SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — When Syracuse Mets fans ask for changes to the stadium experience, the team does its best to fulfill the requests, team broadcaster Michael Tricarico said.
One of the most frequent requests the team received recently was to incorporate more local food options at the team’s ballpark, NBT Stadium, Tricarico said. So this year, Pavones Pizza and Danny’s Steaks — two Syracuse-based restaurants — have made their way into the stadium’s concessions lineup. Pavones Pizza has been based in the Syracuse area for over 50 years while Danny’s Steaks is a newer, Philadelphia-style cheese steak restaurant that sits in Armory Square.
“You have those classic options like the hotdogs and hamburgers, popcorn, pretzels, but to be able to have those local options, I think really caught a lot of fans attention,” Tricarico said. “And I’ve heard nothing but great things just in terms of the quality of that food and the service.”
Beyond just the new food choices, fans will also be able to enjoy a wide variety of promotions this season, Tricarico said. The team will have postgame fireworks after most home games on Friday and Saturday nights, and will also have “Marvel Super Hero Nights” featuring Ironman and Spiderman mascots where the team will also wear special, superhero-themed uniforms.
On the field, fans can watch some of the top prospects in the New York Mets’ organization, including outfielder Khalil Lee and third baseman Mark Vientos. Syracuse is also led by a new manager this year, Kevin Boles, who has 11 years of minor league managerial experience, most recently with the Mets’ double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
Simon Sterns has been a Syracuse season ticket holder for over 40 years, and knows that the team’s win-loss record is always difficult to predict because of the amount of turnover on minor league teams. He still expects a strong season for the team despite them finishing 50-75 last year.
“It’s always tough to predict what’s going to happen,” Sterns said. “So my level of anticipation is that they’re competitive, play some good ball and end up winning a fair amount of games and keeping the fans interested.”
