The Mets Home Away from Home

There were a couple of periods when as a Mets fan from the shore watching them play in Philadelphia was nearly as good as a home game at Shea Stadium. 

In the mid and late 1980’s the Mets were really good and the Phillies were not so you could buy a relatively inexpensive ticket and join throngs of Mets fans who packed Veterans Stadium. The same in the years between 1997-2000 when the Mike Piazza-led Mets would regularly make you wonder who the home team was at the Vet as thousands clad in blue and orange would chant “Let’s Go Mets” with the home team fans somewhat futile to drown them out.

Things changed though when the Phillies moved into Citizens Bank Park in 2004 and started winning and filling seats.  Even though the Mets were still pretty good the Phillies had built a solid team and what’s more a rabid fan base that made it a bit more challenging and expensive to get tickets when you were the visiting team, especially the Mets.  Red, white and blue was everywhere!

It had been a while since as a Mets fan I watched my team play in Philly.  The last experience with my wife and children several years ago had not been pleasant as the fans were not kind to those wearing Mets gear and we headed to the parking lot by the fifth inning.

Of course from 2007-2011 the Phillies won five straight division titles and twice came from way back to pass the Mets who going into this year had suffered 7 consecutive losing seasons. During that time I kept my promise of never stepping into Citizens Bank Park again to watch the Mets.

"Never" ended last night when my wife and I along with another couple made the trip to what is one of my favorite baseball stadiums, even if it’s been a house of horrors.  The Mets are suddenly good again and the Phillies are pretty lousy and not drawing big crowds so we figured there would be a lot of New Jersey Mets fans in the house.  There were although early it looked like it would be another long and dismal ride home down Route 70 as the Phillies led 7-2 in the 3^rd inning.

You might know by now that the Mets would hit a club-record 8 home runs and make Citizens Bank Park look like the little league stadium in Williamsport.  The “Let’s Go Mets” chants kept getting louder with each home run and by the time the Mets wrapped up a 16-7 laugher it was mostly Mets fans left in the stadium, just like it used to be.  I was already well on my way home with a big smile on my face.