Just What the Doctor Ordered

No doubt about it, the Glass Man has been an unabashed booster of Citi Field. But in recent days, as fan criticism of the un-Mets-ness of the place has gathered steam, I've found myself sympathizing with that critique.

The fact is that there is extremely little in the building to remind you that the Mets play there. In the business world they'd call it a rebranding exercise, an attempt to relaunch a product in a new image.

The fact is that, for me, the experience of watching the game there is what's paramount, and from everything I've seen of Citi Field, that experience is fantastic. But as you've no doubt read by this point, the fact is that there is a noticeable absence of hallmarks to the team's history. In fact, the building feels a lot like a tribute to the bygone Brooklyn Dodgers.

The fact is that Dodger and Giant history is part of the Mets' story, and I don't mind the team making a point of it in the new stadium.

The problem though is twofold: first, the history the stadium honors is not both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants, it's mostly just the Dodgers; second, the history the stadium honors is not both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Mets, it's mostly just the Dodgers.

You see it in a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Just look at the seating chart: there's an Ebbets Club but not a Shea Club or a Polo Grounds Club.

When you enter the building there's the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is a really unique, really impressive entrance for a stadium. But just imagine if they had made a similar hall honoring Mets history -- imagine if they had a grand hallway where videos with Mets greats played on constant loop.

I'm not saying they should gut the Jackie Robinson Rotunda or anything, but it would have been really fantastic if they'd also built a shrine devoted to Mets history. God knows we won't get it anywhere else.

More subtly, they really should have their ushers wear blue or orange parkas, rather than the Phillie red ones they currently wear. And while I don't mind either as they currently are, it seems that a blue wall and blue and orange tiered seats would go a long way toward appeasing fans.

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The fan ire came to a head this week with Gooden-gate. I was prepared to go on a major rant this morning about the idiocy of the organization for erasing Gooden's signature.

I haven't seen it in person, but in the pictures I've seen, his autograph lends an organic, history-embracing quality to Citi Field that it currently lacks. Erasing it would have been a tragedy, and I'm really glad they've decided to reverse course and keep the signature. They're going to move it to another location, but they're also going to encourage other Mets greats to write their names alongside it. This is the right move.

The team is also now saying that they will be constructing a Mets Hall of Fame or some such thing at Citi Field. It is a fair question as to why that wasn't a higher priority for them initially, and you have to wonder where they've got the real estate to do a truly excellent job, but I hardly know all the ins and outs of the ballpark yet.

More than anything, I just want the Mets to do the little things they can to squash this story so that people can go back to admiring the great things about Citi Field. As far as I'm concerned, the good far outweighs the bad, and I wish the focus were on that.

- A.F.O.M.G.