The scheduled series between NL East rivals Braves and Mets was essentially ruined due to rain this past weekend. Friday's game was played in rainy conditions and then called after just five innings. Saturday and Sunday's games were wiped out and there's now a doubleheader on Monday.
In light of this and other weather issues, it appears Mets owner Steve Cohen has been curious enough about adding a retractable roof to Citi Field to get a quoted price. Via Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
Mets owner Steve Cohen is one who's looked into building a retractable roof for Citi Field, no surprise since he'll consider anything to improve Mets fan experience.
And word is Cohen was told it would cost $800 million to add a retractable roof, which seems to have given him pause to the point where he is currently considering it a missed opportunity.
It seems that this is less realistic and more "incredibly wealthy dude just wanted to know what it would cost," but it's fun to consider.
In general, it feels like most baseball fans would rather watch the product outdoors, and I'm among them. There are those times where the weather is so bad, though, that having the option to move games to indoors would be a nice luxury. A retractable roof provides ballparks with the best of both worlds, but it seems like in this case that ship has already sailed. Heyman reports the Wilpon ownership group could have put a retractable roof on Citi Field during construction for much cheaper (possibly around $125 million).
Weather happens in baseball. It's a bummer when it does, but it's part of the game. Not every ballpark needs to have a retractable roof (though it's hilarious to envision how one would look on ballparks like Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium). I also don't blame Cohen for wondering what it would cost. If you're that rich, why not just ask?
As always, the best idea would clearly be a gigantic glass dome like on The Simpsons Movie that could be flown around the country and used whenever it's raining.
