my first time (at citi field)

This weekend I went to my very first game at Citi Field, home of my New York Mets. I know what you're thinking. "She calls herself a fan? And she hasn't been to Citi until May 30th?" And yes, I admit it was very late in the season to be going to my first game, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. The problem isn't a lack of desire to go on my part, but rather a lack of someone else to go with. But this weekend, I had a taker - my dad!

All I can say about Citi Field is "amazing." I had a smile plastered on my face as we walked around field level, seeing everything from brick oven pizza vendors to the famous Shake Shack. I loved the open feel of the space - we were inside the stadium, but there was a breeze and sunlight pouring in. The view from even the seats furthest from the field were amazing, and I could imagine the view from just about anywhere in the stadium being great. Our seats were in section 130 - field level just before the left field reserved seats. We only couldn't see one little corner of left field, and had to turn our heads to see the diamond, but overall they were great seats. As 1:30 p.m. rolled in, so did the shade, which gave us some relief from the hot sun baking us since 12:30 p.m. when we sat down. It was a tough day for Mets baseball - no Wright, no Reyes, no Sheffield. And let's face it - we got creamed. But overall, it was a great first-time-at-the-new-ballpark experience, and I can't wait to go back.

I do have a few questions/complaints that I've seen/heard around the Mets blog community before: What is with "Sweet Caroline" and why no "Meet the Mets?" Singing "Sweet Caroline" I can deal with, but "Meet the Mets" is a Mets game staple and I felt lost without it. Is this any every game kind of thing? Or are they just playing it certain games? What's the deal?