Today, the last regularly scheduled game at Shea Stadium is taking place. In fact, it has begun. I was fortunate enough to get a call just before I left work Thursday night with a free ticket to the Mets game against the Cubs. Pedro Martinez vs. Rich Harden. Game number 159 in the season.And at many times during the rainy night, I feared they would lose. Indeed, the Mets never led until they won. It will probably be my last night at Shea.
I'll miss it; it was home of my favorite team. I have many memories: my first baseball game, watching Nolan Ryan almost throw a no-hitter against them, riding the #7 train to meet up to watch the Mets play the Cardinals when Mark McGwire his his 400th homer, feeling the entire stadium shake during the final game of the 2000 NLCS, using a ticket from a friend who died on 9/11 to attend one of the first games after that terrible day, running onto the field during the 1983 Simon & Garfunkel concert, watching Billy Joel at the final concert at Shea. There are so many more.
And there could be at least one more night, because the Mets and Brewers are tied for the wild card, courtesy of a three-hit shutout by Johan Santana yesterday and a Cubs win over the Brewers. If the Mets and Brewers both win or both lose today, then they play each other Monday night at Shea.
But after today's game, there'll be a celebrtion of Shea. Even if the Mets end up not going to the playoffs, I wouldn't miss the celebration. The stadium may be ugly and noisy and stinky, but it's been home.
Thanks, Shea. Citi Field won't be quite the same.
2 comments:
My heart goes out to you Matt and for all the others who hold Shea Stadium so highly regarded. Frank went through this very same thing when the White Sox let go of their past demolishing the Old Comiskey Park which stood for over 80 yrs, in 1991. Yes the new field had all the nice ammenities, locker rooms were bigger, state of the art equipment etc. But the now US Cellular Field (which by the way WE never call it that) doesn't have the character nor the memories of the old park. And never will. So much history was made in your stadium, and at Yankee Stadium (dealing with both stadiums being replaced at the same time must be a mind blow for the city of NY & NJ). Yes these new stadiums will make their own memories and we will still enjoy the ball games and more comfortably, but what we will miss is the echos of the past, ours and our fathers-grandfathers, lurking in those stadiums. And die hard baseball fans always relish the past which we recognize makes our present and future. I am so happy you got to go to the last game and I am even happier that the Mets won that game, which is the only way it should have been.
Thanks, Cammy. I know there were some people who took it harder than I did.
I hope your Sox make the playoffs.
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