Performance Critic

by Richard Kostelanetz (April 2014)

While the Citi Field that replaced Shea Stadium is certainly more spacious, especially in its seating, its location is still disadvantageous. Airplanes taking off from La Guardia Airport come suddenly from behind home plate, causing too much noise especially in the upper decks (cheaper seats) and often visibly distracting players from the visiting teams. I can recall one relief pitcher telling Sports Illustrated that his least favorite venue in the National League was Shea Stadium because, he said, the bullpen was in an airport.

The Brooklyn minor league ballpark is several blocks away from the Stillwell Avenue subway terminal that is the terminal stop for several subway lines. One recurring logistical problem here is that behind center field is the Coney Island beach that traditionally hosts multiple fireworks at 10:30 pm every Friday. I witnessed one game in which this show went off on the scheduled time during the seventh inning, distracting the audience for sure, the players probably, to a greater degree than, say, the airplanes that take off over home plate at Citi Field/Shea Stadium.

For the performance standpoint, my favorite events in Madison Square Garden are boxing matches, some of which are quite engaging, especially if the card contains fighters from a certain ethnic group (say, Puerto Ricans or Russians). For years I loved the annual Millrose Games, which is a capacious track meet that includes high-school and college runners along with a few international track stars and club teams from the Metropolitan Area, mostly in relay races on a four-line track banked on its narrower ends. When I first attended, decades ago, the Millrose Games sold out the arena. However, by 2010 less than half the seats were filled. So the 2012 Millrose Games was held in the Washington Heights armory that also houses intercollegiate meets in makeshift balcony seating. Meanwhile, MSG hosted another track meet mostly with professionals. I found it lacking the charm of the Millrose Games. Since attendance was sparse, it might not happen again.

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