So on Saturday I went to a Mets game with my buddy Dave. It was my first trip to the new stadium and the first time I would get to see Johan Santana on the mound. It was quite a day, and left a big impression on me, so i thought I’d share my experience with the TOF readers.
Before the game, I shaved my beard into a classic 80s cop ’stache in tribute to Mets greats Keith Hernandez and John Franco. Before meeting up with Dave, he called me to let me know that, through a strange sequence of events, the tickets that we were given couldn’t be located. Undeterred, we decided to go to the ballpark 
and try our luck with either the ticket window or the scalpers. After the guy at the ticket window told us that the cheapest seats were $72 bucks and were in the second deck of left field, we left in disgust to try our luck with the scalpers. We found the security at New Shea to be much tighter than usual, leaving the scalpers harder to find and talk to. Eventually though, we were able to get tickets in the first row of the second deck in front of third base with a face value of $150 each for only $70 each. I’m not sure who can afford tickets like that at face value, but I was more than willing to haggle them down to less than half price.
On first looks, this stadium got a thumbs up for sticking to the brick and steel old school style that came back in fashion in the 90s thanks to Camden Yards and Coors field. 
When we got inside, we surveyed the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which was a very classy tribute to a great American historical figure and a sick baseball player. Well done there, Mets. We then proceeded up to our seats, took a few pics of the stadium, and went to get some food. THIS is where it gets interesting.
So our section is attached to something called the Caesar’s Palace Club, which is a combination of a couple of upscale concessions stands, a huge lounge with plush leather seats, dining tables, and A FULL BAR. Honestly, I was impressed. We went and got some food, turning down the porchetta sandwich and the hanger steak sandwich for a burger and a sausage. The burger was unimpressive, but again, it’s still concessions stand food. Not sure how the upscale options would have rated. 
So we took our seats and watched what was supposed to be a pitchers duel. But Johnny Cueto instead decided to suck ass. The Mets batted around the order in the first and put up 3 runs. Then it was Santana’s turn to struggle, throwing 20+ pitches in his half. But Johan settled down, and didn’t allow a single run all game.
During those scoreless middle innings, Dave and I took another trip to the Caesar’s Palace Club to visit the bar. After debating what imported beer to get, I decided that this was the first time that liquor was on the menu at a ballpark, and I would be stupid not to take advantage of that. So I got a Manhattan, heavy on the bourbon. Honestly, that drink was a revelation. As much of a baseball purist as I am, I now realize that there’s no reason why fans should be restricted to beer during a game. If I want to sip on bourbon (the 
All-American booze) and watch some baseball (America’s Pastime), then I should be able to do so. Baseball and booze go together just as well as baseball and beer. Anyway, after sipping on our drinks for a minute, we decided to walk around the stadium and check out the other features and the views in other parts of the park.
The rest of the stadium was equally impressive. The views are all great, the walkways are all wide and have high ceilings, keeping you from feeling crammed in, there are picnic tables by the main concessions stand in center field, and plenty of beautiful architecture. As for the other features, Dave and I tried to sneak our way into
the swanky section next to the owners box behind home plate. But when we got to the door, the security guard stopped us and asked us for our tickets. Dave let her know that we didn’t really belong there and were just hopintg that she wouldn’t notice us sneaking in. That’s when I noticed that her name tag said Minneapolis on it. So I asked her what high school she went to and if she knew any of my college friends from Minny. She didn’t know them, but appreciated the try. Then she said, “Why don’t you show me your tickets.” At which point we produced our tickets that in no way allowed us entry. But she let us in anyway, saying “Good thing you know people from Minneapolis.” And with that, we were in. Honestly, the food we saw there made anything else I’ve seen at a ballpark look like, well… shitty ballpark food. But we skipped over that and went right to the seats. These weren’t 
standard stadium seats, they were those plush folding chairs that NBA bench players sit on. Nice and comfy. Plus, we were about 25 feet from the batter. It only lasted a minute, though, since a security guard caught on and we had to leave.
After that, we went back to our seats, had another beer, and watched the last two innings, including a save from K Rod. Overall, I have to say that I had a great experience at New Shea. It’s a traditional stadium, done tastefully, and it’s a pitchers park. The amenities were spectacular, the food was better than average, and the drink options blew my mind. The only negative is the prices. If we hadn’t haggled down a scalper to get our seats for less than half of the face value, none of it would have been worth it. I’m not 
sure how they can justify those prices, even in New York. And especially considering that they’re second billing to the Yankees in this town. I just don’t understand how those prices are going to be a sustainable after the inaugural season. But honestly, other than that, I am a huge fan of New Shea Stadium. Bourbon and baseball…
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