Citi Field: The future ain’t what it used to be

Things change, as baseball legend and sometime New York Mets player-coach Yogi Berra had his own inimitable way of saying. Some people prefer the future the way “it used to be” – and right now it’s the renaming of the Mets stadium that is upsetting fans.

Citi should be pitching, not quitting

March 2009

The baseball team announced in November that its new stadium will adopt the name Citi Field, rather than retain the original name, Shea Stadium, following a $400 million investment by Citigroup.

According to sources, the Mets’ principal owner, Fred Wilpon, has a long-standing relationship with Citigroup’s private bank. The 20-year sponsorship deal for the 45,000-seat ballpark being built next to Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, will be worth at least $20 million a year, setting a record for US stadium rights.

Some fans have been vocal in wanting to keep the name Shea, which they say epitomizes the team’s history.

Access this research

Enter your work email address to sign in or check whether your organisation already has access to Euromoney.