BRIAN Kemp probably will never play in the major leagues. But sometimes timing can supersede talent and create a big-league moment that will last beyond his years on earth.
Kemp, who grew up a Met fan in East Rockaway and now bats leadoff for the St. John’s Red Storm, yesterday became the answer to a pair of trivia questions:
Who had the first at-bat when the ballpark opened its doors on March 29, 2009; and who recorded its first stolen base?
It’s something his future kids and grandkids likely will get tired of hearing.
“It’s something I can talk about when I’m 70 years old,” said Kemp, whose Red Storm lost 6-4 to Georgetown.
“You think about every major-leaguer that’s going to play here, and just to say I played on that field before all of them, that’s exciting.”
It was exciting for everyone yesterday. St. John’s coach Ed Blankmeyer said his players, “Felt like kids in a candy store,” while Georgetown outfielder Tommy Lee of Mahopac, said, “You couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
It was exciting for the fans who braved an early drizzle to walk around the new digs taking pictures like they were at the World Series. And it was exciting for the Met front-office types, who worried about everything from the parking to the waterless urinals.
All in all, it was a smashing debut for the $800 million facility that welcomes the Mets with exhibition games Friday and Saturday against the Red Sox.
“It’s a proud day for us to open up and have the energy and the passion that the fans bring,” said David Howard, the Mets’ VP of business operations.
There were the usual first-day glitches, like no one knowing where anything was or how to get there. The distance markers weren’t on the outfield walls, and most of the new food fare wasn’t available.
There have been enough new ballparks built over the last decade that those who travel won’t be blown away by Citi Field. Once you get past the beautiful Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which connects the past to the present, Citi Field doesn’t have a featured characteristic like the elevated outfield at Minute Maid Park in Houston, or the outfield sandbox at PETCO Park in San Diego or the swimming pool at Chase Field in Phoenix.
The Big Apple just behind the center field wall is practically hidden, leaving the oversized scoreboard and a Budweiser sign as the most dominant features.
Still, there is a cozy feel to the 42,000-seat park that spacious Shea never had. Even the upper deck seats feel like an arm’s length away, and the unobstructed views from the concourse level keep moving fans in touch with the game.
“It’s got its own little mystique about it,” said John Franco, the former Met closer and St. John’s alum who threw out the first pitch. “The only thing that reminds me of Shea Stadium is the planes flying over.”
For now, Citi Field has a little too much fresh paint and shine for Met fans who have known mostly frustration in recent years. Those who went to Shea were die-hards because there was nothing else there besides baseball. Now there is more to do than just watch the game. Citi Field will be a novelty for a while — part ballpark, part food court, part museum.
But there will be memories made. Brian Kemp already has his.