Twelve years ago, after weeks of chatting on Tinder, a woman and her eventual husband decided to meet in person. Days before their date, he texted to ask if she was into baseball. She told him she had no idea about the sport but would watch a game with him. They married, had three children, and shared countless baseball games together.
Her husband, a devoted Pirates fan, wanted their children to love the sport too. A recent family trip to New York City felt like the best way to introduce them to Major League Baseball: a Mets game at Citi Field. They all had a blast.
After the twins were born, the household moved from Brooklyn to Maine for a slower pace of life.
Going from a city that loves sports to one with all minor league teams was an adjustment. Because tickets are cheaper in Maine, they have been able to take their children to several baseball games since they were little. The children love cheering on the Portland Sea Dogs, spotting Slugger the mascot, and getting free passes on affordable snacks.
The local ballpark is small, easily accessible, and family-friendly. But after six years in Maine, the woman was missing the energy and chaos of a venue like Citi Field. During a trip to New York to see friends, they decided to stop by the stadium as part of their adventures.
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The Mets have family Sunday games, and on the day they went, it was “Toy Story 5” day — perfect since they had just seen the movie.
As soon as they stepped into the ballpark, each child received a bucket hat featuring the movie’s characters.
The hats came in handy since their seats for the 1:40 p.m. game were in full sun, and the parent worried everyone would overheat and complain.
There were so many little children everywhere, which helped her feel less stressed about keeping her own children in check. They visited the kids’ club, where each got a lanyard and stickers.
The venue offered a $50 option for a different color lanyard with VIP access to a base run with Mr. and Mrs. Met and extra goodies, but the family passed because she did not think it was worth the price.
There was also a small air-conditioned area where kids could color and play, but her 8-year-old and 6-year-old twins felt already too big for it. They had lounge access, which was key with the little ones. They arrived over an hour before the game started and made their way to the Clover Lounge for food.
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One order of chicken nuggets, two empanadas, one burger, and one sandwich cost them $81, which felt pretty standard for ballpark prices.
The food was delicious.
They thought they would have more time to explore the venue and show the children around. But by the time they finished lunch and visited the kids’ club, it was already time for the first pitch, so they ran back to their seats.
The children were entertained not only by the game — which featured a Mets home run, so they got to see the apple pop up — but also by trying to spot Mr. and Mrs. Met throughout the field and watching the games on the field between innings.
Halfway through, they took another pause to eat ice cream out of baseball helmets and cool down.
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The woman was amazed at how good a time they were having. Then she remembered they had actually brought their son to see a Mets game when he was a baby back in 2019. There was a heat wave, and she had just found out she was pregnant with twins. Hours before they were set to leave for the ballpark, she started bleeding.
Her partner suggested they stay home, but she figured there was nothing left to do if she was having a miscarriage. She would rather keep herself busy watching a live game than sitting at home.
Almost seven years later to the day, they were at Citi Field with their twin daughters, watching the game as a family of five.
The Mets lost, and they left before the crowds congested the streets. On their way out, a security guard stopped the youngsters to give them even more stickers and high-fives.
On the way back home, she asked them what their favorite thing of the day had been. They all agreed on one thing: everything.
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