IGT 4/4/2025 (#7): TOR@NYM — Hello Strangers

[G-Fafif]

The Mets return to Citi Field for full-on baseball purposes for the first time in exactly 24 weeks, taking on an opponent we don’t automatically associate with Openers of a Metropolitan kind, though it can be noted that the very first exhibition game in Toronto Blue Jays history came against the New York Mets, a 3-1 victory for the Canadian troupe at Dunedin, March 11, 1977. The expansion club’s pitching coach was Original Met Bob Miller — that Bob Miller, not the other Bob Miller.

All these weeks and years later, it will be Tylor Megill vs. Kevin Gausman at 3:10 PM. Ceremonial/anniversary first pitches will be tossed by 2000 NL champs Al Leiter and John Franco, and 2015 pennant players Bartolo Colon and Juan Lagares. Time continues to fly. Here’s hoping the Mets continue to win.

[AMonkey]

Excited to be there in person to see Juan Lagares and Bartolo Colon throw out an anniversary first pitch. That doesn't make me feel ancient at all, promise.

[whippoorwill]

Hoping for a Borough Race report!

[kcmets]

FanDude has Pizza Slice at 2-1 as of mid afternoon.

[G-Fafif]

Lindor SS
Soto RF
Alonso 1B
Nimmo LF
Marte DH
Vientos 3B
Torrens C
Acuña 2B
Siri CF
-
Megill RHP (1-0, 1.80)

[kcmets]

PeteyBOOM!!

Alonso is on fire!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Opposite-field homers by Pete will forever remind me of Game Three in Milwaukee.

[Gwreck]

Hoping for a Borough Race report!

It was even worse than expected. No one was actually racing and it was all scripted. Staten Island (the Ferry) ran the wrong direction. Bronx (Giraffe) gets out to big lead but falls down short of the finish so Queens (some sort of deformed subway car) can win.

Costumes look even more ridiculous and amateurish in person. We should all be embarrassed as Mets fans that this is taking place in our stadium.

[Chad ochoseis]

Watching the Gelbs-Shamsky interview and Gelbs says "Kranepool was an original Met". Are we now considering all the '62 Mets as original, even if they weren't on the Opening Day roster?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think that's been the standard for a long time. I've always known Kranepool to be referred to as an Original Met.

[roger_that]

Kranepool to be referred to as an Original Met.

Complete bulllshit. He was playing high school ball when the 1962 Mets started MLB, for chrissakes.

[stevejrogers]

Hoping for a Borough Race report!

It was even worse than expected. No one was actually racing and it was all scripted. Staten Island (the Ferry) ran the wrong direction. Bronx (Giraffe) gets out to big lead but falls down short of the finish so Queens (some sort of deformed subway car) can win.

Costumes look even more ridiculous and amateurish in person. We should all be embarrassed as Mets fans that this is taking place in our stadium.

Worse than the Mule or the MFY’s Dandy?

[Fman99]

In Reed we trust

[Fman99]

I think that's been the standard for a long time. I've always known Kranepool to be referred to as an Original Met.

He was a '62 Met - not the same thing

[Edgy MD]

I was on the road for this one, following on the cellie.

Nice to pop out of the car to visit Michael's Craft Supply with a 5-2 lead and come back to find it suddenly 5-0. That's an odd way to expand a lead.

[Lundy]

I knew I had made a mistake as I walked out my front door. Having been a veteran of Opening Days in Flushing, I knew it was a good idea to wear layers of clothing. But today that Mets sweatshirt i put on was not going to be necessary. The Mets t-shirt I had on underneath was all I was going to need.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, and then it was not, but that was OK because then we wouldn't be overheated or sunburned. It was in the mid 60s so it wasn't going to be cold either.
We got to the park around noon, but the gates had not yet opened, so we waited in line...for about 20 minutes or so, when we finally entered the Citi Field lot. We secured our spots near the exits, and began our tailgate. We usually stop in at a local deli and grab sandwiches on the way in, but this year one of our buddies offered to cook. And cook he did, we had a five-course meal starting with shrimp skewers, marinated steak, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, and finally London broil. We ate (and drank) like kings. We were enjoying ourselves so much at the tailgate that we lost track of time and started to walk up later than we planned. We ended up missing all the introductions, arriving in time to hear O Canada followed by the Star-Spangled Banner. Our seats were in Section 131, and my seat was literally right in front of the left field foul pole. Great views there. More on that to come...
Loved that the game started off with a bang, literally. Lindor hustling to second and narrowly avoiding the tag, followed by another Pete Alonso blast. Certainly kept our spirits high.
The joke going around with us that we had Meh-gill going for us, but he was better than meh for the most part.
I had to use the restroom, and ended up waiting on line for some soft-serve ice cream to top off the great meal I had. I ended up missing the Mascot race completely. I guess that was a good thing...
During the top of the 7th, Ernie Clement hit a ball past our seats by the foul pole. We knew it was foul immediately. To our surprise the umpire called it fair. We knew that was bullshit. I got communiques from home that said they had seen me on TV as we were all looking to the left of the foul pole. Fortunately it was a quick reversal, and the batter was struck out on the next pitch.
There were a few new between innings distractions introduced, but nothing earth shattering or memorable. The crowd showed a lot of love to Soto, and, obviously, Alonso. All in all a great day. Traffic was bad getting onto the Van Wyck, but what can you expect on a Friday evening in rush hour?

[metirish]

Good stuff , Lundy, reminded me of the opening day story we usually post yearly

[Benjamin Grimm]

Cast your vote!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Welcome back Lundy.

Read where some idiots were booing the Canadian anthem. That's reprehensible

[whippoorwill]

Just when I was thinking ‘what a crummy IGT’ Lundy gives us this… :)

[whippoorwill]

Hoping for a Borough Race report!

It was even worse than expected. No one was actually racing and it was all scripted. Staten Island (the Ferry) ran the wrong direction. Bronx (Giraffe) gets out to big lead but falls down short of the finish so Queens (some sort of deformed subway car) can win.

Costumes look even more ridiculous and amateurish in person. We should all be embarrassed as Mets fans that this is taking place in our stadium.

I hope they change the script from time to time

[Edgy MD]

I knew I had made a mistake as I walked out my front door.

You rarely read a bad story beginning with this line. Good show, Lundy.

[metirish]

I knew I had made a mistake as I walked out my front door.

You rarely read a bad story beginning with this line. Good show, Lundy.

This is what got me thinking of the Airstrip, I could feel that tension

[Lundy]

Welcome back Lundy.

Read where some idiots were booing the Canadian anthem. That's reprehensible

I must have been in a section with some hockey fans, because a lot of us were actually singing along to O Canada.