Citi Field Review

The Marlins and Giancarlo Cruz Michael Stanton go into NYC to take on the (finally) floundering NY Mets. We were there on the stadium tour a few weeks ago so let me tell you about new Citi Field. 

Of course the best way to get there is taking the subway. You take the 7 train express out to Queens and you get dropped off right there to this view. 

  Its a very modern and well done stadium with a very cool outside architecture. You enter right into the center rotunda which is called Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which makes no sense being that Jackie Robinson never had any affiliation with the Mets.

It does make for a nice entrance compared to all other stadiums that are out there. You get into the stadium and you get the same thing you get at Marlins park were your concessions are visible to the stadium except behind home plate and the outfield. 

The best place to eat at CitiField is the one and only...

Shake Shack. I know they opened one down here in Coral Gables, but when you are at a game and this is right at your discretion you go for it. The only down falls are the 30 minute wait to eat and your best shot of the game is a screen that is on 5 second delay, so you hear screams in the ballpark and have no idea what's going on.

 Pretty good sight line from our Left field seats but for 55 dollars you are ripping me off. There are standing room seats down the lines but what really annoyed me and makes Citi field lose points is that the ushers will still check your tickets in the bottom of the ninth inning. Really... if someone didn't show up I want to sit in there seats now!

Pretty decent view from deep Center field and they still honor the old stadium, Shea Stadium with the bridge that connects the RF seats with the CF plaza. 

The home run feature is very simple. The famous apple coming up when they go yard. We all know Stanton hit the longest home run in this park way above that apple into the hitters eye. Finally as you leave there is a Mets hall of fame in which they are proud to display these.

Both trophies deemed as miracles. The '69 Mets were the Miracle Mets while the 1986 was the Bill Buckner famous world series. I love how in our division the Marlins have the same amount of titles as the Phillies and Mets, one more than Atlanta and two more than Washington, in our short 20 years of existence. Is next year a big 20 year Marlins anniversary?

Finally as you head out you get to see Citi Field all lit up at night. You ride the 7 train back into the city and head on your way. The Mets lost the game to the Dodgers 7-6 (before H213R showed up)

This isn't a bad park whatsoever. Its more fan friendly than Yankee stadium and really makes you feel more welcome. The occasional Kevin James and Chris Rock begging you to scream Lets Go Mets are a very good touch to the stadium. Here is hoping that Stanton, Ruggiano, and company can go in there and silence the Mets and Jose Reyes can keep the hitting streak alive for 3 more days going into Miami on Friday. 

Visiting an empty Marlins park

On Wednesday, we visited an empty Marlins park to get the nice behind the scenes tour of the place we all have been seeing games at this year. They start off by showing us the nice diamond lounge, the place we cant afford...thanks! The lady starts trying to give us the history of the Miami Marlins but I stopped paying attention to her when she told me about how the marlins "score" home runs...

This is the original Marlins uniform when they existed way back when as a Minor League affiliate. 

They take us out on the field itself and give us an actual chance to look at the poor fish that are in there. They are getting the direct sunlight but I hope that little cover actually protects them from the sun? Hell if I know.

We proceed into the dugout to find two great things. 1st its Ruggiano's bat-rack and the fact that there is no longer a sticker for the Hanley Ramirez. That was quick. (There are still pictures and the such all over the park of him...I made sure to vandalize each one)

We go into the indoor batting cage which was really cool and apparently the rich people in the diamond club can actually see who is working out between at-bats and who is just being a lazy bum. Justin Ruggiano left his bat though... Still says Houston Astros on it so I guess he doesnt use it anymore?

They tease us with their clubhouse door but deny us access because its in season... Like I might steal something personal from Justin Marshall Ruggiano... Also we found out that the 2nd photo is actually were the beer is held. They dont do it by kegs but actually have beers circulating the stadium into tubes and its all being cooled right here. Its like their own brewery of sorts. (except of course they dont make beer here)

A Clevelander without the girls that have stuff painted all over them. Just not the same experience.

Figured I would take a shot of this, because we don't know how long this will last if all those rumors are true out there. I actually like the singles machine that is Carlos Lee. Who cares if he lost all his power. He still is a smart hitter.

This is the view media get of the game in their special pressbox...um sign me up?

Finally in the Lexus lounge and suite area we have the great bambino there. I will pull a Red Sox here and blame our poor season on the curse of el bambino. Is that allowed?

I recommend all Marlins fans and non Marlins fans dish out the ten dollars and take a tour of the stadium. Its truly worth it. You see a lot of the things you don't see on game day and see what 535 million dollars can buy. Its a great ballpark I believe even though I guess I'm biased and falls third behind only PNC park in Pittsburgh and Camden Yards in Baltimore and I have been to 20 parks. 

Silver lining...

So who has the longest hitting streak in baseball??

JOSE REYES!

I love how his "lo viste" involves hitting himself on the head first. He has way more energy now that Hanley Ramirez is gone. You can also follow him on instagram at lamelaza_7. 

The other silver lining is in this starting lineup in Jupiter today, the Marlins high A affiliate. Seeing studs like Fernandez, Yelich, ozuna, and realmuto coming through with Stanton in there too makes 2014 and beyond look GOOD. They all will be in a lineup together soon.

Trade deadline

So the fire sale is OVER!! Who did we lose on the 31st?... Gaby Sanchez and Edward Mujica? But but the radio told me JJ and Reyes and Buehrle were gone too and that the Marlins were liars...

