Opinion: New Home-Run Apple for Ebbets 2

by Matthew Cerrone on September 9th, 2008 at 9:47 am

According to an on-air report from SNY, the Mets will create a new Home-Run Apple in Citi Field, as opposed to using the current Apple in Shea Stadium.

As Brendan Kuty pointed out in a post to MetsBlog earlier this morning, the Mets are conducting a tour of Citi Field today, during which they will likely make a more detailed announcement about the Apple.

Nevertheless, the sense I get, based on this site’s comments, my e-mail inbox, and one-on-one conversations with readers, is that most people do not care what happens to the Apple, and whether there is or isn’t one in Citi Field.

However, I do.  I like the Apple.  But, like I said, to me, it’s not about whether there is a Home-Run Apple in Citi Field, it’s whether there is the original, current Apple from Shea Stadium.

Let me explain…

It’s the team’s money, and they obviously can do as they please…but, frankly, I have long been disturbed and disappointed with the overwhelming references to the Dodgers in what is supposed to be a stadium for the Mets.

From the Ebbets Club to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda to the overall look of the structure, it often feels like an East-Coast Dodgers museum, or Ebbets 2.0.

I understand Fred Wilpon grew up a fan of the Dodgers.  However, today, he owns the Mets, and it would be nice to have the team’s new stadium reflect that.

Here’s why: Mets fans live in a city and a culture that is constantly beating us down with the idea that the Yankees are great, the Yankees are history, the Yankees are legend, etc., and so in our one chance to have a home for our heritage, a museum and a place that honors our memories, we have to split it with the Dodgers, a team that ran out on New York City, clearly disappointed Wilpon and countless other New Yorkers, a team that plays in California, not Queens, and who, by the way, is responsible for one of my worst memories as a fan – I’m looking right at you Mike Scioscia.

The current Shea Stadium Home-Run Apple, while at times goofy and haggard, would have been a great hat tip to the 80s, 90s and the final days of Shea, a time when I fell in love with the Mets.

Instead, Citi Field will seemingly be an homage to the time when Fred Wilpon fell in love with the Dodgers.

For more in the Apple, check out Save the Apple, whose efforts have been clearly ignored.

• Search

  Search for:

• MetsBlog Fan Confidence Rating

  

• Archives

  Select Month February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003