Call it the $800 million field of screams — of joy and sorrow.
Fans were ecstatic last night as the New York Mets broke the seal on their brand-new ballpark — but deflated by the Amazin’s 6-5 loss to the San Diego Padres.
“I’ve been to a bunch of new stadiums. It’s finally nice to have a stadium of our own that isn’t a laughingstock,” said Allan Strickland, 43, of Levittown, LI, referring to the Mets’ previous home at Shea Stadium next door. “It was definitely worth the wait.”
VACCARO: THREE CHEERS FROM THE FANS
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When Met legend Tom Seaver threw out the ceremonial first pitch, it was like breaking a bottle of champagne on the side of a ship.
Former catcher Mike Piazza caught Seaver’s toss, repeating what the two superstars had done last September to close out Shea.
More than 200 veterans representing the five US armed services were on the field during the presentation of a football-field-sized American flag. The cast of the Broadway revival of “West Side Story” sang the national anthem.
But after the pomp, the leadoff hitter for the Padres, Jody Gerut, knocked it out of the park.
“Does that make the field cursed?” wondered Stefan Dobrejko, 38, of Danbury.
Met fans came alive in the fifth inning when David Wright homered, setting off the first appearance of the park’s new Home Run Apple.
“I’m glad to see the apple on day one,” beamed Karen Herlihy, 44, of Bayport, L.I.
The hometown heroes gave up the lead for good an inning later.
Among the 41,007 on hand for the historic night were Mayor Bloomberg, who caught a souvenir baseball in the ninth inning, as well as Gov. Paterson, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actor Tim Robbins and Donald and Melania Trump.
Unable to attend was season-ticket holder Bernard Madoff, who is awaiting sentencing for running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme.
Pinch hitting for Madoff was a 47-year-old Mahopac man and his 16-year-old son, who paid $7,500 for the scammer’s two seats in an eBay auction.
“I promised my son I’d take him when we were watching Shea Stadium come down,” said the man, who identified himself as Kurt. “I figured they would be good seats, I didn’t know we’d be celebrities.”
Additional reporting by Ed Robinson