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Eager Fans Show Up En Masse At Citi Field For Subway Series Singing Contest

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York Mets held tryouts on Tuesday, but not the kind you might think.

It was less about swinging and more about singing, CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported.

More than 100 excitable, adorable, soulful souls were warming up in the cold outside of Citi Field, competing for the chance to do something totally major.

"It's a combination of my two favorite things -- baseball and singing," said 13-year-old Meghan Jenkins of Bridgewater, New Jersey.

They were all on hand for the opportunity to sing the national anthem in front of tens of thousands of people at Citi Field later this year when the Mets host the Yankees in the Subway Series.

"I enjoy singing. This is what I want to do with my life. This would be another amazing opportunity," said Brittney Ann Accetta of Old Bridge, New Jersey.

The hopefuls came in all ages and sizes and varying degrees of talent.

Then there was hard core Mets fan Charlie Poveromo, who was a finalist in the anthem competition last year. He said he's hoping 2015 will be the year.

"This is something I've wanted ever since I was young. I dreamed of singing at a Mets game," Poveromo said.

Ironically, contestants were told they could sing anything they wanted except the national anthem -- and there was a reason for that, Rapoport reported.

"It's about hearing the song that the fan is comfortable singing, so they can illustrate what their range is, what their voice sounds like," said the Mets' executive director of communications, Harold Kaufman.

They were a bunch of leagues dreamers, singing for the fences and hoping to make it to the show.

The Mets said judges will select finalists to advance to a final round in May or June. The eventual winner will sing at the Subway Series on Sept. 18.

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