First off I would like to apologize for the long hiatus of Take The 7 To Citi. I have no plans on quitting, and have attended 4 games this season (Opening Day, April 20th & 21st, and May 12th) and plan to do blog posts on all of them despite being way behind, especially with the Opening Day post. The reason I haven’t got to posting that is because I had some awesome pictures from the event but have been unable to upload them. Along with that, the  second post which is a combination-post of the two games I attended later that month has been started and is on the way soon, as well as my Ballpark Rankings, that are near-done but I have put on the back shelf. I think many other bloggers agree that balancing school and posting is not always easy, and I assure you that posts will become more frequent when school lets out on June 21st.

Let me cut to the chase.

On May 14th I came home from school, and was on the computer when my brother came in and said that my Mom needed to talk to me right now. Immediately thoughts started racing through my head on what it was about and when I picked up the phone I said “What did I do!?” In excitement she told me that she just got an e-mail from SNY (The Mets regional network) that said I was one of ten finalists for the SNY Kidcaster Contest. How did I get in? The contest asked that the we describe our favorite part of going to games at Citi Field. This is what I submitted to the contest:

It’s hard to single out one great thing about going to a Mets game, because there’s many small things that add up to an incredible experience. For some it starts when they’re on the 7 Train and see the first glimpses of Citi Field, surrounded by other excited fans. For others it’s when they step off and see “Mets-Willets Point.” For me it becomes real when I walk through the gates of the beautiful Jackie Robinson Rotunda. It’s a perfect entrance that gives you that special feeling that you can’t explain.

The rest of the e-mail basically said that me and nine others have been invited to the SNY Studios (near Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall) for Tuesday, May 21st. There I will have to announce three plays, the “final strikeout of Johan Santana’s no-hitter, a walk-off hit, and a great defensive play.” The winner will be able to announce a half inning of the Subway Series next to Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling!

I’ve been thinking of what to say, and I’m not trying to be cocky, but I feel like if I do my best I will have a solid shot at getting it. That would be the best prize I could’ve ever wished for, and I can’t wait for Tuesday!

Wish me luck!

Today, on April 29th, 2013, the little-known NBA Center Jason Collins came out and stated that he was a homosexual. Not many would have predicted this, as he is not what many stereotypes have made out a gay man to be, though his number 98 was dedicated to hate crime victim Matthew Shepard, 1998 being the year that Shepard died from injuries he sustained from a homophobic attack. Anyway, I think it’s great that he finally feels safe in his own skin and that in today’s world that he could admit this welcomed with open arms, something that couldn’t be done 30 years ago, or even 8 years ago. In fact, neither major candidate in the 2004 elections supported full marriage rights for homosexuals. Since then, the world has become much more accepting of gays, and the reaction from those like Kobe Bryant, Barry Sanders, and David Stern is a prime example. I hope Collins coming out will have a domino affect on closeted players in any major sports league, and that they know they are not alone.

Even though this has little to do with baseball, I feel this post needs to be written, and I hope that everybody reading will understand why. With Jason Collins coming out as gay, most people have been supportive. Yet there are still many hate groups, as the KKK and Westboro Baptist Church continue to defy all human logic.

I’m not as much worried about those hate groups though, because all of America generally think they’re awful, whether you’re conservative or liberal. Those groups are close-minded idiots, and I’m not writing this to change their minds. What I’m angry about is that after Jason Collins came out as gay, many analysts said “What if other players will be less accepting?”

I think that is ridiculous. My reasoning is that if somebody is unwilling to play next to a gay teammate that they are homophobic. The gay player would not be the issue, the homophobic one would be. So I don’t see why you would cater to any homophobic players. And there is no reason not to play with a gay player, or to feel uncomfortable next to a gay player, because just because they are gay does not mean that they would be attracted to anybody on their team. Any player who would feel uncomfortable with them is nothing less than homophobic, and no matter how talented would have no business on any team of mine.

This should draw some comparisons to what Jackie Robinson had to go through, and what was shown in the movie 42. Branch Rickey did not cater to any player that was involved in the petition to get Robinson off the team for the reason he was Black. If something similar were to happen today it should be handled no differently.

I’m sorry this is not a post about baseball, and there are more on the way coming very soon! But this was something that needed to be said and I hope everybody can respect my opinion on this issue. Feel free to tell me what you think below.

