With 11 minutes until the first pitch on Saturday night, I took the 10-minute tour of the CitiField Preview Center (located near Section 9 in the Loge Level.)  I recommend that all of you take the tour for two reasons: a) it will be the last time an average fan can experience the kick-ass amentie$ in Citi's luxury skyboxes, one of which they had replicated to a "T"; and b) it's a great opportunity to see your tax dollars at work.

Here are some pics taken from my mobile solely for your viewing pleasure.

National League Rookie of the Year 2009.

Ground-Breaking Souvenir. I would have stuffed it down the leg of my pants but it would have set off the Shea mental metal detectors. Touche Wilpon, touche.

Pretty shweet Virtual Tour in a mini-theater, where viewers sat in ...

Replica Citi seats! Cupholders? That's worth at least a 60-percent ticket mark-up right there!

The Center also features a faux locker room installation. The white blob above Reyes' locker is a digital safe-box, ya know, to store his jewels (and webgems.)  I assume D.Wright must settle on hiding his bling 'neath his cap.

So the Mets are in Cin-City and Shea is closed ... what's a boy to do? Head to the movies, thats what! I stumbled over to Clearview Cinema's Chelsea location on 23rd and 8th, after some hearty wings-and-beer pre-gaming at Dallas BBQ, and joined Mr. Met and friends for "Mets at the Movies." Amazin! Best time I've had at a game this year and I wasn't even in a baseball stadium.

The powers that be recreated Shea's cheap seats in a 250-person capacity movie theater complete with hot dog vendors, beer guys, live trivia ... heck even the Pepsi Party Patrol was there. Giveaways, sing-a-longs and an authentic seventh-inning stretch made me feel back home in Section 38.  Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure ... and by the way the next "Mets at the Movies" is Aug.27 vs the Phuckers.

Chelsea 23rd st. b/w 7th and 8th.

Your movie has come.

Packed house full of orange and blue. God Bless America.

If they only had these comfy seats at Shea.

The Guest of Honor.

I told you they recreated the cheap seats at Shea.

Oh come on, not even Aramark asks $5 for a water! But you save a bundle on CrackerJacks, which came in a "bag" the size of old-school airline peanuts.

I don't know if you can make it out in this pic, but this ticket stub, to an event at a MOVIE THEATER I remind all, reads "Rain or Shine." Right.

I'll be heading over to the Chelsea Cinema (260 West 23rd Street) to catch "Mets at the Movies"  this Thursday at 7 PM.  Should be a good time ... from what I gather via mets.com, "Mr. Met will be there as well as hundreds of fellow fans to watch SNY's live broadcast when the Mets face the Reds on the big screen. Enjoy ballpark style concessions, inning break trivia contests & more!" Well that sounds lovely ... anyone from good ol' AA wanna join me? Come on Eric, I've read that you love movies and while this one isn't free, it comes with a free win. Tix are $12.

Consider this a roll call? 

Big.Yellow.Sign.

More Signage.

View from afar.

Entrance to the Javits Center. What a venue! I've been there for car shows, boat shows and more recently a kick-ass food expo. But MLB went all out and really maximized this space - which is enormous. If there's any event at Javits, save for a teacup yorkie accessory convention, you owe it to yourself to go.

Sticker-happy TV.

Confirming something we all knew: Baseball fans have the biggest balls.

Moments before a vicious attack on my person by  seemingly harmless Rox mascot, Stomper. I dropped my camera in the melee and no further photo ops could be had. Don't be fooled by that little punk's smile.

Got home, fixed the camera problem and took a pic of all the sweet SWAG courtesy of CHEVY, DHL, KPMG, MLB.com and a trivia contest that netted me an All-Star program.

The Houses that Ruthlessness Built  courtesy of The Village Voice. No, not the bisexual-baritone-on-Bleeker-Street Village Voice but the infamous (and free!) metropolitan rag with the color-print-escort-listings-in-the-back Village Voice. The cover story features a terrific sad-but-true take on the current state of NY baseball (unfortunately, it went to press just before the Mets' nine-game tear.) The piece by Allen Barra, the Voice's resident baseball guru, comes loaded with big, juicy new stadium bashing, a side of fresh Minaya re:Randolph quotes and a 16 oz. Diet Sarcasm, no ice.