Citi Field finds its identity

Citi Field really, truly became the home of the Mets this week.

            Not to reprise the phrase that commentators used a few times last year, that “Yankee Stadium found its voice!” I appreciate waxing poetic as much as the next person, but I just don’t know what that meant really. Plus, I always thought that was overstated.

           I think it is fair to say, though, that the Mets new park has established its identity. Fans were rightfully upset last year when they noticed that the place looked nice and it had great food and all, but it just didn’t seem like home. The franchise did some improvements to address that, such as the Mets Hall of Fame and the Hodges and Stengel entrance and the banners depicting former Mets on the perimeter.

         But what really stamped the park as truly Mets-like was the feeling there over the past week. It is easy now to associate Citi Field with Jason Bay’s home runs, K-Rod striking out A-Rod, Angel Pagan’s diving catch and the outstanding starting pitching against the Yankees and Phillies.

         Fans made themselves at home, too. “There were good crowds, there was energy in the crowds. As players, you feed off that,” Mike Pelfrey said last night after his seven shutout innings.

            Jeff Francouer called the shutout sweep of the Phillies “the most amazing series I’ve ever been a part of.”

             Now if only they can play a little better on the road. “That’s what we’ve got to figure out,” Jose Reyes said.

            Francouer said, “We’ve got to find a way to do better there. You’ve got to be somewhere around .500.”