This past Sunday, I was fortunate enough to attend the Mets workout at the new and improved Citifield. It was great to see the changes made to the ballpark during the offseason.
I heard all of the criticisms last year about the ballpark, including the fact that it resembled more of a tribute to the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Mets. While I understood the argument, there were a couple of things to consider...
First - How could anyone resent the Jackie Robinson Rotunda? He is one of the most important historical figures in American history, not just baseball history. His roots are embedded in the area and let's face it...Fred Wilpon paid for a lot of the stadium...he can spend his money any way he wants.
Second - I heard a lot of people wanting Shea back. Now I loved Shea as much as anyone else, but c'mon people...it was time for it to go. Not to mention the fact that Shea was not steeped in Mets history until the mid-1990s.
And third, and most simply...IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR...the organization got the stadium open on time and on budget...a miracle in today's world. They needed time to get the ballpark operational and assess what needed to be improved upon.
Plus...would anyone be complaining if 2009 went better?
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