Seaver to Piazza: A perfect pitch

They closed Shea, so it stood to reason that Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza should open Citi Field. And they did, much to the delight of thousands of Mets fans in attendance and at least one blogger watching from home.

I was a little surprised that the PA system was rocking some Chicago as the pair walked through the bullpen door ("Beginnings" was the song they played), but it was somehow fitting and upbeat.

And unlike the final pitch at Shea, which Seaver bounced (Ron Darling noted on the broadcast that Piazza retired because he was done with blocking pitches in the dirt), No. 41 threw a perfect strike to Piazza, who -- look closely -- instinctively brought the ball back into the strike zone and held it. Nice.

I'll be at Citi Field Friday night for my first up-close look, but I'll say it again -- there needs to be a statue of Tom Seaver somewhere. And while I'm not as disturbed by the "Dodgerness" of Citi Field as I once was, my brother put it best:

"I didn't know Jackie was a Met."