebody would even bother selling tix for that small a price (minus a StubHub commission deduction from that 97 cents!) They obviously must have just wanted somebody to get the tickets, rather than have them go to waste.

My guesstimate is that there were maybe 8,000 or so fans at the game, even though the "official" attendance was 37,000, thanks to all those tickets being purchased in advance. The media has really missed this story, by the way.

Can't say I blame the fans who stayed home. Those tickets are a sunk cost, after all.
The Mets have to be losing a ton, though. All those people staying home means fewer people buying food, drinks, souvenirs, etc.

And yes, yet another Met game I attended with Jon ended in humiliating defeat, with the game effectively over before we finished getting our food.

But there was one bright side for Jon. When he showed me that he got five certificates for the free hot dogs, and he heard that I only got one, thanks to me wearing a Yankees shirt at Citi Field, Jon was pleased. So pleased, I don't think I've seen him this happy all season!

I wasn't the only one wearing Yankee gear at the game. And there were even Marlins fans (I didn't know the franchise had fans!) cheering their team on at the game last night. It's enough to make Citi Field cry, especially after getting that letter from Shea!)

And really, I didn't expect Derek Jeter to get three hits and tie the record (I figured he'd get two and break the record Friday night.) It figures he would do it when I wasn't watching the game. The Mets did show something on their big screen about how Jeter tied Lou Gehrig's record, and he got a round of applause from even some Met fans. Had to watch the Jeter stuff when I got home. Congrats to Jeter, and I'm looking forward to seeing him break the record - on TV - Friday (the tickets are too expensive for me to consider going!)

I brought a radio and listened to portions of the game while at Citi Field (although I missed the final Jeter hit!) But I did hear Jorge Posada's homer live as we were headed to the subway, and Squawker Jon was grumbling.

Oh, and I guess the big story about Joba Chamberlain is not that he had another unmemorable outing (I was following the game online while waiting for Shake Shack food, and was peeved to see him go through over 25 pitches in the first inning) but that we're kind of expecting such suckitude from him now. The magic is gone for Joba.

But Alfredo Aceves has the magic this year. Really, he's done more to earn a postseason spot in the rotation than Joba has.

* * *

We may not have gotten to see great baseball, but we did get to meet Ed Leyro of Studious Metsimus - and the bears! Very cool.

What do you think? Tell us about it!