Yankee Stadium vs. Citi Field

Although I’m strapped for cash (like the rest of the world) I decided that visiting both new stadiums early in their fledgling seasons should be a priority for me. While I’m obviously a fan of baseball and sports in general, I’m also an avid stadium and arena enthusiast. I explored the ins and the outs of both stadiums, and the following is how the head-to-head match-up played out:

Beer - We’ll start off with a must have at every baseball game – the suds. Both stadiums offer 12 oz. Bud Lights at a somewhat reasonable $6, but if I wanted to drink a bottle of water, I could pay two dollars less. Behind centerfield at Citi, there are a host of food and beverage options, including the Beer Garden, which offers over 20 different varieties of beer for $8 a piece. I tried some California Kona Lager, which wasn’t spectacular, but I won’t hold that against Citi Field. That was my own fault.

Yankee Stadium had a stand with bottled beers, such as Yuengling and Coors, for $8.50 and a one called “Beers of the World” with 16 ouncers on tap for $11. The edge here goes to Citi for both price and selection. Edge - Mets

Ambiance – My favorite part of Citi Field was the entrance way. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda is unlike anything I have ever seen at any other ballpark. It is basically just a large room with some banners, but pretty cool nonetheless. However, as you may have heard elsewhere, looking around the stadium, you wouldn’t know that you were at the home of the Mets. There is no memorabilia commemorating the great teams and players of Mets’ past, and for this they lose points. I don’t go to the ball park just to just see a baseball game, I want the complete experience. Particularly when the Mets are playing as poorly as they are right now, having lost four in a row, I may need a reminder of why I invest so much time and energy in my team.

The new Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, was filled with history. Life size posters of all the MVPs can be found in the Main Level halls and they kept the wonderful façade in tact. Although there are less seats in the new stadium than the old, the place is enormous. It took me two innings just to walk around the stadium. Unfortunately, the stadium lacked something for me. It lacks the “ghosts.” I remember the first time I walked into the old Yankee Stadium at the ripe age of 10, being completely awestruck. Perhaps my advanced age plays into this, but I don’t think the energy from the old stadium has made its way across the street yet. There were too many empty seats behind home plate (we can blame high ticket prices and the economy for this, which is a different topic altogether) and I just didn’t get that feeling. Hopefully, as the playoffs near, this will change. Edge – Tie.

Food – The food selection at both stadiums was phenomenal, but I don’t think I can in good faith pass judgment on the food quality in the stadiums as a whole yet. At Citi Field, I went with the barbecue stand. The Chipotle Barbecue chicken wings and pulled pork sandwich I sampled were both excellent. At Yankee Stadium, however, I went the traditional route with a hotdog with mustard and onions and a soft pretzel. Both stadiums had much more to offer though – Italian, Japanese, Yankee Stadium even has the beloved Johnny Rockets. Without a larger sample set, this one is still up for debate. Edge – TBD.

Visual Amenities– Both stadiums have all of the high-tech up-to-date viewing pleasures you could possibly want. Out of town scoreboards, large replay screens, you name it, they got it. However, the Yankees get the edge for two reasons. 1. The Jumbotron – I would imagine this is the largest Jumbotron at any Major League Baseball park. It is HUGE. It can be seen in (what seems like high definition) from anywhere in the park. You don’t have to strain to watch replays or see a player’s stats. It’s pretty ridiculous. 2. Old School Scoreboard – The Yankees goal was to integrate the new technology with the old sense of nostalgia, and they’ve done a pretty good job of it. In left center field, they have the old school scoreboard with the guy behind the fence that has to manually change the numbers every inning. I appreciated this solely because I thought what a great job that would be. This is how I would imagine my life would be if I was that scoreboard guy:

(I’m at a swanky bar in Manhattan and I approach a good looking lady)

Me : Hi, I’m Scott, what’s your name?
Girl: I’m Jennifer. What do you do for a living Scott?
Me: I’m the manual scoreboard changing guy at Yankee Stadium.
Girl: Want to come home with me?
Me: Sure.
Edge: Yankees

Ballpark Sightlines: I have heard a lot of people complain about the blind spots at Citi Field, but from my perspective, it looked like they’re even worse at Yankee Stadium. From where I sat, in the upper deck in the right field corner, I could not see the home run that Robinson Cano hit down the line, or a couple of the doubles that hit the wall. Of course, I was able to watch the replay on the unfathomably large Jumbotron, but it’s not the same. Also, I noticed that if you are sitting in the bleachers in dead centerfield, you literally cannot see half of the field. There is a restaurant section that juts out into the bleacher section and if you’re sitting right next to it, then you are blind to an entire half of the field. When buying tickets, beware of this and make sure you check out where your seats are before you purchase them. In Citi Field, I was in the upper deck down the left field line and could see everything perfectly. I suppose it is different in certain sections, but for now Citi Field wins. Edge – Mets.

Travel – I’ve realized that taking the train from Jersey to any of the ball parks in New York is a pain in the ass. It literally took me three hours to get home from the Yankee Stadium, taking the subway, the train to Morristown and then the drive to Whitehouse Station. Not to mention, I was sitting in Swine Flu infested trains with a bunch of Swine Flu infested people and annoying Long Islanders. The trip on the LIRR seemed a little smoother, but annoying nonetheless. Edge – Both suck. Drive with a bunch of people, brave the traffic and split the $30 parking.

Stadium Name - Although I going with Citi to be their sponsor was being pretty clever, because Citi Field isn't as harsh on the ears as the Izod Center, for example, nothing can compete with Yankee Stadium. Kudos to the Steinbrenners for not messing that up. Edge - Yankees.

Overall – It’s tough to pick a winner, because both are beautiful, but I expected more from Yankee Stadium. I expected to be blown away, and I wasn’t. My mindset was different at Citi Field, just looking to have a fun day at the ball park with some buddies and I didn’t have as much invested in the game. For those who are worried about price, though, don’t. Of course you won’t get tickets in the lower levels for anything below $50, but I spent a total of $35 to get into BOTH games. So, I encourage you all to get to both stadiums and pass your own judgments, but due to unfulfilled expectations, I unfortunately have to give Citi Field the win. Edge – Mets.