It was an awesome experience to be able to take in the Mets opening day game on Monday against the Phillies from the Verizon Wireless Suite. We can’t thank the company enough for this awesome experience and opportunity to watch the game from such a unique perspective.
The Verizon suite is located just above the last row of the field level seats. Upon entering, I was greeted by a server who asked me what I would like to drink and insisted I get started on some finger foods that were set out as appetizers. Great food and a couple beers added to a fantastic experience.
One of the most unique parts of the day was being equipped with the brand new Ellipsis 8 tablet. I had little to no experience using any sort of tablet in my life so this truly felt like an innovative piece of technology in my hand. It has a clear, high definition display that is easy to navigate.
The device was especially useful as a member of the media. It was extremely accessible especially in terms of monitoring and posting on social media, Instagram and Twitter especially. The Ellipsis also has a quality camera on it with a panorama option which made for some unique pictures.
I was speaking with other bloggers in the suite (this event was specifically targeted for bloggers) and we all agreed that our favorite quality about the tablet was that it was a perfect size. It was big enough where pictures seemed to be in a higher quality then on my computer or my iPhone.
The keyboard took some getting used to like any touch screen keyboard would of that size. I remember it took me some time to master the iPhone touch screen and now I would consider myself a very fast typer on it. I would imagine that with some practice, I would become more and more competent with the device. There was a certain level of autonomy I felt with this device. I was able to do other things like easily manage my fantasy baseball lineups, check Facebook posts and look things up on the Google Chrome browser. There is even an option to sync your Verizon cellphone with the tablet so you can receive and answer your text messages on it.
Obviously, the result was the biggest factor into my enjoyment of the game. It was a pitching duel between the reigning Rookie-Of-The-Year Jacob deGrom and the veteran Aaron Harang. DeGrom did not disappoint, pitching 6.1 innings with three strikeouts and no earned runs while earning the win. Both teams struggled offensively during the game.
I had an incredible angle for a couple plays involving Lucas Duda. The suite was lined up with home plate and first base. The first play was the laser that was hit. The batter who hit it escapes me and I want to say it was Chase Utley. Anyway, Duda took one step back and picked the hotshot that was hit at him and took it to the bag for the out. It got me thinking on Duda’s improvement as a player.
Sure, Duda earns his paycheck with his bat, clubbing 30 home runs a year ago. However, he has came a long way since the Mets traded Ike Davis and gave Duda the reigns permanently. I remember watching Davis flip into the stands a bunch and thought of him as a future gold glover. I won’t go as far as saying Duda will win that award, but he sure has improved and mostly looks so comfortable over there.
Second, Duda crushed a ball that tailed foul down the right field line. It went about 15 rows up in the second deck and was about 20 feet foul. This hit was just a monster and it sparked some electricity in the ballpark even though it was foul. It has seemed that the Mets haven’t had a real offensive star emerge ever since David Wright and Jose Reyes in the mid 2000’s. Duda seems to be breaking that trend and it seems that pitchers are taking notice. He is a feared hitter in the National League.
All in all, it was a fantastic day. There is no beer as refreshing as the one you’re drinking at a ballpark. The Mets took the victory behind a fantastic start. And I can’t thank Verizon enough for being incredible hosts and providing me with a fun and unique experience on Opening Day.
