From www.nymets.com The highly anticipated future of Mets baseball has been unveiled,finally and officially,as the Mets showcased their digital dreams for tomorrow.As introduced by Mets chairman of the board and CEO Fred Wilpon,the Mets' new home will be an open-air,natural grass baseball facility,featuring intimate seating for about 45,000 fans within the planned 1.26 million square foot facility.The new facility will be constructed in the parking lot east of Shea Stadium,behind the current stadium's outfield walls.It is expected to be in operation for Opening Day 2009.Currently described as Mets Stadium,Jeff Wilpon,chief operating officer,said the team is actively pursuing a corporate sponsor to acquire naming rights to the facility.The new stadium will pay homage to NYC and its baseball past,while honoring the Mets' history with numerous pitcher-friendly dimensions.The rotunda entrance of the Mets Stadium will evoke the tradition and aura of Ebbets Field,the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.The new stadium will also play a major role as the centerpiece of the planned revitalization of the Flushing area and the proposed business and housing redevelopment of Willets Point,the demarcation line of which begins adjacent to the stadium's planned border of 126th Street.Shea Stadium,which hosted its first game on April 17,1964,is the sixth oldest facility currently in operation in the Major Leagues.
