Steve Cohen Wants YOUR Help Making Citi Field Changes

by Tim Reilly January 14, 2021

After trading for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, Steve Cohen has more upgrades on his mind. No, it's not George Springer. Not yet, at least. Uncle Stevie is looking to make changes at home. 

What kind of changes to the stadium would you like to see ? I’m looking for creative ideas

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) January 13, 2021

Steve Cohen's Citi Field makeover deserves a show on HGTV. Chip and Joanna Gaines have nothing on Steve and Alex Cohen. I love it. I'm ready to toss a hard hat on, grab a sledgehammer, and get to work. Just say the word, King and Queen. 

Citi Field is undoubtedly one of the best ballparks in the game. That doesn't mean it's without its faults. After opening with some questionable decor, or should I say lack thereof, there have been several mini renovations and additions to make the park more fan-friendly. Mets-friendly, too. But there's room for more.

Like every other Mets fan, my wheels got turning last night after Cohen put the word out there. Here's what I would like to see done, in no particular order. 

• Fix up the surrounding streets
• This might not be a Citi Field change, per se, but it also kind of is. Other than winning, nothing would bring fans to the ballpark more often than a more enjoyable experience within and around the stadium. Cut through the bureaucracy and make the development happen already.
• Seat Colors
• It doesn't need to be Shea, but the green has no character. 
• Entire stadium color scheme
• Again, the overwhelming brick and green combo doesn't feel like a home of the Mets
• Create a beer garden behind centerfield 
• Between Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, Beers of the World and The 7 Line kiosk, people are always hanging out in this area awkwardly as they enjoy a drink or meal mid-game. Make it easier for fans to hang and spend a few innings watching on that big screen with a more organized and spread out picnic table area 
• Food signage
• Food and drink is a bright spot of Citi Field. The options are awesome and each year new additions come in. With that said, you can always notice a lost soul trying to find that hot new items. Maybe them like attractions with signs throughout the walkways to keep people moving in the right direction. 
• Highlight Mets history
• Use the lower bowl concourse to commemorate great moments. Keep the flow in mind. Around the first baseline something about the Buckner play, right field the Swoboda '69 catch, left field highlight Tommie Agee's '69 World Series catches, third base David Wright nod... you get the drift.
• Make it like you're walking through a time capsule in franchise history as you walk around Citi Field
• Remove the Chick-fil-a sign on the foul poles 
• This ad placement sucks. I love you, Chick-fil-a, but let's figure something else out. 
• Honestly, I could do without a lot more ads as a whole. It's a business. Money has to be made. There just feels like far too many signs and sponsors that get lost in the crowd rather than a few large marquee ones instead. 
• Make use of the Shea bases
• They just sit in the parking lot with nothing more than plaques. There has to be a better way to celebrate Shea. Find a way to highlight this area and make it a must-stop for fans to reminisce on the way into the a game. 

Enough of my thoughts. Here are some other solid suggestions I picked up on in the thread. 

You absolutely need more mens rooms. Not sure where to fit them, but when the ballpark has a capacity crowd (hopefully every game), you’ll miss innings just hitting the bathroom. Not to mention spend less on drinks...

— Darren Meenan (@DarrenJMeenan) January 14, 2021

I understand the financial aspect to it but I would love to see it less commercialized in terms of ads. Instead of the Coca Cola corner it could be Keith's Korner, Acela Club could be Carter Club and so on. An all blue wall without ads would be a beautiful sight as well.

— Athlete Logos (@athletelogos) January 13, 2021

I don’t think you can expand the kids section all that much but an outdoor carnival experience during day games like the Red Sox do on Yawkey Way would be great for families

— Clem (@TheClemReport) January 14, 2021

Behind centerfield, there is a bridge called “Shea Bridge” but it doesn’t pay any homage to Shea Stadium. It would look much better with rectangular decorations or player silhouettes on it that were on the exterior of Shea. It would look amazin’ + remind us of entering Shea. #LGM pic.twitter.com/MHUttvcPcl

— Brad Badini ⚾️ (@celeBRADtion) January 13, 2021

Ask your buddy @GuyFieri to put a concession stand at the ballpark

— Amy (@akfanch) January 14, 2021

Hey Steve it would be amazing if the Neon light player figures of #Shea be put on the sides of #Citifield .🙌🙌🙌🙌 that was exciting to see and part of Mets history pic.twitter.com/i882k5t88s

— Michael Vazquez (@madmike7983) January 14, 2021

The beautiful, generation-bridging mural artwork that they just added to Clover Field should also be installed in Citi Field. pic.twitter.com/RtQxmjQCGu

— Elizabeth Muratore (@nymfan97) January 13, 2021

This beauty as a statue pic.twitter.com/rYjVNPDws6

— Matt Pasco (@mpasco26) January 13, 2021

 What wasn't mentioned? Let us and Uncle Stevie know! 

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