When I visited my grandparents in Sarasota, FL over February Break, one of the highlights of my trip was seeing my first Spring Training Game ever at Ed Smith Stadium. Everything fell into place as the World Baseball Classic pushed the start of Spring Training forward and we were able to see a Orioles vs. Yankees game.

We arrived in residential parking, exclusive to residents of Sarasota, where you get to park in peoples driveways near the stadium. Well, kind of near the stadium. I mean it was a far walk. Considering there was a 50/50% chance of rain in the forecast, we decided to bring umbrellas. We were shocked to find out from one of the 70+ year olds that umbrellas aren’t allowed in the stadium. And the worse part was, not only are they are not allowed in the stadium, but there is nowhere to store them for safekeeping, so my dad had to make the mile+ walk to the car, and back to the stadium to put umbrellas.  Considering there is not a lot of close, cheap parking, this is not very fan friendly.

I commend the Orioles for their spring training facility though, as it is beautiful and spotless, with great affordable seats, concessions, and team store. Definitely a top-notch Spring Training Ballpark. But they do let you bring in food, as long as it’s in a clear plastic bag which is very convenient for those who don’t want to break the bank.

Once we arrived at our seats, which had a great view of the field, I took a few quick shots of the Yankees taking batting practice before I headed over to left field.
And boy was it crowded. There were no toss-ups when I was there, as there was nobody warming up on the field, only pitchers snagging balls. Actually, one of the outfielders who faked the fans out a few times finally threw a ball that was far in front of me, caught by a person that’s a little too competitive of a ballhawk for their age. He’s pictured in that Yankees apparel, and you can tell he’s a ballhawk by his gesturing. There were 2 major bombs during BP though, one which you couldn’t get as it was hit –literally– out of the park, and another that was hit over my head and a few grown men raced to it frantically. Not a great day. I can attribute this to a few things. Ed Smith Stadium only has a a small section in Left Field for Outfield Seating, and it includes tables and chairs. Of course, it’s where everybody goes if they want to get a ball. Along with my poor vision, and the sky being about the same color as the ball (it looked like it would rain, but the weather held up) it was hard to track fly balls paths. But only 2 came my way during my time there. This was not a great place to go for a ballhawking rookie, maybe it’s because the Yankees were playing. It was very crowded for a Spring Training game. Not to mention I had to wear an awful glove because I misplaced my own. You can say I was shutout, but I say it doesn’t count.

Between the time BP ended and the time of the pregame ceremonies, I headed over to the team store. The walk through the concourse was very nice, clean, and represents the Orioles well: here’s a decoration on the wall.

And a photo of the great Team Store exterior (didn’t come out too well.)

The Team Store is very bright and has hardwood floors and is not short on merchandise. I picked up a Orioles Spring Training shirt as a souvenir for $25, not bad at all.

 During the game we were paid a visit by the Oriole Bird who tried to pump up the crowd. Note that it was a weekday, and the stadium was filled with 70-somethings. They did cheer throughout the game though. Only downside is getting in and out of rows. Old folks don’t enjoy standing up.

By the seventh inning or so, the people who came to see the Yankees started to clear out after a sub-par offensive performance. This left a lot of free range in case a foul ball were to come. I kept my glove ready. But balls never came. There were more that cleared the roof and went into the surrounding streets then ones caught by fans, so if getting balls is your thing, then think about leaving after BP and waiting outside for your best foul ball opportunity.

Now to the game. The Orioles were starting their usual lineup (Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, etc.)  presumable to please there home crowd. Meanwhile the only semi-household names on the Yankees were Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli. Wow.

 

Gardner got on base three times without having the ball leave the infield, on bunts, a hit on what might as well have been a bunt, and an error.The no-name Yankees pitcher Vidal Nuno was a strikeout machine, but left too many over the plate and the Yankees eventually got hammered. Brian Matusz pitched a short shut-out appearance. The Yankees only run came with two outs in the top of the ninth. But it wouldn’t start
a rally, as the Yanks lost 5-1. I didn’t think I’d like Spring Training as much as I did but I like the laid back atmosphere and would definitely come back again.

Keep scrolling for some live game photos.

