Inside Citi Field

The most famous train in MLB, the 7 train, drops you off at the original famous apple, and that if you keep walking another few hundred feet, you enter Citi Field through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is one of the neatest entrances in all of baseball.  

The history of that rotunda is pretty cool.  Not that ANYONE needs a reason to pay tribute to Jackie Robinson at a baseball stadium, but former Mets owner Fred Wilpon has a unique story to tell.  When he was a teenager, he threw batting practice to Robinson, and has always been a fan.  So when the new home of the Mets opened, it was only fitting that baseball’s most famous debut at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn in 1947 was remembered in Flushing in 2009.

The rotunda is gigantic, spanning 19,000 square feet with 70-foot brick archways.  The place is lined with photos of the life and times of Jackie, but the centerpiece is the 9-foot sculpture of his famous #42.  The 160-diameter floor super-shiny and well-kept and the elevators take you up to the main concourse. 

Once you get in, take a walk around and make sure you get to right center field and walk across the Shea Bridge, which pays tribute to the former home of the Mets from 1964-2008.  If you’re coming from right field across the bridge, look to your left once you get through and you’ll see the new home run apple, a tradition carried over from Shea.   The old one, remember, is outside the ballpark in a top hat! Pretty neat tribute.  

Keep walking beyond centerfield and check out the Shake Shack, which is uniquely New York and laid out really well.  Also, the kids park out there is one of the coolest replicas of the big-league park you’ll see around the game. 

If you get to the ballpark early enough do a full lap and check out the authentics store, which is has plenty of options for the avid memorabilia collector, like myself.  After that, check out the Mets Hall of Fame, which is back near the rotunda.  My personal recommendation is to take the lap around the ballpark first, as I love to walk around and get a feel for the place first, and then visit the things that take a while to get through. 

In the Mets Hall of Fame, you’ll find their two World Series trophies, a cool life-size Mr. Met replica, plaques of their inductees and a bunch of game-used pieces of memorabilia, and it’s pretty damn cool!  If you’re on a ballpark tour and only have one day at the ballpark, make sure you carve out extra time to get through it all.  

The fans love their Mets in Flushing, and that makes their games fun.  You’ll see jerseys from Mets of all eras that match the giant murals on the walls as you walk up the stairs behind each on-deck circle.  Yes, they’ve had their ups and downs like most franchises, but since Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020 the energy has been cranked up a notch!  Spending well over $300,000,000 three straight years and counting, including the acquisition of the best young superstar in the game, will put a charge in a fan base like no other.  Add in Frankie Lindor along with the Polar Bear and you’ve got a chance each year! 

There is nothing immediately around the ballpark other than car parts to be had beyond right field, and in my 16 years as a baseball announcer, I counted zero times I’ve needed a car part before a game.  That said, come early and be ready to tour a cool park that really shows off the cool history of Mets baseball.

You can hang in the gigantic parking lot before gates open and admire the architecture, as the exterior made of brick and limestone is really striking.  It pays tribute to Ebbets Field, where the Brooklyn Dodgers once played. 

So while there’s not a lot to do other than go to the ballpark, your trip to Citi Field will make you happy you did it.  If you’re REALLY into baseball, you’ll love the preservation of history and baseball in New York! 

The Orange Foul Poles - Citi Field stands along in one unique way.  It is the only stadium in Major League Baseball with orange foul poles.  This is a tribute to their former home, Shea Stadium, which also had orange foul poles.  

Fancy Food – Food and flair! Fans see a fancy NYC skyline display as they grab a shake or sandwich as they walk the outfield concourse!

Little Citi Field – The back side of the Citi Field video board reflects the front side, as kids can play the game if they want a break from watching the game.

Shea Stadium Remembered – Shea Stadium, which stood in the area that is now Citi Field’s parking lot, was the home of the Mets for 45 seasons from 1964-2008.  The Mets carried part of that tradition over to Citi Field in the form of the Shea Bridge, which runs from right field to center field.  

The Weirdest Bullpen – One of more uniquely designed bullpens can be found at Citi Field.  Pitchers can barely, if at all, see the field of play while warming up as they are tucked under the overhang.

Ebbets’ Exterior at Citi Field – The exterior of Citi Field, home of the Mets, is an homage to Ebbets Field, former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Former Mets owner Fred Wilpon was a Dodgers fan growing up and wanted the home of the Mets, who replaced the Dodgers then they left for Los Angeles, to pay tribute.  

The ORIGINAL Apple – The original Home Run Apple from Shea Stadium can now be found outside Citi Field.  It is located between the steps of the 7 train and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which serves as the main entrance to the ballpark.  It is nine feet tall, weighs 582 pounds and sits inside a 10-foot-tall black top hat which used to read “Mets Magic” on it before being changed years later to read “Home Run”. 

The NEW Apple – While the original Home Run Apple sits outside Citi Field, the new one, which is nearly twice as the tall (16.5 feet tall and 18 feet wide) as the original, has a shell that weighs 4,800 pounds and is powered by a hydraulic set-up. There is no top hat for the new apple.

The Commissioner’s Trophy – The Mets won the World Series in 1986, and the Commissioner’s Trophy is on display at the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum.

Seats from The Polo Grounds – These seats are from the Polo Grounds, which served as the home of Mets for their first two seasons, 1962 and 1963, while they waited for Shea Stadium to be completed.  They can be found inside the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum.  There were four iterations of the Polo Grounds, beginning in 1880.

Game Used Bases - These nine bases were used in a game between the Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates on June 2nd, 2017.  The three bases are changed every three innings.

Welcome to Citi Field

The Jackie Robinson Rotunda – The Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which serves as the main entrance to Citi Field, is 19,000 square feet and is lined with 70-foot brick archways.  Fans are greeted by an eight-foot sculpture of the number “42”, which Jackie wore and is now retired by all 30 MLB teams.

Jackie’s 42