The fire sale chat really got annoying.

Lets look at the two deals and see what we did and why?

The Marlins sent sadly light hitting Gaby Sanchez whose last at-bat was a game-tying HR for the fish to Pittsburgh for Gorkys Hernandez. Gaby was never part of next years plan as LoMo is being pinned for 1B next year. The Marlins were selling at this point what they could and Gaby was in danger of being a super two and getting a huge raise which made selling tougher. The Marlins received Gorkys Hernandez who is a VERY light hitting OF who is known for speed and glove. Basically he is reinforcement for now and hoping he can be an option next year. 

I will remember Gaby for his best Marlins moment.

The clothes lining of one of the most annoying ridiculous players in baseball, Nyjer Morgan. That man should of been banned or suspended a lot longer from baseball for his antics that month but Gaby really did put him in his place and for that....we thank you! Good luck in Pittsburgh.

(Gaby batted 4th (really?) today and went 0 for 2)

The second trade is the most crucial one for us. 

The Marlins exchanged Bullpen pitcher Edward Mujica for one of the Cardinals top prospects, Zach Cox a 3B. In Mujica the Cardinals are getting a strike-thrower who tends to throw too many strikes and get bit by the home run ball. Of course his last appearance with the fish resulted in one of the furthest balls hit to RF in Marlins Park. In Cox, the Marlins get an option for 3B for 2013. He will have to fight for the job and I'm sure we will see Cox in a Marlins uniform by the time September call ups come around. 

The Marlins traded expendable parts in the last two weeks and every deal made sense.

-Anibal is a free agent and Infante had to go to get Turner and Brantly

-Hanley was yes a salary dump and Choate helped the trade through but we need the cash for the winter and a starter cant hurt. (H213R was a cancer anyways) (Don't forget to boo on Aug 10th!)

-Gaby never was in our plans

-Mujica-expendable and maybe declining piece. 

P.S. There was talks of trading Bell/Buck to NYM for Jason Bay. Talk about a change of scenery trade. If only... Bell seems to be coming back a little but lets hold back on that.

Time to start a thing.

Starting today...July 31st. Trade deadline day. I'm declaring in ten days for it to be a national, state, south florida, miami, Marlins park thing. August 10th is officially boo Hanley Ramirez day at Marlins Park.

A fellow poster initially asked the question. Would you cheer or boo Hanley Ramirez on his return August 10th and I thought the good of him albeit the bad moments I have well documented. Then things started going off on my twitter today and lately. Something I never used to see. Hanley Ramirez was tweeting!...from LA.

Back story. Some may know that Hanley has a new thing.
















Its a spin off of the Lo Viste which is the I see you... stupid yes but OK fine take your new show elsewhere. The problem is that now my twitter feed had to be lit up with this.

Thank you I want to see 40 different people doing the "I see you" from LA...yes we know you are in Hanleywood now but really. This all happened within a span of 20 minutes mind you. Retweet much?

Well thankfully Ryan Webb of your Miami Marlins felt the same way I did.

You are right...WTF Hanley wtf, I didnt notice any care or love in Miami but now in LA all we see is Hanley. Man another teammate calling out Hanley Ramirez and you all still defend him. One cheer for him on August 10th is one acknowledgement of enjoying the fact that he was here even though he didn't enjoy being here. Let him know that I see you isnt that exciting especially when the I see you looks like you are playing a half assed game of peek a boo with a toddler. 

Oh yeah the Marlins played and lost today. Murphy, Reyes, Lee and Ruggiano had a few hits. Everyone else thought they had an off day.

Turner Field Review

The Marlins play at Turner Field tonight in the first of a 4 game set and happened to be one of the stadiums that I visited on a recent 5 stadium adventure. Turner Field was my 16th on this 32 stadium tour.

Turner Field was built as the stadium used for the Olympics at the time of 1996 and redone to be the home of the Atlanta Braves as you can see the Olympic rings in the area but you also see the cars and Atlanta traffic. There is no public transit way that gets you to Turner Field and your best bet is a shuttle from Underground Atlanta, a few miles away so that began the frustration of the day. 

Their bullpens are famously hidden from field view and you really have to look hard to find it. What amused me was the fact that the power went out in the 2nd inning leading to a nice delay and wait until that power went back on. 

The sight lines to the city are atrocious. Meaning you have nothing to look at besides all there little trademarks which sadly are four things. Coca-Cola, Publix, Napa, and the controversially delicious Chick-Fil-A. The last one drew my nerves though.

The cow out in left field will join in on the tomahawk chop which goes off ALL THE TIME! You think Florida State is bad. Atlanta will make that thing go off all the time and nice and loud so you can get a drastic headache. The cow is funny doing the chop but it loses its luster quick when its all the time... 

Nice scoreboard but I've seen better out there and as you can see the Mets where on this field too so I was hoping for a nice spontaneous combustion of the two teams but I didn't get my wish as the Braves did win 7-6.

The Friday Night Fireworks were a nice touch for sure though.

They also acknowledge their old stadium as well and their vast history of choking in the playoffs and only winning one title in 1995.

All in all Turner Field is not a stadium you want to run and see. My traveling partner says that out of the ten stadiums she was been to, this is the worst of the ten. Not much going on for it and she has seen games in horrendous (for baseball) Sun Life Stadium. Its definitely on my bottom as well and I'll only go back when the Marlins are playing a series there.