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If you’re a ballhawk, you’ve probably heard of BallhawkFest. If you haven’t, it’s a whole day of festivities that usually includes something along the lines of a Home Run Derby between the ballhawks, getting together at a restaurant and then heading off to a game to ballhawk and enjoying the rest of the night at the ballpark.  The inaugural event took place at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD on July 23rd 2011. In 2012, MyGameBalls.com sponsored two events, one on the East Coast (PNC Park) and another on the West Coast (Angel Stadium of Anaheim.) This season, they are once again planning to do two Ballhawk Fests –In Philadelphia and Oakland– to cater to both coasts. (You can read about the planned West Coast Ballhawk Fest here, on Nick Badders’ blog.) 

We’re not going to do everything quite like that, but we would like to get some ballhawks together for a good time on September 6th of this season at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. It will be the last games of the season for a lot of ballhawks, (with school kicking in) and it will kind of be an end of summer celebration, called ProgFest. We plan to have 9 dollar shirts offered to each attendee, with this being the official logo:

It was designed by an extremely talented and generous graphic designer from the Bay Area named Adam Olson. I highly suggest you  visit his website: ItsOpeningDay.com, his webstore, and his twitter @ItsOpeningDay. We asked for a lot from him and he put in a lot of hard work asking for nothing in return. Thank You Adam!

Please keep in mind that I was originally not planning for this to be an event. But I was interested in attending a Mets game at another ballpark, because seeing all 30 stadiums is a huge goal of mine. I told the native Clevelander Jared Serre, of the Superslugger blog (@Dat_Dude_JS) about my plans and he said he was interested in attending. That’s when we started to brainstorm ideas for a larger event.

The original promotion for this game was  supposed to be a Cleveland Indians winter hat. We figured this is not a promotion that people would come to the park for, and with Cleveland’s attendance, it would be ballhawk-friendly. When the Indians signed speed-demon Michael Bourn, they replaced the promo with Michael Bourn Jersey day. This was good for me because I could look like an Indians fan when ballhawking, as I own no Indians apparel. The Cleveland Indians then added two more promotions, (three promos, one game?!) Fireworks Night, and Photo Day. Though it will increase attendance to the game, keep in mind that the sellouts at Progressive Field are long gone and it will ultimately depend on the Indians’ record and weather (Early September.)

Photo Day will not work like other teams’ photo days. I contacted the Indians, and it will be limited to one player, and there will be batting practice, but you will presumably not get to go on the field.

Here’s the deal…
Game time: 6:05 PM
Gates Opening Time: 4:30
Allotted Ballhawking Time: 1 hour (at least)
Promotions: Free Michael Bourn Jersey, Photo Day, and Post-Game Fireworks Show.

Regarding pre-game festivities, this has not been decided. Just understand this in the preliminary stages of planning. Below I will list popular nearby restaurants that are within walking distance to the park, with a description. I tried to choose restaurants that served food that everybody loves and people of all ages would enjoy. If one interests you, vote for it in the poll at the bottom. I hope you can make it to the first edition of ProgFest!

Panini’s Bar and Grill - Very close - Reviews
Panini’s has a laid back atmosphere, catering to sports fans. Famous for the “Overstuffed Sandwich” and “Panini’s Pizza.” Serves stuff like Appetizers, Burgers, Fries, Wings, and Wraps. That’s “sports fan” food in my opinion.

Winking Lizard Tavern - Very Close – Reviews
Simarly has a laid-back atmosphere. Large menu filled Serves Burgers, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Ribs, Chicken, Pizza, and Steak Fries. 15 flavors of wings ranging from sweet and tangy to burning hot.

Vincenza’s Pizza and Pasta - Very Close – Reviews A quick, fairly priced place to eat unlike sit-down restaurants. Very popular pizza place in Cleveland serving authentic New York Style Pizza. Also has subs, pasta, chicago-style & stuffed pizzas with refillable drinks.

Any Question you have about the event can be asked in the comments, tweeted, or emailed to me and I will respond in a timely fashion. Thank you.

These Questions were asked by: Jared Serre of Superslugger, and Max Converse of Bay Area Baseball fan.

@sfgmoney tweeted me asking: What is your projected Mets starting lineup?

