The Syracuse Mets held their annual Open House on Saturday and I had the privilege of attending. This is the second year that I have done so and while there were improvements made versus last season it still seems to be lacking something.
Last season’s event was highly anticipated due to the Mets takeover of the franchise and I believe the organization was unprepared for the amount of interest it would garner. Packed hallways, long lines, and a general lack of things to do caused many to leave with an empty experience. This season, while the crowd was a noticeably thinner, was an improvement versus last year, yet it still seems there is something missing that would make the visit more enjoyable.
Let’s start with the good. The team decided to add a guided Stadium Tour this year that took groups of 30 people around while giving them information about the stadium, history and renovations currently taking place. This was a nice addition as it gave those who are unable to take batting practice something else to do other than walk around aimlessly through the empty weight room and concourses.
The Promotional Schedule released by General Manager Jason Smorol is one of the better ones they have had in recent years. The addition of a Darryl Strawberry appearance/ Bobblehead giveaway was a welcome sight for those hoping that the team would start to bring back former Mets to make appearances. This year’s Tim Tebow Bobblehead being tied to the Top Gun movie franchise was a nice touch ,as was the announcement of a Bobblehead giveaway of Moses Fleetwood Walker celebrating the Negro League Centennial. Father’s Day will be a sought after game with Dwier Brown (Field of Dreams) and the ability for dads to play catch on the field with their children.
The completed renovations to the seats in the lower level are complete and I for one am looking forward to sitting in the larger, angled, new seats. The new paint job giving everything a new orange and blue look makes the stadium feel much more like a Mets stadium than just a generic minor league field.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good ends and the not so good begins. Considering the season is set to begin in almost a month’s time, the amount of work still needed at the stadium to finish the first wave of renovations is massive. The top level is completely without seats, the padding on the outfield walls is non-existent, the new cocktail tables around the park are not there yet and the new table service behind home plate is nothing more than a picture on the seating chart outside the stadium.
The bullpens are still in foul territory ,with no recognizable development behind the outfield fence for their new home as planned. The new Berm area’s located down both the left and right field lines are still concrete slabs with only the seats having been removed. If this is all completed by Opening Day, April 17th, I will not be the only one saying “Wow” as it was the topic conversation between many of the attendees.
While the promotional schedule is much more encouraging than previous years as discussed above, the fact that once again the press conference announcing it was done from inside the Hank Sauer room was disappointing. The room is small, so small an expansion of it is planned with the next wave of renovations, and people are packed in there like sardines. Why not just have the press conference from behind home plate while allowing some people onto the field while others can listen from the concourse.
Black Line through is stuff not done yet
For the second year in a row my friends and I sat and watched it on Facebook live from our cars. With a large turnout likely expected based on last years numbers, the idea to once again have it in that room was a very poor choice. The room would be much better served as the place for season ticket holders to pick up their tickets instead of the locker room as I will discuss below.
Lastly, the whole event could be more child friendly. While hitting in the batting cages is great and a worth while experience for those able to participate, the rest of the event was mostly just walking around while waiting for your guided tour to begin. The addition of some rather minor activities, ie a face painter painting logos, ballon artists making bats, etc, would give children a more lasting memory of the event.
Another aspect that they could change for the kids is the locker room visit. Having half of the room blocked off with a rope so season ticket holders can pick up their tickets is hard to explain to a four year-old who just wants to go sit in all the lockers or the seven year-old who wants his picture taken in front of the locker that has “Gomez 27” name plate written on it. While having actual players there is impossible due to spring training, having someone in uniform in there to take pictures with kids would be a nice touch as well.
Overall, while the event is a nice gesture from the team and organization to invite fans and their families an opportunity to go to places that are normally off limits, it is in this writer’s opinion, lacking some touches that would make it a must see event that every fan would regret missing out on.
