METSPACE
Citi Field is the home ballpark for The New York Mets. Citi Field is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens. It was built as a replacement for the adjacent Shea Stadium, which was constructed in 1964 next to the site of the 1964-1965 World's Fair and housed the New York Mets from 1964-2008. During the 2008 season, Citi Field could be seen being constructed over Shea Stadium's Left field wall (Pictured Below.)
Similar to Shea Stadium, Citi Field's spacious field dimensions make it a pitcher friendly park. However unlike Shea's symmetrical layout, Citi Field features several design quirks including the "Pepsi Porch" which is a seating area that jolts out onto the actual playing field (Seen Below.) The first game at Citi field took place on April 13, 2009 when the New York Mets took on the San Diego Padres. The Padres won the game and Jody Gerut of San Diego hit the first home run at Citi Field, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to open a ballpark with a leadoff home run.
The new ballpark has a capacity of 42,000 plus additional standing room, which is over 15,000 fewer seats than Shea Stadium. Owner, Fred Wilpon, chose to use fewer seats to make going to a Mets game a more intimate experience for the fan. Wilpon also chose to build Citi Field's exterior facade in a way that is reminiscent of Ebbets Field, the former home of The Brooklyn Dodgers (Seen below.)
Another unique feature of Citi Field is within the front entrance is the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The Rotunda which is dedicated to the former Brooklyn Dodger legend and 1st African American to play Major League Baseball honors his life and accomplishments. Engraved into the rotundas 160-foot diameter floor and etched into the archways are words and larger-than-life images that defined Robinsons nine values.