Answer: I believe it will change throughout the year, mostly staying along the lines of:
Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy, David Wright, Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, John Buck, Mike Baxter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis. I say it will change because Tejada, Baxter are similar in the sense that they get on base. Tejada and Murphy were a succesful top-of-the-order duo last year. When they hit, the Mets won. They set the table, which is the key to the Mets success. Kirk Nieuwenhuis is a versatile player in the sense he can hit 1st, 2nd, or even 5th-8th. He has above average speed, and can drive in runs. He saw himself at the top of the order when he was hitting for average, and was beating Bryce Harper in the Rookie of the Year contention Once he started to shy away from that, he started striking out often, which got him demoted to AAA. I believe Collin Cowgill has shown he could make the lineup in Spring Training. Players who could be called up later this season are highly touted Travis D’arnaud, and defensive king Matt den Dekker.

He then asked another question, “do you believe the Mets will make the playoffs?”
My response is, they can. They need everyone to play the right way. Is that going to happen? I don’t know. This is a developing year. They’re not expecting to win. But they didn’t last year either, and stayed ahead of the competition until an August drop-off. Tejada and Murphy need to get on base. David Wright needs to be David Wright, not less, not more. Ike Davis can hit 40+ home runs, hitting 32 last year besides a slow start. Lucas Duda has so much raw power. If he can even hit .270, he’ll be a huge threat. I’d take him as a late low-risk pick in my fantasy league if I were you. John Buck needs to carry the young but solid pitching rotation, and don’t try to hit that many jacks in Citi Field, that worked awfully when he was in Marlins Park. Niewenhuis and Baxter need to get on base, and set the table for the middle of the lineup. The Mets have a lot of depth in their rotation, but Johan Santana and Shaun Marcum need to stay away from injuries or it could be catastrophic. Niese and Harvey may get 16+ wins this year. Dillon Gee needs to be a solid starter, and hopefully later in the year young guns Zack Wheeler and Juerys Familia can show what they’re made of.

@Dat_Dude_JS asked “if Terry Collins gets fired, who’d be replacing him?” First of all, I’d like to say that Terry Collins being on the hot seat is unjust. He was being praised for the first half. Then when Sandy Alderson, the Mets GM, literally got nobody at the break when they were at the top of the division wi the Nationals, the Mets started losing as Johan Santana went down. But somehow Collins got put on the hot seat. But the top choice among Mets fan would be Wally Backman. He was a part of the 1986 Team, and fans seem to like him. But he was fired as the D-backs manager before managing a game because of a DUI. He is known to be quite fiery, and hasn’t shown any good record in the minors outside of the New York Penn League. In my opinion, the Mets should go with a young former player with some knowledge of the game (Al Leiter, Shawn Green, come to mind. I don’t know why.) or should go back to the manager they last had success with. Willie Randolph, who was unjustly fired at midnight after a win against the Angels, could be a great fit. Fans loved him, and were even saddened at his firing. When Jerry Manuel came aboard, the Mets went into a downhill spiral. And they had All-Star Caliber teams, and the 2009-2010 teams finished with similar records as the team now.

Today, March 1st, is my birthday. This will be a quick post, since I’ll be going out to dinner soon. I’m gonna tell you about a pretty awesome birthday present I got today.

My birthday coincided with the date that Mets single game tickets went on sale. In addition to the 6 games I am already attending, I’m going to be going to…

That’s right, Opening Day! I’m very excited to go. It’s one of my favorite times of the MLB Season. Each team starts with a clean slate. This year it landed on Spring Break, so I won’t have to “be sick” in order to see the game. Last year Johan Santana pitched 5 shutout innings, than Ramon Ramirez and Frank Francisco sealed it up. It was looking to be a great year, as the Mets started out 4-0 (four days in which there was no showering… too supersticous?)

I’ve been to one Opening Day game, in 2010. Johan Santana once again pitched masterfully against Josh Johnson, and it was the Mets first win against Josh Johnson. A lot’s changed since then, and now the Mets won’t have to worry about facing Josh Johnson.

This year they’ll be facing the San Diego Padres. Since last year they started out with a sweep to the Atlanta Braves, I don’t see it being too hard to win. But I don’t want to jinx anything.

This was more of a surprise post. I’ll post 2-3 more posts this month, and 3+ again in April, as I’m attending 3 games in April alone! There’s been years where I’ve gone to 3 games!

Anyway, leave your comments, questions, and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”s in the comments below.