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With Citi Field construction making progress towards Opening Day 2009, we turn our attention to a relatively small detail at the stadium - the Home Run Apple. There's a movement afoot at SaveTheApple.com to...save the apple as it currently exists at Shea Stadium. While the website points out that renderings of Citi Field show an apple behind the outfield walls, there is no word on whether the apple is the same as the existing Shea apple or a new Citi Field apple.
In a post from early today, SaveTheApple makes its case for the apple by pointing out that US Cellular Field has some of the original exploding pinwheels from old Comiskey Park. Fireworks from those pinwheels went off during a home run, much like the apple rises from its top hat (though Wikipedia says the "exploding scoreboard" is a replica. The current apple, which debuted in 1980, is about 9 feet wide, is made of plaster and weighs 582 pounds. The top hat it emerges from is constructed of plywood.
SaveTheApple also has an online petition, currently with 162 signatures, to Mets ownership. While the apple is certainly hokey, it's been with the Mets so long that we can't imagine a Mets home run without it. It's one of the few things from Shea that we wouldn't mind seeing making it over to Citi Field.
Update: Matt Cerrone over at MetsBlog sends us a link to their post in June that says the prospects for the Shea apple are grim. It may be replaced by a more elaborate apple with the current one auctioned off for charity.
Photo of the Home Run Apple in 1994 by Triborough on flickr
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I'd like to see the Apple somewhere in Citi Field... but I'd also like the area behind the center field fence to not look like a construction area.
They should replace the Home-Run apple with a big dollar sign.
I would love it if they painted the apple red again. It always looks so faded and dusty.
They should scrap everything - at both Shea and Yankee stadia. The proposed replacements are beyond hideous. Has anyone seen what architects are doing with stadia in Europe? Wouldn't it be beyond amazing if we could have something beautiful like Allianz stadium? Or Olympic stadium in Athens? They are some of the most incredible examples of architecture to come down the pike in a while. Instead we are going to get this mediocre 'nostalgic' stadiums just like every other piece of architecture that was built in NYC in the past 30 years.
Isn't there a Mets museum where that apple can retire? It's pretty beat.
I think they should keep an apple, any apple, the current apple shoudln't really be considered special though, it's not particularly attractive. Besides looking faded and dusty it looks as if it's been poorly patched several times. Not an apple I'd buy at the store for sure. Auction off the current one make a new one and get over it.
It's the former Comiskey Park in Chicago - no "n".
Keep it!!!
It's too much ingrained into the lore of the Mets, through good and bad times. Every TV broadcast always goes straight to the Apple on a HR; every fan at the park takes a look at the Apple when one is hit.
While it may not be the classiest thing ever, most staidums are too corporate and have no element of personality to celebrate a HR. Shea should keep the tradition it has.
The apple is a homemade POS get a new one.
i love that the mets apple is not particulary attractive, and even kind of janky looking.
[4] You cite Allianz Stadium as beautiful? I'd rather have a nostalgic stadium than one that looks like some weird balloon like Allianz.
Also, I can see them replacing the Apple with a new one with the Citi logo on it.
america is so pc boring:
these are not:
Munich: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/02/sports_stadiums/index_01.htm
London: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/02/sports_stadiums/index_01.htm
Qatar: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/02/sports_stadiums/index_01.htm
don't worry. they'll replace the apple with something similiar except it will have some huge advertisment on it and all of the idiot complacent pea-brained sports fans will accept this without any argument.
Eric,
You must never have been to AT&T park in SF - you can have a new, corporate stadium that is still a great, charming place to be.
That apple has needed replacement since I went to my first Mets' game 22 years ago. I say, let's get a newer, bigger one made of some modern material that lights up from the inside. I always thought it would be a lot cooler if it glowed.
The old apple should have a place of honor in some museum or stadium club somewhere.
It may be crummy, but it's our thing. I think many teams go away from old traditions easily when moving into new parks/stadiums. It'd be nice to keep a piece of history/older tradition when moving into a new facility.
In addition, the other cities links, those facilities are not for baseball, which has unique dimensions and designs, and I do not think all of them lend to baseball.
Who cares? None of us will be able to afford a ticket to the new place anyway.
I agree the apple is a little faded, probably not a horrible idea to spruce it up. However, we must have something like it in the new stadium - the apple coming out of the hat is my favorite parts of a game at Shea!
Those stadiums in Europe are for soccer or Olympic events. If you want something like that in the US check out:
http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/
How about getting a new apple for Citifield, but leave the old apple where it is, as a sort of monument? It's current location would place it somewhere near the front of the new stadium. Just a thought.
This is all Fred wilpon's fault. Can't he just sell the Mets and go buy the Dodgers already.