Chapter 79.6: Shea Goodbye, Unless...

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.

Chapter 77.8: Thanks Billy, Thanks Shea!

Billy Joel played the final concert at Shea Stadium on Friday night, and my wife and I were lucky enough to get tickets. (Thanks again, Bob & Suzanne, for the truly wonderful birthday present!)

I've seen Billy before, back when he still recorded new albums, but this was a special night and there was really no comparison to the previous concert. The show didn't start on time. He explained from his piano seat that they wanted to let everyone get into the stadium ("We all know the parking sucks," he joked.) But we learned later the real reason for the delay.

The night was electric with his hits and he also dug into his back catalog for songs that don't get much airplay but are still fun, exciting songs. Of course, he refused to play "Just the Way You Are," which he derides as a wedding song — and let's face it, he's right. And before too long it became obvious that "Piano Man" would be among the last songs played. It's his signature song, after all.

In between the first and the last songs was a night full of entertainment, both visual and aural. I truly got a sense of the amazing clarity of high-def television as the screens on which the images of Joel and the other musicians played seemed to be in 3-D. You could see every bead of sweat on Billy's balding pate.

Tony Bennett reprised his performance from Wednesday night on "New York State of Mind." He's really cemented his place among rock fans as the successor to Frank Sinatra, by which I mean an old crooner who can still connect with those of a younger generation. Speaking about generations, Roger Daltrey also came on stage to sing "My Generation" and swing his specially equipped microphone once more. In keeping with the legacy of The Who, Joel smashed a guitar on stage, a la Pete Townshend.

The other special guests were Steven Tyler, who sang "Walk This Way," and Garth Brooks — decked out in a Mets cap and jersey (he played with the team during spring training, 2000) — who sang the Joel-written song "Shameless" that he had a hit with.

Throughout the night, the significance of the venue was never lost. Indeed, with Citi Field towering behind the stage in Shea's center field, it was impossible to not be aware that this night was in part about celebrating the wonderful history of music at Shea Stadium, which began with the Beatles. During "Zanzibar," images of famous Mets games played on the screens.

So it wasn't surprising — indeed, Maureen and I kinda expected it — when Billy Joel reintroduced Sir Paul McCartney to Shea. The old Beatle sang "I Saw Her Standing There," which also could have been as much about the stadiums as it was a remembrance of songs past. The Beatles played Shea in 1965, which I believe was the first time a rock band had played a sports stadium.

Of course, only Piano Man could follow that, and Billy Joel — who had been looking exhausted for at least an hour at that point — allowed the fans to help him sing his song. Maureen and I made our way out as the final notes played, so we didn't actually witness Paul's return for "Let It Be," but I wouldn't be surprised to find the show presented as a DVD in time for Christmas. I'm sure I'll see it then.

So, thanks Billy, thanks Paul, and thanks to the other 55,000 people who shared in such a wonderful night. Even that annoying couple a row over from us who must have been on ecstacy or something.

And thanks again, Bob and Suzanne. This is one birthday present I'll never forget!

Chapter 76.8: Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjack

This is the type of helpful travel tip that even non-baseball fans can sink their teeth into. The New York Times has posted an interactive map of the culinary delights available at all the major league baseball stadiums throughout the United States (and Toronto).

While I feel bad for my friends who are fans of the White Sox (not one item on their menu is recommended; the Times says bring a six pack and barter for a dog outside), I can agree with the assessment that the dogs at Shea are edible but way too expensive. (I think everyone can buy a full pack of hot dogs and possibly also the buns for less than the price of one dog at the game.)

I've gone to enough games and eaten enough expensive hot dogs to have decided that I don't need to have a dog and a beer at every game I attend any more. At the prices these days, I'm hard-pressed to attend more than one or two games anyway. But it's nice to fantasize, and if you do go to a game, why not have a game plan about the stadium menu!

Chapter 72.8: Long Live Signman!

In this era of throwback baseball stadiums, with their entertainment areas, swimming pools, and oh yeah baseball, one aspect that hasn't quite been retrofitted is the sense of continuity. Owners have tried, of course. They've incorporated elements of previous eras -- the little hill in deep center at the Astros park and the cut line from home to the pitchers' mound in Arizona, for instance -- but they come off as affectations. What really makes continuity and atmosphere in a stadium are the fans.

As a longtime Met fan, I still have many memories of the Signman (Karl Ehrhardt)who seemed to attend almost every game at Shea when I was growing up in the late '70s, when the team stank so bad fans almost needed masks. Only a kid could love a staff that included Craig Swan, Pat Zachary, and Nino Espinosa. The Signman was unique. You knew you were watching a Mets game (on WOR, Channel 9) when the camera showed him hoisting some clever commentary about a play or a player. Perhaps the most famous were associated with the '73 team that was in last place in September and went on to win the division with an 81-win season. "Ya Gotta Believe!" Tug McGraw exclaimed, and the Signman, in late September and early October, would reply "We Believe!"

The signman died this past week. He was 83. I for one have missed him. According to a 2006 article, the Signman had caught the message of the team's new ownership in the early '80s and stopped coming to Shea, where the stink of the late '70s teams lingered. Like Tom Seaver before him, Signman was no longer wanted by anyone but the fans.

I wish Signman had had a chance to move with the Mets into the new Citi Field, which is expected to open in about 13 months. I think there's reason to believe the Wilpons would have invited him. He'd been brought back before -- in 2002 to help celebrate the team's fortieth anniversary -- and I hope they do something to commemorate him this year.

The Wilpons designed the new stadium in the image of the old Ebbets Field where the Brooklyn Dodgers played. They seem to have some sense of history. If they know their fans, they'll recognize the late Ehrhardt's passing somehow this year. And if they hope to populate Citi Field with more than simply three million fans -- if they want to retain the best aspects of Mets history in the new home -- then they'll honor Signman in the new stadium. It's the right thing to do.