Every new parent dreams of firsts for their children.
Their first step, first word, first “A” on their report card.
For baseball fans though, there’s nothing quite as exciting as taking your little one to the ballpark for the first time.
On Wednesday, Aug. 16, my wife and I brought our one-year-old to Citi Field to see the Mets take on the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
In years past, attending a game would be a spur of the moment decision for the two of us — now, with an infant, we planned this outing months in advance.
Well, truth be told, my wife did.
To make sure you’re as prepared as we, err, she was, here are some key takeaways from our Citi Field experience.
Prior to attending the game, we scoured the web for tickets in a 300 level section with an overhang to protect baby’s fragile eyes.
Vivid Seats had just what we were looking for.
After a quick search, we spotted seats going for just $5 apiece before fees, which came out to a grand total of $16 (!) for a day at the ballpark.
Honestly, that was cheaper than the sandwich I bought at the ballpark.
To sweeten the deal even more, the MLB Ballpark app listed our seats had $42 value. Not bad. Not bad at all.
And if you and your family want a more up close and personal view, you can’t do much better than the shaded field-level section in right field.
Looking for a game that has the right price and section for you?
You can find tickets for all upcoming Mets home games right here.
If you’re planning on taking your baby to Citi Field, driving is obviously the easiest option.
However, public transit isn’t that bad.
My wife wore our baby with a carrier on the 7 train all the way to the Met-Willets Point stop in Flushing — she’s the real MVP — with relative ease and the three of us arrived well before the first pitch.
Before you say, “what did this husband writer guy even do,” I’ll let you know I carried a lightweight travel stroller, thank you very much.
The only truly rocky aspect of the journey on our way in was all the stairs at Mets-Willets. Expect to hike up, down, up, down with baby in tow if you take the subway to the ballpark.
Heading home was a different story though — we were met with construction delays. Therefore, we suggest you plan accordingly. You might not get home as early as you expect.
Once you’re through the turnstiles, it’s game on to unfold the travel stroller and begin your adventure.
For us, we entered through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, made the game-time decision to pay our respects to the Mets of yesteryear and entered the team’s classy Hall of Fame.
If you’re a fan of the team, there are plenty of photo ops in the space. Personally, I’m partial to snapping pics with the life-size Mr. Met and miniature Casey Stengel statue, but that’s just me. My wife was sure to pose next to the Gary Cohen plaque. She’s a bit of a GKR super fan.
Now, that we’d checked Mets history off our to-do list, we took an elevator up to the field level. On our ride, a kind staff member saw our baby and said “You have to get your first-game certificate!”
So, we did just that.
My wife filled out a quick survey and we were given the option to pick up the paper at the end of the game or have it mailed to our home.
We opted for the latter — there’s no telling if our kiddy would make it to the final out.
The three of us hustled to our section for the first pitch.
Although it was a day game and the Mets are well below .500, our section was still fairly full and quite loud. We squeezed our way in, folded the stroller and took our seats.
Finally, the game.
After a bit of fussing, the kid passed out on mom’s lap, post-baby food snack (which are allowed at Citi Field). Amazingly, our one-year-old slept through a few innings of cheers, jeers, walk up music and all sorts of other loud noises. As a result, we were free to watch DJ Stewart step up and help the Mets demolish the Pirates by a score of 8-3.
Let’s rewind a little bit though.
Of course, baby woke up midway through the game because, of course. Thankfully, Citi Field is perfect for strolling.
As my wife put it, “there’s no better or more accessible venue. The fan services, ramps, elevators and friendly greeters all make for a top-notch experience.”
We had no trouble with the front-facing stroller either. Our little one was “entertained if overwhelmed” my wife pointed out. This was never more evident than when the kid cried while meeting Mrs. Met.
And yes, we needed a family bathroom break. Make sure to bring diapers and disposable changing pads. Thank my wife for the preparedness there — that was all her doing.
Also, there is a nursing pod at the Northwell Health Nursing Station if you need to breastfeed or pump. Just make sure to stop by your seating level’s Fan Assistance station for more information.
Exiting the game, we treated the ballpark like an airplane and waited until everyone else had left. We figured there was no need to rush and jump in with the madding crowd. By exercising patience, our walk out was a breeze.
If you’ve been debating whether or not to get a game in this season with your infant/toddler, we can’t recommend it enough.
With an overly helpful staff and a venue made with new parents in mind, a Mets game is the perfect activity this summer.
Step right up and meet the Mets ASAP.
Need to find the right game to go to?
Check out the team’s complete 81-game 2023 home game schedule here.
It’s never easy to remember where the best views in the park are.
That’s where we come in — check out Vivid Seat’s official Citi Field map to find the section that best suits your seating needs.
No Mets fan — mom, dad or baby — is complete without the team’s iconic blue and orange gear.
If you’re looking to update your Mets wardrobe — whether it be jerseys, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, or hoodies — we’ve got all your Mets goods’ needs covered here.
Prefer a concert?
This winter and fall, many big acts are on the road.
To keep things simple, here are just five coming to the Big Apple these next few months.
• Death Cab For Cutie with The Postal Service
• SZA
Want to see who else is touring this year? Check out our list of the 52 biggest concert tours in 2023 here.