NEW YORK — Of all the fans who paid top dollar to attend Monday's official Citi Field opener, perhaps no one beat the father and son in section 11, row 8, seats 5 and 6.

Those were the Bernard Madoff seats — the spots auctioned Sunday by the trustee overseeing the liquidation of the disgraced investor's assets.

The man who paid $7,500 for the pair of tickets to the New York Mets' game against San Diego would not give his last name. He identified himself as 47-year-old Kurt and his 16-year-old son as Mike, said they were from New York state and produced ticket stubs for the $525 seats matching those sold by trustee Irving Picard.

"I didn't expect to pay what we had to pay," Kurt admitted. "But when you get on eBay and you refuse to lose, you know, you end up paying more than you want."

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg sat not far away, in the front of the Delta Club section, in a $695 first row seat. New York Gov. David Paterson also was scheduled to be at the Mets' home opener, as was baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

Mets Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver threw out the ceremonial first pitch to retired catcher Mike Piazza. Former Met Darryl Strawberry also was on hand, as was comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

"I thought the dirt was beautiful. I'm not being facetious. They had a tough time at Shea with the drainage," Seaver said.

A cat briefly interrupted play by running in foul territory in the fourth inning — a tan cat, as opposed to the famous black one that appeared at Shea Stadium during a Mets-Cubs game during the 1969 pennant race.

The cast of the Broadway revival of Bernstein's "West Side Story" had just sung the national anthem and four U.S. Marine F18 Hornets had flown over the ballpark when Jody Gerut homered on Mike Pelfrey's third pitch. When Shea Stadium opened in 1964, the first home run also was allowed by the Mets, to Pittsburgh Hall of Famer Willie Stargell.

The Mets lost their Polo Grounds opener 4-3 to Pittsburgh in 1962 and their Shea Stadium opener by the same score to the Pirates two years later. The Mets finished 1,859-1,713 at Shea, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Hour before Citi Field's formal opener — they played a pair of exhibition games against the Boston Red Sox on April 3-4 — Mets owner Fred Wilpon showed guests around, pointing up at the 10 Sterling Suites, 44 Empire Suites and three owner suites.

Fans said the 41,800-seat ballpark, which cost $800 million, was a big improvement over 57,343-seat Shea, which was razed and is being converted to a parking lot for Citi Field. The new place gets its name from Citigroup, a company that received government bailout money to stay in business.

"It's just nicer" than Shea, said Jennifer Gallagher of upstate Fishkill, N.Y. "You can see the field better from wherever you sit."

Gallagher had more than a passing attachment to Shea. She worked as a beer vendor there during her college years, met her late husband there and held her wedding reception at Shea's Diamond Club — her husband's idea — in 1995.

"It's bittersweet," she said of Monday's game. "It's turning over a new leaf."

Seaver took note at what remained of Shea — rubble being removed by 10 back-hoes.

"I see a parking lot. It was not interesting architecturally whatsoever," he said. "That doesn't mean there aren't sentimental memories there, but it's about the people."

Fans getting off the subway let out a whoop at the sight of the new stadium, whose brick facade was designed to evoke Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-57, where Wilpon attended games in his youth.

Two hours before game time the line to get into one of the many stores selling Mets merchandise snaked around the 40-plus-foot-wide concourse, which circles the field level.

"I'm in line for a new fitted hat," said Jim Johnsen, of Sayville, Long Island. "I buy one at every game I go to. Sometimes two."

Johnsen said he and girlfriend Colleen McDonald attend 10 to 15 Mets games a season.

McDonald was sad to see the end of Shea. "That was my childhood," she said. "But we'll tell our grandkids when they take down Citi Field that we were here on this day."

Many fans paid steep prices to attend the sold-out game. The average price of a ticket sold on StubHub.com was $349, with prices ranging from $60 for a promenade (upper deck) ticket to $1,471 for a seat in section 113 behind the Mets dugout.

Dave Abish, of Bellmore, Long Island, said he and brother Scott bought $245 face-value tickets for $400 each on StubHub.

"I figure it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to be here on opening day of a new ballpark," he said.