SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – While fans love to celebrate what happens on the field during Opening Day, the behind-the-scenes preparation from stadium employees and players often gets forgotten.
NBT Bank Stadium hasn’t seen any baseball since last September, everyone in the Mets organization knows the importance of starting off strong.
“We don’t want it to be a spring training or a dress rehearsal,” said Mets Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations Michael Tricarico. “We’re hitting the ground running. You want that first experience for those fans to be just as good as the experiences for people who have been coming for 40 or 50 years.”
The main key to making experiences for everyone involved great this early is consistency, says Syracuse Mets outfielder and top prospect Drew Gilbert.
“You have a certain routine that you try to stick to,” said Gilbert. “It’s really important to find a certain balance of not doing too much but also not doing too little. You have to find a good routine that works for you.”
However, Syracuse Mets manager Dick Scott said there the fine details of the entire gameday operation still need to be ironed out.
“There’s guys in the clubhouse that are working through things that they’re going to have to get right by tomorrow,” said Scott.
Being game-ready by the end of March is a tough challenge for the hundreds of Syracuse Mets employees and dozens of players and coaches, but Tricarico says fans are what keep everyone in the organization motivated to improve each and every day.
“We’re just really excited to have the fans out here for Opening Day,” said Tricarico.
Transcript
OPENING DAY IS ALL ABOUT BEING READY FOR ANYTHING… though NBT Bank Stadium hasn’t seen any baseball since last September, everyone in the mets organization knows the importance of starting off strong
We don’t want it to be a spring training or a dress rehearsal.” we’re hitting the ground running we want that experience you never know who’s here for the first time and you want that first experience for those fans to be just as good as the experiences for people who have been coming for 40 or 50 years
AND WHILE EVERYONE HERE FOR THE SYRACUSE METS HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE CONSISTENCY IS STILL THE MAIN KEY FOR EVERYONE FROM THE CONCESSION WORKERS TO THE PLAYERS
you have a certain routine that you try to stick to you know its really important to find a certain balance of not doing too much but also not doing too little you have to find a good routine that works for you you feel like you can play every single day
BUT WITH THE SEASON JUST STARTING, BOTH STADIUM STAFF AND PLAYERS WILL NEED TO IRON OUT THE FINE DETAILS
There’s other guys in the club house that feel the same way that are working through things that they’re gonna have to get right by tomorrow
WHILE BEING GAME READY BY THE END OF MARCH IS A TOUGH CHALLENGE FOR THE HUNDREDS OF SYRACUSE METS EMPLOYEES THERE’S ONE CONSTANT MOTIVATOR TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD EACH AND EVERY DAY
I THINK THAT we’re just really excited to have the fans out here for opening day and the entire weekend you know opening day there’s all the pomp and circumstance but we’re here for a three game homestand Friday Saturday Sunday
JUDE BAZERMAN– NCC NEWS